Democrats trying to unseat each other III

[Derec]

The race to succeed DiFi started when she was still alive. In 2021, Kamala Harris quit her Senate seat to become Vice President, and Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Alex Padilla, a Hispanic man. That pissed off a lot of black and female Democratic activists, and GN promised to appoint a black woman to succeed DiFi. Barbara Lee was an often-mentioned candidate.

That has been an idiotic promise. I do not see why black women, comprising mere 3.3% of California population, should have a subscription to one of only two senate seats from California.
And appointing a black nationalist like Barbara Lee would have been not only divisive, but would have also distorted the primary battle that was already well underway. Appointing a caretaker senator was the right way to go. Too bad he reversed himself on that again - it shows lack of principles on his part. He is too reactive to criticism.

 

[Derec]

Any side in a conflict can stop firing whenever they choose. There is nothing to stop Israel from stopping for a week to allow humanitarian aid coming in. If Hamas acts up, they can start pounding agsin.

And why should Israel stop (and allow Hamas to regroup)? Israel has two objectives in this war - to destroy Hamas and bring back hostages. Neither objective is furthered by a unilateral ceasefire. A negotiated ceasefire would be helpful to the second objective, but Hamas refuses to negotiate in good faith. Barbara Lee et al need to understand where the problem lies.

The last death count I saw in The Economist was 29,000. Even if half of that are combatants, that leaves around 14,000 dead Gazan civilians. Which makes it a 10:1 ratio of Gazan to Israeli civilians.

Data used by news organizations, including The Economist, come from Hamas. It's not like they have some independent source of data.

 

[Derec]

Newsom would pick a caretaker — not Barbara Lee — for California Senate seat - POLITICO - "The California governor argued it would be unfair to the other candidates running if he selected Rep. Barbara Lee to serve in the U.S. Senate."

And there is a bigger point - somebody as radical and divisive as BL is not a good choice to represent the entire state regardless of any other considerations.

Even though she checked a lot of boxes: she is a black woman with long service in the House, including in leadership roles.

Being black and a woman should not matter. There should not be a black woman quota for CA Senate seats.

I am troubled by the Governor’s remarks. The idea that a Black woman should be appointed only as a caretaker to simply check a box is insulting to countless Black women across this country who have carried the Democratic Party to victory election after election.

1. I like the idea of governors generally appointing a caretaker. That way there is a clean primary for the full term.
2. Goodhair should never have made the pledge to only consider black women, period.

There are currently no Black women serving in the Senate. Since 1789, there have only been two Black woman Senators, who have served a total of 10 years.

And at least one of them was only half-black. Still does not mean that there should be a quota for one of CA Senate seats. The thing is, no state in the US is majority black, unlike districts. Black candidates cannot thus be elected to Senate just by playing to their own race. They have to appeal more broadly.
Also, there are black women who may be elected to the Senate in 2024 anyway. Angela Alsobrooks from Maryland has a very good chance, and Lisa Blunt Rochester is pretty much a shoo-in. So that's two at least.

The perspective of Black women in the US Senate is sorely needed—and needed for more than a few months. Governor Newsom knows this, which is why he made the pledge in the first place.

He made the pledge because he is a weathervane with no center.

If the Governor intends to keep his promise and appoint a Black woman to the Senate, the people of California deserve the best possible person for that job. Not a token appointment.

So no Barbara Lee then ...

 

[Derec]

AS had long been a centrist Blue-Dog corporate Democrat, eagerly collecting bribes, er, campaign contributions from the likes of Big Oil and Big Pharma, calling for entitlement reform and spending cuts well into the Obama years, and having a super tough on crime record as a prosecutor. But when campaigning, he tried to portray himself as very progressive, a refuser of corporate PAC money and a supporter of the Green New Deal and Medicare for All.

Green New Deal is bonkers. It's stupid for him to have come out in favor of it.
And Big Pharma and Big Oil should not be seen as boogiemen. We need both medicines and energy. We will need fossil fuels for a few more decades even under best case scenarios. And beyond that, the government can work with them to effect an orderly transition into a low-carbon economy.

