Don't Be Misled By People Pushing Identity Politics To Make A Quick Buck For Themselves

Tom Guild & Kendra Horn-- guess which one is better on women's issues

Yesterday the LGBTQ Victory Fund endorsed 25 new candidates around the country, including 5 for state legislative seats. Presumably they're all Democrats, but who knows? The Victory Fund doesn't mention what party their candidates are running on, let alone whether they are progressives or conservatives. The only thing they care about is that these candidates are gay. This is so bizarre to me, especially since Congress has so many gay-- albeit closeted-- members who are no friends of the LGBTQ community. Like Patrick McHenry (R-NC), Adrian Smith (R-NE), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Jason Smith (R-MO)...

And I don't mean to pick on the gays for this identity politics nonsense. Yesterday, a friend of mine sent me a link to an article in the Jewish Daily Forward highlighting 8 candidates for Congress. Some of the candidates are Democrats and some of them are Republicans. All of them, though, are Jewish. All of them are also relatively conservative. The Forward seemed to boast that "Studies have long shown that Jews are not only more likely to vote in elections, but are also overrepresented in political office." They make no value judgement about why a candidate should be backed-- or opposed-- just they're Jewish. Example:

Renee Unterman, Republican from Georgia

Unterman, a health insurance executive and former mayor, is the only Jewish member of the Georgia state senate, where she’s represented parts of the Atlanta suburbs since 2003. She’s an outspoken conservative-- she wrote an anti-abortion “heartbeat bill,” supports a border wall and has been endorsed by the National Rifle Association. But she’s also shown she’s not afraid to buck members of her own party-- in 2018, she called for an investigation into then-Secretary of State Brian Kemp, who was running for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, over questionable campaign donations he had received. After a Kemp spokesman called her “mentally unstable,” she opened up about her history of depression and her son’s death by suicide. “I feel like it’s unusual to be a Republican and Jewish,” she told the Atlanta Jewish Times later that year. “But because of my background, I can connect with certain social issues I may not have if I wasn’t Jewish.” The district is open due to the retirement of incumbent Republican Rep. Brad Goodall, who won the tightest congressional election in the country in 2018 by a margin of 419 votes; Cook rates the race a toss-up.

GA-07 is the most competitive congressional race in Georgia this year. As of December 31, three Democrats-- Carolyn Bourdeaux, Zahra Karinshak (the most conservative of the Dems in this race) and Nabilah Islam (the most progressive in the race)-- and 4 Republicans-- Unterman, Lynne Homrich, Richard McCormick and Lerah Lee-- had raised over half a million dollars each. It's worth noting though that 3 of the 4 Republicans are trying to buy the seat with their own wealth. Unterman's own $602,841 amounted to 63% of her contributions. Homrich's $338,410 was 37% of her contributions. And McCormick's $524,639 was 60% of his contributions. Only one of the Democrats-- Karinshak-- is a self-funder.

All of the Republicans are conservatives as are some of the Democrats. Presumably all that matters, though, is that one is sort of Jewish. (Unterman, who tries playing up her Jewishness, is a convert.)

Anyway, on and on it goes-- very profitable women's operations try to get voters to vote for women; very profitable black operations and latino operations want you to vote for blacks and latinos-- just like gays and Jews-- no matter if they're a Blue Dog like Kendra Horn (women), David Scott (black), Henry Cuellar (Latino), Charlie Crist (gay, albeit semi-closeted) or Josh Gottheimer (Jewish). Many of them are in or have been in primaries against progressives who aren't in the identity group but would be a far better representative of the identity group. Let's take Kendra Horn, one of the 5 most right-wing Blue Dogs in Congress. She's against everything remotely progressive-- virulently opposes the Green New Deal, a living wage and Medicare for All, as 3 painfully obvious examples-- and she's running against progressive educator and college professor Tom Guild in Oklahoma City. It is easy-peasy to make the case that although Horn is a biological woman and will be promoted by very profitable women's groups, Guild is, by far, a better candidate for women.

The national minimum wage is the minimum amount per hour employers can now pay most workers. It increases only if Congress passes a bill and the President signs the legislation into law. To the detriment of working people, it has risen slowly over the decades-- it was last raised in 2009, with 2020 marking a record 11-year gap in increases. An increase in the wage to $15 an hour passed the House in 2019, but shamefully Horn was one of a tiny handful of Democrats who voted against raising it. When adjusted for inflation, the minimum wage is 17% lower than it was in 2009, and 31% lower than it was at its peak in 1968. In 1968 the minimum wage put American workers in a position to pay their bills and survive solely on their paychecks. The slow deterioration of the wage now leaves many families unable to pay for their basic necessaries to survive. A living wage regularly adjusted for inflation will bring workers back to a comparable position they were in back in 1968 when they were able to cover their basic expenses every month. Who suffers most? Women and children, of course. On top of that poll after poll shows that it is women who overwhelming support Medicare-for-All and who support an end to endless wars. Horn has a voting record that is shockingly pro-war and anti-healthcare, Guild is anti-war and pro-healthcare... the exact opposite. I spoke to him this morning and we discussed these things and I hope I have his quotes correctly below. Please, if you like what he has to say, consider clicking on the Blue America thermometer and contributing what you can to his campaign.

