It's Time For California To Elect An Actual Progressive Leader To The U.S. Senate-- Meet Kevin de León

Please start by watching the two and a half minute video, the first for Kevin de León's Senate campaign. If it feels familiar it's because it was made by the same filmmakers who were responsible for the Randy Bryce video launch that electrified us all. This one is also very powerful, very emotive and compelling-- and uniquely Californian.

Blue America specializes in finding great state legislators and helping them become national leaders. Some of the best members of Congress showed what they could do in leadership positions in their state legislatures-- Ted Lieu, Pramila Jayapal, Jamie Raskin, Karen Bass, Jeff Merkley, Judy Chu, Keith Ellison... were all in leadership positions in state legislatures when we met them and started helping to promote them to national office. Now they are the hope of the Democratic Party and the hope of the United States. Kevin de León's record of accomplishment as president of the California state Senate-- on virtually every aspect of the progressive vision from Medicare-for-All to Climate Change amelioration-- led me to beg him to run for the Senate seat Dianne Feinstein has used to hinder and blockade the progressive agenda for 26 years.

I've known Dianne Feinstein long before that-- since she was the fake Democrat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors trading grubby favors for cash from wealthy developers. When ardent progressives, Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone were gunned down in City Hall, Feinstein made her big move, first as mayor and then senator, always using her elected positions to create mind-boggling business opportunities for Richard Blum, her husband. Today she's one of America's wealthiest politicians. And today she's 85 and unable to debate the issues with KDL. Unable. So instead, she's assembled a team of character assassins to denigrate Kevin and threaten anyone working in state politics that if they work for the KDL campaign their career is finished. She's assembled a truly vile warchest. Up against the $1,310,851 in grassroots money he's raised, she put together $15,263,210 (a third of which, $5,006,050, she just took from the money she and her husband have made from her influence-peddling).

It's time for her to go-- and she knows it. And she plans on it as well. She's done. She just wants one thing-- to keep "her" seat from falling into the hands of a progressive. If she wins this election, she'll retire quickly, allowing neoliberal corporate Democrat Gavin Newsom to appoint another conservative Democrat-- probably Blue Dog/New Dem Adam Schiff. Then when the special election comes, Schiff-- who has no electoral opposition in his (my) congressional district and has raised $4,624,476-- will be able to run as an incumbent. Yep... all packaged with a red ribbon bow on top.

The one spanner in the plan: the California Democratic Party, shockingly, rejected Feinstein's reelection bid and endorsed Kevin. This one will make a big difference. He's a real game-changer, a proven one. She's neither effective nor even awake and just a stalking horse for another conservative who will get in without being elected. So bad for a state like California! Anyway, see that Act Blue thermometer up top? Please tap on it and contribute what you feel comfortable giving to Kevin's campaign.