 

[lpetrich]

... a black nationalist like Barbara Lee ...

... somebody as radical and divisive as BL ...

Evidence presented for those contentions: {}

 

[lpetrich]

AS had long been a centrist Blue-Dog corporate Democrat, eagerly collecting bribes, er, campaign contributions from the likes of Big Oil and Big Pharma, calling for entitlement reform and spending cuts well into the Obama years, and having a super tough on crime record as a prosecutor. But when campaigning, he tried to portray himself as very progressive, a refuser of corporate PAC money and a supporter of the Green New Deal and Medicare for All.

Green New Deal is bonkers. It's stupid for him to have come out in favor of it.

"Bonkers"? Why?

And Big Pharma and Big Oil should not be seen as boogiemen. We need both medicines and energy. We will need fossil fuels for a few more decades even under best case scenarios. And beyond that, the government can work with them to effect an orderly transition into a low-carbon economy.

So one has a right to misbehave if one does something essential? Even misbehave very grossly? Misbehavior like: price gouging, lying on a massive scale, and bribing politicians with campaign contributions.

That's what I like about politicians who depend on small-donor donations. If campaign contributions are bribery, then it's better to be bribed by a lot of ordinary people than by some big business.

 

[Derec]

Evidence presented for those contentions: {}

From one of your own posts:

Oakland’s Barbara Lee was the longtime activist, a stalwart of grassroots Black radicalism who had volunteered with the Panthers

Black Panthers are a black nationalist group.

 

[Derec]

"Bonkers"? Why?

Completely unrealistic. It called, when AOC introduced it, to make US carbon-neutral by 2030. Pipe dream.
Also, it was very expensive (>$60T) and partly because it was overloaded with "tofu" unrelated to climate or environment, tofu like "federal job guarantees".

So one has a right to misbehave if one does something essential? Even misbehave very grossly?

Of course not. But it is easier to steer behavior when you work with somebody rather than demonize them.
I feel the same about this push to divest from fossil fuel companies. They are very much needed, so why not work with them, not against them?

Misbehavior like: price gouging, lying on a massive scale, and bribing politicians with campaign contributions.

"Price gouging" or supply and demand?
What lying do you have in mind?
And campaign contributions != bribery.

That's what I like about politicians who depend on small-donor donations. If campaign contributions are bribery, then it's better to be bribed by a lot of ordinary people than by some big business.

It's not a panacea for sure. I can't fill up my tank from some rando who gave $10 to AOC once. And they can't even make penicillin unless they forget their sandwich in their car.

 

[laughing dog]

Any side in a conflict can stop firing whenever they choose. There is nothing to stop Israel from stopping for a week to allow humanitarian aid coming in. If Hamas acts up, they can start pounding agsin.

And why should Israel stop (and allow Hamas to regroup)? Israel has two objectives in this war - to destroy Hamas and bring back hostages. Neither objective is furthered by a unilateral ceasefire. A negotiated ceasefire would be helpful to the second objective, but Hamas refuses to negotiate in good faith. Barbara Lee et al need to understand where the problem lies.

As that missed the point post indicates, so do you. Israel can cease firing anytime they wish for any reason, even basic humanitarian ones.
(Quote=Derec]

The last death count I saw in The Economist was 29,000. Even if half of that are combatants, that leaves around 14,000 dead Gazan civilians. Which makes it a 10:1 ratio of Gazan to Israeli civilians.

Data used by news organizations, including The Economist, come from Hamas. It's not like they have some independent source of data.
[/QUOTE]
First, you have no idea what sources any particular news organization uses. Second, do you realize that you sound like a Holocaust minimizer?

 

[Toni]

"Bonkers"? Why?

Completely unrealistic. It called, when AOC introduced it, to make US carbon-neutral by 2030. Pipe dream.
Also, it was very expensive (>$60T) and partly because it was overloaded with "tofu" unrelated to climate or environment, tofu like "federal job guarantees".

