In politics, authenticity matters is Maithri a personification of authenticity? 


2016-01-28

eadership in politics has been a subject many psychologists and social scientists have attempted to analyze, dissect and write about over and over again. These analysts and writers have ascribed strong leadership in politics to many a politician and history alone stands as the sole judge as to the validity and legitimacy of those claims.  

However, when leadership is challenged, when it is questioned and probed, those who come out as deserving and great are those who have taken unparalleled risks under most trying conditions and come out on top to the wonder and amazement of many pessimists and skeptics. Furthermore, one must guard oneself against reading too much into the simplicity of a persona of a leader, for more often than not, simplicity could be a shield, or a false façade against a more complex and sinister character that a leader tries to conceal. Yet a majority of people fall for that outer veneer and take that as the authentic nature of a leader whom they long to emulate and look up to as a messiah of sort.

But there is one sure way of judging that authenticity, that profound sense of honesty and simplicity- and that is to see if the particular leader is making one gesture after another, one political gaffe after another in order to express his or her own judgments and inner feelings irrespective of the extremely unfriendly consequences those judgments and feelings may entail. 

Authenticity is not a calculated notion or a premeditated phenomenon. Yet on the other hand, a calculated and premeditated move by a political leader could be seen as an authentic response from him and that trait of calculating and the premeditated persona is time and time again associated with his past courses of action and thought.

  If the critics of the current President Maithripala Sirisena take few moments to look into such details of political analysis- whether scientific or not- they would invariably find in Sirisena a man who is not in conflict with himself and who is not in disagreement with his inner conscience in the implementation and execution of duties as the leader of a most difficult political coalition to manage and steer well out of crisis points. His authenticity is not yet questioned by his closest bedfellows -- Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and his UNP Cabinet colleagues. In fact that shade of suspicion and uncertainty seems to spring from the President’s former Cabinet colleagues of a defeated UPFA Government. A set of politicos whose mindset was entrenched in a corrupt system of nepotism and cronyism are finding hard to stomach, firstly the electoral defeat they suffered at the hands of their former Cabinet colleague -- Maithripala Sirisena and secondly, resigning themselves to a stewardship of state by a person they consider quite ‘junior’ in the ranks of the political echelon of the time. 
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Sri Lanka on par with China in Corruption Perceptions Index

By admin on January 27, 2016

Sri Lanka is on par with China in the Corruption Perceptions Index 2015 released in Berlin today by Transparency International.

Both Sri Lanka and China are ranked 83 with scores of 37 each. Denmark took the top spot for the 2nd year running, with North Korea and Somalia the worst performers, scoring just 8 points each.

Transparency International noted that in places like Guatemala, Sri Lanka and Ghana, citizen activists in groups and on their own worked hard to drive out the corrupt, sending a strong message that should encourage others to take decisive action in 2016.

Transparency International said that 2015 showed that people working together can succeed in the battle against corruption. Although corruption is still rife globally, more countries improved their scores in the 2015 edition of Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index than declined.

Overall, two-thirds of the 168 countries on the 2015 index scored below 50, on a scale from 0 (perceived to be highly corrupt) to 100 (perceived to be very clean).

“Corruption can be beaten if we work together. To stamp out the abuse of power, bribery and shed light on secret deals, citizens must together tell their governments they have had enough. The 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index clearly shows that corruption remains a blight around the world. But 2015 was also a year when people again took to the streets to protest corruption. People across the globe sent a strong signal to those in power: it is time to tackle grand corruption,” said José Ugaz, Chair of Transparency International.

Brazil was the biggest decliner in the index, falling 5 points and dropping 7 positions to a rank of 76. The unfolding Petrobras scandal brought people into the streets in 2015 and the start of judicial process may help Brazil stop corruption.

The index covers perceptions of public sector corruption in 168 countries. Top performers share key characteristics: high levels of press freedom; access to budget information so the public knows where money comes from and how it is spent; high levels of integrity among people in power; and judiciaries that don’t differentiate between rich and poor, and that are truly independent from other parts of government.

In addition to conflict and war, poor governance, weak public institutions like police and the judiciary, and a lack of independence in the media characterise the lowest ranked countries.

The big decliners in the past 4 years include Libya, Australia, Brazil, Spain and Turkey. The big improvers include Greece, Senegal and UK.

