Democrats trying to unseat each other IV

[lpetrich]

I'm starting a new thread for the 2026 Congressional elections.

Nancy Pelosi faces primary challenge from former AOC aide - POLITICO - "Saikat Chakrabarti left his chief of staff role in 2019 after criticizing moderate Democrats amid tensions within the party's progressive wing"
and
Former AOC chief of staff announces run to unseat Pelosi | Fox News
from
Saikat Chakrabarti on X: "I’ve got some news: ..." / X
Who is he?
 Saikat Chakrabarti is a techbro who decided to put his skills to work for something broader than the startups he worked for. So he joined Bernie Sanders's 2016 campaign as its Director of Organizing Technology, helping to develop software for the campaign's organizers. After that campaign, he and other founded the PACs Brand New Congress and Justice Democrats for electing Bernie-Sanders-like candidates to Congress. Of these, BNC folded a few years ago and JD is still continuing.

BNC and JD had some success in 2018, electing Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in NY-14, unseating 10-term incumbent Joe Crowley. SC then joined AOC as her first Chief of Staff in Congress, helping to write her Green New Deal resolution. On June 27, he xweeted that the New Democrats and Blue Dog Caucus should be called "the New Southern Democrats" for voting to "enable a racist system".On August 2, he resigned and went off to found a think tank, New Consensus From its "About" page,

Our guiding principle is that it is possible to create a world where the people of every nation and community have the means to sustainably make a prosperous living. Humanity has everything it needs to build that world in a single generation: billions of creative and hard working people, technology that would allow us to make a comfortable living sustainably if deployed, and virtually unlimited clean energy just waiting to be harnessed.

 

[lpetrich]

Now the xweet itself.
Saikat Chakrabarti on X: "I’ve got some news: ..." / X

I’ve got some news: I’ve decided to run against Nancy Pelosi to represent San Francisco in Congress. I know some of you might be surprised that Speaker Emeritus Pelosi is running again, but she is — for her 21st term!

What does she have to offer the world that would make it worth running yet again? Why doesn't she retire to her ice cream and stock trading?

Watching Trump and Elon freely unleash chaos in their illegal seizure of government, it’s become clear to me that the Democratic Party needs new leadership. I don’t understand how DC’s Democratic leaders are so paralyzed and unprepared for this moment after living through President Trump’s first term — and after Trump and Elon warned us exactly what they planned to do.

I agree.

I respect what Nancy Pelosi has accomplished in her career, but we are living in a totally different America than the one she knew when she entered politics 45 years ago. In an interview with Ezra Klein after Trump’s victory, Pelosi said the Democrats don’t need to change. I disagree. When Democrats were about to appoint their star communicator — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — to chair the powerful Oversight committee to hold Trump and his cronies accountable, Pelosi personally intervened to block it.

From a hospital bed in Germany, where she was recovering from surgery after a fall. What dedication. She ought to have appreciated someone who once called her "Mama Bear of the Democratic Party".

When Nancy Pelosi was first elected to Congress, you could buy a home on a single income. A summer job could pay for college. Republicans believed in climate change and respected election results. Now, the things that defined the American Dream — being able to afford health care, education, a home, and raise a family — are impossible for most people. And the Republican Party is overtly conspiratorial and anti-democracy. The Democratic Party needs to stop acting like it's competing against a normal political party that plays by the rules, and it needs a bold vision for how to raise living standards, quality of life and security for all Americans. America is stuck, and Americans want real solutions that are as big as the problems we face.

NP pines away for the Republican Party that she experienced in her earlier years: Pelosi says we need a strong GOP, and that this one is a 'cult to a thug' : NPR But when is the last time a Republican has wished for a strong Democratic Party?

After a career in tech, I joined the Bernie campaign in 2016 because I wanted to be a part of solving those problems. I launched a project to elect a new generation of leaders, and one of them was Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. After serving as her campaign manger and first chief of staff, I returned to San Francisco where for five years I’ve led a policy think tank that develops comprehensive solutions to the problems that both America and San Francisco face.

