Primaries-- Against Long Island Incumbents

Yesterday we took a look at some of the prospective 2020 Democratic congressional primaries in New York City, based on a NY Times piece by Shane Goldmacher. I promised to finish up today with a look at the two possible Long Island primaries. I'll describe both. NY-03 is the North Shore district that starts in Suffolk County around Kings Park and Commack, heads west through Huntington, and into Nassau County towns like Oyster Bay, Hicksville, Glen Cove and Great Neck, winding up in northeast Queens (Douglaston and Beechhurst) ending at Alexandria Ocasio's district. It's a pretty affluent district (3rd wealthiest in the country with a $101,695 medium income) and a D+1 PVI. Obama won twice and Hillary beat Trump 51.6% to 45.5%. The district is 73% white, 13% Asian, 9% Latino and 3% Black. It's Steve Israel's old district and the current congressman, Tom Suozzi, is the former Nassau County Executive.

In 2016, when Israel retired, Suozzi decisively won a crowded primary and went on to beat Republican Jack Martins 53-47%. In 2018, there was no primary challenger and Suozzi has no problem in the general, beating Republican Dan DeBono 157,456 (59%) to 109,514 (41%).

Unlike Israel, Suozzi didn't join the ultra-reactionary Blue Dogs. Instead he signed up with the less reactionary New Dems. Goldmacher highlights his membership in the "bipartisan [albeit misleadingly named] Problem Solvers Caucus," and explains that he "has angered progressive activists, including on immigration, after he went on Fox and Friends last summer to embrace 'some physical structures on the border' and defend the Immigration and Customs and Enforcement agency. This is ironic, single Suozzi-- despite his conservatism some things, is pretty much considered a super-star when it comes to progressive immigration policy.

In 1994, as Mayor of Glen Cove, Suozzi created one of the first day laborer centers on the East Coast. When he was honored by the New York Immigration Coalition (for creating an environment of welcome and inclusion for immigrants in Nassau County) in 2011, he told the audience that "Those men who were standing on the street corner looking for work back in 1994 are the same men who now have their own businesses as landscapers and contractors. They have bought their own homes. Their children are now going to the same public schools as my children. They are living the American Dream... What ICE officials were doing [massive raids] was wrong. [He asked the audience to put themselves in the place of immigrant children] "who saw ICE come bursting through the door in the middle of the night, some of them carrying shotguns, to take away members of their family. Do you think that child will ever trust law enforcement again? This issue has become an excuse for racism in this country and we have to constantly work to persuade people that we are talking about human beings and their lives. We have a lot more work to do together. We have a lot of people to convince."

So... someone may want to primary Suozzi for being too conservative or not progressive enough... but immigration is the wrong issue. And so is anything to do with Climate Change. He quickly offered to co-sponsor AOC's GreenNewDeal resolution.

Goldmacher asserts that "some on the left have encouraged Robert Zimmerman, a D.N.C. member who lives in the district and once ran for Congress in the early 1980s, to challenge Mr. Suozzi from the left. Zimmerman, 64, did not rule out a run as he slammed Mr. Suozzi as a 'Trump sympathizer' in an interview. 'I understand it’s unusual,' Mr. Zimmerman said of a party official attacking his local congressman. 'It’s more unusual to have a member not stand up for mainstream Democratic principles.' Friends and relatives of mine in the district laughed at the idea of Zimmerman being encouraged by "some on the left." One told me that whatever I may think of Suozzi, Zimmerman is just an opportunist and careerist hack with nothing to offer.

South of Suozzi's district is Kathleen Rice's-- NY-04. It's where I grew up (Valley Stream and then Roosevelt) and it's entirely within Nassau County. It goes from Westbury, Garden City, Mineola and Floral Park through Hempstead, Freeport, Rockville Centre, Lynbrook and East Roackaway down to Jones Beach, Long Beach and the Five Towns. The PVI is D+4 and Obama and Hillary both won by low double digits. It's the 14th most affluent congressional district in America. Demographically it's 60.5% white, 17.7% Latino, 14% Black and 6% Asian.