Under no circumstances, should American troops fight in Iran without prior congressional approval. I’m deeply disappointed that Horn voted twice to give the current volatile and impulsive president or any president carte blanche to start another costly endless war in the Middle East. Enough is Enough! Women tend to be much more reluctant to engage in military adventurism.  Women are especially protective of their families, and do not want them to have their lives prematurely ended in another endless war. Many women consider health care to be the single most important issue affecting their health and welfare and that of their family members and friends. Horn’s refusal to support any particular plan to bring universal health coverage to the American people is disturbing. Her opposition to the one serious plan on the table is baffling and particularly harmful to the women she is charged with representing.

Horn has no serious plan for addressing climate change and the comprehensive and reasonable plan now on the table, with majority support among Americans, particularly women, Horn opposes. Although Horn took money from labor, she voted with Republicans against raising the minimum wage, and has no plan to make sure that all of the people in the fifth district make a living wage. Since American women make up the vast majority of low paid workers, Horn’s position hurts women and their families in their struggle for survival and dignity. Horn also opposed labor’s biggest agenda item this year by voting with the Republicans in the House in an attempt to defeat the Protecting the Power to Organize Act. Women are often greatly benefited by the representation of organized labor. With friends like her, labor and women do not need enemies.

What can we do to make people’s lives better, now and after the pandemic has run its course of destruction? We can provide clean water and air by seriously pursuing ambitious climate action. By pursuing a path of renewable energy, we can create millions of good paying jobs as we repair and restore our environment. We can provide paid family leave and childcare. Rising costs in this area were eating family budgets alive, even before the current health and economic crisis. We can ease the burden on hard working parents and help them care for their most important assets, their children. Seniors are overwhelmed by the skyrocketing price of prescription drugs. By lowering drug prices, we can ease the strain on their finances and improve their peace of mind.

Four Great Congressional Candidates-- No Deadlines

Blue America is trying something new today. Usually when we write to our members, we're asking everyone to consider one candidate, most often one we just endorsed. Thing is, we've been vetting a large number of congressional candidates for the last few months and this past week we endorsed 4 of them, Robin Wilt in the Rochester, New York area, Nabilah Islam in the suburbs north of Atlanta, Tomas Ramos in the Bronx and Jim Harper in northwest Indiana. Each of the 4 is the most progressive candidate running in their race. Robin, Tomas and Jim are in safe blue districts. Nabilah is running in a swing district from which the Republican incumbent is retiring.

Let's start with Nabilah. "My mother worked for years at a warehouse picking up boxes and putting them on trucks," she told me. "Her low wages forced her to work longer hours. Those long hours eventually took a toll on her body, a toll so grave that she ended up herniating two discs in her back, a toll that nearly took her out of the workforce. Much worse than that, her employer and insurer at the time, decided they did not want to pay for one of her surgeries after it was already performed, leaving my family in a financial situation so dire that we were forced to sue the insurance company in order for the procedure to be paid for. Had that lawsuit not been successful, who knows where my family and I would be today."

No person, no family, should be put in a situation like that. America is the wealthiest country in the world and health care is a basic human right. We need to do more than fix the broken ACA that’s been gutted by Donald Trump and the GOP and we must do more than expand Medicaid. Individuals should never fall between the coverage gap and income should not preclude you from quality care. We need a universal healthcare system that affords every single American basic, comprehensive, quality coverage. Regardless of age, gender, or whether you have a pre-existing condition or not. Only sick people profit off of sick people. Healthcare, or the lack thereof, is such a deeply personal issue to me. When I am elected to be the next congresswoman from Georgia's 7th district, I vow to work tirelessly, to make sure every single person in this district, across Georgia and across the country has healthcare through a Medicare for all single payer system.

Tomas Ramos, the progressive running in the Bronx district right next to AOC's, also spoke with us about his mother. "I grew up seeing my mother struggle to pay for me to get a quality education so I know that education is out of reach if you cannot pay for it. That is why I am running-- to alleviate student debt for millions of Americans and to bring trade schools back to our communities. I saw my father deported and the toll that took on my family. That is why I am running. To reform our horrific immigration policies that have torn our families apart. I’m running to end the school to prison pipeline, fully fund our public education and fight for medicare for all."





Robin Wilt was a DNC Bernie delegate and was elected to the Brighton town council. She told us that she's "running to bring sweeping progressive change to not only the people of Rochester and Monroe County, but to the entire country. One of my biggest concerns that I plan to address in Congress is health care in America."

