Can Bernie Beat The Establishment Machine In South Carolina?

You may remember Gloria Tinubu from last year when we endorsed her run for Congress and she penned several guest posts for us. She ran in 2012 and 2014 and came closer than any other Democrat to winning one of South Carolina's gerrymandered red districts. In 2012 she took 121,418 votes (45%) against Tom Rice's 147,750 (55%). This year she's campaigning for Bernie in South Carolina. "Sanders is in the tradition of President Franklin Roosevelt," she said, "who led our parents and grandparents through one of the most challenging times in our nation’s history. Like President Roosevelt, Bernie Sanders is fighting to protect our democratic way of life and our four freedoms."

No matter what independent-minded Democrats in Iowa and New Hampshire did, the Clinton Machine has always felt confident that South Carolina would serve as her firewall against Bernie Sanders' far more populist message. And it may. The latest CBS poll shows her way ahead of him, 68-25%. That may be tough to overcome but yesterday he announced his South Carolina leadership team and it includes three of the most progressive members of the state legislature all of whom were willing to buck the party machine-- Terry Alexander of Florence, Wendell Gilliard of Charleston and Robert Williams of Darlington.

“Sen. Sanders has the feel, the attitude of the common person, folks who are struggling day-by-day who are working everyday and still cannot pay their bills, ... do not have health insurance ... and cannot support their families,” Alexander said, introducing Sanders who met briefly with media Saturday afternoon.

Sanders is “the strongest candidate here for African Americans and he will bring about change,” Alexander added.

Democratic voters will play a big role in the state’s Feb. 27 presidential primary because they make up more than half of the party’s electorate.

Other members of Sanders’ state committee are elected officials from around the state and Democratic Party and Black Lives Matter activists, according to the campaign. They include:

• Allen Bailey, Sumter County Democratic Party chairman
• Eugene Baten, Sumter County councilman
• Earl Coleman, McCormick County councilman
• Donna Dewitt, former president of the S.C. AFL-CIO
• Thomas Dixon, president of the Carolina Alliance for Fair Employment
• Annejanet Harp, S.C. Democratic Party Faith co-chairwoman
• Teresa Harper, Aiken Democratic Party first vice chairwoman
• William Lawrence, S.C. Democratic Party veterans chairman
• James McCain, Sumter County councilman
• Lucinda Nesmith, Florence County Party chairwoman
• Naomi Sanders, former Sumter County Council chairwoman
• Wanda Stringfellow, former Chester mayor
• Timothy Taylor, Atlantic Beach police chief
• Tom Turnipseed, former state senator
• Stephen Wukela, Florence mayor

Poet, painter and activist Omari Fox, the leader of Columbia’s Black Lives Matter organization, is also backing Sanders. He told the media that "Sanders has been a champion of the Black Lives Matter movement and his policies to end the disastrous War on Drugs and the failed era of mass incarceration are the strongest of any candidate in the race. I support Sanders’ civil rights platform and his positions to address institutional racism and structural inequality."

If you'd like to help Bernie's campaign and the campaign of progressives running for Congress who have endorsed Bernie, here's the Blue America ActBlue page where you can do that. Here's Bernie yesterday speaking at the South Carolina Democratic Women's Council:





UPDATE: Which Democrat Is Prepared To Take On The Establishment?

During an interview with Gloria Borgia for CNN, over the weekend, she asked him what it meant that Hillary has 31 endorsements by senators and that he has none. He had an interesting response: "It tells you that one of us is a candidate of the establishment; one of us is involved in establishment politics and establishment economics and it says that maybe the other candidate is prepared to take on the establishment." Notice how Bernie never said that Hillary is the establishment... which she certainly is-- not the best place to be, electorally, in 2015, given the mood of the country.

Donald Sterling: It's Not Just The Racism... It's The Grotesque And Oppressive Nature Of Economic Inequality Writ Large

Sterling's wife, Rochelle, is suing his girlfriend, V. Stiviano, claiming she received more than $2.5 million in lavish gifts from the Clippers owner, including a $1.8 million duplex, a Ferrari, two Bentleys and a Range Rover

You've probably read a lot more about Republican Donald Sterling than you have about Dr. Gloria Bromell Tinubu, the Democratic nominee for SC-07. That's the way the media works. It's a big deal that Sterling, a lifelong racist and sociopathic bigot, is barred from even attending an NBA game... for life. It looks like at least three teams nudged the NBA into doing the right thing by making it clear they would be be... proactive during the playoffs. The Golden State Warriors-- the team about to play the Clippers-- were planning on warming up, lining up for the jump ball and then letting the ball bounce on the court as they walked off into the locker room on live TV. The NBA avoided the biggest playoff disaster in league history, although it;s worth keeping in mind that Sterling hurt far more people as a landlord than he did as an NBA owner.