Rice was always a very right-wing Democrat who made a career by prosecuting poor people. She's been a horrible careerist and Wall Street shill for her whole career and a nightmare New Dem in Congress. There are several Democrats considering primary challenges. Goldmacher wrote that "Kevan Abrahams, the Democratic leader in the Nassau County Legislature who lost a primary to Ms. Rice in 2014, is considering running again," but he's one of many.

Jay Jacobs, the incoming chairman of the New York Democratic Party, acknowledged that Ms. Ocasio-Cortez’s success had emboldened potential challengers. But he noted that the primary rules in New York have changed since 2018, when it was the only state in America to hold a separate state and congressional elections, driving down turnout to abysmal lows. Plus, incumbents won't be “caught sleeping.”

“It’s going to be a real fight,” Mr. Jacobs said. “And in a real fight, my money is with the incumbents.”

No doubt Jacobs' money is with the incumbents.

How Toxic Is The Trumpanzee On Long Island?

Jack Martins, stuck between sociopath Donald Trump and convicted felon Dean Skelos

Judging by turnout in the primary, there's a lot more enthusiasm for Hillary on Long Island than there is for Mr. Trumpanzee. Both candidates are known by virtually everyone in Nassau and everyone in Suffolk. These were the primary votes in Nassau County:

GOP

• Trumpanzee- 66,989
• Kasich- 21,682
• Cruz- 9,325

Democratic

• Hillary- 70,947
• Bernie- 42,301

And these are the primary votes for Suffolk County:

GOP

• Trumpanzee- 69,379
• Kasich- 17,716
• Cruz- 8,548

Democratic

• Hillary- 49,926
• Bernie- 41,363

204,537 Democrats voted and 193,639 Republicans voted in the two counties. Since then, Señor Trumpanzee has completely tanked among suburban women. A newly released poll by the the Global Strategy Group in NY-03 shows Hillary up 51-35% over Trump, almost as bad as the numbers in the suburbs around Philly where she has been advertising heavily. Trump's unfavorables are unprecedented-- 67% with 53% very unfavorable.

The Democratic candidate for NY-03 is Tom Suozzi, a former County Executive, and the Republican candidate is probably state Sen. Jack Martins, a hack from the corrupt Dean Skelos machine who got hoist on his own petard by having Republican Phil Pidot illegally kicked off the primary ballot. A court has since ordered that Martins has to run against Pidot in October.

Martins, who has embraced Trump, is seeing the same polling numbers that everyone else is seeing-- with Trump dragging his campaign down the toilet. The latest poll shows Suozzi beating him by 16 points, 52-36%. Angry that he has to face Pidot in a primary, angry that Suozzi is cleaning his clock and petrified about being on the same ballot as Trump, Martins is demanding the election be postponed a month until December 6.

Suozzi was joined this weekend by the Libertarian candidate and the other Republican, Pidot, is denouncing Martins tactics. "Jack Martins," he reminded the media, "has unsuccessfully attempted to eliminate each and every opponent who has filed signatures to qualify for the ballot in the 3rd Congressional District. These are the kinds of petty insider political games that voters are sick of. Martins needs to stop wasting everyone’s time and millions of taxpayer dollars and instead tell us what he is really about." Yesterday, The Island Now covered the three candidates' press conference in Greenvale. "It's time for Jack Martins to put on his big boy pants," said Suozzi."This is an election about important issues, and it's time to talk about the issues and actually have a debate and let the people decide who they think the best candidate is, instead of playing these weaselly maneuvers that he's been using over and over again."

I bet other Republicans all over the country would like to try the same tactic-- postponing the election-- to get away from Trump.

Can Bernie Spread The Revolution Downticket?

