We've Got To Clean Up Congress-- After Lipinski, Let's Start With California

Wasserman Schultz and Bustos-- feel inspired yet?

Selecting Blue Dog and Rahm Emanuel protégé, Cheri Bustos as DCCC chair was a catastrophic mistake the House Democratic caucus made. This week, Our Revolution made a good case about why Bustos should not be heading the DCCC. Last month, they delivered tens of thousands of signed petitions directly to Bustos protesting the much-0hated DCCC Blacklist and their policy of discouraging primaries. "She promised," wrote the Our Revolution communications team, that she would have "a follow-up meeting to discuss reforming this undemocratic policy which favors incumbents over progressive challengers." But "Bustos just backed out the meeting with Our Revolution leaders. Not only did she cancel our meeting, Rep. Bustos also announced that the DCCC was going to continue to throw big dollar fundraisers for incumbents like Rep. Dan Lipinski, an anti-choice member of Congress who opposes Medicare for All..."

Lipinksi's opposition to Medicare-For-All is one of the problems from a long list of problems with the guy, who's record is also homophobic and anti-immigrant. He's out of synch with his own district and the DCCC should be strictly neutral in the contest between Lipinski and progressive challenger Marie Newman.

Our Revolution also wrote that "this week, after we announced we were going to protest the fundraiser, Bustos withdrew her involvement-- this is a victory, but crucially, she maintained that the DCCC could offer Lipinski financial support to defeat primary challengers. We need leaders who care more about policy than party affiliation. That’s why Our Revolution is lifting up progressive candidates even if it means taking on incumbent Democrats."

Being a Democrat who opposes Roe v. Wade doesn’t reflect the values that the Democratic Party claims to uphold.

Being a Democrat who opposes Medicare for All doesn’t help 30 million people without health insurance and the millions more who are underinsured.

It’s not just Lipinski, and it’s not just on issues of women’s choice and health care.

Being a Democrat who takes money from the fossil fuel industry doesn’t help us transform our energy system to save us from environmental catastrophe.

Being a Democrat who takes money from Wall Street doesn’t help working people who are being ripped off by corporate shareholders.

Our Revolution is one of the groups fighting to transform the Democratic Party, elect progressive champions and push for policies that will change people's lives. I want to go through the whole 53 member California House legation as a kind of guide to see who's doing a good job and who isn't.

Let's start with the easiest part of this: there are no California Republicans in Congress doing a good job, not even a mixed job. They all suck and suck badly. Now for the California Dems. Worth reelecting (above and beyond the call of duty):

• Ro Khanna (CA-17)
• Ted Lieu (CA-33)
• Barbara Lee (CA-13)
• Judy Chu (CA-27)
• Mike Levin (CA-49)
• Katie Porter (CA-45)
• Katie Hill (CA-25)
• Mark DeSaulnier (CA-11)
• Alan Lowenthal (CA-47)
• Jimmy Gomez (CA-34)
• Karen Bass (CA-37)
• Maxine Waters (CA-43)
• Jared Huffman (CA-02)
• Nanette Barragán (CA-44)
• Mark Takano (CA-41)

Doesn't matter one way or the other, unless a real good opponent comes along

• John Garamendi (CA-03)
• Mike Thompson (CA-05)
• Doris Matsui (CA-06)
• Jerry McNerney (CA-09)
• Josh Harder (CA-10)
• Jackie Speier (CA-14)
• Eric Swalwell (CA-15)
• Anna Eshoo (CA-18)
• Zoe Lofgren (CA-19)
• Grace Napolitano (CA-32)
• TJ Cox (CA-21)
• Salud Carbajal (CA-24)
• Adam Schiff (CA-28)
• Brad Sherman (CA-30)
• Linda Sanchez (CA-38)
• Lucille Roybal-Allard (CA-40)
• Susan Davis (CA-53)

Should be primaried and defeated ASAP

• Jim Costa (CA-16)
• Nancy Pelosi (CA-12)
• Ami Bera (CA-07)
• Lou Correa (CA-46)
• Scott Peters (CA-52)
• Pete Aguilar (CA-31)
• Julia Brownley (CA-26)
• Tony Cardenas (CA-29)
• Juan Vargas (CA-51)
• Jimmy Panetta (CA-20)
• Norma Torres (CA-35)
• Raul Ruiz (CA-36)
• Gil Cisneros (CA-39)
• Harley Rouda (CA-48)