MOMocrats

It didn't take long after the worst massacre in recent history for Donald Trump to begin tweeting hateful messages about Muslim immigrants.MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the tragedy in Orlando and the political fallout, including the President's response and the stalled fight in Congress to pass a bill that would prevent individuals on the terror watch list from obtaining combat weapons like the AR-15. Other topics include the end of the 2016 primaries and last night's meeting between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders in this week's podcast looking at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.

Hillary Clinton is the presumptive nominee of the Democratic party. The Associated Press called it early on the night before the final "Super Tuesday" round of primaries, which made both campaigns fear that turnout would be suppressed. In the end, Clinton won the popular vote, the pledged delegates and the super delegates. Bernie Sanders is continuing his campaign through the final primary next week in Washington, DC. And Donald Trump vows to give a speech next week that will drag out all the vicious smears we've already heard and others that have been festering in dark corners of the right-wing id. MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills talk about the historic significance of finally seeing a woman lead the Democratic party to the White House.

California's Democratic primary is next Tuesday, and for once - the results are going to matter. Governor Jerry Brown's endorsement (and superdelegate pledge( of Hillary Clinton was a bit of a blow to the Sanders campaign, which is vowing to keep on fighting on through the convention. MOMocrats Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills praise the Sanders campaign for bringing new energy to the Democratic party, but wonder what happens next - especially in light of the Republican nominee. Politics from the progressive point of view, hosted by the MOMocrats.

It's too early for polls to accurately reflect the mood of the electorate in November, but the latest ones showing Trump and Clinton in statistical ties has the MOMocrats nervous. The drama on the Democratic side has to stop so we can keep our eyes on the prize, say the Hillary supporters. Not so fast - we need to build on the Obama legacy and push the Democratic platform left, say the Sanders folks. In the meantime: WHO ARE ALL THESE PEOPLE WHO WOULD PUT A MAD MAN IN THE WHITE HOUSE? MOMocrats Karoli, Cynematic and Donna Schwartz Mills try to talk each other down.

Guest and our favorite health policy wonk Melissa Schober joins us today to discuss where we are with ACA right now -- everything from ongoing court challenges to contraceptive coverage (yes, that's still a thing) to various routes to expansion of ACA so that every American can get the health care they need. How are community health care centers a crucial piece of the picture? Are even balky red states coming around to Medicaid expansion? What are the major barriers given a GOP do-nothing majority in Congress? (Hint: Melissa urges you to talk to your state lawmakers.) What's happening in states like Colorado with its single payer ballot initiative?

Repeat from 3-30-2016: Claire Conner, author of "Wrapped in the Flag," joins MOMocrats Karoli, Cynematic and Donna Schwartz Mills to talk about the new documentary, "The Brainwashing of My Dad," which traces how the filmmaker's father went from an easy-going, Democratic voter to an angry old man spouting right-wing tropes - thanks to a long commute listening to talk radio. Conner, whose parents were founding members of the John Birch Society, is interviewed in the film and has much to say about the Bircher talking points that have made their way into the platform of the modern Republican party. An Engender Media Group Production.

Donald Trump's landslide win in Indiana Tuesday night had a surprise byproduct: Both Ted Cruz and John Kasich suspended their campaigns and Republican party chairman Reince Priebus now refers to Trump as the presumptive nominee. An already bizarre campaign just crossed over into the surreal. And over on the Democratic side of the ticket, Bernie Sanders outperformed the polls (surprising the poll analysts over at Five-Thirty-Eight for the second time this election). Sanders is promising a contested convention as he tries to convince super-delegates to switch. The only thing MOMocrats Cynematic, Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills agree on is that it isn't over yet. Rescheduled from earlier this week.

After last night's mini-Super Tuesday, Hillary Clinton's delegate lead appears to be insurmountable. Still, the Sanders campaign continues to slog away and promises to keep going through California. MOMocrats Cynematic, Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills all agree with that decision, even if they disagree about the tone of the campaign. In the meantime, at the time of our podcast, Ted Cruz is expected to give an announcement - making it all the more likely that the left will find some unity against Donald Trump, whose Republican nomination seems ever more certain after he swept five states last night.  The MOMocrats podcast looks at the day's political news from the progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.

Cable news was expecting yesterday's New York primary results to be a nail-biter on the Democratic side. Instead, the election was called rather early, for the state's former two-time Senator Hillary Clinton. Bernie Sanders supporters point out that New York's closed primary and tough rules for changing parties made it difficult for many of his supporters to come out and vote, and in addition, there were irregularities at the polls such as a 100,000 record purge in Brooklyn. Clinton reached out to Sanders supporters in her victory speech by proclaiming that there is more to unite us than divide us. But that election is over and both campaigns are looking for votes in next week's primaries, with the biggest delegate prize coming from Pennsylvania. Donald Trump also won his home state by a mind-boggling margin (but lost to John Kasich in his own borough of Manhattan). MOMocrats Cynematic, Karoli and Donna Schwartz Mills discuss this and non-election news in this week's political podcast from the progressive point of view. An Engender Media Group production.

It's Equal Pay Day: That point in the calendar when women have finally earned as much as their male counterparts did LAST year. But, as The MOMocrats point out, it might be more accurate to celebrate a whole series of Equal Pay Days because that date comes much later in the year for women of color... and for some, they can work almost the entire year before they've earned the equivalent of men in their field. Other topics discussed by MOMocrats in this week's progressive political podcast include the $15 minimum wage, congressional gridlock, the progress of the Merick Garland SCOTUS nomination - and of course, #Election2016. An Engender Media Group production.