Jonathan Clarke, Long Island Berniecrat

Bernie's endorsement of Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Lucy Flores (D-NV) and Zephyr Teachout (D-NY) has raised about $400,000 for each of them in about a month. His endorsement over the weekend of Tim Canova brought Tim $250,000 in the first 24 hours! Yesterday he endorsed 8 candidates for state legislatures. "I'm proud to announce," he wrote to his followers, "that I am endorsing seven progressive candidates for state legislatures across this country. These seven candidates-- activists, civil rights attorneys, and the children of immigrants-- will help lead progressive policy in the states, and some will be a part of one of the most important political powers: re-drawing Congressional districts after the 2020 elections. For decades, Republicans have been very good at winning elections at the state level, meaning conservative control of state laws and of Congressional districts, as well as a deep bench of Republican legislators who eventually run for Congress, governor, or even president. Democrats haven't been as effective. We need that to change, starting with these seven progressives... What this moment also requires is people in the streets fighting for change and legislatures across the country willing to stand with them. That is the political revolution, and that’s why splitting your contribution to Bernie 2016 and these candidates' campaigns is so important."

• Justin Bamberg (D-SC)
• David Bowen (D-WI)
• Clara Hart (D-SD)
• Terry Alexander (D-SC)
• Carol Ammons (D-IL)
• Chris Pearson (D-VT)
• Jane Kim (D-CA)
• Joe Salazar (D-CO)

You can contribute to Justin Bamberg and Joe Salazar and to other dedicated progressives running for state legislative seats around the country by clicking on the thermometer on the right. Meanwhile, sources inside the Bernie camp have indicated he will also be endorsing candidates running for Congress. I don't know which ones. Maybe because I went to the same elementary and high schools in Brooklyn as he did-- albeit enough years apart so that we were never in the buildings at the same time-- several of the candidates endorsed by Blue America have asked me if I could help get Bernie to consider them. I can't. I've only spoken to him once and he has his own advisors telling him who to consider. I was pretty overjoyed he went for Canova, that's for sure.

This is an e-mail I got yesterday from Jonathan Clarke, the Berniecrat running for the Long Island North Shore seat Steve Israel was forced to relinquish, presumably by the FBI for his role in the scam that landed Ami Bera's father in prison.

Below is my official request I sent to Senator Sanders asking for his endorsement. I emailed it to him and Jeff Weaver.  I know he will be endorsing a little over 12 more candidates this week. I hope I am one of them.  Is there any way you can see that he gets this letter or if you can speak with him about his endorsement for me. This race is one of the most important congressional races in the country. Whoever wins the primary wins the general. I have only 5 weeks left on the campaign and I have worked so hard, but I worry since my opponents have the advantage of name recognition over me that anything could happen. I would really appreciate it.  Thank you in advance!  ~Jonathan


Dear Senator Sanders,

My name is Jonathan Clarke, and I am running for New York's Third Congressional seat. I am writing to you to ask for your endorsement.

I am a progressive and your historic run has inspired me to run for Congress. I believe in the vision you have for this country, and I want to help you make that happen with a progressive Congress.

New York’s Third Congressional race is a very interesting district and has been called by Newsday and community leaders as "Ground Zero" for corruption. It is also the only Congressional District in which a Sanders’ Democrat has a very real chance of victory.

I am one of five democratic candidates running in a primary to replace Steve Israel who recently stepped down. All four of my opponents are strong Clinton supporters, and I am the sole candidate who supports you. My four opponents are essentially the same candidate with the same corporatist agendas and deep ties to Long Island’s highly corrupt political system.

It is highly likely I could win this race since my opponents will divide the establishment vote four ways while I can garner the entire progressive vote. My only obstacle is name recognition. Your endorsement would catapult me to victory in this primary. Since the Third Congressional district leans democratic, the winner of the democratic primary has a distinct advantage in the general election. Therefore, your endorsement would be highly effective in getting a Sanders Democrat into Congress.

My strong support of you and your platform has earned me the support of many Sanders supporters here on Long Island. We all have worked very hard volunteering on your campaign when it was here on Long Island, and we would all love to have your endorsement for my congressional race.

