Sen. Cory Booker Jumps Into The Presidential Race -- And Other News

By Susie Madrak — February 1, 2019

Welcome to the Thunderdome, Sen. Booker! I didn't expect much excitement over this announcement, but who knows? I do like an anti-trust candidate:

New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker is the latest Democrat to enter the increasingly crowded race for the White House, making the initial announcement with a message of unity. https://t.co/qGfkGqWjbU

— Up First (@UpFirst) February 1, 2019

Booker's Back Pages: "Brendan O’Flaherty is a Columbia University economist and a former finance director for Mr. Booker. 'Would it have been better to go to Trenton and fight for money, or to go to Hollywood and fund-raise?' he asked. 'He became a celebrity instead of a mayor.'”

— Tom Robbins (@tommy_robb) February 1, 2019

If @CoryBooker is giving a speech like this in rural Iowa on the problem of big ag, he’s going to be a very strong candidate. https://t.co/fIZkh9QRZD

— Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) February 1, 2019

Cory Booker spoke out in 2017 on the need for antitrust action against Google and the biggest companies in the world. This is not a small deal. https://t.co/BvEjJbW6KV

— Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) February 1, 2019

Bottom line, people can distrust Booker for his earlier pro-Wall Street positions. But he’s in his policies/rhetoric today taking aim at the powerful, he’s not doing centrist submerged tax credit bullshit.

— Matt Stoller (@matthewstoller) February 1, 2019

Congratulations and welcome to the race to one of my closest friends, @corybooker! I'll be cheering you on—just, you know, not TOO hard. pic.twitter.com/zeWskppQpv

— Kirsten Gillibrand (@SenGillibrand) February 1, 2019

I like Amy Klobuchar, but if she can't see the problem with this proposal (namely, that poor people aren't making enough money to put in these accounts), her expected campaign will sink like a stone:

Because 529s have been so great at putting an end to people taking on student loans and HSAs at combatting soaring out-of-pocket medical bills... https://t.co/MdkWDPCaRT

— Helaine Olen (@helaineolen) February 1, 2019

all gazillion 2020 democrats introducing themselves at the first debate pic.twitter.com/d8qPEw1F9T

— Steadman™ (@AsteadWesley) February 1, 2019

And Sherrod Brown kicks off his Dignity of Work tour:

Thank you to the hundreds of people who braved record low temperatures in Cleveland—and joined us virtually from around the country—to stand up for the dignity of work.

I'm so inspired by your activism as we hit the road for the Dignity of Work tour. Onward. pic.twitter.com/WzB0hKsgX8

— Sherrod Brown (@SherrodBrown) February 1, 2019

This is getting a serious reaction this morning. Just what we need, another arms race to siphon money out of the budget that could actually help people instead:

With Trump Set To Exit The INF Treaty, We're Headed Toward A New Nuclear Arms Race via @forbes https://t.co/191182SBoC

— Suburban Guerrilla Ω (@SusieMadrak) February 1, 2019

WATCH: @mitchellreports analyzes the implications of the US decision to suspend participation in the INF Treaty with Russia. pic.twitter.com/6OczEaSTAE

— MSNBC (@MSNBC) February 1, 2019

This statement wouldn't sound so hollow if the United States didn't have a track record of violating/withdrawing from treaties that other parties were complying with. JCPOA and ABM in the nuclear field alone. https://t.co/P5u7rjFIIn

— (((James Acton))) (@james_acton32) February 1, 2019

And other news:

“I came from Jamaica, Queens, Jamaica Estates, and I became president of the United States. I’m sort of entitled to a great story — just one — from my newspaper.” ⁦@realDonaldTrump⁩ to ⁦@AGSNYT⁩ in ⁦@nytimes⁩ https://t.co/qj4k1kq0Cu

— jimrutenberg (@jimrutenberg) February 1, 2019

Lawsuit claims Trumps profited from marketing scheme aimed at teens @CNNPolitics https://t.co/YWqEBwOrFi

— Suburban Guerrilla Ω (@SusieMadrak) February 1, 2019

My Last Cup Of Starbucks https://t.co/ZZfDjYTU32

— @AdamsFlaFan (@AdamsFlaFan) February 1, 2019

How effective was that email you sent your lawmaker?https://t.co/bd82oEuAYU pic.twitter.com/MpRdnVkeeH

— Phone2Action (@Phone2Action) January 8, 2019

OK, so, today's @bopinion post is about wealth taxes.

