AOC Endorsed Bernie-- Bernie Says He's Going To Be Endorsing More Progressive Congressional Candidates. Wonder Who?

Within a couple of hours of the AOC endorsement video that went up on Saturday morning, there were over a million viewers across social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. I'd rather you just watch it again than read anything I could possibly say about it. I'd rather you share it with a friend or family member or colleague than even contribute to Bernie's campaign (although, you're welcome to do that too-- here-- if you're so moved).

Just before Saturday's big Bernie's Back Rally in Queens, Bernie and AOC sat down with Ryan Grim for an Intercept interview. Bernie, wrote Grim, "spoke in granular detail about what political revolution means to him. While he was eager to expound on the ability of an organized, working-class movement to overpower structural obstacles, he stopped short of endorsing new congressional primary challengers. He did say that he plans to become more involved in such challenges in the near future." He led the way among presidential candidates who have endorsed Marie Newman over reactionary anti-Choice, ant-LGBTQ, anti-immigrant, anti-healthcare Blue Dog Dan Lipinski-- who has now also been endorsed by Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand and Cory Booker. (No one thinks Biden and Mayo Pete have the guts to endorse Lipinski.)

Bernie told Grim that the movement he's put together is something he would absolutely keep together, unlike how Obama had immediately shuttered the unprecedented grassroots army his campaign had mobilized, a terrible decision, pushed by Rahm Emanuel, that "took his 10-million-plus donors and volunteers off the political battle field... [and] handicapped his first-term agenda."

“I’m a great fan of Barack Obama, who’s a friend of mine. He and I have actually discussed this very issue. His view is, it’s hard to do it,” said Sanders. “I understand that. But the essence of my politics, and I think Alexandria’s as well, is that we need an ongoing grassroots movement of millions of people to pressure Congress, to pressure the corporate establishment, so that we can bring about the changes that this country desperately needs. So that’s why I have said that I will not only be commander-in-chief, I’m going to be organizer-in-chief.” (An aide to Sanders said the meeting with Obama came in the spring of 2018.)

After the interview, speaking before the crowd of more than 25,000, the largest of the campaign for any Democrat so far, Ocasio-Cortez officially endorsed the Vermont senator for president, giving a boost to a campaign that needs momentum after Sanders’s heart attack. Though Sanders has led fundraising, his main progressive rival, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), now regularly polls nationally and in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Ocasio-Cortez’s rise  is a manifestation of Sanders’s idea that by building a mass movement, working people can be lifted up. She was inspired by his campaign, volunteered for it, and then ran herself.

At the same time, she is a reminder of the limitations of what is considered possible on the inside: Sanders, after all, did not endorse Ocasio-Cortez until after her primary victory in 2018 over incumbent Joe Crowley, the longtime King of Queens.

The debate over the fate of Obama for America, Obama’s campaign arm, goes back to 2008, when Obama adjudicated an internal dispute within his operation by mothballing the organization and folding it under the auspices of the Democratic National Committee, which itself was forbidden from pressuring Democrats to push Obama’s agenda. Some in his orbit argued that Obama’s insider approach to the presidency needed to be complemented by robust outside pressure from grassroots organizers. But Obama believed that he and his team, led by Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, would be able to work more effectively with moderates and Republicans if grassroots activists weren’t pressuring them from the outside. That turned out not to be the case.

Rallies and protests are a critical element of outside pressure, but that pressure isn also expressed through primary challenges to incumbents unenthusiastic about the president’s agenda. To that end, Sanders said that he would be looking to get more involved in primaries in the weeks and months ahead. So far, Sanders has only endorsed one challenger, Marie Newman, who is taking on Rep. Dan Lipinski in Illinois.

Asked if he planned to endorse more primary challengers, Sanders said, “I think so. I think that we need to let elect a House and a Senate that is as progressive as it possibly can be, a House and a Senate that he is going to work with me in fighting for healthcare for all, to raise the minimum wage to a living wage, to deal with the global crisis of climate change. So I will do everything I can, and have over the last number of years, to get more people involved in the political process, and to elect people who are as progressive as possible.”

Ocasio-Cortez said that she, too, would be wading deeper into primaries in the coming weeks, and said that she had recently spoken to Jessica Cisneros, a challenger to conservative incumbent Rep. Henry Cuellar (Blue Dog-TX), backed by Justice Democrats as well as establishment outfits like EMILY’s List. “I’ve spoken with Jessica, I’ve spoken with several other folks engaged in this process,” Ocasio-Cortez said, suggesting an endorsement may be imminent. “It’s part of a continual consideration about not just, does the Democratic Party have the majority, but what does that majority look like and what will that majority fight for?”

“Right,” added Sanders.

“And too often that majority lets working people down,” Ocasio-Cortez continued, “and I think we have a responsibility to really look at the quality and the qualitative factors of the Democratic majority, and how we make sure that we continue to support a transformational Democratic Party.”

