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Hillary 2016 Begins

Hillary Clinton video announcement offers nod to populism: "'Americans have fought their way back from tough economic times. But the deck is still stacked in favor of those at the top,' Clinton says ... That begins to touch on a campaign rationale — too many people have been dealt bad hands by the still-uncertain economy, but I’m on your side to help fix it — but leaves for later any detailed assessment of her policy prescriptions on the economy..."

W. Post's Aaron Blake adds: "It's not quite 'the system is rigged' — Warren's most well-known slogan — but the sentiment is almost identical, and there's no way it's a coincidence."

Liberal groups challenge Clinton to adopt "bold" stands. Time: "'We hope Hillary Clinton thinks big and takes on powerful interests on behalf of everyday working families,' said PCCC cofounder Adam Green in a statement ... DFA executive director Charles Chamberlain said that Clinton has earned the respect of progressives 'because of her deep commitment to the rights of women and children,' but suggested in a statement that she would have to do more to earn their support in the long run."

Mayor de Blasio withholds endorsement. NYT: "In a televised moment rich with political intrigue, Mr. de Blasio repeatedly declined to offer Mrs. Clinton his blessing during an interview on NBC’s 'Meet the Press,' saying he would hold off until learning more about his former boss’s economic platform."

Robert Kuttner awaits the details: "Clinton cannot sustain this sort of aspirational politics in the more than 18 months between now and November 2015 without getting very specific ... There are some very creative people around her, like campaign chair John Podesta, who hope to bridge the gap between the program Clinton needs to run on and the campaign's financial backers. But this is an awfully tricky straddle."

Sen. Marco Rubio jumps in today. W. Post: "Rubio’s road to the White House faces several hurdles, including his youth and inexperience on the national political stage and his previous work to broker an ambitious bipartisan immigration reform plan ... he would soon alienate many tea party voters by backing a bi-partisan immigration proposal that included a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants — which he’d opposed during his Senate campaign ... He later discarded the idea of a comprehensive immigration bill in favor of an incremental approach conditioned on first tightening border security."

Liberal donors develop strategy to win back state legislatures. W. Post: "The plan embraced by the Democracy Alliance, an organization that advises some of the Democrats’ top contributors, puts an urgent new focus on financing groups that can help the party regain influence in time for the next congressional redistricting process, after the 2020 elections. The blueprint approved by the alliance board calls on donors to help expand state-level organizing and lobbying for measures addressing climate change, voting rights and economic inequality."

Fast-Track Bill To Hit Senate

Bipartisan fast-track bill expected to be introduced this week. Politico: "Senate Finance Committee leaders Orrin Hatch and Ron Wyden appear poised to introduce a 'fast track' trade promotion authority bill along with House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Paul Ryan ... Proponents need to act fast or risk losing their opportunity to move the bill in the upcoming six-week work session because of competing demands for floor time ... Union groups, environmental advocates and other opponents are promising an 'unprecedented week of action filled with grassroots activity to pressure Congress' to kill the legislation."

"Fast Track to Lost Jobs and Lower Wages" argues EPI's Robert Scott: "Expanding exports alone is not enough to ensure that trade adds jobs to the economy. Increases in U.S. exports tend to create jobs in the United States, but increases in imports lead to job loss--by destroying existing jobs and preventing new job creation--as imports displace goods that otherwise would have been made in the United States by American workers."

Obama To Press Budget Fight

Obama campaigns for his budget this week. The Hill: "President Obama will travel to Charlotte, N.C. on Wednesday to meet with working women and plug his budget proposal ... In interviews on Monday with local television stations from Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Ohio and Maine, Obama will talk about his tax plans and draw contrasts with Republicans. The president will continue his attacks on a GOP plan to repeal the estate tax ... The president will attend a White House event on Thursday honoring individuals and companies who have pushed for paid sick and family leave, equal pay and ending pregnancy discrimination..."

Low-wage workers still rely on public assistance, NYT investigates: "Nearly three-quarters of the people helped by programs geared to the poor are members of a family headed by a worker, according to a new study by the Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education at the University of California. As a result, taxpayers are providing not only support to the poor but also, in effect, a huge subsidy for employers of low-wage workers, from giants like McDonald’s and Walmart to mom-and-pop businesses."

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