That's New Consensus.

Now, I want to bring those solutions to Congress. I’m going to run a very different kind of campaign than most. Instead of spending hours each day doing “call time” with big money donors — I’m going to spend every day talking with voters. I know! What a radical idea!

That's what AOC did in her first campaign - she talked to a LOT of voters in her campaign for NY-14.

From 2016 on politicians dialing for dollars: Nation On The Take: Dialing for Dollars in “D.C.’s Sweatshops” - Issue One - seems like they are still doing that. Dialing for dollars takes up much of their time, and AOC once said that not doing that makes her able to do the work of her position much better.

You can sign up for a zoom call on my campaign website. You can also sign up to volunteer or organize a house meeting in San Francisco. I promise never to share your data with anyone, or spam you with breathless pleas for money.

I'm not anywhere close to San Francisco, and I wish that Doyle Canning had run campaigns like that.

In this campaign, I’ll be talking about the problems we need to solve for San Francisco, for America, and also about the future of the Democratic Party — and how it can provide an alternative vision of change from Trump and MAGA. In addition to daily conversations with district residents, I’ll also be holding weekly Zoom calls open to anyone to talk about national issues and the future of the Democratic Party.

Great.

I know it might seem it’s a little early to start running. But the fact is, it’s almost impossible to defeat incumbents in our system — even at a time when both Congress and the Democratic Party stand at record-low approval ratings. Winning this campaign will require months of organizing — online and on the street — to connect with every single voter in San Francisco. I’m excited for the work. And I hope to see you in person or on a Zoom call soon!

Many people who grumble about politicians make exceptions for politicians in their party and/or district.

I know it might seem it’s a little early to start running. But the fact is, it’s almost impossible to defeat incumbents in our system — even at a time when both Congress and the Democratic Party stand at record-low approval ratings. Winning this campaign will require months of organizing — online and on the street — to connect with every single voter in San Francisco. I’m excited for the work. And I hope to see you in person or on a Zoom call soon!

AOC also started running early, going to a sort of Brand New Congress boot camp very early in 2017, though she announced her campaign some months later. Something that helped her was the recent lack of such upsets on the Democratic side, though something similar happened not long before on the Republican side, when economics professor Dave Brat unseated House Republican leader Eric Cantor in the 2014 Republican primary for his district. But DB spent two terms as a nobody, before being defeated in the general election in 2018.

AOC, however, has been anything but a nobody in Congress, and SC hopes to be similar.

 

[Derec]

I agree that Nancy Pelosi should just retire already, but this fan of a Nazi collaborator is the last person who should replace the Speaker Emerita.

And while Democrats do need to change, a change in the AOC/Bernie direction would be counterproductive. US is a center-right country, which is why Democrats' shift to the left in the aftermath of Trump's first victory only ensured that Trump won reelection since Dems overreached when Biden won.

 

[lpetrich]

I think that the Biden Admin wimped out on such things as the child tax credit and Build Back Better. The Kamala Harris campaign also wimped out, keeping Tim Walz out out sight because he attacked Republican candidates as "weird".

It is very disappointing that Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema were allowed to be rotating villains. I could half-understand JM, but KS turned against much of what she stood for in her pre-Congress career. Like eagerly taking what she once called bribes.

 

[lpetrich]

Cori Bush & Jamaal Bowman Launch New Zeteo Show!

Have you ever wondered why the most popular policies don't get passed in Congress? Why the Democrats seem to have failed so badly? Or how much special interest groups really control US politics? We have too.

That’s where former members of Congress Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush come in – and what their new Zeteo show is going to be all about. Before we get into it though, you must watch their very cool trailer above!

Then describing how AIPAC spent an enormous amount of money to unseat those two former Congressmembers.