As we've mentioned before, Gloria Tinubu is an extraordinary woman, an educator in the field of economics, not an expert on pro-basketball. But it's worthwhile to take a moment to read the guest post below about the Sterling affair:

Donald Sterling: A "Big Citizen" Teachable Moment
by Gloria Bromell Tinubu

The statements of Sterling provide Americans an opportunity to shed light on two major myths. The first myth is that racism is no longer a problem in the United States and, therefore, we can dispense of all laws or public policies that protect victims of historical racism. The second myth is that the majority of the wealth that is created under capitalism is due to the efforts of the owners of capital. I will address the first myth by simply saying that if you’re not convinced that racism still exists after Sterling’s statements, it is unlikely that there is any other evidence that would convince you. Notwithstanding, it is clear to me that there is a need for continued diligence in keeping racism and other forms of discrimination based on gender, age, or sexual orientation, from rearing its ugly head.

However, the second myth deserves equal attention because it’s at the heart of the current challenges facing American workers of all races all over the United States, that is, the question of who creates corporate value or wealth and whether or not our current economic and political systems fairly value and reward the real creators of wealth.

A World Bank study found that human capital accounts for 59% of the wealth of developed economies like the United States, while business capital only accounts for 16%. If it is not clear in any other area of business, it should be perfectly clear that much of the wealth created by professional sports teams can be directly attributed to human capital. The frontline employees, who are the players as well as their coaches, are the primary source of the wealth that is created.

So when Sterling says, “I support them [Black players] and give them food, and clothes, and cars, and houses. Who gives it to them? Does someone else give it to them? Who makes the game? Do I make the game, or do they make the game?” He just doesn’t get it. He doesn’t get the fact that the players make the game along with him but to a far greater degree. He does not get the fact that the wealth created by the team through ticket sales, ads, and sponsors are jointly created by the team supported by his capital with the lion’s share of that wealth being created by the players themselves. He does not get the fact he is not giving them anything. They are simply receiving a share of the wealth that they help to create.

Sterling does not get it, nor do thousands of business owners, CEOs, top managers, shareholders and their board of directors, some members of Congress, and certain members of our courts who continue to labor under the false illusion that corporate value or wealth is only created through the contributions of business capital.  This myth resulted in the Michigan Supreme Court concluding that the purpose of the corporation is no longer to serve the public good, but rather to maximize profits solely for the benefit of the owners of capital. While members of professional sports teams get a far greater share of the corporate wealth they help to create due to the collective bargaining power they get through their unions, the vast majority of American workers, particularly, front line low-wage workers, such as fast food and hospitality workers, rarely, if ever, do.

So, while this is truly an unfortunate occurrence, my hope is that we will learn from it and agree that all American workers deserve their fair share of the wealth they help to create. We must join together in calling on Congress, our Courts, and Corporate America, to form a new partnership for prosperity for all of America’s workers. These proud Americans account for at least 59% of the wealth that is created and 78% of “producible” wealth, that is, wealth created from human effort as opposed to natural resources.

However, just calling for a new partnership for prosperity will not be enough.  We, as citizens, must take our rightful place at the center of both our economy and our democracy by being the Big Citizens that they both demand of us to be. Only Big Citizens can counter-balance the influence of Big Business and the Big Government it has created for its benefit and interests.

Big Citizens know that the real “invisible hands” that make our economy work are the millions of hands of parents and grandparents, and women, in particular, who produce the human capital that is the primary source of wealth.

As Big Citizens, we recognize that the primary engine of economic growth is the investment that all kinds of families make in producing the human capital reflected in the American workforce. Big Citizens are demanding a fair return on family investment in the form of steady jobs that provide fair wages and benefits that will enable families to continue the important work of investing in our workforce while securing their version of the American Dream.

Just as Big Citizens are demanding a fair and swift response to Sterling’s racist remarks and appear to be getting that from the leadership of the NBA, Big Citizens are also demanding a fair and swift response to the economic distress faced by millions of America’s families.

