How Surprised Are You That Trump's Department Of Homeland Security Heads Are Serving Illegally?

Illegal appointment

If you're looking for the worst villains of the Trump era, your head will soon be spinning. That said, no list can possibly leave off the authors of Trump's military assault against Portland, Chad Wolf and Ken Cuccinelli. As congressional Democrats have asserted, neither is legally serving in the government. Yesterday Washington Post reporter Erica Werner wrote the Government Accountability Office has found that "Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf and his deputy Kenneth Cuccinelli are serving under an invalid order of succession under the Vacancies Reform Act." Their appointments by Trump violated federal law. "The Vacancies Reform Act," she wrote, "governs how temporary appointments can be made to positions that require Senate confirmation. President Trump has repeatedly circumvented the Senate confirmation process by placing people in acting positions-- including Wolf and Cuccinelli."

GAO said it was referring the matter to the DHS inspector general for reviews, and that any further actions would be up to Congress and the IG.

Wolf was a deputy chief of staff in the Trump administration before rising through the ranks, in part because of his repeated public professions of support for Trump and his hard line views on immigration. Wolf has played a central role in the government’s controversial response to protests throughout the United States this summer, actions some former DHS officials from both parties have said crossed the line.

Cuccinelli, formerly the attorney general of Virginia, is also an immigration hard-liner who also served as acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. In March, a federal judge ruled that his appointment to head USCIS was illegal and that he lacked the authority to issue policy directives tightening asylum rules.

GAO noted that it was not examining the question of the consequences of Wolf and Cuccinelli’s improper appointments, or the impact on the actions they have taken in those roles, instead referring those questions to the DHS inspector general.

DHS quickly issued a statement opposing GAO’s conclusion.

“We wholeheartedly disagree with the GAO’s baseless report and plan to issue a formal response to this shortly,” DHS spokesman Nathaniel Madden said in a statement.

The GAO conducted its review in response to inquiries from House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), chairwoman of the Committee on Oversight and Reform.

In a statement responding to GAO’s findings, Thompson and Maloney called on Wolf and Cuccinelli to resign from their roles.

“GAO’s damning opinion paints a disturbing picture of the Trump administration playing fast and loose by bypassing the Senate confirmation process to install ideologues,” Thompson and Maloney said. “In its haste to circumvent Congress’s constitutional role in confirming the government’s top officials to deliver on the president’s radical agenda, the administration violated the department’s order of succession, as required by law.”

Trump has publicly discussed his preference for having people in his administration serving in an acting capacity, saying this gives him “more flexibility.”

Trump ousted Nielsen in April 2019, and since then the White House has displayed an unprecedented disregard for the Senate confirmation process. McAleenan served seven months without a nomination, and though Trump has effusively praised Wolf, he has not received a nomination for the secretary position.

Across the department, career officials have retired or resigned from their jobs without replacement, and the White House has made no effort to push for the confirmation of its more recent appointees, despite GOP control of the senate.

The leadership page of the DHS website shows empty seats and interim appointments across the agencies charged with protecting the country from terrorist attacks and other threats, with more than 20 vacancies and acting chiefs among senior department positions.

In addition to the temporary appointments at DHS headquarters, none of the three agencies that run the country’s immigration system--U. S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)-- have a Senate-confirmed leader.

I frankly never really understood how the corruption-as-a-way-of-life New Jersey Democratic Party allowed a strong and effective progressive like Bonnie Watson Coleman to rise in the ranks and get all the way to Congress... but, then, Rep. Watson Coleman is a force of nature-- and now a senior member of the the House Committee on Homeland Security and a member of its Subcommittee on Oversight, Management and Accountability. "DHS has been a serious problem in so many levels," she told me this morning in an informal conversation. "Can’t wait to change from the top down and looking forward to more humane policies. The Committee has called on Wolf to testify on the Portland nightmare (one of many); he declined saying we didn’t give him adequate notice. I’ve asked for him to resign. I honestly don’t see getting rid of him and or Cuccinelli until Trump is out. But we just need to keep calling them out for their lack of humanity, the chaos and disruption and their storm trooper-like actions. It’s disgusting, scary and as you know, threatens our democracy."

This is from the statement released yesterday by committee chairs Maloney and Thompson:

Neo-Fascist? Time To Drop The "Neo" When Describing Trump

Out of the bunker and...





Jim Acosta on CNN: "We are descending into something that is not the United States of America tonight; there's just no other way to put it... Donald Trump did not do this by himself tonight. There were other White House officials, military officials, federal employees paid for with our tax dollars. And our tax dollars were used to teargas fellow Americans. That's what happened tonight in the nation's capital and the entire world was watching."

And yeah, this was all done because Trumpanzee-- a notorious coward-- was embarrassed that it leaked out by the media that he was cowering and trembling in the White House bunker on Friday night when protestors in Lafayette Square were hurling curses at him. "They wanted a disruptor," said Anderson Cooper on TV last night. "That's what a disruption is."

Last night the Washington Post had its A-Team on the case: Phil Rucker, Robert Costa, Josh Dawsey and Seung Min Kim, writing about how the authoritarian orange blob "militarized the federal response to protests of racial inequality that have erupted in cities across America late Monday, as authorities fired tear gas at people protesting peacefully near the White House to disperse crowds moments before Trump staged a photo opportunity there. Trump forced a brazen inflammation of the crisis convulsing the country by calling the nationwide demonstrations 'acts of domestic terror,' declaring himself the 'president of law and order' and taking the rare step of mobilizing the military to use force to quell the unrest. In a move denounced by critics as authoritarian, the commander in chief threatened to deploy troops to 'quickly solve the problem' if state and local authorities did not immediately regain control of their streets, which he said had been overtaken by 'professional anarchists' and 'violent mobs.'"

This morning, the Religion News Service reported that ahead of the blasphemous Trumpanzee Bible photo op, police forcibly expelled the priest from St. John's church.

During an interview on CNN, Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, condemned the flaming asshole for clearing out peaceful protesters with rubber bullets and tear gas in order to stage his photo op in front of her church: "I am outraged… Everything he has said and done is to inflame violence. I am beyond. We need moral leadership, and he’s done everything to divide us, and has just used one of the most sacred symbols of the Judeo-Christian tradition... I just can’t believe what my eyes have seen tonight."

All the people I communicate with who are reliable-- if moronic-- Trumpist parrots of the far right are convinced nothing is going on but looting. One of the most obtuse Trumpists I've ever met-- other than my brother-in-law-- sent me this message yesterday: "They burned the historic church in DC, St John’s Church. This isn’t about justice, it’s all looting, many of these businesses were already on the verge of bankruptcy. Many don’t have insurance because they couldn’t afford it. What’s sad is even those with insurance have no money left and now have lost their business." he said there's no evidence that the cop who murdered George Floyd is a racist because-- and I swear I'm not making this up-- "His wife was asian, one of the cops was Latino, one was asian, one was black and one was white. I actually belong to a facebook group on police brutality and there are plenty of police killing white people too. I just don’t see the dichotomy of the 1960s civil rights era and now, a black man became president by popular and electoral vote. There really isn't institutionalized racism anymore, in Miami the arrest records show that most of the arrest were out of state people. The same seems to be for every state, this is organized, people are inciting violence and anarchy... I think these riots are about looting and getting free stuff. That seems to be what everyone is doing, looting stores. Small businesses owned by people who have run out of money, out of insurance, and now they have nothing. The crimes committed by these riots far outweigh the police brutality that preceded it. We cannot condone these riots, have you seen the ghetto ass thugs who are doing this? It is scary and violent and they are happy smiling getting free shit from stores. This has nothing to do with the protests of the 60s for civil rights." OK? Now you know exactly what they're saying on White House news outlets like Fox News and on hate talk radio.