Health care is a human right. I have been active in the fight for universal, single-payer healthcare since observing how the Army’s single-payer system made it possible for my brother to recover and thrive after being severely injured in Iraq. For over a decade, I worked hard with other single-payer activists to encourage Louise Slaughter to co-sponsor Medicare for All. When my opponent took over Louise’s seat, our district lost a co-sponsor of Medicare for All. We must take this seat back and get our district back on track with its progressive values. When I am elected to Congress, I will immediately sign on as a co-sponsor of H.R. 1384, Expanded and Improved Medicare For All. Besides making every American eligible for Medicare, H.R. 1384 would expand Medicare to cover dental and vision services, mental health, and substance abuse treatment, and long term care.

Indiana's first district is more like an extension of Chicago than a part of Penceland. The district has been the domain of centrist Democrat Pete Viscolsky, who's retiring. Obama won the district with over 60% both times he ran and even Hillary beat Trump 54.1% to 41.5%. Over a dozen Democrats are running but Jim Harper, who ran a credible race for Secretary of State in 2018-- and won decisively in all three counties that make up IN-01, Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties-- is the most progressive as well as the most electable.


He told us that "as a public defender, I am committed to criminal justice reform. I have seen how the war on drugs has ravaged communities and disproportionately impacted communities of color. During my time in the New Orleans public defender’s office, for instance, one client was sentenced to twenty years in prison simply for possessing a small amount of marijuana. Instead of continuing to support his family, my client was forced to spend years in prison for activity that is legal in many states. In Congress, I will fight to legalize marijuana, abolish the death penalty, and end private prisons. But these reforms are just the beginning. Despite attempts to reform our sentencing laws, the United States still has the highest incarceration rate in the world. This is both immoral and counterproductive. I will work to reform our sentencing laws to decrease our record-high incarceration rate in the world and prioritize treatment and alternatives to incarceration. I will also support increased funding for public defender systems to ensure that the right to counsel applies to everyone."





So four really excellent candidates this week. Is there one of them who you really connect with and want to help get elected to Congress? Give at the link just below. Alternatively, you can also split your contribution-- evenly or otherwise-- between all four candidates at the Blue America 2020 congressional ActBlue page. We need more members of Congress like these four, not more Blue Dogs and New Dems. Here's an example of why that's so, so important for all of us, no matter what state or district we live in:

Nabilah Islam For Congress-- Making Georgia Bluer And More Equitable

The most recent candidate endorsed by Blue America, Nabilah Islam, sometimes stands out from the crowd because of her name, which for old people, doesn't sound like a name from the Georgia suburbs. Others (men) remark not on her name but on her physical appearance. What people don't realize-- at least not until they get to know her is that Nabilah, despite how she looks and what he name is, is both an All-American girl and a policy wonk. During one of the endorsement interviews, we were discussing her support for Medicare-For-All and the Green New Deal. She mentioned that voters in Gwinnett and Forsyth counties have been asking "how you going to pay for it?" frequently. Fox News is a popular TV station there, even among Democrats. We offered to introduce her to economist Stephanie Kelton, who has been generously giving her time to help progressive candidates grapple with questions like that. Afterwards, I asked Nabilah to write about the experience. This is what she had to say:

My First meeting With Stephanie Kelton
-by Nabilah Islam,
candidate, GA-07

Before the end of the Year, I had the pleasure of connecting with Stephanie Kelton. For those of you who don’t know, Stephanie is an economist, Professor of Public Policy, former Chief Economist on the U.S Senate Budget Committee 2015 minority party staff, and a leading proponent of Modern Monetary Theory.

Modern Monetary Theory is a macroeconomic theory that describes Currency as a public monopoly for the government. The argument is that the government should use fiscal policy to achieve full employment creating new money to fund government purchases.

Stephanie is someone who is extremely generous with her time and has such great knowledge that she freely imparts on any candidates willing to listen. What I came to understand through speaking her is a far better understanding of how Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) works and why it should be applied to the policies that we progressives advocate for.

Understanding MMT is essential advocating for policies like Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, Free Public college, and any other policies that Republicans and centrists' only argument is “hOw ArE wE gOinG tO pAy fOr iT.”

Governments are not people, and their debt should not be treated the same. It is healthy for a Government to have debt, and when inflation actualizes, we issue bonds to reduce circulation. Stephanie also made a great point to me. For every 10 dollars, we invest in our economy as a government, especially in communities that need it, it only strengthens our economy even if that means only 1 dollar is returned.

Republicans already practice MMT at their leisure. When it’s time for War, detention centers, private prisons, or Big Ag, they will write a blank check with their eyes closed. The same goes for centrists when we want to bail out big banks, no problem. But, when it comes down to protecting our most vulnerable, making sure there’s an educated electorate, or protecting our planet, the funds are never there.

Stephanie’s guidance was most helpful in regards to explaining the implementation of a Green New Deal. Yes, it is expensive, but what is the alternative? The reality is the scientific community has dramatically underestimated the severity of the speed of climate change in America and around the world. We must invest in green infrastructure and move to a renewable-based economy. We have to invest in protecting our frontline communities. While doing all of this, we create up to 20 million good-paying union jobs. This is where MMT plays a considerable role. These are not funds that are spent into an abyss. They are direct investments into our economy, our country, and will continue to be circulated. So while deficit spending is a traditionally unpopular idea viewing this through the lens of MMT, it causes stimulation.

