Grassroots Democrats Pushing Back Against Inside The Beltway Democratic Leadership

As a delegate to the Democratic Convention, Norman Solomon had high hopes for Barack Obama. Now he wonders if the emperor isn't kind of scantily clad. "We have to fight for our progressive principles," he tells his audiences, "or this country will continue to move rightward... I don't believe in trickle-down economics. I don't believe in trickle-down job creation. I'm an unreconstructed New Dealer. I believe we need massive federal jobs programs. What we've been getting instead out of Washington are very underfunded stimulus programs and a combination of tax breaks for businesses and relatively-- compared to need-- paltry job creation funds that have landed us in this mess... I think we need a sort of a paradigm shift that can only come from the bottom up... to say 'this country's not about Wall Street; it's about people who have a right to a job, a good, long term, secure job, a right to secure retirement. And, in fact, healthcare, education, housing, and full employment are all human rights. When we can bring those principles into electoral action and win elections on that basis, then we begin to shift the sort of circumference and radius of what we've been talking about in terms of what's possible."

Norman is running in a super blue district (the new 2nd) north of San Francisco, parts of the old 1st CD and parts of the old 6th CD, both of which were won by Obama with crushing margins, 66% in the 1st and 76% in the 6th. With Lynn Woolsey retiring, there must be close to a dozen Democrats running, many of whom are perfectly respectable liberals. But none are anything like Norman. His top competitor is Assemblyman Jared Huffman, a grasping corporate money chaser who has raked in cash from some of the worst and most corrupt entities in the state, including PG&E, Gallo, Chevron and Wal-Mart. Yes, Huffman's "a liberal." Strung out on corporate cash and support from the Beltway Establishment, Huffman is the perfect representative of the worst of the old politics. Unlike Huffman, Solomon has made it clear he will only accept campaign funds from actual people. His grassroots campaign is thriving-- without corporate bribes-- and without resorting to Mitt Romney's redefinition of corporations as "people too," the way Huffman has.

There will be some kind of "liberal" Democrat in this seat next year, but this is a district that can easily support a true fighting progressive with the kind of guts and savvy to stand up to Wall Street and stand up to the 1%. Jared Huffman isn't that candidate. He's just another garden variety opportunist looking for a cushy career advancement. Watch the whole interview above-- and you'll see what kind of a congressman-- what kind of a political leader-- CA-2 could send to Washington in Norman Solomon. If you'd like to help him, please contribute whatever you can afford here through ActBlue.