They may no longer be working on Capitol Hill, but they have a lot to say about it – what happened to them, the corruption and lobbying inside DC, and how broken the US government is.

Their first episode is now out, and I should try to catch it.

Zeteo | Substack

Zeteo is a new media organization that seeks to answer the questions that really matter, while always striving for the truth. Founded by Mehdi Hasan, Zeteo is a movement for media accountability, unfiltered news and bold opinions.

 

[lpetrich]

Gavin Newsom cannot run again for California governor, because of term limits, so his seat is now open.

Former Rep. Katie Porter launches run for California governor

Her announcement video: Hope and Grit - YouTube

“What California needs now is a little bit of hope and a whole lot of grit, fresh blood and new ideas, leaders with the backbone to fight for what’s right,” Porter said in her announcement video. “That’s why I am running for governor.”

Porter is well known after an unsuccessful Senate run last year, and she joins a field that includes a number of other Democrats: Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, state Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, former state Controller Betty Yee, former state legislative leader Tony Atkins, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and businessman Stephen Cloobeck. (Newsom is term-limited.)

But a bigger name, former Vice President Kamala Harris, is looming over all of them, and Porter's plans could change if Harris decides to jump into the race.

KP intends to back KH if she runs.

 

[lpetrich]

Democrats are desperately searching for new leaders. AOC is stepping into the void. - March 20, 2025, 2:00 AM PDT - "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is hitting the road with Bernie Sanders this week as even once-skeptical Democrats seek to elevate the progressive star in their fight against Trump."

Will she try to primary Chuck Schumer in 2016? Run for President in 2018? My guess is that she will stay in the House.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is stepping into the Democrats’ leadership void, picking up her powerful megaphone to channel the base’s anger — toward both President Donald Trump and her own party.

Some of the initial skepticism in the party around the progressive star when she first arrived in Washington six years ago has started to fade as she has established herself as a political player on Capitol Hill and demonstrated a unique knack for communicating with a younger generation.

...
Some of her Democratic colleagues once viewed Ocasio-Cortez as an attention seeker who was more interested in social media stardom than substantive policy. Others believed she fell into the job only accidentally after her upset primary win at age 28 and were skeptical she would be around for long.

One reason that the article does not mention is something more personal. Many Democrats had long known Joe Crowley and they had worked with him for a long time. So they saw AOC as a usurper.

“She’s got boundless promise as the party leader in our country. But the question is who will have the language to express to America where we need to go,” said Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md. “That’s a tall order for anybody, but I would say she’s definitely a contender. I don’t know that anybody else seems to be a more obvious young candidate for that position.”

Some Democrats who do not agree with her on some issues nevertheless like how she is willing to fight and not whimper.

“There is no 10-year plan,” said a close Ocasio-Cortez adviser, who was granted anonymity to discuss internal planning. “She is going to be who she is. She is the last person to think about how a decision is going to impact her down the road, which candidly can be a little frustrating to those of us who are advising her.”

“She can move quickly and authentically in a way few other elected leaders can,” the adviser added. “If she jumps into anything, it will be because she truly believes she can make real change.”

So she is not into politics for the sake of politics.

In the short term, her colleagues in the House believe her best play is to keep her focus on the job at hand.

“She has matured and evolved as a political leader in remarkable ways,” Raskin said. “She has gone from being a huge outside force to being a huge inside force.”

 

[lpetrich]

Join Us on The Fighting Oligarchy Tour | Bernie Sanders Official Website

Over the course of the next few weeks I'll be hitting the road to have real discussions across America on how we move forward to take on the Oligarchs and corporate interests who have so much power and influence in this country.

BS has had not only AOC as a guest, but also Greg Casar of Austin, TX.