Wealth taxes are a good idea, and they have some advantages you might not have realized!https://t.co/DqcSPpd7st

— Noah Smith (@Noahpinion) January 31, 2019

My latest: "The real issue is one that big finance can’t acknowledge: They got to have it all for decades ... They don’t want to admit their 40-year run at the tax-cut & deregulation punch bowl will need to end, so the rest of us can once again prosper." https://t.co/eqNAhK422W

— Helaine Olen (@helaineolen) January 31, 2019

Trump lies that “trucks of drugs” are not brought through legal ports of entry, claiming this is just something “Democrats say.” It’s what his Drug Enforcement Administration says, and what we heard at the El Chapo trial. It’s fact. pic.twitter.com/BveBXXoRh2

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) February 1, 2019

The only good story to come out of the government mess: Elephant seals took over a Pt. Reyes beach during shutdown. It won't reopen anytime soon. - SFGate https://t.co/JVKfH8jmFb

— Kara Swisher (@karaswisher) February 1, 2019

Happy Black History Month (also doubling as Langston Hughes Day!) pic.twitter.com/bF3V0vNtmD

— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) February 1, 2019

Utah voters: We want Medicaid expansion.
Utah Republicans: No you don't. https://t.co/QraLBQtIWd

— Jeffrey Young (@JeffYoung) February 1, 2019

NEWS: The Trump admin privately told Congress this week that it's finalized new rules for American small arms exports aimed at lessening the regulatory burden on gun manufacturers

Many Ds are not happy. @SenatorMenendez plans to put a hold on the ruleshttps://t.co/KYzgRBAJjy

— Nicholas Fandos (@npfandos) February 1, 2019

Congressman Ryan sent a letter to the House Ethics Committee to “make the Committee aware" of Steve King's "continued use of government resources...to promote and advance white nationalism.” https://t.co/CyUqeWaJba

— Robert Maguire (@RobertMaguire_) February 1, 2019

Good comedy: Trump tells the NYT that past presidents had only artificial accomplishments, unlike his, like him passing Veterans Choice.

Veterans Choice was created in 2014 under Obama. pic.twitter.com/JJC8VhCD7s

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) February 1, 2019

Big development: @FrankPallone, Chair of House Energy and Commerce Committee, promised constituents yesterday he will hold hearings on #MedicareForAll, as well as other health care proposals. This campaign continues to gain momentum! @RepJayapal @NationalNurses https://t.co/2GaAYIaPRD

— Kenneth Zinn (@kennethzinn) February 1, 2019

State: All 366 on local list of potential noncitizen voters are citizens https://t.co/OubQjH5qmq via @wacotrib

— digby (@digby56) February 1, 2019

Sherrod Brown calling Howard “whatever his last name is” (Schultz) the coffee guy has completed me. #inners #maddow pic.twitter.com/PE9nSusUy2

— Alex Stunned Dawlish (@InjuredAlex) February 1, 2019

If reports are true that one of the people Don Jr. called before/after the Trump Tower meeting in June 2016 was real estate developer Howard Lorber, it should be noted that Lorber has extensive biz dealings in Russia and brought Trump to Moscow in 1996.https://t.co/Pafixx5bZE

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) February 1, 2019

Hmm. https://t.co/6TkkNwvD85

— Adam Smith (@asmith83) February 1, 2019

Arizona Sen. Martha McSally, whose fundraising practices have drawn scrutiny in the past, appears to have accepted more than $270,000 in excessive campaign contributions during the recent midterm campaign, according to the Federal Election Commission. https://t.co/EQkGsTG0tr

— PBS NewsHour (@NewsHour) February 1, 2019

Your Black History Month reminder, brought to you by your pals at the Fox News: pic.twitter.com/h48ys27fkd

— ⚡️LOLGOP⚡️ (@LOLGOP) February 1, 2019

"Mass chaos" erupts at immigration courts after ICE hands fake hearing dates to migrants https://t.co/trTnad0AvE pic.twitter.com/B4t58g072t

— Newsweek (@Newsweek) February 1, 2019