Another Shakeup In The Inland Empire Congressional Race (CA-31)

After huge endorsements for Inland Empire progressive Eloise Reyes from Southern California progressive leaders Rep. Xavier Becerra, Rep. Lucille Roybal Allard, state Senator Ed Hernández, and ex-Secretary of Labor/former CA-31 Congresswoman Hilda Solis, the DCCC's Steve Israel was forced to back away from his love affair with corrupt conservative empty suit Pete Aguilar. He added the district rather than Aguilar to the Red-to-Blue list. Perhaps that was enough of a signal for Rep. Grace Napolitano in a neighboring district to co-endorse Eloise (along with her old friend Joe Baca, who is also running in CA-31).

And yesterday, Long Beach progressive, Rep. Alan Lowenthal, who the DCCC had persuaded to back Aguilar many months ago, issued this statement in support of Eloise's campaign:

"Eloise has spent her entire career fighting for injured workers and I’m confident that she’ll continue to be a strong fighter for working families in Congress. And like me, she is committed to providing a safe school environment for our children. She’s done an outstanding job putting together her campaign and I believe she would make a fine representative. A dual endorsement is therefore appropriate in this case."

Eloise, who has made it clear she aims to join the Congressional Progressive Caucus as soon as she's elected, has also been endorsed by Progressive Caucus chairman Raúl Grijalva. Aguilar, a corrupt ex-bank lobbyist, is from the Republican wing of the Democratic Party and while Eloise is being endorsed by progressives he's sucking up to the Wall Street-owned New Dems and seeking their endorsement.

Yesterday, Third Way corporate whores used Politico to attack Markos from Daily Kos and go after the uplifting progressive vision of real Democrats that drives sold-out, right-wing "business" Democrats like Steve Israel and Pete Aguilar crazy. Markos and the Third Way sell-outs were arguing about the Senate:

Who cares if seven of the 10 were replaced with Republicans? Ten years ago, Democrats had 49 members in the Senate. Today they have 53 plus Bernie Sanders and Angus King. And even if they lose the Senate this year, which they won't, it won't be much more than a rental as 2016 is a stellar map for us (up to 10 potential pickups).

So is it better to have Ben Nelson, Joe Lieberman and Zell Miller in a 49-seat minority, or is it better to replace them with better Democrats in a 55-seat Democratic majority? Only morons would argue for the former, but apparently, that's what Third Way wants to be.

But it's an important dynamic in House races as well, where Blue Dogs, New Dems and other fake Dems from the Republican wing of the party have been coddled and encouraged by Israel, himself an "ex" Blue Dog, usually at the expense of progressives and grassroots Democrats. It's precisely what we see going on in the Inland Empire, where Israel and his coterie is hoping to slip in another "mystery meat" candidate who's just looking for a career trajectory and may well aspire to nothing more than a K Street lobbying job someday after he does enough favors for Big Business at the expense of ordinary working families. Just look at him. Does this embarrassing mess look like a congressman?