Bernie Sanders and AOC’s anti-oligarchy rallies show us how to defeat Trump | Eric Blanc | The Guardian - "To generate the scale of resistance necessary to win, the two Democratic socialists need to convince attenders to organize"

Team Bernie has already taken great steps in this direction. It’s not just that the “fighting oligarchy” tour has brilliantly succeeded in energizing ordinary Americans and in spreading a resonant anti-billionaire, pro-democracy message. It’s also the case that these events have a concrete strategic action focus, as one of Bernie’s advisers explained online:

For those asking, yes these [rallies] are tied to action. All have been in or near GOP-held swing districts and we are following up with specific actions to pressure their Member to vote NO on any Medicaid cuts or billionaire tax breaks – or else face electoral consequences.

Bernie’s ‘Fighting Oligarchy’ Tour Is Organizing, Too - The American Prospect - "Capitalizing on a surge of Democratic energy, the Sanders team is hiring full-time organizers and pushing supporters toward critical local issues."

Since February 22, when Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) began his “Fighting Oligarchy” tour of America with an overflow crowd in Omaha, Nebraska, tens of thousands of people have flocked to join him. In Warren, Michigan, UAW President Shawn Fain helped pump up the working-class crowd of more than 10,000 wearing a T-shirt reading, “Eat the Rich.” With Sanders ally Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) opening their rally in Denver, a whopping 34,000 showed up on Friday, March 21. Perhaps even more impressive, 11,000 came to an event earlier in the day in Greeley, Colorado, the home turf of Republican Rep. Gabe Evans. Fifteen thousand came out in Tempe, Arizona.

All told, in just ten stops more than 107,000 people have RSVP’d to attend one of these events. Faiz Shakir, who ran Sanders’s 2020 presidential campaign, and who has come back to Sanders-land to help organize this barnstorm as his chief political adviser, told me that “65 percent of those names are new to our list.”

...
The Sanders team is also looking at engaging newly energized Sanders supporters in other state-level policy fights, like a bill in Colorado that would make it easier to form a union. But their main interest is in targeting potentially vulnerable House Republicans. Eight of the ten cities that Sanders has stormed through in recent weeks are home to “purple” districts held by Trump backers. So, one thing the campaign wants to drive people toward is local town halls (real ones, or the “empty chair” variety) that put more heat on those incumbents, in preparation for their re-election battles next year.

 

[lpetrich]

Much as I like Bernie Sanders, he is getting old - he'll be 84 this year.

Bernie Sanders balks at 'nonsense' question about AOC joining Senate

"Right now, we have, as I said, just a whole lot of people in the Congress. OK, Jonathan, thanks," Sanders, I-Vt., told ABC News' Jonathan Karl, as he got out of his seat, in response to a question about Ocasio-Cortez potentially running for the Senate.

"You want to do nonsense, do nonsense," Sanders added. "I don't want to talk about inside the Beltway stuff."

Wanting to enact legislation and policies rather than doing politics for the sake of doing politics, rather than treating politics as some sort of game where one competes with one's fellow politicians for positions.

On Fighting Oligarchy Tour, Bernie Sanders Channels the Grateful Dead - The New York Times

Bernie Sanders takes aim at Trump and draws record crowds : NPR

"Well, when I talked about oligarchy over the years, I think for some people it was an abstraction," Sanders said in an interview with NPR. Now though, "people understand you have to be blind not to see that what we have today is a government of the billionaires, by the billionaires and for the billionaires."

But the independent senator from Vermont said, at the same time, the Democratic Party has also turned its back on the American working class and suggested the party capitalize on this moment by championing policies that address things like income inequality, health care and climate change.

"If they do that, I think working people will come back into the fold," he predicted. "If not, I suspect the party will continue to decline."

...
"We will not allow you to move this country into an oligarchy," Sanders pledged, speaking directly to Trump. "We're not going to allow you and your friend Mr. Musk and the other billionaires to wreak havoc on the working families of this country. No, you're not going to destroy Social Security. You're not going to destroy Medicaid. You're not going to destroy the Veterans administration."