So one has a right to misbehave if one does something essential? Even misbehave very grossly?

Of course not. But it is easier to steer behavior when you work with somebody rather than demonize them.
I feel the same about this push to divest from fossil fuel companies. They are very much needed, so why not work with them, not against them?

Misbehavior like: price gouging, lying on a massive scale, and bribing politicians with campaign contributions.

"Price gouging" or supply and demand?
What lying do you have in mind?
And campaign contributions != bribery.

That's what I like about politicians who depend on small-donor donations. If campaign contributions are bribery, then it's better to be bribed by a lot of ordinary people than by some big business.

It's not a panacea for sure. I can't fill up my tank from some rando who gave $10 to AOC once. And they can't even make penicillin unless they forget their sandwich in their car.

I understand what you are saying when you say that it is easier to steer behavior when you work with someone rather than demonize them and I think that sometimes, this is true. But often it is not. Ask Bill Barr how that worked out for him. Or any number of Trump's former cabinet members and advisors. Please note: I'm not saying that Barr or any of the others are great people. I'm just saying that it is difficult to move some people/organizations into a more acceptable set of behaviors, and sometimes absolutely impossible. In fact, it's difficult not to become so tainted yourself that you lose all credibility and even your own set of values. Sometimes it's the good guys who get co-opted.

Oil companies are not stupid. They know they are on the way out and they are investing in other energy sources/revenue streams. But that does not mean that they are not going to do their utmost to extract every last dollar they can, preferably from consumers but money is money, right?
It is in fact, the government's job to look at competing needs and wants and to steer towards the greater good.

 

[lpetrich]

"Bonkers"? Why?

Completely unrealistic. It called, when AOC introduced it, to make US carbon-neutral by 2030. Pipe dream.

Source: {}

Also, it was very expensive (>$60T)

Source: {}

So one has a right to misbehave if one does something essential? Even misbehave very grossly?

Of course not. But it is easier to steer behavior when you work with somebody rather than demonize them.
I feel the same about this push to divest from fossil fuel companies. They are very much needed, so why not work with them, not against them?

Is that how you propose to run the criminal-justice system?

Misbehavior like: price gouging, lying on a massive scale, and bribing politicians with campaign contributions.

"Price gouging" or supply and demand?
What lying do you have in mind?
And campaign contributions != bribery.

Price gouging?
Six Reasons Drug Prices Are So High in the U.S. - The New York Times - "Research shows prices in the United States are nearly double those in other well-off countries."

1. There is no central negotiator willing to walk away.
2. There are no price controls.
3. The system creates perverse incentives.
4. The system is fragmented and complicated.
5. Patent gaming keeps prices high longer.
6. Drug prices are what the market will bear.

Lying?
Exxon Knew about Climate Change Almost 40 Years Ago | Scientific American - "A new investigation shows the oil company understood the science before it became a public issue and spent millions to promote misinformation"

Exxon was aware of climate change, as early as 1977, 11 years before it became a public issue, according to a recent investigation from InsideClimate News. This knowledge did not prevent the company (now ExxonMobil and the world’s largest oil and gas company) from spending decades refusing to publicly acknowledge climate change and even promoting climate misinformation—an approach many have likened to the lies spread by the tobacco industry regarding the health risks of smoking. Both industries were conscious that their products wouldn’t stay profitable once the world understood the risks, so much so that they used the same consultants to develop strategies on how to communicate with the public.

Experts, however, aren’t terribly surprised. “It’s never been remotely plausible that they did not understand the science,” says Naomi Oreskes, a history of science professor at Harvard University. But as it turns out, Exxon didn’t just understand the science, the company actively engaged with it. In the 1970s and 1980s it employed top scientists to look into the issue and launched its own ambitious research program that empirically sampled carbon dioxide and built rigorous climate models. Exxon even spent more than $1 million on a tanker project that would tackle how much CO2 is absorbed by the oceans. It was one of the biggest scientific questions of the time, meaning that Exxon was truly conducting unprecedented research.

noting
Exxon: The Road Not Taken - Inside Climate News

 

[Shadowy Man]

Evidence presented for those contentions: {}

From one of your own posts:

Oakland’s Barbara Lee was the longtime activist, a stalwart of grassroots Black radicalism who had volunteered with the Panthers

Black Panthers are a black nationalist group.