I do want to say, whether you endorse me or not, I and the hundred or so volunteers on my campaign stand with you. We have seen the way your message has had an enormous impact here on Long Island. You have already inspired many people on Long Island to take back the Nassau, Suffolk and Queens Democratic parties. Hundreds of us are committed to becoming committee people in the local party so that we can fundamentally change the political system from the ground up. Similarly, there are many of us who are priming ourselves for local elections. Your race has truly been an inspiration, and you have started a groundswell that will fundamentally alter the political system of Long Island.

Thank you for reading my letter.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Clarke
Candidate for Congress
New York District 3

Bernie didn't do that well in NY-03. The people who have sent Steve Israel to Congress over and over, seemed to be more comfortable with the establishment candidate. Bernie's Suffolk County total was 45.3% but in Nassu County he only scored 37.4% of the vote. And, alas, nationally, the Bernie voters by and large haven't been been especially supportive of congressional Berniecrats at the polls, a big disappointment for those of us who have been hoping the revolution would catch on for real. But, whether Bernie endorses him or not, you can contribute to Jonathan's campaign-- and to any of the other Berniecrats we've vetted at Blue America-- by tapping on the BernieCongress thermometer, which is, of course, different from the legislature thermometer up above:

Some Endorsements Can Mean A Lot-- Like The Nurses Announcement For Bao Nguyen

Two Democrats involved in crowded primaries got very high-level endorsements this week. Blue America-backed progressive Bao Nguyen is competing in a jungle primary with 2 other Democrats and 4 Republicans to replace Loretta Sanchez in the Orange County congressional seat she's giving up to run for Senate. Two great unions-- National Nurses United (NNU) and the California Nurses Association came together to endorse him Monday. Bao, the Mayor of Garden Grove, is the only progressive in the race and he's backing Bernie's campaign and running on the same package of issues and values.

Shella Soriano, RN, and a local leader of the California Nurses Association/National Nurses United, announced the much-coveted endorsement, noting that Bao "has made serving the public interest his priority... For demanding improved Medicare for all, advocating for school funding, ensuring accountable government, and pushing back on corporations that put our community and our environment at risk, Bao has demonstrated that he will be a champion for the people of Orange County-- our jobs, our families, and our health."

Bao responded by pointing out that "the fight for universal healthcare is not over. While the Affordable Care Act certainly has helped in many respects, millions of Americans remain uninsured. I plan to build off the successes of Obamacare, and fight to expand healthcare until every last American family has the resources they need to keep themselves and their children healthy... The nurses who care for our families are on the front lines, keeping Americans healthy. I’m proud to have their support, and in Congress, I’ll make sure they have the resources they need to do their jobs."

The same day, just a few hours later, one of the villains of Democratic Party politics, Steve Israel, looked at the list of 5 Democrats vying for the NY-03 North Shore of Long Island seat he's giving up and, predictably, went right for the most corrupt and most conservative of the 5, Suffolk County legislator Steve Stern. Israel had previously promised the other candidates he wouldn't endorse in the race, although his staffers have all been working for Stern and helping Stern connect with Israel's shady contributors. Stern admitted publicly that Israel is his "mentor" and said he intends "to fulfill Steve Israel’s legacy."

Israel said he told Stern of his endorsement decision at Sweet Hollow Diner about two weeks ago, at a time he was lying to the other candidates about remaining neutral. But, of course, lying is a major part of Steve Israel's greasy legacy. No one ever thought he would be neutral anyway. Israel had lured poor Anna Kaplan into the race so that she would split the Nassau County vote with Kaiman (and, as it turned out, Suozzi). Abut, basically, Israel had promised Stern the seat when he thought he was going to run for Hillary's U.S. Senate seat (before Schumer told him to go sit in the corner and behave himself). Stern's wife is a real Jewish American Princess and she's always been giving Stern a hard time about being a lowly county legislator even though she comes from a family of wealthy furniture peddlers. And that brings us to the other part of Israel's disgraceful legacy-- turning the Democratic Party into a kind of plutocracy, even admitting that one of the factors that went into his decision to endorse the lazy, low-achievement Stern was that he raised the most money, neglecting to mention, that there aforementioned furniture empire have him $54,000 and that he self-funded another $68,000.

