Virginia Is Up For Grabs THIS November

Qasim Rashid

The first time I ever heard about a non-partisan commission drawing election maps it came as part of a proposal to have blue California and red Texas mutually disarm. Democrats in control of the California legislature would cede the right to draw the maps in the Golden State and Republicans in control of the Texas legislature would do the same there. The California Democrats agreed. The Texas Republicans didn't. California went ahead with the plan anyway, some thinking Texas would be shamed into following suit. They weren't. So California is a non-gerrymandered state and Texas is a super-gerrymandered state.

Gerrymandering is bad whether it's done in Texas or Ohio or Florida by Republicans or by Democrats in Maryland or Illinois. I have a proposal!

Virginia is a very gerrymandered state but there's a Democratic governor and razor thin Republican control of the state Senate and of the House of Delegates. In 4 months, Virginia voters will be deciding whether or not to turn the legislature over to the Democrats. That's right, this coming November 5, not in 2020.

If the Democrats win a net of just 3 seats in each chamber, they'll be drawing the district maps without any help from the GOP. Virginia has 11 congressional seats and right now, there are 4 Republicans and 7 Democrats-- and that's in Republican-drawn districts! If the Democrats win, they could redraw the map so that there are just 2 Republicans and 9 Democrats and they could redraw the state legislative seats to give them a lock for ten years-- the way the Republicans did when they won control.

OR... Virginia could do the right thing-- not unilateral disarmament the way the California Democrats did, but a real deal with their neighbor to the south-- North Carolina, which is likely to gain one seat after the census. There, both houses of the state legislature are controlled by the GOP... but the governor is a Democrat, so the Republicans aren't going to just get their way no matter what anyway. Could they be persuaded to agree to a non-partisan commission along with Virginia so that fair districts are drawn in both states? If not North Carolina, how about Ohio, which is about to lose a seat and will need to redraw their districts to reflect that loss?

First thing, though, is that we have to elect a Democratic legislature in Virginia. Blue America is supporting 4 progressives running in November, Herb Jones, Qasim Rashid, Lee Carter and Elizabeth Guzman. You can contribute to their campaigns at the Blue America legislative thermometer on the right. Remember what the NY Times wrote last week: "While much of the country’s attention is focused on presidential politics, the gerrymandering ruling last week instantly raised the stakes for the nation’s state legislative races, which are often overlooked by voters, but can shape the course of policy from abortion rights to education. Yet this cycle of legislative elections carries added significance: In most states, the political party that wins control of the legislature gains the power to draw once-a-decade maps setting district boundaries for state and congressional elections after a new census count... [A] tiny statehouse election in coastal Virginia could have national reverberations."

Also, Qasim Rashid’s race (SD-28) brings a new dimension, as the FBI has charged and arrested an extremist who threatened to kill him. Rashid is a human rights lawyer and is continuing to fight to win despite the real and ongoing death threats. Hence why it is that much more important we continue to support him by donating to his campaign. He told me today that, like our other candidates in Virginia, he is "committed to passing a $15 minimum living wage, expanding healthcare, increasing education access, and reforming our criminal justice system... We have a chance to do something historic this election and it depends on one factor only-- whether Democrats come out to vote. If we vote we win. So let’s take control of our future, get out and vote, and flip Virginia Blue."



UPDATE: Herb Jones

"The Virginia Democratic leadership mantra is we need to win just two seats in the house and two in the senate. As a former college athlete, this thinking is akin to ‘playing not to lose.’ ‘Playing not to lose’ is absolutely the wrong way to approach November 5th; ‘playing not to lose’ generally ends in a loss. We must ‘play to win.’ ‘Playing to win’ means flipping at least 10 seats in both the Senate and the House. And the key is decisively engaging the Virginia Republican leadership: Tommy Norment, Kirk Cox, and Chris Jones. Defeating these three is the key to winning! Secondly, November 2019 in Virginia sets the stage for 2020. Decisive wins in November 2019 sends a message not only across the Commonwealth of Virginia, but across the country and is an indicator for next year. Lastly, Blue America donors can ensure victories this year and next by investing in Democrats who are challenging the Virginia Republican leadership. The unique thing about Virginia is there are no limits on the amount that can be donated to candidates in Virginia races."