The Corruption Perceptions Index is based on expert opinions of public sector corruption. Countries’ scores can be helped by open government where the public can hold leaders to account, while a poor score is a sign of prevalent bribery, lack of punishment for corruption and public institutions that don’t respond to citizens’ needs. (Colombo Gazette)

The Gnanasara Thera factor

JAN 28 2016

Busy as it is dealing with various political conundrums that crop up from time to time, the government this week encountered yet another unexpected hurdle- in the form of Ven Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera and his organisation, the Bodu Bala Sena (BBS).

The rabble rousing monk made an unexpected appearance at the on-going hearings at the Homagama Magistrate's Court on the disappearance of journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda. There, he berated the government for prosecuting soldiers and disrupted court proceedings, ignoring the Magistrate's warnings.

This led to the monk being charged with contempt of court and an arrest warrant being issued against him. The monk surrendered to Police a day later but a tense situation arose when he was remanded and had to be taken away under custody.

Of course, this is not the first instance that Ven Gnanasara Thera has attracted national headlines. Unheard of only a few years ago, within a short span of about four years he has emerged as the most extreme among the leaders of several fringe groups that espouse a philosophy of Sinhala Buddhist supremacy at the expense of marginalising other communities in the country.

Ven Gnanasara Thera's organisation, the BBS, was founded in 2012. It spent the next two years propagating a doctrine of fear. It claimed that Sinhalese Buddhist would be swamped and overshadowed by other communities. It urged action against other communities. Whenever there was a dispute with racial connotations, it was quick to rush in, claiming to be the 'saviours' of the Sinhalese Buddhists. It targeted the Muslim community in particular, more than any other community.

Racial hatred and discrimination                         Full Story>>>

The Tragicomic ‘Sinha-Le’ Tribe

By Sharmini Serasinghe –January 28, 2016

Sharmini Serasinghe

It is indeed ironic and tragically hilarious, that while Sri Lanka boasts of a 2500 year-old culture, and one of the highest literacy rates in Asia (the ability to read and write), those claiming relationship to a four-legged beast (lion) today; its ‘Sinha-Le’ tribe, is unable to separate allegory and myth, from fact. After all, the ability to read and write doesn’t guarantee intelligence, common sense or wisdom, does it?

What is most hilarious is that, by claiming bloodline to a beast, they are also admitting to being subhuman, the qualities of which, they have no qualms about displaying unashamedly, in the public arena. Is this what our 2500 year-old culture has produced?

This unique beast-blooded tribe, which also appears to have inherited its level of intelligence, also seems unable to distinguish between the Dhamma, and the Mahavamsa. Yet, they insist on calling themselves ‘Buddhists’, and the ‘guardians’ of Buddhism.

The lion that gave rise to this progeny must surely, hang its head in shame, while those of us Sinhalese, fortunate to have human blood running though our veins, can only shake our heads in despair!

Typically, as is the norm with this part-beast tribe; gullibility is also in their genes. Hence, it is no surprise at all they have yet again fallen, hook, line and sinker, for a desperate and devious effort, by those who bit the dust in January 2015.

Sinha Le is their latest tragicomedy. And, with no surprises once again, it is the lion blooded saffron-robed, who are its main actors, performing at their best.

When oh when, will these fallen despots cease using the saffron-robed, as a means to their dubious ends?

While all human-blooded Buddhists agree, that the Dhamma needs no protection from any force or anyone, the image of Buddhism in Lanka; marketed as a Buddhist nation, has suffered immensely, not at the hands of others, but the paws of the subhuman Sinha Le-Buddhist tribe; a tribe unto themselves!

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Ranil mum on Anura’s questions

THURSDAY, 28 JANUARY 2016

The Chief Opposition Whip in Parliament JVP Parliamentarian Anura Dissanayaka asked a question from Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday (27th) regarding a statement made by cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratna that a former VIP family is maintaining accounts in Dubai banks. The Leader of the House Minister Luxman Kiriella responded saying the Prime Minister will make a statement regarding the questions today (28th).

A little while ago the House adjourned but there was no statement from Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Responding to Mr. Anura Dissanayaka’s questions Mr. Kiriella said in addition to the VIP family, a Member of Parliament and a head of a government institution too have deposited US$3000 million (Rs. 430650 million) in Dubai banks.