The Bernie candidate in the race, Jonathan Clarke (who you can support here) downplayed Israel's endorsement. "It doesn’t mean much. People are tired of career politicians. Israel is one and Stern is just following in his footsteps. No one is more generic than Steve Stern."

2 corrupt career politicians, Steve + Steve

New York State of Mind

-by Tracy B Ann

Some people have no sense of place, nowhere that they feel strong ties to, nowhere they can call home. I have a couple. Michigan is where I was born and grew up and it will always be home to me. I live in Tennessee and it’s all right. There are a lot of things that I like about it here. It’s a lot warmer than Michigan, there are nice hills, and, um, it’s warmer than Michigan.

I think I’ve been to most states in the country, except Texas. Sorry, but Texas just freaks me out. I was on a tour bus close to getting there once when I had to stop, get off and fly home. This was before Austin was cool, but really, the place scares the shit out of me. No disrespect intended.

One very special place where I felt at home immediately is New York. Five minutes after I got there the first time, I felt like I had lived there all my life. I might live there too, except it’s very expensive to do so, and, um, it's just as cold as Michigan.

Unlike here in Tennessee though, New Yorkers have choices of Democrats to vote for in their elections. What a luxury. We don’t have that here in Tennessee. Though we do have warm weather, I am often reminded of what my dad used to say about cold, frigid weather, he said "it stimulates brain activity." A quick trip to a mall here will lead anyone to conclude there must be some truth to that.

Democrats to choose from in New York, yep, I like that. In New York’s 24th Congressional District there are a few Dem’s to choose from. There is Colleen Deacon; she spent 6 years working for the Mayor and the city of Syracuse, then moved on to Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's office for the next 6 years, working as the Regional Director for Central New York.

After Colleen graduated from college she waited tables for less than minimum wage, with no insurance and of course no benefits. She became pregnant, worked up until 2 days before she gave birth and, as a single mom, used Medicaid and the WIC program to survive. As a congresswoman she would certainly know about the programs she was voting on.

Some of the issues she’s wants to focus on are jobs and manufacturing. The district has lost a lot of jobs and there is a threat of the nuclear plant closing. 60% of school funding comes from the nuclear plant. Infrastructure is also big on her agenda. Colleen believes improving infrastructure creates jobs in both the short term and long term by bringing in new business. A modern, well maintained infrastructure is a good selling point for any area.

This district has over 300 bridges that are damaged and need repair. (I’ve always been baffled by why Republicans don’t want to invest in infrastructure. They drive over bridges too don’t they?)

Colleen has experience working with diverse groups of people and believes in getting “more people at the table”, in “bringing all stakeholders together”. She helped connect community colleges with apprenticeship programs this way. Having worked in government she feels she would be effective the moment she walks into the office, she knows the ins and outs of the system and "how to get things done that don't involve floor votes." Colleen has the endorsement of many establishment Democrats.

As a woman, Colleen Deacon is part of the Off the Sidelines Initiative. While women make up over 50% of the population in the US, they make up only 19% of the US Congress. Hmm…

Eric Kingson is another Dem to choose from in the 24th Congressional district. Eric is a Professor of Social Work at Syracuse University, teaching courses in community organization and public policy & advocacy, among other courses.

He is driven by core values that developed from his work in the civil rights movement in his college days, spending summers in the South registering voters. He is a founding co-director of Social Security Works, and co-chairs the Strengthen Social Security Campaign, a coalition of over 300 national and state organizations. His work is credited with stopping SS cuts and keeping the retirement age from being raised.

Working with these organizations and others has given him lots of experience in public policy. He could make an impact in Congress just by continuing the work he’s already doing. He’s made and continues to make a positive impact.