I’m very grateful for Stephanie’s time and expertise. I strongly encourage people reading her work and watching her videos whenever possible. The point is MMT is a practice that is already in place, but selectively. It’s time we fix our priorities. This is Public Money, and it is time it is appropriately allocated.

While Nabilah was getting a crash course in MMT, she was also working on an initiative that could change the course of political history-- at least in terms of making it more feasible for working class men and women to be able to run for office.

Almost a decade after the Affordable Care Act was signed into law, 27.5 million Americans still lack health insurance. Nabilah Islam, 30, a progressive political organizer running in the very crowded Democratic primary in Georgia’s 7th Congressional District, is among them. Islam has come up with a unique way to address her situation: She’s asking the Federal Election Commission for help. Many from the working class are hesitant to run-- or can't do it full-time-- because they can't afford to particularly when it comes to health insurance. Calling her Atlanta's own AOC, Helaine Olen covered Nabilah's initiative for the Washington Post last week. "In a letter that will be filed next Monday," wrote Olen, "Islam is petitioning the FEC for an advisory opinion that would permit her to use campaign funds to pay for health insurance. Her short-term goal is medical coverage. But in the long term, this daughter of working-class immigrants from Bangladesh also wants the regulations changed so that more lower- and middle-income people can afford to seek public office. In other words, more people like herself."

“Running for Congress is an expensive endeavor and often cost prohibitive for working Americans,” Islam wrote in her filing. “Running for office while working-- even part-time-- severely limits your ability to campaign effectively. People with financial security are better positioned to campaign full-time while living on their savings.”

One result? Congress is hardly representative of the American public. About 40 percent of members are millionaires, compared with 3 percent of the U.S. population.

This isn’t, as Islam points out, simply because the rich hanker for political positions and power, while their working- and middle-class counterparts do not. It’s because people who lack significant financial resources face structural barriers that make it harder to get in a race and stay in.

Such as how to pay for health insurance.

Islam explained during a telephone interview she initially thought she would hold down a part-time position while competing for the congressional seat. She found that impossible. Running for Congress is a full-time job. She has instead put her student loans into forbearance and canceled her health insurance and is living off savings.

She knows she’s taking a risk: “If something happens to me, I could end up with thousands of dollars in medical bills.” But Islam says she can’t afford to do anything else. The average cost of an individual policy in 2019 was more than $7,000.

True, Islam was paying $120 a month. There was a trade-off involved. In technical terms, Islam says her policy did not comply with the Affordable Care Act. In layman’s terms, that means it wouldn’t have covered such events as the hospital bills if she got hit by a car while canvassing. “Junk,” she called it.

Such as how to pay for health insurance.

Islam explained during a telephone interview she initially thought she would hold down a part-time position while competing for the congressional seat. She found that impossible. Running for Congress is a full-time job. She has instead put her student loans into forbearance and canceled her health insurance and is living off savings.

She knows she’s taking a risk: “If something happens to me, I could end up with thousands of dollars in medical bills.” But Islam says she can’t afford to do anything else. The average cost of an individual policy in 2019 was more than $7,000.

True, Islam was paying $120 a month. There was a trade-off involved. In technical terms, Islam says her policy did not comply with the Affordable Care Act. In layman’s terms, that means it wouldn’t have covered such events as the hospital bills if she got hit by a car while canvassing. “Junk,” she called it.

Monica Klein, the political consultant advising Islam, previously worked with Long Island’s Liuba Grechen Shirley, who successfully petitioned the FEC for permission to use campaign funds to cover her child-care expenses. Klein told me she sees similarities between the two woman’s quests. “Like Liuba, Nabilah isn’t just running for office,” she said. “Liuba and Nabilah are both working to dismantle the conditions that keep Congress overwhelmingly white, wealthy and male.”

But Islam is unlikely to meet with similar quick results. That’s got nothing to do with the merits. President Trump hasn’t bothered to nominate candidates to fill the three openings on the six-member commission, leaving the FEC short of the necessary quorum needed to hold meetings or issue rules.

This is obviously a bigger issue than Islam’s request. As Jeff Hauser, the executive director of the Revolving Door Project, noted, “Without a quorum, campaigns seeking to push-- or shred-- the envelope of legality can do so bolstered by the certainty the FEC cannot open investigations or issue fines.”

But requests for rulings that come in during this period don’t go away. The FEC will consider them when a quorum is restored. Islam’s request could eventually make it easier for other less-than-privileged candidates to run for office. That’s a win, no matter how Islam ultimately performs. “I really believe that we need more people like me, more people with my working-class background who grew up with parents that worked low-wage jobs,” Islam said. “If there are more Nabilahs in Congress, I assure you, things like Medicare-for-all, things like a living wage, $15 an hour, would just be a no-brainer.”