But not everyone on the right was happy with Trump's photo op. According to Axios, "Not everyone in the White House was thrilled with the church photo op. One senior aide [likely Miller] was exuberantly telling friends the photograph of him holding a Bible in front of the church that had been attacked by vandals was an 'iconic' moment for the president. But a senior White House official told Axios that when they saw the tear gas clearing the crowd for Trump to walk to the church with his entourage: 'I’ve never been more ashamed. I’m really honestly disgusted. I’m sick to my stomach. And they’re all celebrating it. They’re very very proud of themselves.'"

Paul Ryan's former top aide, Brendan Buck: "We long ago lost sight of normal, but this was a singularly immoral act. The president used force against American citizens, not to protect property, but to soothe his own insecurities. We will all move on to the next outrage, but this was a true abuse of power and should not be forgotten."

Even Tucker Carlson is having some misgivings about the fascist president he reflexively backs, tepidly criticizing Trump's abilities as a leader and Kushner-in-law's worth, asserting on Fox News that "No one has more contempt for the president’s supporters" than Jared, who he accused of breaking from Trump’s platform and talking Trump out of taking decisive actions.

Mark Leibovich for the NY Times yesterday: Trump Vowed to Disrupt Washington. Now He Faces Disruption in the Streets. "One of the recurring themes of the last three and a half years is that President Trump has disrupted Washington, just as his voters demanded. This is true in a certain sense: The Trump White House has been a chaotic drama, a procession of scandals, leaks, investigations, feuding protagonists and trampled norms. But one of the overlooked realities of the reality show is that the day-to-day existence of so-called official Washington has felt anything but disrupted. This gilded capital has actually been a serene and lovely place to live, work and visit, at least for those who can afford it. The trend has only accelerated through what until recently was the booming economy of the Trump presidency."

These last months, though, have been something else entirely. The reality has relegated the TV maestro in the White House to something of a sideshow.

In recent nights, the streets around the White House have been clogged with thousands of protesters, demonstrating against the police killing last week in Minneapolis of George Floyd, an African-American man. The crowds have been multiracial and comprised a free-for-all of purposes. Landmark restaurants, offices and a historic church have been burned and vandalized. By Monday, Mayor Muriel E. Bowser had set a curfew of 7 p.m. and activated the National Guard.

“Donald Trump is just a social media personality to us, the guy who told us to drink bleach,” said Artinese Campbell, 33, an African-American woman who has lived her whole life in Washington and who had come downtown Monday afternoon, just a few blocks from the White House, to visit her bank before it was boarded up and closed early in anticipation of another night of protests. She said she was sympathetic to the cause of the protesters but hoped they remained peaceful and had no plans to stick around to find out.

“I think most of us are numb to presidents who come in and talk about ‘change,’” Ms. Campbell said. “Nothing really changes if you’re black in America.”

...One thing was certain: No one was bemoaning the “shattered norms” perpetrated by the Trump administration or celebrating the “peaceful transfer of power” that may or may not occur in a few months. Television pundits have labeled the upcoming election as “existential” to the importance to the country’s direction. But it also felt beside the point-- like privilege talking-- in the crowds of the last few nights. This chaotic tableau felt so much more urgent, and close to home.

...[T]he national headquarters of the A.F.L.-C.I.O. were set ablaze during protests Sunday night. TV commentators described the conflagration as a strike against one of the fortresses of the American labor movement, a theoretical ally of the protesters in the struggle for a fairer power structure. Next door, flames engulfed St. John’s Episcopal Church, where two decades of presidents have come to worship-- the so-called Church of the Presidents.

Suddenly, though, these monuments to American progress and history felt like quaint abstractions, cherished by official Washington but just another thing to burn down for the Washington disrupters of 2020.

On Monday on a sidewalk across Farragut Square, in front of the boarded up Oval Room restaurant, a protester named Athena Kapsides, a Washington public-school teacher, said that Mr. Trump had in fact inspired a great deal of activism in opposition to his own actions. In that sense, she said, he has been a catalyst for change.

“President Trump himself has tried to present himself as a fighter, but really he only fights for himself,” said Ms. Kapsides, who grew up in the Washington suburbs and wore a T-shirt bearing the likeness of Colin Kaepernick, the former National Football League quarterback who protested police violence against African-Americans by kneeling during pregame renditions of “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Many believe that his statement resulted in his blacklisting from the N.F.L., where he has not played since 2017.

“He’s been a force for disruption,” Ms. Kapsides said of Mr. Trump. “But maybe not always the kind of disruption he planned for.”

How Badly Will Trump's Stroll Through The Garden Of Racism Hurt GOP Candidates In 2018?

Yesterday we noted that Randy Bryce is calling on Paul Ryan to lead the House in censuring Trump for his pro-Nazi, pro-KKK remarks. Up top is the video and yesterday 3 of Congress' most serious progressives, Jerry Nadler (D-NY), Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) and Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) announced a resolution of censure in the House against Señor Trumpanzee for his remarks at Trumpanzee Tower Tuesday re-asserting earlier comments that "both sides" were to blame for the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia and excusing the behavior of participants in the 'Unite the Right' rally. Pramila, in announcing the resolution, noted that "not even a week has passed since the tragedy in Charlottesville. But on Tuesday, the president poured salt on the nation’s wounds by defending those who marched with white supremacists. In an unscripted press conference, we saw the real and unfiltered Donald Trump-- the logical endpoint for a man who has consistently trafficked in racism throughout his career. The American people expect their leaders to condemn white supremacy in unambiguous terms. President Trump not only failed at condemning white supremacists and neo-Nazis, he stood up for them-- for that he must be censured. The president’s conduct is un-American and it must stop." The resolution censuring and condemning Trump is set to be introduced on Friday, August 18, when the House is next in pro forma session. This is it:

RESOLUTION
Censuring and condemning President Donald Trump.