Friday, Sanders' communications director said more than 30,000 people showed up in Denver, Colo. to hear him speak, a larger crowd than any event during his two presidential runs.

 

[lpetrich]

Tim Walz says pushing back against Trump, Musk starts with Wisconsin Supreme Court election - WPR

Both sides have been spending oodles of money on their candidates, with Elon Musk spending a lot on Republican Brad Schimel, and his opponents doing so on Democrat Susan Crawford.

Walz mentioned his time in Congress and said he was proud to cast a vote for the Affordable Care Act in 2010 but said it’s no longer good enough because people are “one election away” from having their health care “ripped out from under them.” He said Democrats need to support universal, government-funded health.

“We’re going to have to have a conversation that Democrats, quite honestly, have skirted around, that America’s health care system is still incredibly broken in a way that doesn’t serve people,” Walz said to growing cheers. “It’s incredibly frustrating.”

 

[scombrid]

Elon Musk spending a lot on Republican Brad Schimel, and his opponents doing so on Democrat Susan Crawford.

Singular Elon Musk versus plural opponents. This is largely why we are in the current state. A handful of people control most of the capital and they see the current GOP trajectory as their means of increasing their share. Opponents of Musk et al. do not have the resources to oppose him, Zuck, Bezos, et al.

On the Affordable Care Act side. Walz said it is no longer good enough. It never was. It was a Faustian bargain with the oligarchs to try to get health care access to most people. All it did was further entrench the profit stake of a handful of huge companies that are still running on the model of delay, deny, die.

 

[Harry Bosch]

Elon Musk spending a lot on Republican Brad Schimel, and his opponents doing so on Democrat Susan Crawford.

Singular Elon Musk versus plural opponents. This is largely why we are in the current state. A handful of people control most of the capital and they see the current GOP trajectory as their means of increasing their share. Opponents of Musk et al. do not have the resources to oppose him, Zuck, Bezos, et al.

On the Affordable Care Act side. Walz said it is no longer good enough. It never was. It was a Faustian bargain with the oligarchs to try to get health care access to most people. All it did was further entrench the profit stake of a handful of huge companies that are still running on the model of delay, deny, die.

Not sure I know what you mean here. I personally know 2 families that are on the ACA plan. Millions are on it. What health plan should they switch to after it is killed by Trump?

 

[Harry Bosch]

I think that the Biden Admin wimped out on such things as the child tax credit and Build Back Better. The Kamala Harris campaign also wimped out, keeping Tim Walz out out sight because he attacked Republican candidates as "weird".

It is very disappointing that Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema were allowed to be rotating villains. I could half-understand JM, but KS turned against much of what she stood for in her pre-Congress career. Like eagerly taking what she once called bribes.

You are incorrect here my friend. Harris quite proudly pushed Waltz. Loved his “weird” attacks on Trumpsters (as did I). Biden very much wanted BBB. It was one of his signature legislations! Passed in the house. Failed by one vote in the senate. Joe Manchin killed it.

 

[lpetrich]

BREAKING: Kat Abughazaleh, a 26-year-old progressive influencer, just announced that she is running against Jan Schakowsky, an 80-year-old Democratic incumbent : r/QuiverQuantitative

Who is she?

She has a career of reporting on right-wing kookiness, and she was employed by Mediaite for a while, and she is online as "Kat Abu". Her father is a Palestinian, her mother a Texan, thus her name.

At Bluesky: Kat Abughazaleh (@katmabu.bsky.social) — Bluesky

Her campaign's home page: Kat for Congress | Kat Abughazaleh for Illinois' Ninth District -  Illinois's congressional districts - that district is a thin strip in Chicago's northern suburbs

Kat for Congress | Kat Abughazaleh for Illinois' Ninth District - "about"

I'm 26, I don't have health insurance, and I'm running for Congress.

We have a representation problem. As in, about half of Congress are millionaires and people born before the Moon landing. And that's part of the reason we're in this mess: Our leaders are out of touch.