Question raised under Standing Order 23/2 – 27.01.2016

I would like to draw the attention of this assembly to the news that the government has found information regarding several foreign accounts of members of highest political families in this country containing large amounts of money.  On the 14th the cabinet spokesman of the government said that it had been revealed that three foreign accounts of a member of a political VIP family and three close associates have more than billion dollars. It was revealed that the member has US$1.086 billion,  a businessman who had been a Parliamentarian  has US$500 million and a joint account of a former Secretary and a chairman of an institution has US$1.8 billion. Also, another Parliamentarian of the government had told media that he had seen 426,560 billion hidden in foreign accounts by former rulers.

According to these explanations it is felt that the government is aware of all the information regarding the accounts. A broad dialogue occurred in the society that investigations should be carried out regarding frauds and corruption that had escalated   in the recent past, the perpetrators should be punished and the wealth they had plundered should be acquired. One of the main  of the presidential election held on 8th January, 2015 was the promise to punish fraudsters.

The same promise was made through the election manifesto ‘A Maithri administration – a new country in 100 days’. According to the ‘100 day programme what was destined for 5th February was to establish special councils to investigate large scale frauds.  At the general election held in August too there was a massive dialogue regarding taking legal action against fraudsters.

A suspicion is developing among the people that despite the new administration has been in office for a year, sufficient action has not been taken against frauds and corruption, the investigations being carried out do not go forward at an expected speed, the present government  is protecting fraudsters to maintain its power and there is interference for investigations being carried out  regarding frauds and corruption.

Such statements were also issued by the ruling party in October last year. However, we didn’t see legal action being taken forward against fraudsters. In such an environment, people think, that the government comes out with such statements not to take legal action against fraudsters but to deceive the people.

I expect the Prime Minister will answer the following questions that arise due to this situation.

1. Has the cabinet spokesman or the Parliamentarian made a complaint regarding the relevant accounts to relevant institutions?

2. Has anyone else who has seen these accounts and money made any complaint?

3.  Has anyone ever made such a complaint to any legal institution?

4. Which institutions have carried them out if there had been any investigations?

5. Who are the owners of those accounts?

6. What is the progress of such investigations? What is the framework of time to take legal action?

7. If there is no complaint or investigation regarding the definitely stated accounts, what action would be taken for making such false statements?

8. How many files of investigations that have been completed regarding frauds and corruption have been forwarded to the Attorney General? How many files have been approved and disapproved?

9. Do you accept that investigations regarding frauds and corruption should be carried out justly without any interference, legal action should be taken immediately against the perpetrators connected to such crimes and the wealth they had plundered should be recaptured for the country?

There was ample time to punish Rajapakse era criminals and scoundrels; Enough is enough – Citizens Force leaders (video)

(Lanka-e-News-28.Jan.2016, 11.30PM)  At the last presidential elections ,though  the president Maithripala Sirisena and the prime minister (P.M.) focused on the corruption ,frauds, and murders under the brutal ,lawless corrupt Rajapakse era , and meting out punishment to the culprits , so far none of these culprits have been punished , and as a result , the country’s legal edifice  is in a state of disintegration. Hence  in order to remedy this situation  a period of two weeks shall be granted, the Citizen’s Force asserted at a media briefing convened lastday.

The people vested   this government with powers on the hope of effecting changes , not to permit the robed monks who incite racial hatred to lay siege to courts . If the criminal members of the forces are being defended , who is there to defend the helpless and hapless people ? it was questioned. Is  the  government that is moving in a car being impeded because  the car is fitted with  a wheel of a cart that is the IGP , and  the other cart wheel is the Attorney General, they furiously questioned. 

This media briefing was held with the participation of Professor Sarath Wijesuriya , the convener of Just Society representing the  Citizen’s   Force  , and leaders of civil and  trade union organizations  including Dr. Chandraratne Thenuwara , Saman Rathnapriya, Dharmasiri Bandaranaike , Chameera  Perera and  Josef Stalin .