Whereas on August 11, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia, a gathering of white supremacists, including neo-Nazis, Klu Klux Klan (KKK) members, and other alt-Right, white nationalist groups, marched through the streets with torches as part of a coordinated ‘Unite the Right’ rally spewing racism, anti-Semitism, bigotry and hatred;

Whereas on August 12, 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia, a car driven by James Alex Fields, Jr. rammed into a crowd of counter-protestors, killing Heather Heyer and injuring 20 others;

Whereas President Donald Trump’s immediate public comments rebuked “many sides” for the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, and failed to specifically condemn the ‘Unite the Right’ rally or cite the white supremacist, neo-Nazi gathering as responsible for actions of domestic terrorism;

Whereas on August 15, 2017 President Donald Trump held a press conference at Trump Tower where he re-asserted that “both sides” were to blame for the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, and attempted to create a moral equivalency between white supremacist, KKK, neo-Nazi groups and those counter-protesting the ‘Unite the Right’ rally;

Whereas President Donald Trump has surrounded himself with, and cultivated the influence of, senior advisors and spokespeople who have long histories of promoting white nationalist, alt-Right, racist and anti-Semitic principles and policies within the country;

Whereas President Donald Trump has provided tacit encouragement and little to no denunciation of white supremacist groups and individuals who promote their bigoted, nationalist ideology and policies;

Whereas President Donald Trump has failed to provide adequate condemnation and assure the American people of his resolve to opposing domestic terrorism: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the House of Representatives--

(1)   does hereby censure and condemn President Donald Trump for his inadequate response to the violence in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 12, 2017, his failure to immediately and specifically name and condemn the white supremacist groups responsible for actions of domestic terrorism, for re-asserting that “both sides” were to blame and excusing the violent behavior of participants in the ‘Unite the Right’ rally, and for employing people with ties to white supremacist movements in the White House, such as Steve Bannon and Sebastian Gorka; and

(2)   does hereby urge President Donald Trump to fire any and all White House advisors who have urged him to cater to the alt-Right movement in the United States.

I don't expect many-- if any-- Republicans to go along with this. I bet that not one musters the political courage to vote for it. In fact, it's hard it imagine Ryan and McCarthy even allowing it to come to the floor for a vote. Ryan's own statement, for the sake of concerned Wisconsin voters, who have been catching on to him as an enabler of Trump, was that "We must be clear. White supremacy is repulsive. This bigotry is counter to all this country stands for. There can be no moral ambiguity." And he unambiguously refused to name Trump or his regime.

Ryan appointed Steve Stivers (R-OH) to chair the NRCC whose task is to minimize the GOP's 2018 midterm losses. Trump's stroll into the court of public opinion holding hands with the Nazis and KKK probably won't help that effort and Stivers, clearly frustrated, blurted out "I don't understand what's so hard about this. White supremacists and Neo-Nazis are evil and shouldn't be defended." He forgot to mention Trump.

Texas Republican Will Hurd is one of the most vulnerable Republicans in Congress. Hillary won his south Texas 71% Hispanic district last year 49.8% to 46.4%. Unless the DCCC screws it up by nominating another Blue Dog who residents have already shown they do not want, Hurd will lose next year. He urged someone unnamed to "Apologize. Racism, bigotry, anti-Semitism, of any form is unacceptable. And the leader of the free world should be unambiguous about that." Well... "leader of the free world" might be a clue-- could be Angela Merkel-- but many-- too many-- Trump supporters don't have the bandwidth to put something that abstract together.

There's been a lot of chatter that Ohio Governor John Kasich is planning a primary challenge to Trump in 2020 if he hasn't been removed from office by then. He made a nice meme for his Twitter followers:

Little Marco (R-FL) is also eager to figure out how he can worm out from under his pledge to not run for president again until after serving a full 6 year Senate term. He's starting to get antsy about running against Trump too. He found himself in a tweet storm yesterday, which I can't get a screen shot of because he blocked me: "The organizers of events which inspired & led to #charlottesvilleterroristattack are 100% to blame for a number of reasons. They are adherents of an evil ideology which argues certain people are inferior because of race, ethnicity or nation of origin. … These groups today use SAME symbols & same arguments of #Nazi & #KKK, groups responsible for some of worst crimes against humanity ever. Mr. President, you can't allow #WhiteSupremacists to share only part of blame. They support idea which cost nation & world so much pain. The #WhiteSupremacy groups will see being assigned only 50% of blame as a win. We cannot allow this old evil to be resurrected." Little Marco has certainly gone further than most of the Republicans in the Senate.

But as Politico’s Kyle Cheney and Rachael Bade reported, the House Judiciary Committee, which oversees the Department of Justice’s handling of domestic terrorism, has no immediate plans to schedule an investigation into the domestic terrorism in Charlottesville, despite calls from Democrats that just such an investigation is essential. And Senate Judiciary Committee Chair Chuck Grassley (R-IA) has no interest in a Charlottesville hearing either. Maybe another one on Hillary's e-mails? "GOP sources suggested it might be too early to tell whether Congress should get involved. And some question what tangible action Congress could take to help the situation, aside from calling public attention to the issue through hearings."

Barbara Lee (D-CA) had some ideas on that Wednesday morning: "We cannot address the dangerous spread of white supremacy in America without first assessing its influence on our nation's highest office," she explained to her constituents in Oakland and Berkley. "Yesterday afternoon, Donald Trump defended the white supremacists who descended upon Charlottesville this past weekend while insisting there was blame 'on both sides.' As disturbing as his comments are, they should come as no surprise. As long as Trump has senior advisors with ties to white nationalist groups, he will never fully condemn racism and bigotry. That's why I wrote a letter to Trump yesterday calling for the removal of three prominent White House aides who are involved with the alt-right: Steve Bannon, Stephen Miller, and Sebastian Gorka. It's time to root out white nationalism at the White House... By placing these three men in his administration, Trump has elevated hate and discrimination to the highest levels of our government. He has signaled to white supremacists that they are no longer a fringe group-- they now have advocates advising the president with their agenda in mind. We have already seen a manifestation of that agenda, from the Muslim ban and a ban on transgender Americans in the military, to raids on immigrant communities and attempts to perpetuate the era of mass incarceration and roll back voting rights. These policies are a result of the far-right extremist ideology held by Trump's top advisors."

John Harwood summed up the predicament the country finds itself in with an essay he penned for CNBC, Trump has a very clear attitude about morality: He doesn't believe in it. "Trump," he wrote, "combines indifference to conventional notions of morality or propriety with disbelief that others would be motivated by them" and noted that the more Trumpanzee "reveals his character, the more he isolates himself from the American mainstream." He was contemptuous of the business leaders who stormed for the exits of his corporate advisory committees and wound up shutting down both committees when it was clear no one would be left except for an embarrassed handful of Nazi and KKK sympathizers.

As president, Trump has emphasized power over morality. Seeking passage of health-care legislation-- which violated his explicit campaign promises-- Trump chided a reluctant GOP senator with a veiled threat.

...When Pope Francis called emphasizing walls over bridge-building "not Christian," Trump ascribed it to political manipulation. The pope, he said, was a "pawn" of Mexico.

Trump touted duplicity in business as a leadership credential, boasting that he once took advantage of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi in a real estate deal. "I screwed him," he said. "That's what we should be doing."

Though Trump cast that talent as an asset for the nation, a Fortune magazine review of his business career found this first principle: "He always comes first."

The president's fellow Republicans learned that to their chagrin in 2016, and reached common conclusions about his character.

"A con man," said. Sen. Marco Rubio. "Utterly amoral," said Sen. Ted Cruz.

"Dishonesty is Trump's hallmark," declared Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican nominee. "He's playing the American people for suckers."