Firefighters Fight Cancer And The System

-by Tracy B Ann

I am the daughter of a fireman. When I was a kid my dad worked 24 hour shifts. Work a day, off a day, work a day, off three days. Except my dad wasn't home when he was off. No fireman then, or firefighter now, could support a family on the wages they are paid, they all work second jobs.

They run into burning buildings for a living, to save our lives and our property and they get paid shit for doing so. They willingly put their health and lives in danger for US and they get very little thanks in return.

My father was hospitalized for smoke inhalation on several occasions that I know of. Like most firefighters, he just did his job, didn't think he was being heroic, he just did what the job called for. He did it with a sense of humour too. I remember overhearing him talk about a fire in a girls dorm at a local college. He said that as he kicked open the door of a smoke filled room with half dressed, freaked out college women inside, he yelled "Cover your eyes if you're naked, we're coming in."

Later in his career, my dad worked often in elementary schools with young kids; getting them used to seeing a firefighter in full gear. That was to keep them from freaking out thinking Darth Vader had come to get them so that they would come out from under the bed in a fire to be rescued. He appeared on kids TV shows doing the same thing.

My dad was also a union rep, fighting to get the best benefits and pay he could for his fellow fire fighters. My dad didn't live as long as some other members of his family did, not as long as I would have thought, genetically speaking. He died in poor health, also unusual for my family. His mother lived to be 98 and in her own home for all but the last 6 months of her life.

I don't know what he would say about the way firefighters are being treated today but I know that he wouldn't be happy about it at all. I think he would really like Herb Jones, the guy who is running for Virginia's 3rd State Senate District, against Tommy Norment, the Senate Majority Leader. Herb says this about firefighters:

There is presumptive cancer legislation in the code of Virginia, however, cancer is NOT a occupational hazard covered by Workers Compensation. The code requires the firefighter to identify the incident and the hazard that led to the cancer diagnosis. It’s a ridiculous burden of proof. The Republican leadership has played games with this for the past 15 years. One year it will pass in the house, but fail in the senate; the ensuing year, it will pass in the senate but fail in the house

They have to "identify the incident and the hazard that led to the cancer diagnosis" Wtf?!? You can check state by state here, but most states coverage for cancer sucks for firefighters. Though, I have to say, without knowing details, the updated version of Oklahoma's coverage looks good; "existence of any cancer that was not revealed by the physical examination passed by the member upon entry into the department." (Was that coverage enacted after the bombing?)

Firefighters have a higher incidence of cancer than the general population. A 2013 NIOSH study showed that firefighters have a 14% increased risk of dying from cancer, even when using full protective gear. They are exposed to all kinds of hazardous materials that release carcinogens when burned.




My father was most active in the fire department in the 1950's, '60's and '70's. I don't know what kinds of burning chemicals he encountered, but I do know that the house I live in today, built in 1957, most assuredly has lead paint under all those layers and I know for a fact that my kitchen floor is asbestos. When I had a new one put in, they wouldn't take the old one out, a hazmat team is needed for that; yet firefighters are expected to run into what will be a toxic dump if my house catches on fire.

This isn't a problem exclusive to any one state, it's a national problem. In Virginia, Herb Jones says "the only way firefighters and their families will be protected is by a change in the General Assembly and specifically in the leadership." I want to help Herb Jones get elected in Virginia and then I want to help Democrats get elected everywhere. Democrats govern with care because it works better. It will work better for firefighters, and my father, a lifelong Democrat, would for sure like that.

Who Would Sir Isaac Newton Vote For?

Almost every time I watch a Bernie Sanders speech or video, like the one above, I think, oh, that could be part of his 2020 announcement. Well... we won't have to wait much longer. I don't think anyone will be surprised to know that Bernie is getting close to announcing. And Saturday, Politico reported that his announcement video has been recorded.