We deserve Representatives who face the same challenges we do (or at least have some time in the last decade). They don't deal with out-of-pocket prescription costs or nightmarish rent hikes or existential fear about their lives in 50 years. You and I do.

I'm a renter. I don't have health insurance. My net worth is pretty much just the laptop I bought with my entire severance when I got laid off... and my adorable cat Heater. I spend my spare time knitting, playing video games with friends, and reading sci-fi.

Like AOC, Maxwell Frost, Cori Bush, Jamaal Bowman, ...

The current Representative for that district is Jan Schakowsky, and she was first elected in 1998, a year before KA was born. She did not have a competitive primary in any year between 2000 and 2024.

 

[lpetrich]

Why I'm Running For Congress - YouTube by Kat Abughazaleh (Abu)

She says that she doesn't want to wait a year to help people, and that she's rather spend campaign money on book drives and clothing drives and public events rather than on fancy fundraisers for rich donors. No wine caves for her, I'm sure. Something like Team AOC, it seems.

She pledges that campaign donations to her will not be wasted on "old, ineffective tactics". "No spammy guilt-trip texts, no focus groups to 'test' my views, and no grifty consultants who care more about their paycheck than actually winning."

Kat Abughazaleh: "I'm Kat Abughazaleh and I'm running for Congress." — Bluesky

We’re not taking any corporate cash which means we depend on small dollar donors (like you!).

But I promise not to waste your money on old, ineffective tactics: No spam texts, no cable ads, and no consultants who haven’t won an election this century.

Commendable ambitions. Let's see how well she does. Doing community events seems like a good fallback in case she loses.

I'm reminded of Knock Down the House - Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - YouTube where AOC compares her campaign literature with her opponent Joe Crowley's, which seemed like a "Victoria's Secret catalog" to her. She described how her campaign flyers said when to vote for her and what she proposes to do, like ending the War on Drugs, 100% renewable energy, tuition-free public colleges, while the JC ad had none of that. AOC's boyfriend Riley Roberts then said that Democratic campaign consults are "garbage" and "losing", and that it's "scary" to see JC's campaign literature.

 

[lpetrich]

Knock Down The House | FULL FEATURE | Netflix - YouTube - AOC, Cori Bush, Amy Vilela, Paula Jean Swearengin

Kat for Congress | Kat Abughazaleh for Illinois' Ninth District - "Democratic leaders are abandoning us."

My Campaign’s Top Issues

Anti Authoritarianism

Donald Trump, tech billionaires, and the Republican Party have banded together to rapidly and illegally break this country, all at the expense of our most vulnerable. Their vision is fascist, one of a militarized country where only certain people – a few dozen rich men – have a seat at the table. We will not and cannot let them win.

...
I refuse to stand by as Trump and Elon Musk attack my constituents.

...
Instead, I'll continue to speak out against authoritarians. I will take the fight to them, whether it's the House floor or whichever government offices Elon Musk's minions decide to camp in.

 

[lpetrich]

Basic Existence

The United States is the richest country in the world and yet most Americans can't even afford a $1,000 emergency expense. We have the most billionaires of any country but also the most medical bankruptcies. And while prices have increased by about 50% in the last 15 years, the federal minimum wage has stayed stagnant at a mere $7.25.

This is nonsense. We deserve better.

You should be able to comfortably afford housing, groceries, and healthcare each month with plenty of money left over. There's no reason you should have to take an Uber to the hospital to avoid an ambulance bill while Elon Musk hides away in his own personal compound. Our existence isn't merely a means of profit for the richest people in society.

A bit disappointing that she didn't mention building more housing. I'd like to see a crash program to do so, like buy LOTS of trailers and shipping-container houses and stack them on vacant lots. One might end up with dormitory sort of housing, but that will be good for the low end.