Increasing numbers of Americans have reached that conclusion. In a Quinnipiac University poll this month, 62 percent called the president not honest, up from 52 percent last November.

Moreover, 63 percent said Trump does not share their values. That undercuts his ability to lead average Americans, lawmakers, business executives or foreign leaders toward common goals.

"In a president, character is everything," Republican commentator Peggy Noonan has written. "You can't buy courage and decency. You can't rent a strong moral sense. A president must bring those things with him."

Paul Ryan too. I hope CNN will pay attention to NARAL's message above. No one wants a CNN infomercial from Paul Ryan. Everyone wants a real, honest-to-goodness debate between him and Randy Bryce. Ryan has ducked accountability long enough and hidden behind the Speakers chair. CNN shouldn't be an enabler. He may not be as crude and senile as Trump, but he's the same kind of putrid, unspeakable garbage that needs to be driven out of this country's political sphere-- and soon. And that starts by exposing him as an empty suit, something Randy Bryce should get an opportunity to do on national television. It's up to CNN.

White Power

Yesterday Social Security Turned 80-- What About Tomorrow?

Yesterday, on the 80th anniversary of the enactment of the Social Security Act-- which had been vilified as "socialism" by conservatives-- we took a look at the NY-24 congressional campaign of Social Security Works co-founder Eric Kingson. Kingston, of course, is only one of many progressive Democrats who are militant about preserving and expanding Social Security. Alan Grayson, for example, announced a new bill he is introducing after Congress returns from vacation, the Seniors Deserve a Raise Act. If it were to pass both Houses of Congress and be signed into law by the president it would increase Social Security payments by 2.9%-- on top of the annual cost of living adjustment-- starting next year. Grayson's bill mandates that the Social Security Administration use the Consumer Price Index for the Elderly (CPI-E)-- an index that gives additional weight to items seniors are more likely to purchase-- whenever that index is higher than the currently used CPI-W (Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers), to determine the Cost of Living Adjustment starting next year.

"Since 1975, we have been cheating our seniors out of an amount that has now escalated to $25 billion each year," Grayson explained to Florida voters. "Right now, every monthly check seniors get is 3% lower than it ought to be. This adds up more than $300 billion that we have unfairly kept out of the hands of some of our most vulnerable citizens. And since the increases build upon themselves, it means the older you are, the more you’ve been cheated. Our seniors deserve a raise... It makes sense to base cost of living increases for seniors on what they actually spend their money on. This bill ensures that they are getting at least the increase their specific spending habits would require. We owe our seniors, and our retired military, so much. They fought wars for us, marched in the street for us, raised us, and worked to make our lives better."

Yesterday Elizabeth Warren warned that "Social Security is under attack. The Republicans are doing everything they can to privatize and cut benefits for millions of seniors who rely on Social Security to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads." Obviously, Grayson and Warren aren't the only progressive in Congress working to shore up Social Security. In fact, I asked the incumbents Blue America has endorsed where they were at on this. Mike Honda, for example, told his supporters yesterday that "I firmly believe that people who have worked their whole lives deserve to have peace of mind in retirement... We have a responsibility to take care of our older citizens, and even more importantly, to make sure that our future generations have the same security. I think about this every time I look at my children and grandchildren."

Mark Pocan (D-WI), who shares a birth date with Social Security, warned that "attacks on it are rampant, and calls to strengthen it are all too rare. We must fight to protect social security and move the debate to how we can expand it and continue its promise." The co-chairs of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) and Keith Ellison (D-MN) issued a joint statement Friday on behalf of the Caucus:

Eight decades after these earned benefits began, the need for Social Security is greater than ever.  Stagnant wages, a shift from defined benefit pensions to less secure individual 401(k) and IRA accounts, and growing income inequality have made it difficult for working families to put aside the savings needed for a secure retirement.  With more Americans relying on Social Security as a primary source of retirement income, it’s not a surprise that 61 percent of Americans believe the current benefits are too low. By expanding benefits and requiring the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share in payroll taxes, we can secure the program’s future and help American families adapt to this new economic reality.

But instead of working to protect and expand the promise of Social Security, Republicans continue their efforts to erode, privatize, and undermine the program despite its overwhelming success and popularity.  Despite the fact that Social Security has a $2.8 million surplus and can pay full benefits until 2033, Republicans are threatening to use a manufactured crisis to cut Social Security Disability Insurance benefits by 20 percent in 2016.  An attack on one component of Social Security is an attack on the program as a whole, and an attack on the millions of people who rely on it. The Progressive Caucus stands united with Congressional Democrats in our commitment to protect Social Security and to expand its promise to guarantee the future of every American.

Bonnie Watson-Coleman (D-NJ) has brought her passion and her progressive vision from the New Jersey legislature to Washington, DC. She reminded us that Social Security "fundamentally changed the lives of retiring Americans. Prior to enactment, older Americans were one of our most vulnerable populations and faced tremendous risk of retiring in poverty. Today, Social Security keeps 22 million Americans above water, including a million children and 15 million seniors. Some critics question whether government is capable of offering solutions to problems in our society, but our nation can point to Social Security as a clear example-- and as proof that government can play a positive and active role in improving the lives of Americans. That’s why I remain committed to defending and expanding access not only to Social Security, but also Medicare, the Affordable Care Act, and the many other programs that level the playing field and provide a stepping stone to the middle class."

Matt Cartwright, the progressive Democrat in northeast Pennsylvania who defeated a reactionary Blue Dog Establishment type to win his seat, told us that "Every time I think about Social Security, it makes me proud to be a Democrat. It was the Democrats who conceived of Social Security. It was the Democrats who enacted it. And it is the Democrats who for 80 years have successfully defended it from attacks by irresponsible, uncaring and downright mean-spirited Republicans who would take it away in a heartbeat if we Democrats ever for that long step away from our guns."

Many consider Barbara Lee, the progressive who represents Oakland in Congress, a national treasure because of her principled stand against Bush's wars. She has a career of principled stands, all of them serving the interests of working families who don't employ their own lobbyists. "The story of black America’s middle class," she told her supporters yesterday, "is also inextricably linked to the establishment and continuation of Social Security. Because lifetime earnings for African Americans tend to be far lower than lifetime earnings for whites, Social Security provides the only income for 40 percent of African American retirees. It's obvious that Social Security benefits touch the lives of every single American. So why is Social Security constantly under attack? Because there is a small-but-growing faction of hard-line Republicans who believe that Social Security is insolvent and contributes to our national debt. That’s flatly untrue: The Social Security Trust Fund is $2.8 trillion-strong. Without any adjustments, Social Security can continue to pay benefits for decades. And there is another reason. Many Republicans would simply prefer to prioritize millionaires and billionaires over our most vulnerable citizens. We must fight these attacks on Social Security. Our most vulnerable citizens are counting on us."