Maybe I Was Wrong About Nabilah Islam

Georgia's 7th congressional district-- small towns and suburbs in Gwinnett and Forsyth counties northeast of Atlanta-- is going to be an election hot house next year. It's been a red district for a long time but is now trending purple. McCain, Romney and Trump all won the district but Trump's margin was the least robust-- 51.1% to 44.8%. Then last year, Stacey Abrams won the district by just over 1,700 votes. A weak, middle-of-the-road Democratic congressional challenger, Carolyn Bourdeaux, did well too-- but not well enough to win the seat. Well, enough, though, to scare Rob Woodall, the Republican incumbent, out of the 2020 race. The open seat is now a top tier target for both parties. Bourdeaux wants to run again-- but the Democratic Party primary is wide open and there are half a dozen candidates. (There are about double that in the GOP primary). So far 5 Democrats and 6 Republicans have raised at least $100,000 each:

• Carolyn Bourdeaux (D)- $843,086
• Renee Unterman (R)- $805,747 (self funder)
• Lynne Homrich (R)- $669,171 (self funder)
• Richard McCormick (R)- $510,024 (self funder)
• Nabilah Islam (D)- $311,377
• Lerah Lee (R)-$302,520
• Ben Bullock (R)- $237,109
• Mark Gonsalves (R)- $230,215 (self funder)
• Zahra S. Karinshak (D)- $208,974
• John Eaves (D)- $116,887
• Brenda Lopez Romero (D)- $104,383

Blue America backed Marqus Cole, who impressed us as the most progressive in the race. He's since dropped out. Last week, I heard from Nabila Islam again and asked her to make a case from her candidacy here at DWT. This is what she had to say-- and if you like it, you can contribute to her campaign here


No More Republican-Lite
-by Nabilah Islam

A few months back, Howie and I spoke, mostly about my past work experiences as a Hillary Clinton fundraiser, and needless to say, he was not impressed. He wrote me off before allowing me to explain myself and prove that while I’ve worked for more establishment candidates in the past that my politics are far more progressive.

My name is Nabilah Islam, and I am running for Congress in the most competitive U.S. House seat in the country, as a progressive Democrat.

I am the daughter of working-class immigrants from Bangladesh. Both of my parents are survivors of genocide, and my mother is a survivor of famine who grew up in a small village in a tin hut, mud floor home.

My parents came to America for a better economic opportunity. They started in section 8 housing and then rented a small apartment off of Buford Highway, a common starting place for immigrant families in the greater Atlanta area. They eventually moved to my district, where I spent my first birthday.

Growing up, we never had much. My father was a file clerk at the IRS, and my mother flipped burgers at Hardee's for the first five years of my life until she got a job as an order puller at a warehouse. She worked hard to make a living wage, working overtime during the week and weekends to help make ends meet. She picked up boxes and put them on trucks for nearly 14 years. I watched my mother work herself to the bone and she ended up herniating two discs in her back. This injury cost my mother her job. Her worker's comp and unemployment insurance decided they wouldn’t cover the cost of her back procedures, so we sued them. We won. Had we not, we very well could have been part of the two-thirds of families in this country that go bankrupt because of medical debt.

The county I live in and grew up in, which is also 85% of my district, is called Gwinnett. It is the most diverse county in the Southeast and the fourth most diverse county in America. However, growing up, I never saw anyone who looked like me in Office. It was mostly old, white, and Republican. It was the lack of representation that got me involved in working on campaigns. I knew then that if we were not at the table, we were going to be on the menu. Nothing proves that statement more accurate than what is happening here in this community. Gwinnett has the highest number of deportations in the State, we rank 8th out of 159 counties in homelessness, we have the largest incarcerated population in the State and 135,000 people, nearly a quarter of the district do not have healthcare. Growing up in the South, Democrats are indoctrinated early on to believe a specific type is what is electable. That type is usually white and even more often moderate or centrist. The strategy is to play to the middle and hope to get Republicans to vote for you. That’s not a winning strategy. When Republicans go to the voting booth, they vote for the real Republican, not the fake one.

Nevertheless, my career began working for a progressive grassroots candidate who challenged the establishment. He ran for an At-Large Atlanta City Council seat and defeated a 12-year incumbent. It was the first time in over a decade a challenger had won. Like any aspiring political operative, I took the next job. I went on to work for Jason Carter on his Gubernatorial campaign in 2014. We lost. I was offered a job on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign as her Southern Regional Deputy Finance Director. My upbringing in Southern Democratic politics taught me she was the most electable candidate. We lost.

After Trump was elected, I was distraught, as most of America was, and is, to this day. But, I have been a fighter, and so I was looking for my next fight. I then learned that the Democratic National Committee was looking to build a more diverse staff. I took the job and saw it as an opportunity to rebuild the party from scratch. Long story short, I hated the experience. I was tired of more of the same-- the party treating minority communities like footnotes in their overall strategy.