When did this happen? Is she still with the Black Panthers? Does “black nationalism” accurately reflect her current values?

 

[lpetrich]

The California primary votes are now almost fully counted, and I have the numbers.

Ordinary primary: Adam Schiff 31.72% Steve Garvey 31.66% Katie Porter 15.30% Barbara Lee 9.61% Eric Early 3.31% others 1.35% 0.85% 0.74% 0.53% 0.47% 0.47% 0.46% 0.45% 0.35% 0.32% 0.29% 0.29% 0.27% 0.23% 0.20% 0.19% 0.19% 0.18% 0.18% 0.17% 0.13% 0.09%

Special primary: Steve Garvey 33.4% Adam Schiff 29.4% Katie Porter 17.2% Barbara Lee 11.5% Eric Early 6.1% others 1.5% 0.9%

I added up the vote numbers, and SG beat AS in the combined vote by 2%.

AS: -6%, SG +6%, KP +14%, BL +21%, EE +86%

Were some people splitting their votes?

 

[lpetrich]

Congressional Democrat Leftist Tracker at Google Sheets - rating by their votes on a variety of issues, like raising the minimum wage, Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, expanding the Supreme Court, ...

The top 15: Rashida Tlaib, Cori Bush, AOC, Summer Lee, Ilhan Omar, Jamaal Bowman, Ayanna Pressley, Delia Ramirez, Greg Casar, Chuy García, Pramila Jayapal, Barbara Lee, Mark Pocan, Nydia Velázquez, Maxwell Frost, ...

Some others who don't score as high: Ro Khanna #29, Jamie Raskin #34, Katie Porter #47, Jasmine Crockett #57

In the Senate, Bernie Sanders was on top, followed by Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren. Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin were at the bottom.

 

[lpetrich]

Cori Bush trailing Democratic primary challenger by 22 points: Poll | The Hill - a poll of 401 likely Democratic voters.

The candidates were "listed in the following order: Wesley Bell, state Sen. Maria Chapelle-Nadal and Bush. The question did not indicate which candidate was the incumbent." They should have randomized the candidate orders to try to test for candidate-ordering effects, like endorsing the first one.

Half of the respondents said Bell, 28 percent said Bush, and 4 percent said Nadal. Eighteen percent said they were not sure.

Bell leads Bush in most demographic breakdowns, as well. Among African American respondents, 43 percent support Bell, 35 percent support Bush, and 20 percent are undecided. Bell wins white respondents — 60 percent — by a greater margin, compared with the 20 percent of white respondents who say they support Bush.

Respondents who identify as “very progressive” are split between Bell and Bush — 43 percent support each candidate. Among those who say they are “somewhat progressive,” Bell leads Bush, 42 percent to 27 percent. Among self-described moderates and conservatives, Bell leads Bush by a similar margin, 52 percent to 23 percent.

Wesley Bell?
St. Louis County Gets a Progressive Prosecutor - January 24 2019, 1:58 p.m. - "The 2014 police killing of Michael Brown inspired a nationwide movement to elect progressive prosecutors. Now, Wesley Bell will try to reform St. Louis."

Guess who's supporting him?
Matthew Kassel on X: "Statement from AIPAC spokesperson Marshall Wittmann: “We proudly endorse Wesley Bell who is a strong advocate for the U..S-Israel relationship — in clear contrast to his opponent who represents the extremist anti-Israel fringe.”" / X

A Left-vs.-Left House Battle, Funded by a Split Over Israel - The New York Times - "Wesley Bell, a leader in the progressive prosecutors movement, will take on Representative Cori Bush of Missouri, in St. Louis."