Donna Edwards (D-MD), who, like Grayson, is running for Senate this cycle, reminded us that "Social Security provides earned benefits to nearly sixty million Americans; lifting twenty-two million individuals, including one million children, out of poverty. In Maryland’s 4th Congressional District, Social Security is often a lifeline for many of the 97,000 beneficiaries, of which over 71,000 are 65 or older. Social Security plays a critical role for seniors, children, the disabled, and veterans in our communities and throughout the country. Social Security is value not a bargaining chip. As we celebrate the historic achievement of Social Security, we must also commit ourselves to strengthening and protecting Social Security for generations to come. We must fight any proposals to reduce benefits or increase the retirement age or otherwise chip away at this earned benefit. I am a proud original cosponsor of the Social Security 2100 Act, which would ensure that Social Security remains financially stable for decades to come. That is the kind of reliability the American people deserve. I look forward to continue working with my Congressional colleagues to strengthen and expand Social Security benefits for millions of Americans."

When Jeb Bush and other Republicans talk about "reforming" Social Security they mean wrecking it and when they talk about a "broad bipartisan consensus," they're talking about all the Republicans and a handful of reactionary DINOs like Patrick Murphy (New Dem-FL), Kirsten Sinema (Blue Dog-AZ) and Sean Patrick Maloney (New Dem-NY), dangerous fake Democrats who vote with Republicans and should be treated like Republican at the ballot box. Watch:

Blue America's End Of The Year Message

This week, we sent our final letter out to the Blue America members. People sometimes ask me how to become a member. That's easy: contribute-- anything, even just one dollar, to any Blue America candidate on any Blue America page, and voilà!, you're a member. This week's letter was more than just a thank you and Merry Christmas note-- although, yes, thank you and Merry Christmas. It was also a note about how progressives can do well even when the corrupt Beltway Democratic Establishment fails miserably, as they did, completely predictably, in November.

You already know it's been a tough year, politically. Tough especially for the Democrats' DC Establishment party. Not quite so tough for progressives. Only one of our progressives was defeated, Carol Shea-Porter, who ran in a very red district-- and who, I feel pretty certain, will be back in 2016 to reclaim her seat.

Last Thursday Carol was a loud and clear voice against the Wall Street giveaway in the "Cromnibus" funding bill. Like every self-respecting progressive-- from Alan Grayson, Donna Edwards, Barbara Lee, Mike Honda, Raul Grijalva, and Keith Ellison to Mark Pocan, Matt Cartwright, Jared Polis, Alan Lowenthal, Beto O'Rourke... almost all the men and women YOU have helped get elected.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your generosity. We hope you’re on board with us to help elect the next Alan Grayson, Keith Ellison or Elizabeth Warren when they come along. And, based on this year’s election results— they most certainly will.

This holiday season we're also especially thankful that our two most exciting progressive candidates won House seats. When Bonnie Watson Coleman tossed her hat into the ring, conventional wisdom said she had no chance against the New Jersey boss-backed "moderate" Democrat. Barbara Buono, the intrepid liberal firebrand who took on Chris Christie, introduced Bonnie to us as the state legislator who fought for her on the front lines, unafraid and unbowed before the “Transpartisan” Jersey bosses. Bonnie kicked their candidate's ass in the 4-way primary 42.6 to 28.1% and went on the win the general election with 61%-- and won it as an outspoken advocate for progressive values, not as the kind of mealy-mouthed Republican-lite candidate the DCCC encourages candidates to morph into.

Across the country on the West Side of Los Angeles, we had a similar success. California's most successful state senator, Ted Lieu, approached the 18-person primary-- and the Adelson-funded general election-- talking about the progressive legislation that has been the hallmark of his political career. His very first ad was about stopping unconstitutional domestic spying on American citizens by the NSA and CIA. Ted beat the Adelson candidate, despite a vicious, racist campaign, 59.2% to 40.8% with the biggest turn-out of any of L.A.'s congressional districts. And, like Bonnie, he won it as an avowed, unapologetic progressive.

Last month Bonnie and Ted met for the first time in DC at the freshmen orientation week. She was his first backer among the freshmen in his successful bid to become class president. (Last year the freshman president was Matt Cartwright... a tradition for Blue America candidates!)

It was Ted's record of leadership in Sacramento-- and Bonnie's in Trenton-- that had impressed us so much with both candidates. But now both are going to Washington. What will they be able to accomplish?

Yesterday I asked Ted; this is what he told me:

"Having served as an elected official for over a decade, it is clear to me that anyone can do our jobs if the goal is to help the rich and powerful. But it is much more difficult-- and far more important-- to help those without a voice. How many homeless people can afford to hire a lobbyist? How many Super PACs exist to advance the interests of foster children? How many people living in poverty go out and vote? My goals are to advance issues to improve the quality of life for all Americans and to champion causes for those who do not have a voice in our political system. I will tackle the difficult issues facing our nation: homelessness, income inequality, discrimination and an out-of-control campaign finance system. I am also going to wake up every day thinking about how we can mitigate climate change, because if we don't solve the problem, it will eventually kill us."

If you don't have a congressman representing you who's as good as Ted sounds... think of Ted as your congressman... until you get as one as good as he or Bonnie in your own district. We'll be helping to do just that in the coming cycle. Any suggestions?

Happy Holidays. Thank you for all you do to make this world a better place.

If you'd like to contribute the the Blue America Independent Expenditure Committee, the fund we use for advertising and activities we take to help our candidates, you can do it right here.

Ted Lieu, Bonnie Watson Coleman-- bright hope for 2015

How Bonnie Watson Coleman Overcame The Odds And Won Her Primary Using Microtargeting

Bonnie Watson Coleman and Alan Grayson

Barbara Buono, the stalwart progressive who took on Chris Christie— and the corrupt New Jersey Democratic Machine— introduced me to Bonnie Watson-Coleman, a stalwart, principled and courageous legislator who stood strong for Barbara when other Democrats were hiding under their desks, afraid of Christie and afraid of the slimy Democratic bosses. I met Bonnie at an Alan Grayson rally in New York and Blue America endorsed her and helped her raise some money. After she overcame consider odds against a the “other” kind of Democrat, one who wouldn’t help against Christie or go up against the bosses, and won the primary, she has a relatively easy glide into Congress. NJ-12 (Trenton up through East Brunswick, Plainfield and Middlesex) is a safe Democratic seat with a PVI of D+14. President Obama beat McCain 230,899 (66%) to 103,322 (33%) and did slightly better against Romney in 2012. No outside parties are involved in the race and Bonnie isn’t facing a serious challenge from Republican Alieta Eck. As of June 30, the last FEC fundraising deadline Eck had raised $137,720 and Bonnie had raised $488,720.

She’s running her campaign the same way she ran her career— as a principled and unabashed progressive who puts working families first. Yesterday, for example, she addressed gun control— and not in the way the DCCC recommends. “We have a responsibility to take action to ensure our neighborhoods are safe, not just for today, but also for future generations,” she said. “Preventing gun violence through common sense gun safety reforms is a critical component of any plan to effectively protect all of our communities. If elected to represent the Twelfth Congressional District on November 4th, I will work to pass stronger gun safety laws at the federal level, including requiring comprehensive background checks and a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity ammunition clips.”