Then in 2018, we elected the most diverse delegation to Congress ever. People like Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, and Alexandria Ocasio Cortez showed me it’s ok to be unapologetically myself. To run on policies that effectuate the most change in our communities. The thing is, if we ever want to win in the South, we need to expand the electorate. We will never do that by running on policies that disenfranchise low-income, working-class, and minority communities.

That’s why when I decided I wanted to run to represent my home, it was going to be the right way. I was no longer going to be held hostage by stereotypes of what is electable and what is possible. We have to have political courage. That is why I am running on a bold progressive platform. Incrementalism does not and will not help my community and communities like mine. We are long overdue for real change and we cannot wait any longer.

The Mueller Report Isn't Required Reading For Republican Members Of Congress

Justin Amash (R-MI) caused quote a stir last month when he began calling for impeachment, mentioning in the process that most of his Republican colleagues in the House hadn't read the Mueller Report but that he had. I haven't heard much push-back from the GOP but several sources-- both Democrat and Republican-- have confirmed what Amash tweeted, namely that although Democrats have tended to read the report in a serious way. most Republicans haven't bothered or, if they had, just glossed over it in a few minutes. One senior Senate Democrat told me today that Republicans largely gave it to staffers and asked them to "see if there's anything important in it."

Georgia Republican Rob Woodall, who was in one of the closest reelection bids on 2018-- he retained his seat suburban seat northwest of Atlanta by 419 votes: 140,430 to 140,011-- and almost immediately announced he would be retiring at the end of this session. But he's still getting his salary ($174,000/year plus expenses, perks and staff) and, at least in theory, still doing his job. He went on CNN Sunday and bragged how he hasn't bothered to read the Mueller report. First watch him arguing nonsensically with David Cicilline on March 14 about transparency in regard to the investigation:

Speaking with MSNBC host Kasie Hunt Sunday night, the congressman offered several defenses for not reading Mueller's report on the Russia investigation. He first claimed that his overwhelming "trust" in Mueller's integrity meant he did not feel the need to review anything unless the Special Counsel had specifically requested such a move.

As Hunt appeared a bit shocked by Woodall's proud dismissal of reading any word in the report, the Republican doubled down and offered the additional defense that he also had no interest in the "salacious" accusations against former President Bill Clinton.

"Have you read the Mueller report?" Hunt asked Woodall Sunday evening.

"I have not," he replied. "I said when we started this conversation that I trusted Mr. Mueller and he took a lot of slings and arrows throughout this process but every U.S. attorney I knew said this is a man of great integrity and he's going to lead this investigation."

"So why not read the report?" Hunt pressed.

"Well I have a concern when you put the entire power of the United States Justice Department behind anything. You can achieve an agenda, you can drive a message."

"So you think the Mueller report was just driving an agenda? Hunt asked again, appearing visibly frustrated with Woodall's seemingly unconcerned replies. "There's nothing there that's, like, worth figuring out?"

But Woodall dismissed Mueller's move to refer 14 cases to other offices, saying the special counsel had every opportunity and benefit handed to his team in order to complete the report.

"Obstruction is not a political issue, it is a criminal issue," Woodall said, arguing that Congress has no obligation to review his report despite many believing Mueller set a road map for impeachment proceedings. The former special counsel said a sitting U.S. president could not be indicted but that he would have said if President Donald Trump was exonerated-- which he did not.

Woodall conceded Congress could review the investigation if they so choose, but he recalled not wanting to read into or pay attention to the salacious Kenneth Starr report and investigations into Clinton in the 1990s.

"I was a staffer on Capitol Hill in 1998 when Republicans went down this road and they thought it was going to be a wonderful thing to be able to impeach a sitting president and as you know Republicans lost seats in that 1998 election," he said. "The constituents I represent don't want to see criminal activity at any place, but they also don't want to see folks grinding their political axes when there are important economic issues, family issues, education issues that need to be handled."

This morning House Judiciary Committee superstar Ted Lieu (D-CA) reminded DWT readers that "In their wisdom, the Founders entrusted Congress with the essential role of providing oversight of the Executive Branch. Burying one's head in the sand and refusing to even consider the facts of an investigation into some of the most powerful officials in our government is an abdication of that solemn responsibility. It is also incredibly dishonest to make claims about a report without even reading it. It is willful ignorance from some of my Republican colleagues."

 It's likely that the next congressmember from GA-07 after Woodall steps down, will be progressive Democrat Marqus Cole. Cole isn't running against him. He'll be running against whichever imitation of him the GOP decides to run-- likely anti-Choice fanatic and right-wing all around crazy-person Renee Unterman. But when we asked Marqus about his current Rep, he told us that "Woodall got caught saying the quiet part out loud. Everyone back home in Gwinnett and Forsyth counties knows he doesn’t do the 'work' of being a congressman. Constituents can’t reach him, he never passes legislation to help the district and now we know he can’t even be bothered to read the most important report he government has produced in the past two years. Don’t believe me? Check out his official website. He doesn’t even bother to put an address for the district office. It’s like he doesn’t even want people back home to know where he is. Good riddance in retirement. At least then we won’t be spending our hard earned tax dollars paying him to NOT work."