Climate Change

The climate crisis is an existential threat and the Trump administration's subservience to Big Oil will only accelerate the planet's warming. We need urgent action which is why I endorse the Green New Deal, including the creation of a Civilian Climate Corps to create millions of good-paying jobs that will ensure a speedy and sustainable transition to renewable energy across the board.

Despite what the right may have told you, the Green New Deal is not some woke scam to ban beef farming or take away your old Corvette. It's a plan for revitalization, not just for the climate but for our economy, our country and our planet as a whole: clean water, clean air, clean energy, more green space, and millions of jobs, just to name a few of the benefits.

I like this support of renewable energy. That's what we need to do.

 

[lpetrich]

Democratic Reform

"Conversations about democratic reforms like multi-member districts and ranked-choice voting are crucial to restoring trust in our government." - moving away from first-past-the-post and single-member districts will be most welcome, and while ranked-choice voting has become prominent, multimember districts still have not. Looking at quality-of-democracy measures, the highest scorers have proportional representation.

"I fully support a national conversation about implementing term limits for Members of Congress and I pledge to serve no more than five terms in the House of Representatives if I'm elected." - I think that term limits for Congress is a dumb idea. It makes a lot of turnover and no accumulation of expertise.

The federal judiciary is also deeply broken. Supreme Court Justices are partying with billionaires and openly taking bribes as they rule in ways that hurt millions of Americans. We need a binding code of ethics for the Supreme Court and all federal judges and we need Congress to rigorously enforce it. To depoliticize the Supreme Court, we must also require a two-thirds Senate majority to confirm Justices, expand the Court to 15 seats, and implement 18-year term limits for Supreme Court Justices with appointments spread out evenly and fairly between presidential terms.

That's the kind of term limit I like: long but not forever. Term-limited Supremes could then become senior Federal judges.

"I support federal action to mandate nonpartisan redistricting commissions to draw congressional districts fairly and logically." - all well and good, but multimember districts would make gerrymandering much more difficult.

 

[lpetrich]

Education - "From shuttering the Department of Education to attacking universities to prioritizing charter schools over public institutions, the right's crusade against learning is intentionally cruel and meant to curb dissent."
Proposing:

1. "Public Dollars for Public School" - saying that "school choice" is a nice slogan, but that taxpayer-funded charter schools have lots of "fraud and mismanagement, history of discrimination, and diversion of tax dollars from the public school system".
2. "Universal Pre-K"
3. "Teachers Deserve More" - at least $60,000/year and "teachers deserve more legal protections as they try to educate our children.".
4. "Affordable and Accessible Education" - " We should cancel all student debt, make college and trade school free for all (or, at the very least, affordable!), and adequately fund public colleges and universities."
5. "University Protections" - "Trump is holding universities hostage, both the institutions at large and their individual students. He's not only withholding funds from universities for not adhering to his MAGA agenda but attacking individuals as well, siccing ICE on campuses and arresting students like Mahmoud Khalil for exercising their right to free speech."

 

[lpetrich]

Kids & Families

It’s time we fight for real family values, not the fake "family values" that the far-right uses as a smokescreen for homophobia and misogyny. We need compassionate and comprehensive support for all. Every family and individual deserves to thrive, which is why we must 1) implement a substantial child tax credit, 2) guarantee at least a year of paid parental leave, and 3) provide a monthly income and Social Security credits to stay-at-home parents.

...
One of the biggest legislative successes of this century was reducing child poverty by almost 50% with the passage of an expanded child tax credit, which Congress (including several Democrats) then let expire, plunging millions of kids into poverty.

...
Raising children is a form of labor and deserves to be compensated as such. I support federal implementation of programs to provide stay-at-home parents with a monthly stipend of at least $3,000, adjusted based on the number of parents and children in the household.

...
In 2025, having and raising a child in America is a radical and courageous act. We can, and should, make it easier for Americans to create the family they want.

Great. I like that sensible platform.

I'd also like expanding working from home as far as is reasonably feasible.