This week Sherrie Presische of FiftyOne Percent wrote a fascinating insiders look at Bonnie’s primary victory for Campaigns And Elections, Obama-Style Modeling Down The Ballot. When the primary began, no one foresaw a 15 point win for Bonnie; everyone foresaw an easy win for her hackish opponent, state Sen. Linda Greenstein. Preische credits microtargeting of voters with turning the race around. “We did it,” she wrote, “by focusing on a narrow communications and voter contact program governed by the targeting. We’ve seen how national and statewide races benefit from individual voter modeling. We show here that microtargeting, like President Obama’s campaign put in practice in 2012, is now affordable in smaller-budget and down-ballot races.”

Being an African-American candidate in a majority white district is a challenge in its own right, so putting together the right team was crucial. Watson Coleman realized early that to win she needed to raise money and run a very focused and disciplined campaign.

The team was led by long-time Watson Coleman strategist James Gee. The campaign manager was Adam Steinberger, who had just run Sen. Robert Menendez’s field program. The team also included Holt pollster Fred Yang of Garin Hart Yang Research Group. Longtime New Jersey communication operative Sean Darcy did the direct mail and earned media, John Rowley of Tennessee-based Fletcher Rowley provided the TV and online media. My firm, FiftyOne Percent, did voter models and analytics.

Watson Coleman began the race 10 points down in Greenstein’s internal poll, which was released publicly. As a result, the political “talking class” gave our candidate little chance of winning. Greenstein is a tenacious campaigner and initially had the support of many of the political leaders in the district. There are more registered Democrats in the Middlesex County portion of the district where she lives, and millions of dollars had been spent in her recent state races. PolitickerNJ, New Jersey’s premier political news website, ran analysis after analysis showing the invincibility of Senator Greenstein.

Still, our modeling of the district and our polling clearly showed a path to victory as long as we stayed focused and disciplined with our message and communications universe. This gave our communication team, headed by Darcy, a former staffer of Gov. Jon Corzine (D), the ammunition it needed to chip away at the media’s perceived view of the race. It also helped to bring early support from the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and Laborers International Union, critical early endorsers of the campaign, and to drive the all-important fundraising effort as more and more people came to believe that Watson Coleman could win.

Understanding the challenges in this election, the Watson Coleman campaign invested early not only in a poll but also in a voter model to catalogue those who would support her, those who could be persuaded to support her, and those who were likely never to support her in the primary.

A microtargeting voter model gathers large amounts of data about each person to gauge the likelihood of their behavior. For each voter, that data includes not only their own demographic and voter history, but also things like estimates of income, education level, and particularly consumer behavior. It’s the same type of information that Google and others are using each time you see an ad online that you know has been tailored to you and your interests.

Back in 2012, a combination of campaign contacts, internal polling, past records, and consumer data allowed Obama’s GOTV team to create the best door-to-door interactions with voters when they canvassed. Those interactions went back into the campaign’s database after individual door-to-door conversations and then their microtargeting models were refined based on that information.

To build the support model in our case, we used not only our internal polling but also additional phone support surveys, historic voting behavior, and IDs the campaign has made by phone and door-to-door canvassing. All of this is used to estimate the individual likelihood that each particular voter will support our candidate or not.

As a new campaign tool, a microtargeting model can be difficult for some candidates to wrap their heads around because it’s difficult to see. This is not broad-based “targeting” such as women in their 30s or some other demographic that many people say they do. The key is that microtargeting is specific to each person, because each person has different interests and behaviors.

We know that voters can behave differently as they move down the ballot to different races. An area that might be reliably Democratic at the federal level may also lean Republican down the ballot at the county level. Likewise, primary voters behave differently in different elections depending on the candidates. Therefore, having a model specific to the race you’re running is critical in close elections.

While support models in general elections are usually dominated by the partisan behaviors of each voter, in a primary, with little space between the candidates on issues, we had to find the many other factors driving voter decisions. Some support factors were well understood by all candidates; particularly that each of the state legislators in the race had his or her own geographic regions of support. But even within these regions, our support model could tell us which particular voters might be more open to our candidate. Each voter was given a support score, representing the likelihood of that voter supporting our candidate.

We also had a model for individual voter turnout in this primary election. Recent Democratic primaries had been uncontested, so we expected higher turnout than in recent primaries for this contest. The challenge was to figure out who the extra voters would be. Partly because primary voters are pretty dedicated voters anyway, our turnout model brought out nuances in people’s voting behavior in primaries. It allowed us to see not only the voters who vote in every primary, but also a second set of voters who would be the easiest to move to the polls, voters who might not vote but whom we needed to pull out to win.

Normal turnout for a Democratic primary in this district is between 15,000 and 27,000 voters.  But our model showed that if all sides inspired their voters to come to the polls, we might expect higher turnout— up to 44,000 voters.

Combining support and turnout models showed us exactly which voters we needed to reach out to with a persuasive message, which voters we shouldn’t talk to at all, which extra voters we needed to pull out, and which voters we were confident would come out for Watson Coleman. This allowed the campaign to come up with a win scenario based on real numbers and individual voters. It also allowed our field program, mail, and media buys to focus on the select group of voters who were most important to winning.

The model informed every aspect of the program. While it was an up-front investment, it allowed the campaign to use all its resources—the candidate’s schedule, volunteers’ time on the phones and on the streets, and paid media— most effectively.

The model identified more than 42 percent of the probable primary voters who we knew would likely be supporting one of our opponents and another set of voters who would likely come out and vote for Watson Coleman if we did nothing. This allowed the campaign to concentrate its resources— money and time— on the select group of primary voters, persuasion and pull targets, who we knew were going to make the difference in this race, with a message tailored to their interests.

For the model to be the most useful, it needs to be more than just an analysis of the numbers and a score assigned to each voter in the database. Having the campaign and political experience to know what the numbers tell us about voter behavior, and how the campaign can best deploy the model, is critical to making this tool most effective.

Although Greenstein and Chivukula had significant TV buys, the model allowed Rowley and Darcy to focus 100 percent of our paid media, TV, and mail in our top persuasion areas. All of our online pre-roll ads were directed to townships and areas that were our top persuasion and GOTV targets. Rowley also integrated the model into the online advertising campaign, targeting specific voters to receive pre-roll video ads.

While we were outspent 7-to-1 on paid media, the model identified the individual voters we needed to reach. We repeatedly communicated with this select group of voters who we knew would make a difference in the election. As the primary vote approached, we needed to expand on our initial support model.

We conducted an IVR (interactive voice response) support survey about a week before the election and integrated the results with our turnout model and the voter IDs the campaign identified through its phone and direct voter contact program. That allowed us to create a GOTV model and refine our categories of voters. The campaign was then able to prioritize its GOTV program and resources for those extra voters we needed to win: those most likely to support Watson Coleman but who needed a little extra incentive and reminder to vote.

Two weeks before the election, a public poll was released from Monmouth University showing Greenstein and Watson Coleman essentially tied at 25 percent and 24 percent respectively, with 11 percent and 6 percent for Chivukula and Zwicker.