 

[lpetrich]

AIPAC-Backed George Latimer Says Jamaal Bowman Takes Hamas Money - February 14 2024, 2:14 p.m. - "George Latimer offered no evidence to back up his allegation — and doubled down on his dark insinuations about Bowman."

atimer’s comments came when a constituent, who requested anonymity for personal safety, approached the Democratic challenger with two questions: Why was he running, and why was he taking money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee? AIPAC had recruited him to run for the congressional seat and, as The Intercept previously reported, is Latimer’s largest campaign funder.

When the constituent said Latimer was “taking money from the devil,” Latimer responded that Bowman was too — that the incumbent was “taking money from Hamas.”

GL offered very little evidence for his assertion.

Latimer later sent the constituent a link to an article from the right-wing news website Washington Free Beacon with the headline “They Endorsed Hamas Terrorism. Then They Hosted a Big-Ticker Fundraiser for Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush.” ...

When asked by the press about his allegation, Latimer did not deny the remarks and again sought to tie Bowman to Hamas. “Let me set the record straight – my opponent takes money from those who endorse Hamas’ terrorism, those who try to justify the murdering of children, the kidnapping of civilian hostages, and the raping of women as acts of ‘resistance,’” Latimer said in statement to City & State. (Latimer did not respond to The Intercept’s request for comment.)

Bowman’s blunders - POLITICO

Like pulling a fire alarm and once suggesting that the 9/11 attacks were a conspiracy.

 

[lpetrich]

'Squad' member Jamaal Bowman under fire for fundraising with 'anti-Israel' Rashida Tlaib as he faces challenge from moderate - Feb. 18, 2024, 9:08 p.m. ET - The New York Post

Embattled “Squad” member Rep. Jamaal Bowman is being roundly criticized by pro-Israel activists for forming a joint fundraising committee with Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib.

Bowman, who represents a district that includes part of the Bronx and Westchester County, appears to be teaming up with Tlaib after she was censured by the Republican-led House of Representatives for defending terror-group Hamas and its Oct. 7 invasion of Israel.

Embattled Jamaal Bowman In Fundraising Pact With Rashida Tlaib | The New York Sun - Monday, February 19, 2024 22:55:26 pm - "The joint fundraising committee may be an attempt to shore up the campaign coffers of Mr. Bowman, who is struggling to keep pace with his primary challenger, George Latimer, who’s made an issue of Mr. Bowman’s opposition to Israel."

FEC filing: Form 1 for Bowman-Tlaib Committee

The filing with the FEC, dated February 14, lists a progressive activist and failed Congressional candidate, Amy Vilela, as the custodian and treasurer of the funds. Ms. Vilela is a former co-chair of the Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign for the state of Nevada.

Ms. Vilela has also been open about her animosity towards Israel. During her Congressional campaign, the former accountant endorsed the deeply anti-Israel “Boycott Divestment Sanctions movement” and advocated for the elimination of laws that punish businesses for boycotting Israel, the Jewish Insider reported at the time.

Amy Vilela's 2018 run for Congress was in the documentary "Knock Down The House", along with the runs of Cori Bush, Paula Jean Swearengin, and AOC, also in that year.
Amy Vilela - Ballotpedia
In her 2018 run in NV-04, she got 9.2% of the vote, well behind Steven Horsford at 61.7% and Patricia Spearman at 15.2%.

She tried again in 2022, in NV-01, and she got 20.2%, losing to incumbent Dina Titus, who had 79.8%.

 

[lpetrich]

Jamaal Bowman teams up with Rashida Tlaib – The Forward - February 20, 2024 - "Tlaib, one of Israel’s most vocal critics in Congress, has raised far more money than Bowman this year"

Tlaib and Bowman — who recently lost an endorsement from the self-described pro-Israel, pro-peace lobby J Street — have formed a joint fundraising committee and are expected to hold their first event together next month. Such committees have become popular with candidates, who can draw on a larger pool of donors.