It is unclear when, or even whether, the Sanders video will be released. It’s possible that Sanders could launch a 2020 campaign with an exploratory committee and then formally declare his candidacy later, a route other presidential candidates, such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren, have taken.

Sarah Ford, a spokeswoman for Sanders, did not respond to a request for comment about the video.

Tim Tagaris and Robin Curran, two 2016 alumni who helped power Sanders’ successful small-dollar fundraising program, have agreed to join any second presidential campaign.

The Sanders team has also been in talks with Means of Production, the filmmaking company that created Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s viral campaign video during the midterm election, about a major 2020 role.

Meanwhile, the group founded by Sanders has been readying its members in case he runs. Our Revolution revealed its plans this weekend for the second phase of its campaign to draft Sanders into the presidential race. In a fundraising email sent to supporters, Our Revolution political director David Duhalde asked for donations to help fund phone-banking, door-knocking, volunteer trainings, and other outreach strategies.

“We’re organizing every day so that if and when Bernie announces,” he said, “our members and our groups can hit the ground running.”

Chris has that right-- and by now you surely know what he'll fight for and who he'll fight for-- unlike the squad of would-be candidates running around like chickens without heads apologizing for their shitty records (particularly Biden, Gillibrand and Harris)-- and that he can be trusted, again, unlike the apologizers who did so much damage and want a second chance-- second chances are good... but as president??

Last night, Digby reminded her readers that "Democrats win when they embrace the future with optimism and energy. All the Democratic presidents of my lifetime won on that basis. From JFK to Carter to Clinton to Obama, it was always about aspiration for progress not a retreat to the past." That leaves out Biden-- "Mr. Return to Normalcy." In fact, an awful lot of candidates-- on all levels-- are running with the idea of just making things like they were before Trump. That won't work, The way things were before Trump is exactly what saddled us with Trump. Embracing the future with optimism and energy-- and a solid program-- is way more attractive,

Ro Khanna was a Bernie-endorser in 2016, when heavy pressure was being put on everyone to back Hillary, the inevitable next president. He and Bernie worked closely on the out-of-Yemen legislation and today Ro told me that "Bernie has a vision to transform our foreign policy to be based on human rights and restraint and our economic policy to focus on communities and workers left out. We need his leadership and voice at this time of record income disparity and polarization."

Randy Bryce was another Bernie supporter back in 2016. He's just as enthusiastic today as he was back then. "Sen. Sanders was one of the first electeds (federal level) to meet with me after we got into the race for Congress," he told me today. "Not only did he offer solid advice, but he made it to the district to help out more than just about anyone else. (4 events in 3 days) He’s the one who made us think about what we could have if we valued working people before it was popular. It’s great to see so many of the things we thought of as a fantasy to actually become mainstream and something many who have already announced are advocating. We need more who will put workers first. I look forward to welcoming anyone who is willing to walk a picket line."

Wisconsin state Senator Chris Larson was the guy who first introduced me to Randy Bryce, long before anyone outside the Wisconsin labor and veterans' movements had heard the word "IronStache." Chris gets why Bernie isn't just another run-of-the-mill politician. "In an age," he told me this morning, "where heroes are being shattered by resurgent histories and accusations of political mal-intent, Bernie may be one of the last politicians whom can be held up as someone who has been setting the tone for social justice, for our environment, and for economic equality for decades. Trump can only win a second term by maligning his opponents until enough doubt exists in enough of the electorate that they stay home. Bernie is one has shown he can handle that kind of heat and shift right back to what really matters in the world, all while keeping the people with him. We have a lot of great candidates outlining visions for the future of our country. Bernie, like Elizabeth Warren, is one who will never forget to fight for the little guy because it's all he's ever fought for."