Often in these types of elections voters are somewhat hardened in their positions, and the universe of voters who can actually be persuaded is small. It can also be expensive to earn a vote through persuasion. Persuasion is the most expensive communication of a campaign. Limiting that universe to those most likely to be persuaded more than pays for the cost of modeling. That’s why broad TV buys in a race like this can be less effective. In addition to our persuasion universe, our model also identified people who might not be regular primary voters but who would be relatively easy to turn out with a pre-GOTV and GOTV program. We focused a lot of attention on energizing them. The result was that the political establishment was shocked by the large turnout in support of the perceived underdog.

The final tally was 43 percent for Watson Coleman and 28 percent for Greenstein, with Chivukula taking 22 percent and Zwicker 7 percent. And more than 36,000 people voted. The Watson Coleman team had identified and communicated effectively with the right voters.

There’s an adage that repetition is the key to victory. That continues to be true, but with voter analytics and modeling we can now target the individual voters that matter most, giving campaigns more repetitions without much additional cost. A voter model is a wise investment even for down-ballot races. It’s a small fraction of the campaign’s budget, but it makes the overall program more effective and efficient, and it ensures the communications and field operations are targeted to the voters who will make a difference on Election Day.

Bonnie Watson Coleman is one of the brightest spots in the 2014 congressional cycle. She should be an important leader inside the House Democratic Caucus, the Congresssional Black Caucus and the Congressional Progressive Caucus. If you’d like to contribute to one of the best functioning Democratic operations in the country, you can do that here on the Blue America ActBlue page.

When Did The GOP Become The Unpatriotic Party?

I just started reading Rick Perlstein's new book, The Invisible Bridge: The Fall of Nixon and the Rise of Reagan. In the first chapter, he talks about who "America the Innocent" is "always searching for totems of a unity it can never quite achieve-- even, or even especially, when its crises of disunity are most pressing: it is one of the structuring stories of our nation." This leads to a look at the national orgy of self-congratulatory ecstasy and patriotic spectacle over "Operation Homecoming," the release of the last American prisoners of war held in Vietnam.

One of the most quoted returning warriors was a colonel who noted all the signs reading "We Love You." "In a deeper sense," he said, "I think what people are saying is 'We Love America.'" Another announced the greatest Vietnam miracle of all: that the POWs had won the Vietnam War. "I want you to remember that we walked out of Hanoi as winners. We are not coming home with our tails between our legs. We returned with honor."

Perlstein documents this kind of insipid glop for a few pages and then mentions that not all Americans were buying in. Long before an Australian neo-fascist ideologue and billionaire turned the New York Post into a crude scandal rag and an integral part of the Republican Party echo chamber, it was a respected liberal daily. Columnist Pete Hamill "pointed out that the vast majority of the prisoners were bomber pilots, and thus were 'prisoners because they had committed unlawful acts'-- killing civilians in an undeclared war."

My natural instinct about the release of POW Bowe Bergdahl was to be happy for him and his family and to wonder if the U.S. had implanted tracking devices in the bodies of the 5 Taliban prisoners they had exchanged for him. I wondered if we'd ever find out. And then the Hate America Brigade at Fox News and the Republican Party went to work muddying the waters. Towards the end of the video above, from Maddow's Monday show, there is the broader question Fox and the GOP don't want to deal with: why can't Obama just use the same powers he used to make the exchange to finally shut down the American gulag in Cuba? Fox News and Jason Chavitz may not want to deal with it, but Jason Leopold sure did.

Cori Crider, the strategic director for Reprieve, a U.K.-based human rights charity, said Monday that the transfer of the five inmates in exchange for P.O.W. Bowe Bergdahl, a U.S. Army soldier, underscores that President Obama can move quickly to shutter Guantanamo if he has the political will to act.

“Many of these are being force-fed daily in a disgusting manner because they have been cleared so long they believe they will die in Gitmo,” Crider said. “Yet they could leave tomorrow with a stroke of Obama’s pen. Let’s hope this deal is a sign of more leadership from President Obama on letting the cleared men go home, too.”

When Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) last December lawmakers gave Obama much more flexibility to transfer prisoners out of Guantanamo than they had in previous versions of the spending bill. The bill calls on the Secretary of Defense to notify Congress 30 days in advance of any transfer and outline the steps the administration has taken to ensure the detainee is not engaging in terrorist activities against the United States.

…It appears that Obama may have acted on the authority claimed from Congress in his signing statement when he turned over the five long-term detainees to the custody of Qatar.

…[White House National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin] Hayden also said the administration is "making progress on a number of additional promising opportunities" to hasten the closure of Guantanamo, consistent with a promise Obama made after he was sworn into office. She said 17 prisoners have been transferred since Obama gave a major counterterrorism speech in May 2013. While Hayden noted that Obama lifted the moratorium on the transfer of Yemeni detainees none have been repatriated. However, she said the administration is "now reviewing Yemeni detainees on a case-by-case basis."

That said, don't expect any parades for Bowe Bergdahl any time soon. Obama, in Warsaw Tuesday: "The United States has always had a pretty sacred rule, and that is: we don’t leave our men or women in uniform behind. Regardless of the circumstances, we still get an American soldier back if he’s held in captivity. Period. Full stop." Are Republican politicians and the Fox Nation still part of that "we?" Not from what I've been able to see in the last few years since the American people had the temerity to elect (and reelect) a person of color to the White House, something the Republicans will never forgive them for.


UPDATE: Wins For Bonnie Watson Coleman & Pat Murphy

Blue America celebrated a huge victory tonight for progressive champion Bonnie Watson Coleman in NJ-12. AP called her 4-way race a few hours after the polls closed. With 99% of precincts reporting, Bonnie had 15,121 votes (43%) to Linda Greenstein's 9,974 (28%). Bonnie, who was also endorsed by the Congressional Progressive Caucus, will be replacing Rush Holt in Congress if she beats Republican Alieta Eck in November. If you'd like to help make sure she does, please consider contributing to her campaign here.

In Iowa's open first congressional district, Blue America-endorsed Pat Murphy lasso won. AP just called the race for him. Right now, with 98% of precincts counted, Pat has 37% in the 5-person race. His closest competitor, Monica Vernon was polling 24%. Pat needs to score 35% to avoid a nominating convention.

Endorsements Mean Something-- Sometimes They're A Warning From Malevolent Forces

Not everybody studies the records of politicians asking for their votes. I do. But for many people, at least some of the time, it's pretty much essential to consider what a trusted organization recommends. When I see the DCCC has jumped in strong for a candidate, it always makes me reticent and makes me wonder what's wrong with the candidate. Are they weak on core progressive values? Are they prone to taking orders from the top? Are they prone towards corruption? Those have been the characterists Rahm Emanuel and Steve Israel have looked for in candidates. The Blue Dogs and New Dems-- the Republican wing of the Democratic Party-- are just as bad or even worse. When the DCCC backs a candidate, there is still a chance someone good has made it through Israel's screen. This year, for one reason or another, he's allowed the DCCC to back reasonable, indepedent-minded progressives Martha Robertson (NY), Erin Bilbray (NV) and Michael Eggman (CA), along with all the grotesque, "mystery meat," garbage candidates-- like Jennifer Garrison-- he's managed to waste millions of diollars on.