Bowman is looking to benefit from Tlaib’s fundraising prowess. The Michigan Democrat raised $3.7 million in the last quarter, according to recent FEC filings, though she doesn’t have a primary challenger.

Bowman campaigns with AOC as AIPAC endorses challenger - 6:00 PM ET Jan. 25, 2024

“We're constantly being attacked,” Bowman said at a Yonkers restaurant. “Someone asked me how am I doing. I said, ‘how do I look?’ He said ‘you look good.’ I said that's how I feel because if we weren't doing the right thing, if we weren't fighting for justice… they would not be coming after us.”

Introducing the Bronx middle school founder and former principal, Ocasio-Cortez dubbed the race “a critical inflection point for our country.”

“It's not just about Yonkers or White Plains. It's not just about the Bronx or Westchester or New York, it's about the country, the country. We all feel it in our bones,” the Bronx and Queens congresswoman said. “When you stand up to power, power fights back. Power fights back. That is what this race is all about. They're trying to make an example of Jamaal Bowman.”

Jamaal Bowman will need all the help he can get, I think. Nothing that I could find about Cori Bush getting such assistance, however.

 

[lpetrich]

LAPD investigates protest at Brentwood home of AIPAC president - Los Angeles Times - Nov. 24, 2023 Updated 3:36 PM PT

N.Y.C. Protest Calling for Gaza Cease-Fire Targets Pro-Israel Senators - The New York Times - Feb. 22, 2024 - "Demonstrators marched to the Manhattan headquarters of the lobbying group AIPAC, then to the offices of senators who have accepted donations from the group, where some were arrested."

Jewish-Led NYC Rally Targets AIPAC, Dem Allies Who Oppose Gaza Cease-Fire | Common Dreams - Feb 22, 2024 - ""AIPAC uses money and racist bullying to ensure congressional complicity in the genocide of Gaza," said Jewish Voice for Peace.

Release: Thousands of Jews Shut Down AIPAC HQ Protesting Group’s Opposition to Ceasefire - JVP - Jewish Voice for Peace itself

‘Stop the genocide’: New York protesters demand end to Israel’s war on Gaza | Israel War on Gaza News | Al Jazeera - 23 Feb 2024 - "Thousands marched from the UN to AIPAC slamming the pro-Israel advocacy group for obstructing ceasefire efforts."

NYPD detains 20 activists as anti-Zionist group protests AIPAC, pro-Israel lawmakers | The Times of Israel - 24 February 2024, 2:02 am - "Brooklyn resident charged with resisting arrest, obstruction and disorderly conduct; 19 demonstrators given summons at protest outside Schumer’s offices"

The protesters from the anti-Zionist Jewish Voice for Peace wore black shirts that said “Not in our name” and prayer shawls outside the Midtown offices of Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Senate majority leader who is Jewish, and Sen. Kristen Gillibrand. The senators, both Democrats, are supportive of Israel and voted in favor of a $14.1 billion emergency aid package for the country earlier this month. The bill still needs to win approval in the House.

The protesters carried banners that said “Jews to Schumer: Stop funding genocide” as they linked arms outside Schumer’s office.

 

[lpetrich]

Legal fees pile up for embattled Squad member Cori Bush

Why it matters: Bush, one of the most outspoken critics of Israel in Congress, is increasingly in danger of losing her seat as her Democratic primary opponent has significantly more than double her cash on hand going into the final months of the race.

...

• From January through March, Bush paid law firms approximately $86,000, according to recently released campaign finance records.
• In the final months before the August primary election, Bush's campaign has $528,000 with $91,000 in debt while her primary opponent, Wesley Bell, has more than $1.1 million cash on hand and zero debt.

Bush has denied wrongdoing, and said she is cooperating with the investigation.

Upcoming primary dates and candidates:

• Pennsylvania: Apr 23 - Summer Lee
• New York: Jun 25 - Jamaal Bowman, AOC
• Michigan: Aug 6 - Rashida Tlaib
• Missouri: Aug 6 - Cori Bush
• Minnesota: Aug 13 - Ilhan Omar