Vide Video herein 

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by     (2016-01-28 23:33:58)

Urgent Need for Comprehensive Age-Appropriate Relationship Education

• by Hans Billimoria 
 
• - on 01/27/2016 
• • 
    

On the 21st of January 2016 the Daily News published ‘Wariyapola Hit by HIV’ – a news report outlining that “The Kurunegala district has the second largest number of HIV infected cases among all districts in the country and of them, the majority has been reported from Wariyapola.” The article was apparently the result of an Awareness Programme conducted by consultant Aruna Shantha Ratnamalala of the Wariyapola MOH Office at the Minuwangoda Bodhirukkarama Viharaya. No date was specified. MOH consultant Ratnamalala is reported as stating that “a child is sexually active between the ages of 10 to 12 although he or she is not mentally strong to enter marriage.” Ratnamalala underscores the vulnerability of the child by further stating “various sexual inducements are made to them through certain print and electronic media. There are nearly 50 hotels in Wariyapola which rent out rooms for couples”. The news report concludes with the statement “The revealing attire by certain females also tempts males to engage in sexual activities promoting the spread of STDs.” It is not clear if this concluding statement was made by Ratnamalala, or whether it is the view of the Wariyapola Group Correspondent.

The Grassrooted Trust, an organization that works on education and awareness around HIV, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Gender and Violence related issues, has two questions to address to the Ministry of Health (MOH), which coordinates our HIV response via the National STD/AIDS Control Programme (NSACP).

We also invite input from UNAIDS Sri Lanka, who work on media sensitization around HIV, and/or any agency that has the specific mandate and/or have received funds to sensitize/make aware the media on how best to report on HIV related issues. Global Fund Primary Recipients (PRs), Sub Recipients (SRs) and Sub-Sub Recipients (SSRs) – often comprising of community based organizations made up of key populations and those vulnerable to the spread of HIV – in particular, are invited to share the very real challenges they face in making sure negative stereotypes are not reinforced by indolent media coverage.          Continue Reading →

Taking into custody is not sufficient – Justice should be met

 Jan 28, 2016

The secretary of the Sri Lanka Bar Association Ajith Pathirana said that only taking the suspect in to custody is not sufficient but the justice should be clearly met.

He gave the above statement following the order given by the Embilipitiya additional magistrate Prasanna Fernando to arrest the suspected police officers connected to the Embilipitiya murder.

Additional magistrate Prasanna Fernando ordered the police to immediately take the suspected police officers in to custody following hearing the revelation of Sumith Prasanna’s wife who gave evidence during the magisterial postmortem investigation of her husband’s death.

Deceased wife pregnant Shashika Nishamani Munasinghe gave evidence for one and a half hours today 27th said that Embilipitiya Assistant Police Commissioner and the headquarter police inspector attacked and killed her husband.

She said the Assistant Police Commissioner pushed her husband from the third floor.

Public doubt
Presidents counsel Hemantha Warnakulasuriya who appeared behalf of the deceased said a doubt has been created among the public for not arresting the suspects so far.

Senior lawyer Dileepa Pieris who appeared behalf of the Attorney General said if a doubt is created during a postmortem the suspects should be arrested.

Therefore the additional magistrate following the disclosure of witnesses ordered the police to immediately take the suspects into custody.

During the court proceedings a group outside the courts were holding placards written as “Justice not met” and conducted a silent protest campaign.

This uprising is about more than knive

Israeli police restrict Palestinians from entering Jerusalem’s Old City in October 2015-Yotam RonenActiveStills

Budour Youssef Hassan

27 January 2016

When the “intifada of the knives” set off in October last year, Western reporters flooded in to Jerusalem to cover the new “escalation,” interview people from “both sides of the conflict” and raise several variations of the old question: “Is this the beginning of a third intifada?”

Inevitably, the journalists left once a massive crackdown significantly reduced the number of deadly attacks against Israelis in the city. It is an all too familiar pattern for Palestinians, who know by now that it’s only “escalation” when there are dead or wounded Israelis. Deaths, injuries, arrests and home demolitions inflicted on Palestinians by Israel are deemed business as usual, not worthy of further inquiry.

The daily acts of collective punishment suffered by Palestinians in Jerusalem and their slow ethnic cleansing are too routine to be considered newsworthy.

The temporary checkpoints, closures and concrete blocks imposed during the crackdown may have gone and the numbers of Israeli troops on the streets may have been reduced. Yet the Israeli repression — and Palestinian resistance — remains.

Holding the dead hostage

One of Israel’s most troubling tactics is its withholding the bodies of slain Palestinians.

In mid-October the Israeli security cabinet endorsed several measures to quell the unrest. One involved reviving a decades-long policy of withholding the bodies of Palestinians accused of carrying out attacks.

Since then, more than 80 bodies have been withheld. Israel began gradually releasing the bodies in late December after weeks of mass protests, most notably in Hebron, but the bodies of 10 Palestinian Jerusalemites remain in Israeli morgues.