But when the Blue Dogs or New Dems back a candidate there is never any chance, someone might be any good. They only back corrupt conservatives, eager to sell out working families to Big Business. If a Democrat is backed by the New Dems, you can count on their being a whore to the banking interests and an enemy of American families. The latest endorsements by the New Dems are for sleazy ex-bank lobbyist Pete Aguilar (CA-31), Emily Cain (ME-02), Don Beyer (VA-08), Kathleen Rice (NY-04), and Manan Trivedi (PA-06). The 2 other wretched conservatives the New Dems have endorsed this cycle are Gwen Graham (FL-02) and John Lewis (MT-AL).

On the other hand, when I see candidates supported by the Congressional Progressive Caucus PAC, essentially run by Raul Grijalva, Keith Ellison, Barbara Lee and Alan Grayson, I know they are values-oriented candidates running primarily to serve the interests of working families, not to debut for a future job as a lobbyist, the way the New Dems are doing. This week the Progressive Action PAC announced their first dozen endorsements of the cycle. Half are incumbents facing difficult reelections: Charlie Rangel, Hank Johnson, John Conyers, Mike Honda, Rick Nolan and Steve Cohen. The other 6 are progressive challengers:

• Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12)

Bonnie Watson Coleman is one of New Jersey’s most respected and influential legislators, having been elected to the Legislature for eight consecutive terms. Throughout her career, Bonnie Watson Coleman has been a dedicated and outspoken advocate for women, the poor, the disadvantaged and the vulnerable. She shattered racial and gender barriers to become the first African American woman to serve as Majority Leader of the New Jersey General Assembly, and the first African American woman to serve as Chair of the New Jersey Democratic State Committee.

Among her many achievements in the Legislature, Bonnie was on the front lines in the fight to increase the minimum wage, to pass the Paid Family Leave Act and to create the Office of the Comptroller to battle waste, fraud and abuse in government. She sponsored legislation to allow victims of identity theft the capability to clear their names and continues to fight for the restoration of critical women’s health care funding and additional gun safety laws to keep our street and our children safe. She also worked to extend Urban Enterprise Zones and helped implement New Jersey’s Economic Opportunity Act to create jobs for New Jersey’s working families.

• Eloise Gomez Reyes (CA-31)

Eloise Gomez Reyes has spent her life fighting for families in the Inland Empire. Born and raised by the train tracks in South Colton, Eloise grew up in a working class family and learned the value of hard work and helping her neighbors at a very young age. When she was 12, Eloise began working the fields as an onion topper alongside her mother and her five brothers and sisters to earn money for school clothes. Her parents taught their children that education is the pathway to success and that helping others and supporting their community is the pathway to personal fulfillment, no matter what you have.

Eloise worked up to three jobs at a time on campus and at The Broadway at Inland Center to put herself through San Bernardino Valley College and graduated from USC. She went on to earn her law degree from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles and started her career representing injured workers and unions in workers compensation matters, including the California Teachers Association and the United Auto Workers. Eloise then moved back to Colton and became one of the first Latinas to open and manage her own law office in the Inland Empire while raising her son with her husband of 32 years, Frank.

As a small business owner for over two decades, Eloise has met a payroll and navigated government red tape while standing up and fighting for clients who could not fight for themselves. She recently represented a group of residents on the south side of Colton in their fight against a toxic dump site planned near their low income housing project. Eloise brought together local community groups and defeated the planned toxic dump.

When she was a young girl, Eloise had witnessed her parents having been taken advantage of by an attorney they reached out to for assistance and became dedicated to providing legal aid to struggling families. For over 25 years now, she has been volunteering for Legal Aid and providing pro bono legal services to needy families in the Inland Empire. Because of her commitment to the community, she was just named Attorney of the Year by the Inland Empire Latino Lawyers Association.

• Lee Rogers (CA-25)

Lee Rogers is an outspoken advocate for patient rights. He is a nationally-renowned doctor specializing in podiatry at Sherman Oaks Hospital, where he is the Medical Director at the Amputation Prevention Center, helping save people from losing their feet to complications of diabetes.

As a thought leader in his field, Lee is the published author of over 100 scientific papers, articles, and book chapters, advancing our understanding of health policy and medicine.

• Ruben Gallego (AZ-07)

Ruben Gallego is a son of Hispanic immigrants, a veteran, and a community leader running for Congress to represent Arizona’s seventh congressional district. Ruben was the first in his family to attend college, graduating from Harvard University with a degree in International Relations. He later joined the Marine Corps, serving in Iraq with the well-known combat unit Lima 3/25. As a Marine, community leader, and elected official in the Arizona House of Representatives, Ruben has always been motivated by the same thing-- a real appreciation of what families in Arizona are going through and a desire to help improve their lives.

Ruben was elected to the Arizona House of Representatives in 2010, serving until 2014. He represented District 27, which covers much of South Phoenix. He rose quickly in the state legislature, recently serving as Assistant Minority Leader. Ruben became known for his tough stand against extreme legislation pushed by Republicans in the state legislature, most recently leading the opposition to the discriminatory SB 1062, resulting in Governor Jan Brewer’s veto. Ruben’s other main accomplishments as a legislator include leading the push for Medicaid Expansion and securing in-state tuition for veterans.

Ruben’s time in the legislature showed him that much of what he started working on as veterans’ issues touch everybody. Income inequality, education and opportunity disparity, immigration reform and the environment affect us all. These issues are going to require solutions from a fresh generation of leaders, and Ruben is running for Congress to help lead that movement.

• Staci Appel (IA-03)

Born and raised in Iowa, married for 16 years, mother to six kids and a former Financial Consultant, Staci Appel calls rural Ackworth, Iowa home. Staci took her deep Iowa roots, and her equally deep commitment to Iowa families to the State Senate in 2006 where she fought for Iowa’s backbone – middle-class families, farmers and small-business owners. During Staci’s time in the Iowa Senate, legislators took notice of her steadfast commitment to the people she served. Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal said, “I have never seen a freshman legislator come down to the capital and work as hard as Staci Appel.”

That work included leadership on legislation like Iowa’s statewide smoking ban, pre-school for every 4 year old and championing the bill making Iowa the first state in the nation to require equal pay for equal work.

• Stanley Chang (HI-01)

The son of immigrants, Stanley has had the opportunity to live the “American Dream.” His mother and father, both educators, taught him firsthand the product of determination and hard work – the building blocks to Stanley’s service in our community.

A graduate of ‘Iolani School, Harvard College, and Harvard Law School, Stanley has been fortunate to attend some of the nation’s leading schools. However, he feels his most meaningful education has been the values both his parents and Hawai’i instilled within him-- responsibility, honesty, and humility.

In 2010, Stanley left his career as a real estate attorney in downtown Honolulu in a bid to represent his neighbors in the City Council’s 4th District, spanning from Ala Moana to Hawai’i Kai, and to work for responsible and responsive city government. More than 19,000 door knocks later, his community elected him to office.

So far this cycle, Blue America has endorsed 4 of the 6 challengers the Progressive Caucus PAC is supporting: Eloise Reyes and Lee Rogers of California, Hawaii's Stanley Chang and Bonnie Watson Coleman of New Jersey. If you'd like to contribute to all of their campaigns, you can do it here on our Blue America ActBlue page.