But while challenging Cuellar and Lipinski bucks the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which opposes all primary challenges, it doesn’t go the heart of the party establishment, since they are both conservative outliers in the House caucus. When asked about Rep. Richard Neal, (D-MA), however, Sanders declined to weigh in. The 30-year incumbent is chair of the Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicare for All, as well as any program related to tax policy. He is a public opponent of Medicare for All, and would be an obstacle under a Sanders presidency. Alex Morse, the Holyoke mayor challenging Neal, is a backer of Medicare for All, and the Holyoke city council passed a resolution endorsing it.

“I’m not gonna look at it race by race,” Sanders told me. “This is what I think: I think the last poll that I saw has over 70 percent of the American people understanding that healthcare is a human right, that we need to go forward with Medicare for All, and as president of the United States, trust me, I will remind every member of the United States Congress and their constituents about the need to take on the healthcare industry, and guarantee health care, to every man woman and child.” 

The thermometer on the right goes to a page-- click it-- that includes conservative outliers, all Blue Dogs and New Dems backed by Cheri Bustos, Pelosi and the DCCC as an institution of establishment conservatism and corruption... and each one being challenged by a progressive who backs Medicare-for-All, the Green New Deal and the core issues both AOC and Bernie are running on and working to govern on. I asked some of these candidates to weigh in on how an endorsement from Bernie might play out in their races. Kim Williams is the progressive candidate running for Congress in California's Central Valley for a seat currently held by Blue Dog Jim Costa, precisely the kind of incumbent actively opposing the reforms that Bernie and AOC are trying to put into place. "Under the so-called leadership of Democrat Jim Costa, California’s 16th district has some of the worst pollution and poverty in the country," Williams told us yesterday. "This is what happens when corporate Democrats value profit over people, and Valley voters are forced to choose between the party of Trump and a man who spent last Congress voting with Trump 47% of the time." Kim Williams is ready to stand with Bernie Sanders and the members of the Revolution to bring progressive change to the district and the country.

Shaniyat Chowdhury is from the next generation of American leaders. He comes from a working class family and was born and raised in Queens, New York. Formerly a legislative assistant in Albany, he worked for AOC's congressional campaign by day and supported himself working in a club by night. Today he's running for the southeast Queens congressional seat held by corrupt New Dem Gregory Meeks. Last night, he told us that "Bernie’s endorsement would mean the world to me. I was so heartbroken over our loss in 2016. It was the second time I was eligible to vote for a president but the first time I was invested in someone because he means every word he says. It’s the feeling of trusting someone who will fight with you that inspired me to work on policy on Albany, organize with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Tiffany Caban, and build movements with grassroots organizations. No one better understands outcome of decisions made for us than the people who want to inspire decision making for us. When Bernie talked about taking on billionaires, I felt motivated to challenge corrupt politicians who enable corporate greed. A true revolution is rooted in a working class agenda. NY-05 has some of the highest rates of crime, debt, poverty, health care disparities, homelessness, and pollution in the country. The rich and powerful should not benefit from our struggles. The vision for the district is ripe for everyday people ready to be at the table to make choices for ourselves. He endorsed Tiffany Caban because he understood the transformative justice we needed in our criminal justice system that specifically targets working class, people of color in NY-05. He stood with us before and we nearly won but definitely changed the narrative. We stood because we are strong. We shouted because we are brave. We fought because we believe. Bernie’s endorsement would mean that he is going to continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the working people of NY-05."

Eva Putzova, the progressive challenging "ex"-Republican-turned-Blue Dog Tom O'Halleran. Without members of Congress like her-- rather than the ultra-corporate O'Halleran-- the values and programs on which Bernie is basing his campaign, are just not going to get very far. Last night she told us that "One of the reasons I became a delegate for Bernie Sanders at the 2016 Democratic convention in Philadelphia was his strong public advocacy for raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour which dovetailed with the successful initiative campaign that I led in Flagstaff. During his campaign for President, Bernie came to Flagstaff and spoke before a large crowd and specifically endorsed our initiative. Bernie's values of economic, social, racial, and climate justice are the values that I espoused while on the Flagstaff City Council from 2014-2018 and currently advocate in my campaign for Congress in AZ-01. In addition, the "No More Wars" plank in my campaign platform also reflects Bernie's stated desire to extricate the U.S. from needless, wasteful, wars of choice. In all of these areas, my opponent, the blue-dog Democrat incumbent, comes up short. He voted to deregulate banks by weakening the Dodd-Frank Act and to criminalized immigrants and votes with Trump 40% of the time. More than half his campaign contributions come from corporate PAC's, including the arms, banking, private prison, and health insurance industries. When I am elected to Congress in 2020 and sworn into office in January 2021 I will be a strong, dependable ally for President Bernie Sanders progressive agenda!"

