How Rep. Karen Bass Became A Leading VP Contender

[Quixote1818]

I really think she is sharp.


The California representative and former state Assembly speaker has emerged as a leading challenger to be Joe Biden’s running mate.

Kathleen Ronayne

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California’s leaders were deadlocked and on the verge of financial catastrophe in 2008. Five negotiators, including Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, couldn’t agree on a budget that would guide the nation’s most populous state through the Great Recession.

Enter Karen Bass, who became Assembly speaker that May, the first Black woman to hold the role. She shifted the tone of the talks, helping the group find common ground.

“When Karen came into the Big 5, everything changed,” said Mike Villines, then the Republican Assembly leader. “We started to make little progress on little things, and it led to bigger progress.”

A dozen years later, the bridge-building, unassuming style that colleagues say made Bass an effective leader in Sacramento is among the reasons the current California congresswoman has emerged as a leading contender to become Joe Biden’s running mate. The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee appeared with Bass for the first time at a fundraiser on Thursday. He plans to make a pick next week.

More: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-rep-karen-bass-became-a-leading-vp-contender_n_5f2471ffc5b656e9b09b681c

[maxsolomon]

1. LOL, 1st time I've heard her name mentioned!

The irony of nominating a "Karen" in 2020; I love it.

Her IMDB credit should give Hannity an aneurysm: "Burn Motherfucker, Burn!"

[theaocp]

3. Check it out

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213792532

[frazzled]

4. It's a documentary

A chronicle of how decades of troubled relations between the LAPD and the African-American community served as the prelude to the 1992 Los Angeles uprising.

Just so people don't think she was featured in a slasher film.

I don't think that should cause much trouble. Indeed, it's exceedingly relevant right now.

[sunonmars]

2. She'd sink us in Florida with the whole Cuban Castro thing.

Would not be a smart pick when Florida could be critical.

[maxsolomon]

14. What is the "Whole Cuban Castro Thing"?

do you mean how RW Cubans in S. Florida want their property in Cuba back from the Communist Gov., and therefore any efforts at normalization of relations with Cuba are met with intransigent fury?

No Dem can ever satisfy them.

[samnsara]

5. i heard her name come up last week and i was very impressed with her.

[mcar]

6. She's a fan of Scientology so no thanks

[flamingdem]

7. +1000

That means nut case. Sorry to say, sad to learn this.

[obamanut2012]

8. Praising human traffickers

ugh so disappinted.

[mcar]

10. This

[smirkymonkey]

9. Nope. Not going to happen.

Scientologist. She's out. It would be political suicide.

[Hortensis]

11. I think if Bass IS a leading contender, she was all along.

This isn't a horse race. Or a visit to Ben & Jerry's with Biden running back and forth trying to decide among all the new and old flavors.

Biden has known who he'd like to have, or to choose among, for a long time. This procedure has been to finalize the choice of a person who could be our next president with appropriate due diligence, and to acknowledge some people who deserve to be considered, not to hunt up names of new people he should put on his list.

[Codeine]

12. Praise Xenu!!

[Seasider]

13. I just don't see it happening

But who knows? She's obviously very intelligent and has great negotiating and organization skills but is she someone who is going to excite voters and get them to the polls? Is she someone we can realistically see as a viable future President?