 

Renee Unterman, Architect Of Georgia's Abortion Ban Is Now Running For Congress

Renee Unterman and Marqus Cole (GA-07)

The congressional race in GA-07-- the suburbs northwest of Atlanta-- was very tight in 2018. Stacey Abrams carried the district in her gubernatorial race but Carolyn Bourdeaux had a breathtakingly close defeat at the hands of Republican incumbent Rob Woodall-- 140,430 (50.1%) to 140,011 (49.9%). The district is primarily blue-trending (D+11) Gwinnett County and solidly red (R+36) Forsyth County. Bourdeaux didn't quite excite the base strongly enough to turn out the base she would have needed in Gwinnett to overcome Woodall's mammoth lead in Forsyth.

This cycle the district promises to be one of the most contested in the country. Although the PVI is a prohibitive R+9, Trump's share of the vote, compared to how well McCain and Romney had done, dropped precipitously. He beat Hillary but only 51.1% to 44.8%. Woodall announced that he will retire at the end of the current term. Bourdeaux is running again, as are 4 other Democrats, Marqus Cole (endorsed by Blue America, John Eaves, Nabilah Islamand Brenda Lopez Romero. There are also 5 hopefuls lined up on the Republican side: Ben Bullock, Lynne Homrich, Rich McCormick, Joe Profit and a brand new entry, state Senator Renee Unterman.

Unterman, notorious for her part in passing the six-week Georgia abortion ban, announced her candidacy late last week. Although it's no secret in Georgia that everything Untermann has done over the past few years in the state legislature has been with an eye towards eventually running for this seat, she claimed in her announcement that "Anyone who knows me will tell you that the Lord has instilled within me a beautiful ball of energy loaded with courage to do the right thing-- not necessarily the politically correct and expedient or self-serving thing to do, but the right thing." One could also look at it as Untermann being determined to export her destructive, extremist views out of Georgia and into the rest of the country. She's a dedicated far right warrior and a danger to every part of our country, eager to dismantle Medicare and drag the country back into the 1950s.

Marqus Cole, the most viable of the Democrats running for the nomination explained that "Here in Georgia, you’re likely to hear on a Sunday morning, 'A bad tree can’t produce good fruit.' The fruit of Senator Unterman’s legislative career speaks for itself. While I was fighting to provide access to affordable health care to members of our community that are seniors, disabled and fallen on hard times; she was against expansion of Medicaid-- leaving our hard earned tax dollars on the table. While I was fighting to put criminals behind bars as a prosecutor; she was spear-heading legislation to prevent the testing of rape kits. Preventing victims of crimes from getting the Justice they desperately deserve. While my wife Amanda and I have tried to instill in our daughters the value of making personal decisions based on proper consideration of facts, consequences and personal faith, the Senator has decided that the politicians should be in the room standing between a doctor and a woman, having the final say on the right to access and choose safe medical procedures. I don’t have much to say about the Senator because the fruit of her career speaks volume and she will be known by her fruit."

Marqus has been saying all along that the 7th district has a decision to make an now Renee Unterman's entrance gives the voters a stark choice: "Do we continue to go down a path that leads to more strife, dissension, selfish ambition and divisiveness? Or do we take another path that lifts those in need up, creates opportunity and ensures justice? As you might hear in the Georgia on any given Sunday, 'What we do for the least of these our brothers and sisters, you do for me.' I’ll continue to be known by my fruit, providing for the least of my brothers and sisters. The Senator can stand by her fruit, and we will let the people decide."

Please consider contributing to Marqus' campaign by clicking on the Blue America 2020 congressional thermometer on the right. Keeping Renee Unterman and her reactionary agenda out of Congress is an all-American job, not just a Georgian job. The rotten fruits of her career need to be expunged and reversed. Marqus Cole is just the person for the job.

New Candidate Alert: Meet Marqus Cole (GA-07)

Georgia's 7th congressional district-- small towns and suburbs in Gwinnett and Forsyth counties northwest of Atlanta-- is going to be an election hot house next year. It's been a red district for a long time that's turning purple. McCain won it with about 60% and so did Romney. Trump won it as well, but his margin was narrower: 51.1% to 44.8%. Then last year, Stacey Abrams won the district by just over 1,700 votes. A weaker Democratic congressional challenger, Carolyn Bourdeaux, did well too-- but not well enough to win the seat. Well, enough, though, to scare the Republican incumbent out of the 2020 race. Rob Woodall announced he's retiring at the end of the current term, creating an open seat. It's now a top tier target for both parties.