He is an unambiguous progressive who wants to invest heavily in infrastructure and has a financial plan to do it. A financial transaction tax. Mr. Kingson believes that "giving away the highest tax cuts to those with the highest income has undermined our infrastructure and our society," that "money has been used to capture seats in the Senate and House."

Eric is focused on protecting social security for all, providing college students relief from predatory loans and getting them involved, in fact he sends time in high schools to show students their role in Democracy. He has vowed not to ever take corporate money as he believes campaign finance is undermining democracy, that the golden age of the American dream has been lost due to income inequality.

Eric Kingson is highly respected as an expert and academic of 30 years and as an activist working with Congress. The author of many books and the recipient of awards including the 2010 Martin Luther King, Jr. Unsung Hero Award.

In New York’s 3rd Congressional district, where Steve Israel is retiring, Jonathan Clarke is running. He became an attorney to help people and realized that as a progressive politician he could help even more people. There are several other candidates in this primary but one thing that separates Jonathan is that when he goes to the Grand Jury he sits outside in the hall because he's there representing a client.

He heads the pro bono division of the law firm Clarke & Fellows where he is a managing partner. He represents clients whose homes are being foreclosed on and is an animal advocate, providing free legal work for local animal rights groups.

His major focus is on campaign finance reform, not, as he says "that there aren't more pressing issues; like over reaching drug laws, income inequality and our whole prison system." It's just that Jonathan believes that campaign reform needs to be addressed first in order to fix the other problems.

I love that part. It fits in so well with my "first things first" philosophy, which is why I believe that the way to elect more and better Democrats is to register more voters. That is the thing all 3 of these candidates have in common, they all support 90for90, a voter registration advocacy movement.

As does the New York State Democratic Party Chairwoman Sheila Comar. Her passion is registering voters and she is dismayed by the lack of early voting, weekend voting or a national holiday for voting. She is saddened that we "don't value Election Day."

90for90 is working hard to raise the value of Election Day and honor those who fought so hard to gain the right to vote for all. There are many ways to join this voter registration movement, one is by going to their Facebook page and "liking" them. Show support for voter registration and the NY Democratic who prioritize voting for all.

[Kingson and Clarke have both endorsed Bernie and are on Blue America's Bernie Congress page. You can contribute to their campaigns here.]

Steve Israel Is Retiring. Will Long Islanders Replace Him With A Genuine Democrat? Meet Jonathan Clarke

If you define Long Island as Nassau and Suffolk County, as most New Yorkers do, you're looking at 4 congressional districts, all won by Obama both times he ran. All 4 current congressmembers are more conservative than their constituents. Failed PR executive and former Blue Dog Steve Israel has represented NY-03 for 16 years since winning the open seat by defeating an African-American woman, Joan Johnson. About a third of the district is in Suffolk County (from Kings Park and Commack west to Huntington), another 10% is in eastern Queens (Glen Oaks, Little Neck, Bay Terrace, Beechhurst, and Whitestone) and the bulk of it is northern Nassau County (from Plainview, Hicksville, Old Westbury and Syosset to Oyster Bay, Glen Cove, Port Washington, Great Neck and Manhasset). In the 2012 congressional election about 110,000 votes were cast in the Nassau part of the district, 91,000 votes in the Suffolk part and 34,000 in the Queens section.

It hasn't come out yet which pending corruption case involving Steve Israel drove him into announcing his early retirement. Let's not look a gift horse in the mouth. Fact is, Long Island primary voters will pick their party nominees June 28. It appears the GOP has coalesced around state Sen. Jack Martins, who might make a more formidable candidate if he weren't so tied to Dean Skelos and the biggest corruption case to have rocked Long Island politics in decades.