I have this thing about having one great president in my lifetime. FDR was long gone before I came along and there hasn't been a truly great president since. Some OK ones, mostly mediocre ones, some really, really bad ones-- and, of course this illegitimate thing in the White House. I think Newton's Third Law (of physics) applies well to human and societal interaction. "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction," he wrote. That would mean that after Trump, America is due for its greatest president ever. Combining the thoughts of Isaac Newton, Digby and Chris Hayes... I see two possibilities: Elizabeth Warren or Bernie. Put in a dash of Ro Khanna, Chris Larson and Randy Bryce, and it's easy enough how to figure out who to vote for. The DownWithTyranny ActBlue thermometer on the right, as a matter of fact... well, if you agree with me, please consider a $20.20 contribution to someone who's going to be as great as Trump is insignificant and unfit. And to the candidates who will support his programs in Congress.

Eva Putzova is the progressive Democrat running in Arizona's massive 1st congressional district. The incumbent is Tom O'Halleran, an "ex"-Republican who calls himself a Blue Dog Democrat but tends to vote with the GOP on crucial issues. Eva, an activist and former member of the Flagstaff City Council is thrilled about Bernie's 2020 run. "In late March of 2016 at one of his campaign stops," she told me, "then presidential candidate Bernie Sanders announced the launch of Flagstaff's citizen initiative that successfully raised the local minimum wage to $15 and got rid of the exploitative tipped wage that keeps too many women, people of color, and immigrants living in poverty. That symbolic gesture inspired many to join our efforts against inequality at the local level. Senator Sanders's candidacy in the 2020 presidential cycle will inspire a broad-based grassroots action, energize young voters, and activate courage that we need to combat climate change and build a resilient economy that works for everybody. The political discourse we will see in the coming months will be much more constructive and focused because of his presence in the Democratic Party primaries."

Eva and Bernie in Flagstaff

Like Eva, Mike Siegel, a progressive congressional candidate in central Texas, admires Bernie and what he stands for, especially his "deep and longstanding  commitment to addressing the root causes of inequality and injustice in the United States. We need courageous leadership in this moment, when our democratic institutions are under attack and when the economic system is increasingly rigged to favor the 1%. Here in Texas, Bernie’s 2016 campaign inspired the creation of dozens of enduring grassroots organizations that continue to fight for structural, progressive change at the local, state and national levels. I am hopeful that his 2020 campaign will provide another boost to movements for social justice here and across the nation."

As for "centrists"... there's nothing there. Nor should there be sat this point. What's the centrist policy on Climate Change? Well save Florida. But only starting with Orlando; everything south of Orlando... move-- fast. Historically, "the centrists" are the people who may agree that something is wrong and needs fixing but the solutions are way too hard, impossible, impractical. Let's try a bandaid and see if that works. Had centrists been in charge guess what would be missing from American history. Medicare and Medicaid, Social Security, minimum wages, public education, women's suffrage, emancipation of the slaves, the Bill of Rights (Amendments 1-10)... in fact, there would be no American history because we'd still be a British colony!

Last July, Sarah Jones penned an essay for the New Republic, There Is No Silent Centrist Majority, her point being that "the base of the Democratic Party is much further to the left than moderates recognize." The Democratic establishment aggressively promotes conservative Democrats, who are referred to as "centrists" and "moderates," and they all sit around talking to each other are persuading themselves that the grassroots of the party is someone as white, old, rich and clueless as they are. They think everyone is like Cheri Bustos, an Illinois Blue Dog who was trained by Rahm Emanuel to be just like him. Pelosi just picked her to be the chair of the DCCC. She picked all right-of-center Democrats to run it and the recruitment committee, particularly, looks like it was chosen to fail. The co-chairs are Pete Aguilar (this coke freak), Val Demings and Don McEachin. All New Dems. Who do you think they're going to recruit?

Jones quoted Bustos for her essay: "If you look throughout the heartland, there’s a silent majority who just wants normalcy, just wants to see that people are going to go out to Washington and fight for them in a civil way and get something done. There’s a lot of people that just don’t really like protests and don’t like yelling and screaming." They would have been the third of the country who refused to take sides in the War of Independence. "Party leaders might be centrist, but the base is not," wrote Jones.

In 2016, Democratic voters nearly rejected centrism outright, as the primary campaign of Senator Bernie Sanders proved more popular than expected. Nudged partly by Sanders, Hillary Clinton’s platform in 2016 veered further left than her platform eight years earlier. But on paper, her candidacy represented everything that Third Way Democrats seem to want. She had extensive political experience and a strong donor base. Her policies were detailed. She largely rejected Sanders’s platform, articulated a clear, incremental policy vision, and professed a belief in American greatness at the same time. And then she lost.

Today, it’s clear that Sanders is not the outlier he used to be. Many Democrats now agree with at least a few of his marquee policies, like Medicare for All and a higher minimum wage. But some Democrats, notably those at Opportunity 2020 last week, still insist that the politically smart path is a message of civility and capitalist reform, not outrage and economic redistribution. “The party is not going to go in the direction of Sanders-style socialism, because it’s not winning on the issues and it doesn’t win politically except in a very, very limited number of places,” Third Way President Jonathan Cowan told Time. “It’s going to go in the direction that won it two presidencies-- the last two, two-term Democratic presidents were mainstream Democrats-- and what is going to get the House back.”

As reported by Buzzfeed, “Third Way’s own polling indicates that ‘46% of voters said the government’s focus should be on ‘policies that spread opportunity to more people and places,’ compared to 25% who said ‘policies that address income inequality.’” If centrists think that result proves that there’s popular support for moderate politics, they’re likely mistaken; it’s not clear how “policies that spread opportunity” differ from “policies that address income inequality” in a meaningful sense, especially to voters. In reality, a number of policies once relegated to the leftist fringe have suddenly gained widespread approval among Democrats, and centrist policies don’t seem to enjoy nearly the same levels of popularity.

In fact, national polling suggests that there is public support for an institutional move to the left. Polls consistently show that two-thirds to three-quarters of Americans support raising taxes on the rich. Nearly half of Americans support a federal jobs guarantee, according to a Rasmussen poll in May. And a Kaiser Family Foundation poll in March found that 59 percent of Americans support Medicare for All; around 75 percent support the public option, which would have been part of the Affordable Care Act if it weren’t for moderates like then–Senator Joe Lieberman. Among Democrats specifically, support for these and other policies is even higher.

...The argument that Third Way centrism is more viable than Sanders’s platform rests largely on one premise: that some silent majority of voters prefer moderate politics. This is why moderates are pinning their hopes on Joe Biden as a possible 2020 presidential candidate. The former senator and vice president “has near-universal name identification, a personality and biography that makes him attractive to some 2016 Trump voters, and an issues profile that won’t drive progressives off the ledge,” New York’s Ed Kilgore notes.

Herb Jones, endorsed by Blue America, is running for the Virginia state Senate seat held by the racist Majority Leader. This afternoon, he told me why he's a Bernie-supporter. "I love Bernie. I love Bernie because he is genuine in what he says and does. He is the essence of America. Bernie will fight for Medicare for All, progressive, marginal tax rates, regulated adult use of cannabis, and other common sense policies..."

Some Hopeful News From Virginia For A Change

You've heard the argument that any white men who grew up on the Virginia Peninsula at the time Northam did can be expected to be somewhat racially insensitive. Virginia's 3rd Senate District is mostly on that peninsula and it is represented by Tommy Norment, the Republican majority leader, who, as it turns out with his yearbook editor-- a yearbook filled with racial and antisemitic slurs... and picture of young men in blackface. The 3rd includes all of the counties of Gloucester, King and Queen, King William and New Kent, parts of the counties of Isle of Wight, James City, Surry and York and all of the city of Poquoson plus parts of Hampton and Suffolk.

The last time Norment faced a Democrat was in 2015 when he walked off with 69.7% of the vote. This time he'll be facing Army veteran Herb Jones, a progressive Democrat. He retired from the active duty in 1991 and settled in New Kent County, where he started his civilian career in finance and investments In 1999, he was elected County Treasurer for New Kent by a wide margin and went on to serve three terms. Herb continued to serve his country by remaining in the US Army Reserves. A member of the Army Reserves he was called up twice after 9/11 and served in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

When I asked Herb about Norment, he pointed out that he's been serving in the General Assembly for almost 30 years. and then offered a quote from Mark Twain: "Diapers and politicians should be changed often. And for the same reason."