Carolyn Bourdeaux didn't impress us as a candidate last cycle and we were really happy to see that there are 3 other Democrats in the primary besides her this cycle. Marqus Cole is the progressive in the race. The other two are establishment candidates much like Bourdeaux-- a wealthy Hillary Clinton fundraiser, Nabilah Islam, and John Eaves, a Fulton County Commissioner from another district, who ran for mayor of Atlanta last year (coming in 8th with 1.2% of the vote).

When I spoke with Marqus the first political topics he brought up were voting rights, a fair tax code and healthcare. Short version of how he sees healthcare: he backs a similar approach to the one Bernie and Pramila have introduced-- a much-improved single-payer system for all Americans, Medicare which fixes the high priced pharmaceuticals problem the GOP built into it with Part D and Medicare which includes care for teeth, ears and eyes. So not just "Medicare-For-All" as much as a new and improved Medicare-For-All. An even shorter version of his thoughts on fair taxation: "eliminating loopholes in the tax code so that millionaires and billionaires pay their fair share." (Remember what Chris Hayes said on MSNBC: when looking at candidates, figure out what they'll fight for and who they'll fight for-- and don't spend too much time on the noise. That said, I asked Marqus to introduce himself with a guest post explaining why basic democracy is so important for him in this campaign. Please give it a careful read and if you like it-- and I think you will-- please consider contributing what you can to his campaign by clicking on the Blue America 2020 thermometer on the right.

Guest Post: Protecting Ballot Access For All Georgians
-by Marqus Cole

"Our country has changed, and while any racial discrimination in voting is too much, Congress must ensure that the legislation it passes to remedy that problem speaks to current conditions." Chief Justice John Roberts, Shelby County v. Holder. 2013

Chief Justice Roberts, I’m here to take you up on your challenge. It is time for Congress to remedy the problem of racial discrimination in voting rights. And as the U.S. Representative for the Georgia 7th Congressional District, I am going to fight to do just that.

You want to talk about “current conditions,” Chief Justice Roberts? I can tell you about current voting conditions. People around the country, because of their race or income level, are facing barriers to exercising their Constitutionally protected right to vote.

My forefathers were beaten, bullied, and bloodied to keep them away from the ballot box in the Jim Crow era south. My Grandfather and my wife’s Grandfather served the country in the Army to defend the principles and values of democracy abroad and returned to a country where their own votes were not protected. Our ancestors suffered and fought to protect voting rights. I will not sit idly by as the U.S. Supreme Court destroys our voting rights and Congress sits impotent, refusing to to do anything about it.

When the John Roberts Court in Shelby County gutted the crown jewel of the Civil Rights Movement by finding section 4 of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional, it simultaneously threw down a challenge for Congress: Ensure that new legislation is more appropriately responsive to “current conditions” or continue to let the voice of the people be suppressed. And to no one’s surprise, Congress has not acted. Voters in my community and across the country continue to be disenfranchised.

It reminds me of that bloody Sunday in 1965 when my fraternity brother, Congressman John Lewis, stood as a symbol of the then “current conditions.” He stood in the face of incivility, injustice, and immorality, demanding rights at the cost of much blood and many tears.

It was on that day that America watched its dark twisted soul bared and broadcast on national television. And it was in that context that the United States Congress found its conscience and its voice and united to pass the very same Voting Rights Act that Chief Justice Roberts summarily tossed aside as if it was yesterday’s news in Shelby County.

What is our “current condition,” Chief Justice Roberts?

Our “current condition” is rife with voter fraud and discrimination.

Our “current condition” is one where all too often marginalized minority voters find themselves in unreasonably long lines with unreliable voting machines.

Our “current condition” is one where in some places you need more identification to cast your vote than to buy a gun.

Our “current condition” is one where local officials reject, deny, and outright forge ballots of voters from communities of color.

Our “current condition” is one where the elected official in charge of maintaining a fair election purged more than 500,000 voters in the year preceding his run for Governor of Georgia.

Our “current condition” is one where foreign influence interferes on behalf of a candidate who openly states, “Russia, if you’re listening, I hope you’re able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing.”

The time is now. We must take up the baton of the great cause of the generations before.

We must re-instill faith into the ballot booth.

We must reinvigorate our calls for action.

We must recommit to what was once a great shared value by all Americans: the VOTE is the bedrock of our government.

It is this current condition that cries out for action now.

I propose we take this opportunity to act boldly by passing the Voting Rights Advancement Act bill proposed by Congresswoman Terri Sewell.

I propose we redouble our commitment to fully funding and staffing the Department of Justice’s Office of Civil Rights so they can pursue and prosecute bad faith actors.

I propose that we provide real federal dollars to enhance and protect our ballot boxes and voting machines from unscrupulous actors and errant mistakes by ensuring every voter gets a paper receipt.

And finally, I propose that we place the highest value on ensuring fair and free elections by enshrining our commitment to the opportunity to vote with a National Voting Day in November replacing Columbus Day as a federal holiday.

Chief Justice Roberts, I’m here to solve the problem you created.