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 Former Ivory Coast president on trial for 'unspeakable' crimes

Trial of Laurent Gbagbo, who has pleaded not guilty, is most high profile in The Hague since ICC was set up in 2002

 Laurent Gbagbo and his lawyer Emmanuel Altit wait for the start of the trial at the ICC in The Hague. Photograph: Reuters

Ivorians watching the trial on television. Photograph: Thierry Gouegnon/Reuters

 Former militia leader Charles Blé Goudé. Photograph: Peter Dejong/EPA

Jason Burke-Thursday 28 January 2016

Laurent Gbagbo, the former president of Ivory Coast, has pleaded not guilty to accusations of orchestrating “unspeakable violence” in an attempt to hold on to power after losing an election in 2010.

Gbagbo, 70, wearing a dark suit and blue tie, rose on the opening day of his trial atthe international criminal court in The Hague to deny four counts of crimes against humanity, including ordering murder and gang-rape. His co-accused, the former militia leader Charles Blé Goudé, also pleaded not guilty to the same charges, which carry life imprisonment terms. 

The trial is a landmark in the history of the ICC. Gbagbo is the highest profile politician to stand trial since it was set up 14 years ago. He remains influential at home and there are fears that his trial could rekindle tensions in Ivory Coast. 

The charges relate to an alleged campaign of violence launched by Gbagbo after his defeat by the current president, Alassane Ouattara, in elections in 2010. About 3,000 people died in the unrest. 

Gbagbo, who had refused to give up power, was eventually run to ground in a basement after French troops and the UN moved to end the conflict. He was brought to The Hague in November 2011.

Fatou Bensouda, the ICC’s chief prosecutor, has vowed to “leave no stone unturned” in investigating alleged crimes by all sides in the brief civil war in 2010, but Gbagbo’s supporters and many victims of the 2010 clashes have accused investigators of bias.

Gbagbo’s son, speaking to the BBC in Ivory Coast on Thursday, said his father was being “persecuted” and that he did not believe the ICC could deliver justice.

Bensouda said her aim was “to ensure justice and accountability on all sides”.

“I reiterate that the purpose of the trial is to uncover the truth, for the sake of doing justice for the victims, and to prevent mass atrocities recurring in the future,” she told reporters earlier this week.

Gbagbo, a former university professor turned activist, spent much of the 1980s in exile in France. After returning, he lost the 1990 presidential vote and spent six months in prison in 1992 for his role in student protests.                                              Read More 

 China warns of Soros’ war on Asian economies

( January 27, 2016, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The People’s Daily, China’s official newspaper, has warned George Soros not to challenge China’s currency. Today’s (27th) issue of ‘People’s Daily’ states Soros had announced ‘he had short sold Asian currencies’ and due to his influence ‘the global financial market saw more severe fluctuations and Asian currencies are facing more speculative pressure.‘However, Soros’challenge to the RMB and Hong Kong dollar are doomed to fail, without any doubt,’ states Chinese newspaper.

It states’the economic growth of China was twice that of the U.S. Against the 10-percent-drop in global trade, China’s export only declined by 1.8 percent.

In addition, China is still upgrading its industrial structure and leading in more areas.’ The newspaper also reminds that ‘China has become the second largest economy in the world.’ ‘People’s Daily’ also states ‘Soros’ “war” on Asian currencies will help China deepen fiscal and financial cooperation whether in East Asia or along the “Belt and Road’.

George Soros was invited to Sri Lanka by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and like Packer during Mahinda Rajapaksa regime, chaired a summit on Sri Lanka’s economy. According to media he had also provided facilities for Wickremesinghe to attend World Economic forum.

Born in Hungary and considered as the second biggest investor in the world Soros is a US businessman who has been accused regarding the economic and financial crisis that occurred in Eastern Asia during mid nineties.

Malaysia’s former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad accused him of destroying the economy of Eastern Asian countries by instantly withdrawing funds that had been invested in those countries. Also, two foundations launched by George Soros have been officially banned by the Russian government. Russia charged that the groups pose a threat to Russian national security and public order.

Here is full report carried by People’s Daily;

Think twice before declaring war on Chinese currency

By Mei Xinyu (People’s Daily Online) 10:14, January 27, 2016

The billionaire investor George Soros has grasped the headlight of the Davos World Economic Forum for the last two years.