Norment is a dishonest politician who thinks he can act anyway he wants with impunity. It’s time to change the diaper. He has blocked commonsense legislation on health care, equal rights, criminal justice reforms, regulation of adult use of cannabis, taxes, and has demonstrated himself to be an unapologetic racist for his entire adult life. Norment is largely responsible for Virginia's refusal to expand Medicaid for Obamacare, costing Virginians a fortune-- over $10 billion in federal aid to help care for around 400,000 cities of the state.

As of this week, Blue America has endorsed Herb Jones and we urge you to read his guest post below. If you'd like to contribute to his campaign-- this is a 2019 off-cycle election in November-- please tap on the ActBlue thermometer on the right. Herb was a Bernie guy in 2016 and will make an exceptional state legislator, particularly in comparison to racist slob Tommy Norment who really should get the heave ho. And by the way, today the Virginia state Senate has 21 Republicans and 19 Democrats. If there are no other changes aside from in the 3rd district, there will be a 20-20 ties with the Democratic Lt. Governor being the deciding vote. That's a very big deal.

Ralph Northam Should NOT Resign
by Herb Jones

The political drama continues to develop in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Folks from all sides continue to call for resignations. The history of Virginia continues to rear it ugly head. People continue to be angry for our collective history and experiences that occurred in the past. We do have choices: to dwell in the past or discuss our history, learn from the unacceptable behaviors, and heal.

The opportunity to grow from tragic adversity is a choice: When my mother was 9-years-old growing up in Ware Shoals, South Carolina, she was called in to their home after playing, only to be confronted with the horrifying news that her father had just been lynched and his body burned. My mother choose not to live the rest of her life full of anger and hatred nor did she blame America for what happened to her father. In my mother’s unparalleled wisdom, she consciously chose to share this fact of our family heritage with my three brothers and me after we had graduated from college, started our careers and matured into adulthood. She knew what would have happened if shared this with us while we were rambunctious teenagers. She was a woman of wisdom and forgiveness. She was the kindest, sweetest, and most generous person I’ve ever known. My brothers and I strive to emulate our mother and father in how we live our lives.

Given the events over the past ten days, if perfection is the new standard for service, then we are all in trouble. In 1984, Ralph Northam was the product of his environment, the eastern shore of Virginia, one of the most racist areas in Virginia. What Ralph did in these photos was stupid, insensitive, and callous. But this was 35 years ago. The hypocrisy surrounding these events is deafening. We have a man in the White House who is ignorant and an unapologetic racist and has been so for his entire life, and-- in a full page ad-- called for the execution of five black boys who were later proven innocent, but never apologized; we have an alcoholic supreme court justice who attempted to rape a young girl in high school and who is also unapologetic; we have a congressman from Iowa who spouts racism every time he moves his lips; in Richmond, Virginia we still have an avenue replete with statues to racist confederate generals whose sole purpose was to keep black people enslaved and overthrow the United States of America. Compare these to a man-- Governor Ralph Northam-- who has made mistakes, admitted his mistakes, apologized for them, has and continues to wear his compassion and empathy on his sleeve; a man who has grown and evolved.

Ralph Northam should NOT resign. This is an opportunity to begin a serious discussion on race and history in the United States. If Ralph Northam resigns, we will never hear from him again. As governor, he has a bully pulpit to start this dialogue. This time is akin to President Barak Obama’s Reverend Wright moment when he made a speech that saved his campaign. Governor Northam has to make the same kind of gesture. Events like this seldom if align that provides a unique place in time. We will never have another opportunity like this. Nelson Mandela birthed the Truth and Reconciliation Movement. He knew that anger and revenge would accomplish nothing. South Africa would have imploded otherwise. We all have made mistakes. If we cannot acknowledge these mistakes, talk about them, and heal, then we will continue to live in past, and the great chasm in American society will never be healed.