For her current seat on the Will County council, Rachel Ventura was endorsed by Our Revolution-- both state chapter and by the national organization in 2018. Even though she was outspent 3 to 1, Ventura won her race by knocking on doors--10,000 doors. Her margin of victory was 11 points because she campaigned as a "no strings attached" to the corrupt institutions and elected officials that run Will County and Joliet.

As an elected official Ventura has already made a mark. She successfully pushed for Will County to pass the Greenest Region Compact, a roadmap for energy efficiency and energy independence. She made a motion to move Will County to 100% renewable energy. After the motion failed, they settled on 50% renewables but she continues to fight even today for a better percentage. When the community of Fairmont was faced with a water shortage due to a shallow aquifer and lack of funds, Ventura fought off a privatization scheme from the private company Aqua. Fairmont recently put the finishing touches on a multi-governmental agreement to receive their water from Joliet’s public water system. Meanwhile the state of Illinois gears up to sue Aqua for lead poisoning in another nearby area of Will County.

When local activists from Our Revolution and Ventura met with Rep. Bill Foster to endorse Medicare for All, he said no. When the group asked for a follow-up meeting, they were stiff-armed. They rallied his office to show the people wanted this and he still said no. Ventura, as a single mother had gone without insurance for 2 years and started thinking about running. A month later, another group of activists met with Foster and asked him to support the Green New Deal. Foster rejected the notion with his typical list of excuses. Ventura’s campaign was launched on July 20th by the activists who participated in these two meetings.

Ventura’s brand as someone who is not for sale is strong and growing. She earns strong bipartisan support for being an assertive fighter who is always at the forefront in the fights for justice. When a young black woman was tackled for speaking out against a police shooting of a black man in Joliet, Ventura took to the podium in city hall to demand justice, calling for the replacement of the police chief. This fight is ongoing. When she called on city hall to adopt community policing with officers who live in the communities they serve, she herself was detained along with her two 9-year-old daughters for "questioning." When UAW Local 2114 went on strike at General Motors parts distribution warehouse in Bolingbrook Illinois, Ventura joined them on the picket line at least six times.

When Northpoint, a warehousing and distribution center wanted to set up shop in Elwood, Ventura joined the effort to fight back against un-ending truck traffic and sprawl that would destroy parts of the carbon-sequestering Tallgrass Prairie. The Northpoint project was defeated in Elwood and recently was re-initiated by the city of Joliet that wanted to annex the property and "OK" the project. Ventura again took to the podium in city hall to oppose the project even though it will cost her the endorsements from local building trades unions. She is now walking door to door to educate residents on this issue.

During the planning calls to hold global climate strikes, Ventura volunteered to host a climate strike in Naperville that drew 300+ people. She included activists and community members in the discussion before formulating her policy positions on criminal justice reform.

Ventura is actively reaching out to the communities that are often left voiceless in our political system. She has campaigned at the Puerto Rican Parade, multiple Fiestas Partrias events, in African American churches and mosques. She most recently attended Diwali, the Indian Festival of Lights. Ventura for Congress is a movement-based campaign that is founded on the idea that our government and our economy should work for everyone, not just the wealthy few. The 11th Congressional District is a D+9 district currently represented by New Democrat, Bill Foster. Foster is the 34th richest member of the U.S. House of Representatives with a net worth that is just over $9 million. He sits on the Financial Services Committee and has taken more than $1.4 Million from the banking and finance sector. He was one of the 33 Democrats who voted with the Republicans to gut Dodd Frank. He offended disabled people in the 11th district as one of the 11 Democrats who supported gutting the American’s With Disabilities Act. Perhaps the scariest thought is that, as a scientist and a business as usual man, he opposes the Green New Deal and favors “technological fixes” like carbon capture and enhanced oil recovery (EOR). The last thing we need when we get a president who supports the GND, is a scientist who opposes it.

Ventura is already endorsed by three local Our Revolution Groups, a Local DSA chapter, and, of course, Blue America PAC. Rachel told me that "Most importantly, in our door-to-door campaign, we have already gathered more than 3,000 signatures to get on the ballot, placed more than 500 yard signs and have a 65% support level from those who we have canvassed. We will have the endorsement of the people of Illinois’ 11th Congressional District. We would welcome an endorsement from the most popular senator in the United States."

The NRSC has this ridiculous truck driving around Colorado tying Andrew Romanoff to AOC. They have similar trucks in other states doing the same thing against progressive candidates. Andrew told me that the truck is a positive for his campaign, since it underscores that he's supporting issues that Colorado voters back, like Medicare-for-All and the Green New Deal, which both of his conservative opponents, Cory Gardner (R) and John Hickenlooper (D), are adamantly against. Yesterday, while campaign in Montrose, he took moment to tell me that "I expected Mitch McConnell and the Republicans to attack us (although this looks more like a compliment!). I didn’t realize we’d have to fight Chuck Schumer and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee too. But that’s fine by me. I’m running to represent the people of Colorado-- not the party bosses and powerbrokers in Washington, DC."