Last year, he announced that he had “finally” retired from managing money to devote himself to political philanthropy. This year, at the same stage, he declared “war” on China, claiming he had short sold Asian currencies.                                

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The Problem With Poland’s New Nationalism

Poland’s government rails against foreign oppression. But its vision for the country was born in Moscow.

BY ADAM ZAMOYSKI-JANUARY 27, 2016
Among the greatest misfortunes resulting from the election of the current Polish government is that it has given Polish nationalism a bad name. “Nationalistic” has joined the epithets used by Western commentators to describe the Law and Justice party, alongside “xenophobic” and “populist.”

It’s easy to understand why the term has been applied. But it’s important to understand that the Polish government, in trying to pose as the defender of Polish sovereignty, has abused and distorted Polish nationalism. That this has happened is a shame for many reasons — not least because nationalism was once widely recognized as one of Poland’s greatest virtues. One of the oldest political units in Europe, Poland had long cultivated a highly idiosyncratic sense of nationhood, one that over its thousand-year existence earned admiration far beyond its borders.

The current Polish government, however, has abandoned that tradition in favor of a legacy far more recent and far less deserving of emulation. Perversely, it has embraced the values and worldview of the communist regime whose influence it claims to most want to eradicate.

In the medieval era, Polish nationalism was based on loyalty to a royal dynasty and, in that sense, differed little from that of any other nation in Christendom. But with the coming of the Renaissance, Polish nationalism developed in tune with the rapid political changes taking place in the country, which had resulted in a republic with an elected constitutional monarchy and a remarkably pluralistic society. 

The Poles became patriots for a way of life — republican, multicultural, and multi-religious. Like Roman citizens in the glory days of Rome, the Polish gentry believed themselves to be members of an elite club. They looked with pity on their counterparts in neighboring countries obliged to put up with tyrannical rulers, high levels of taxation, enforced religious orthodoxy, and censorship. They also welcomed those of any nationality who wished to settle in Poland and share their blessings.

The 18th century saw Polish society divided between those who embraced Western European manners and taste along with the new secularist and rationalist zeitgeist, and a conservative backbone that clung to an increasingly beleaguered and xenophobic belief that everything traditional and “Polish” was best. By the end of the century, however, these divisions were transcended by the partition and abolition of the country under a combined assault by Poland’s three neighbors: Russia, Prussia, and Austria.

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Hillary says appointing Barack Obama to the Supreme Court would be 'a great idea' 

By J. Taylor Rushing, U.s. Political Reporter, For Dailymail.com-27 January 2016


Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton gets plenty of whack-a-doodle questions during her campaign rallies, but one in particular on Tuesday struck her fancy: Would she nominate President Barack Obama to the Supreme Court?

'Wow, what a great idea!' Clinton said during a campaign stop in which she had offered her microphone to front-row listeners after her stump speech. A middle-aged man had asked the question shortly and simply.

'Nobody has ever suggested that to me Wow,' Clinton said. 'I love that. Wow. He may have a few other things to do, but I'll tell you, it's a great idea.'

Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton fielded a variety of questions at a town hall event in Iowa on Tuesday, including an unexpected one - would she nominate President Obama to the Supreme Court?

Clinton went on to say she agreed with the questioner's initial assertion - that America's next president could have the opportunity to appoint up to three Supreme Court justices - and said 'the Supreme Court, unfortunately, has been heading in the wrong direction' in recent years.

'We need new justices who actually understand the challenges we face. I can't tell if it's just naivete or if its ideological, theoretical views,' she said.

Clinton slammed the Court's recent judgments on the Voting Rights Act, of which a provision was stripped out, as well as the Citizens United decision, which allowed corporations to funnel money towards political candidates as free speech.

She then stepped back to note that 'three sets of billionaires are running ads against me,' ostensibly referring to GOP front-runner Donald Trump and the Republican-aligned Koch Brothers.

Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, also a billionaire, is flirting with the idea of a presidential run but has not yet aired any ads.

'I would certainly take that under advisement,' Clinton told a crowd of about 450 inside a ballroom. 'I mean he's brilliant, and he can set forth an argument, and he was a law professor, so he's got all the credentials.'

See Hillary Clinton news as she says Obama on the Supreme Court would be 'a great idea'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3419638/Hillary-says-appointing-Barack-Obama-Supreme-Court-great-idea.html#ixzz3yZS3sNOy
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