While America’s families are dutifully investing in their human capital (as indicated by large student loan debts) and in the American workforce, they are continuing to see a smaller and smaller return on their investment in the form of job insecurity, low-wage and part-time jobs with few or no benefits. Millions of unemployed Americans are experiencing negative returns on their human capital investment as they continue to look for work even after losing meager unemployment benefits and as some members of Congress threaten to take benefits away from millions more. All of this is happening at the same time when large publicly held corporations are enjoying record profits. As the largest employers of low-wage workers (66%), these large corporations are not only enjoying record profits, but also higher cash holdings than before the recession.

Big Citizens are calling on leaders in Congress, in our Courts, and in Corporate America to follow the lead of the NBA, not only with regard to addressing racism and discrimination of all kinds, but also in protecting American workers’ right to unionize and engage in collective bargaining. Big Citizens are calling for a higher minimum wage that meets the self-sufficiency standard and for prevailing wages that will enable America’s families to continue investing in its human capital. In addition to the above, promoting more corporate structures that provide greater opportunities for employee ownership, such as employee-stock options and cooperatives as well as reforming corporate governance to protect human capital investments, are just a few of the clear-cut ways of building a fairer economy and ensuring democratic and economic freedom for all of America’s families.


UPDATE

If you'd like to see Gloria in Congress, instead of the Tea Party Republican representing SC-07 now, please consider contributing to her grassroots campaign here.

What Can Gloria Bromell Tinubu Do For You If She's Elected To Congress?

A little over a week ago we introduced South Carolina congressional candidate Gloria Bromell Tinubu. We didn't really get into her fascinating biography just some political background. Below is a guest post she did for us based on some of the unique planks in her campaign platform. First though, it's worth knowing that Gloria, the seventh of eight children, was born to a farmer and a maid in Georgetown County's Brookgreen Gardens and raised in Plantersville on a family farm that her great grandfather purchased in 1883. Neither of her parents finished elementary school but they were determined to see that their children got the education and opportunities they never had. Gloria worked hard to make that dream come true, first by earning an undergraduate degree from Howard University, and later by becoming the first African American to receive a PhD in Applied Economics from Clemson University. She's never forgotten the lessons she learned from her parents about the value of hard work and the importance of family and community. As a young wife and mother, she took in laundry to help make ends meet. As a high school teacher, she played an active role in the lives of her students. And, later, as a tenured professor and chair of the Economics department at Spelman College, she worked in the local community as a member of the Atlanta City Council and the Georgia Board of Education.

Perhaps you remember Alan Grayson complaining back in March how Congress is filled with people who don't know much and musing about how nice it would be if more Members did know… something. "I’m really getting tired of listening to people who don’t know what they’re talking about," he wrote. "For four years, I worked as an economist. As far as I know, I’m the only Member of Congress who can make that claim. Roll Call did not uncover anyone else. And believe me, whenever I start to talk economics in a Congressional hearing, the eyes glaze over. Quickly." OK, let's get Grayson another smart-as-a-whip economist he can work with! In fact it was when Gloria told us about some of her economist ideas that we got most interested in her candidacy. And that why we asked her to do a guest post.


American Families Deserve a Raise: Policies for Prosperity and Self-Sufficiency
-by Gloria Bromell Tinubu,
Democratic Nominee for Congress, South Carolina’s 7th Congressional District
www.gloriabromelltinubu.com

Americans need a raise and they’ve needed one long before the most recent recession. While some Americans have adequate income to meet their basic needs, there are millions of Americans who are above the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), but lack sufficient income to cover basic living expenses. According to a recent study by the United Way, these Americans facing economic distress are routinely “overlooked and undercounted.”

For more than four decades now, millions of Americans have struggled to meet their basic needs without having to rely on public or private assistance. Millions more have seen their wealth totally eroded with the recession of 2007 that brought about massive declines in the value of housing, a dominant source of wealth for most Americans, as well as a decline in savings, purchasing power, and the value of investments. Many Americans continue to be underpaid, underemployed, and unemployed and suffer from inadequate income and assets which prevent them from realizing their full potential and their version of the American Dream. As a member of Congress, I would work cooperatively with other members to support two policies that would result in greater economic opportunity and essentially a raise for Americans.

First, I would support Henry Ramos’ approach called “Invest for Success,” which calls for federal legislation to be passed that would establish a new social contract with working families. For tax-paying families earning less than $75,000 (I would be willing to go up to less than $100,000), a five-year tax holiday (I would propose a 7-year tax holiday) for families who invest in asset building (education, home ownership, job training, business start-up or expansion) and debt-reduction such as paying down college loans or medical expenses. By allowing more families to hold on to their incomes, it provides more economic freedom of choice for middle-class and lower income taxpayers to build their own personal household assets while fueling the economy as well as their faith in the American Dream.

Secondly, I would push for the adoption of a National Self-Sufficiency Standard to replace both the outdated Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and the Federal Minimum Wage (FMW). The Standard, created by Dr. Diana Pearce to address the short-comings of the FPL, serves as a gage for measuring basic economic well-being of families. It defines the income working families need to meet their basic needs without relying on public or private assistance given their unique family composition and where they live. While the FPL is based on only food costs and the Federal Minimum Wage does not account for differences in cost of living across different geographical areas, the Standard is based on all basic needs-- food, housing, childcare, health care, transportation, miscellaneous costs, and net taxes, and has been calculated for 37 states on a per county basis.

The Standard can be used by policy makers, service providers, educators, and businesses as a guideline for setting wages, determining eligibility for services, and evaluating program effectiveness. Because it measures real costs of goods and services purchased in the free market, the Standard is higher than both FPL and FMW. If adopted, it would be a much deserved raise for American families.

Is South Carolina Ready To Elect A Woman To Congress… A Woman Named Tinubu-- Don't Answer Yet

Remember South Carolina crackpot Joe Wilson, the right-wing freak who screamed out "You lie!" at President Obama when he gave the State of the Union address in 2009 and was then formally admonished by the House? So far, according to ProgressivePunch, he has the most extreme right wing voting record of anyone from South Carolina for the 2013-'14 session. His crucial vote score is a shocking 2.80 (out of 100). The next worst belongs to freshman congressman for the new 7th CD, Tom Rice, 4.29.

Rice's voting record is an extremist's dream-- a 0.0 on every single crucial vote-- without one exception. Rice accomplished his mission-- to avoid the kind of costly, divisive primary he faced in 2012, when he was forced into a runoff against the state's closet case Lt. Gov., Andre Bauer, having lost the original crowded primary to Bauer 32-27%. This year Rice has no primary challenger. In November, though, he will face the same Democrat he faced in 2012, Gloria Bromell Tinubu. SC-07 has a PVI of R+7, the least red of any of the state's GOP-held House seats. In fact, last time, Dr. Tinubu won the same number of counties that Rice did. Overall, he beat her 147,750 (55%) to 121,418 (45%) but she won in Darlington, Dillon, Florence and Marlboro counties.

2012 wasn't just a tough primary year for Rice. Bromell Tinubu was a target of conservative Democrats and their allies at the DCCC. Her forthright progressive and pro-union platform frightened them. She is way too independent-minded for "ex"-Blue Dog Steve Israel, who wasted thousands of dollars on a preppy kid named Preston Brittain, when his original recruit, anti-Choice/pro-gun State Rep. Ted Vick, a repulsive Blue Dog and ALEC legislator, was forced to drop out after being arrested for drunk driving. Vick-- the ideal Steve Israel candidate-- was carrying a handgun without a permit and had a 21 year old girl in his car when he was arrested.

Bromell Tinubu went on to beat Brittain in the primary but the South Carolina Democratic Party, pressured the South Carolina Election Commission, which had already declared her the winner, to change their ruling and force a runoff based on Ted Vick votes, which dropped her win to under 50%. When the runoff came two weeks later, in a real slap in the face to the Establsihment, Bromell Tinubu kicked preppy boy's ass 73-27%. This year Israel and Clyburn aren't putting anyone up against her and November will see a rematch between Rice and Gloria Bromell Tinubu, this time with a united Democratic Party. Last time, Rice raised $1,428,114 and Gloria raised $625,273.

She has a remarkable life story. As her website boasts, "Gloria doesn't just talk about the American Dream-- she's lived it every day of her life." A graduate of Howard University, she was the first African American to receive a PhD in Applied Economics from Clemson University. Later, while working as a professor at a college in Georgia, she was elected to the Atlanta City Coucil and served as a member of the Georgia Board of Education.

We've mentioned before that Vermont Independent Senator Bernie Sanders has endorsed several progressives running for the House-- like Kelly Westlund (WI), Lee Rogers (CA) and Daylin Leach (PA). Senator Sanders has also endorsed-- and contributed to-- Gloria's campaign. A promise for DWT readers: we'll be hearing more about her and the SC-07 contest in the weeks to come.