The Democratic race is more interesting. The best-known establishment figures are basically run-of-the-mill hacks: serial loser Tom Suozzi, termed-out Suffolk County Legislator and Steve Israel protégée Steve Stern, Iranian-American multimillionaire Anna Kaplan and Jon Kaiman, who has been bouncing from political appointment to political appointment. These are a sad lot of the kinds of generic Democrats who have tarnished the party brand on Long Island and left voters scrambling to figure out the lesser-of-two evils in election after election. Fortunately, this one has a difference: Jonathan Clarke, an attorney/activist, is the sole progressive running in the NY-03 primary and he represents a unique opportunity to elect someone who aspires to serve the public, rather than self-serve. He endorsed Bernie Sanders and is running on a platform that, in large part, mirrors a Bernie's far-reaching reform vision. The focus of Clarke’s campaign is geared towards fixing a corrupt campaign finance system and he has asked the other candidates in the primary to enter into a binding agreement to limit the amount of spending the primary to $300,000. All four have refused and have instead vowed to spend millions of dollars.

In 2015, New York was ranked the most corrupt state in the Union with over 30 indicted politicians, and New York’s Third Congressional District is in no way immune to political corruption. The owns of Oyster Bay and North Hempstead, which are in the heart of the district have recently been rocked with scandals. On Long Island both parties are eerily centrist and share a passion for political corruption. The district includes some of the wealthiest individuals in America who live in elite communities along Long Island’s Gold Coast just above a mostly blue-collar majority in the middle of Long Island, which was the former home of Grumman... and now disappeared good union jobs.

Not without reason, disgusted Long Island Democratic voters have been turning to the GOP, sickened by the corruption and ineffectiveness by the party that's supposed to be effective and not be corrupt. A recent poll indicated a generic Republican would defeat a generic Democrat in the congressional race to replace Israel. This underscores the need for a nongeneric Democrat this year.

And, Jonathan Clarke is the epitome of a nongeneric Democrat.  An activist/attorney and managing partner in his law firm, Clarke & Fellows P.C., he uses the profits from its personal injury cases to fund a pro bono program that provides legal support to individuals involved in animal rescue. He may have a short political resume but he feels his lack of political experience is a strength in this race where people are tired of career politicians and fed up with the establishment.



When we spoke with Jonathan this morning, he emphasized that "We can't afford to lose this opportunity to elect Bernie Sanders. There simply is too much at risk. You do not have to look far to see the effect of a corrupt campaign finance system in our district. Steve Israel, who I will be replacing, said that the effect of Citizens United made it impossible for him to effectively legislate since he spent a large part of his day 'dialing for dollars' and since he was tired of the perpetual fundraising, he would be stepping down. Bernie Sanders will prioritize overturning Citizens United, and this will have an effect that will reach far beyond freeing up legislators to actually legislate. Overturning Citizens United will fight systemic corruption and go a long way to improving our economy.

"This is because this corrupt campaign finance system bolsters a rigged economy in which Wall Street is deregulated to the point where risky trading is the norm. The effects of deregulation were made evident in 2008, and this connection between deregulation and campaign contributions is undeniable. What is more, the money in politics has allowed the wealthy to become super wealthy. It has allowed the wealth to concentrate and ossify in an elite few who are not sharing their prosperity.

"Here in the 3rd district, this rigged economic system caused a mass exodus of people under thirty five. This is essentially because nobody can afford to live here. It is hard to get a mortgage after the 2008 meltdown in general, but it is especially hard when most young people already have a mortgage’s worth of debt in the form of student loans. The economic distress the young are feeling is only made worse by the fact that we are loosing good jobs due to horrible trade policies that will only be made worse if the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) is allowed to pass. The result of no jobs and high student debt will result in a generation that will be stuck in limbo for decades who will struggle to get by on sub $15 an hour living wages."

If you'd like to help Bernie and Jonathan, this Bernie ActBlue page is for contributions to his campaign and to the campaigns of congressional candidates, like Clarke, who are running on the same policies and with a similar vision. He's not going to be financed by corporate special interests or even the kind of institutional Democratic money Israel is directing towards his crony, Steve Stern. Just click the thermometer: