CBC lawmakers rip Justice Democrats for targeting black lawmakers for primaries
Source: The Hill
Congressional Black Caucus members are furious at Justice Democrats, accusing the outside progressive group aligned with firebrand Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) of trying to oust lawmakers of color, specifically African-American lawmakers.
Justice Democrats is backing primary challengers to eight-term Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), a Hispanic Caucus member, and 10-term Rep. Lacy Clay (D-Mo.), a member of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). The insurgent group also made noise this year about challenging Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), a CBC member seen as the heir apparent to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).
And CBC leaders are fretting that Justice Democrats may target other black lawmakers in the coming weeks and months, including Reps. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), Emanual Cleaver (D-Mo.) and Anthony Brown (D-Md.). Brown said the group has been making calls in his district, actively trying to recruit a challenger to run against him.
"It just seems strange that the social Democrats seem to be targeting members of the Congressional Black Caucus, individuals who have stood and fought to make sure that African Americans are included and part of this process," Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), a senior CBC member, told The Hill.
Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/452701-cbc-members-accuse-aoc-linked-justice-democrats-of-targeting-black?amp&__twitter_impression=true
Historic NY
(37,449 posts)I don't see them getting re-selected in 2020. Winning friends by making enemies isn't a political strategy.
Andy823
(11,495 posts)And I agree if they keep this up they might be out of a job after the next election!
BeyondGeography
(39,351 posts)Its called democracy.
mountain grammy
(26,600 posts)Princetonian
(1,501 posts)His profile until recently was that of an apolitical techie. Now he is directing the so-called Justice Democrats' with nary a sensible shred of historical awareness.
dalton99a
(81,406 posts)Response to Jose Garcia (Original post)
Post removed
pazzyanne
(6,546 posts)We have enough on our plate to start eating our own and sowing discourse in the ranks. I personally find Cenk Yugur and his ideology divisive and destructive to my main focus for 2020. I want tRump out of the White House, and what is happening in the House is a destructive force that will not get that job done. "A house divided against itself cannot stand" by Abraham Lincoln in an address prior to his presidency on June 16, 1858. In that address, which came to be known as A House Divided Speech, Lincoln said: A house divided against itself cannot stand. The phrase is derived from a verse in the Bible (Mark 3:25) which was the basis for Lincoln's remarks. There is more truth than fiction in this phrase, and I sincerely hope our young freshman congress people learn that before it is too late and we get another 4 years of the orange menace.
It is okay to disagree with one another, but trying to take out so many good Democrats could undermine the party. One only has to look across the aisle and see what the Freedom Caucus did to the republican party. I am certainly not comparing Justice Democrats to extremist republicans, but the outcome could be similar in the end.
I think some of these young progressive Democrats need a better sense of history and should try to imagine walking in the shoes of some of these Democrats they are trying to unseat. Meanwhile, the right must be loving all this.
Turin_C3PO
(13,912 posts)is Henry Cuellar. Hes terrible and a homophobe. In general though, I think these Justice Democrats are focusing on the wrong people. They should be focused on booting Republicans out of office.
Celerity
(43,149 posts)another million plus to run horrid smear campaigns like last time.
That Illinois House race was the main one (probably the only one in 2018 as there was no viable primary opponent to Cuellar) I was most disappointed they (not just them, pretty much everybody else at a national and statewide level) failed at was helping Marie Newman win in Illinois. She was one of the few challengers who had almost universal support across the board, from Emily's List to Bernie, from National Organization for Women to Indivisible, from Our Revolution to Planned Parenthood, from Illinois Federation of Teachers to the SEIU, from Gloria Steinem to NARAL, From Justice Democrats to MoveOn.org, from the Human Rights Campaign to the Daily Kos, from LPAC to a bunch of sitting congresspeople.
She was running against arguably the worst Democrat in Congress, the pro-life, anti-immigrant (voted against the Dream Act and for Republican border security bills), anti Obamacare, anti LGBTQ (voted for DOMA and is openly against gay marriage), anti Obama himself (he refused to endorse him) anti stem cell research, etc etc Dan Lipinski.
It is as safe a district for us as is almost possible, as it has been in Democratic hands since the 1950's, other than for 2 years after the Nixon 1972 massive landslide.
Lipinski eeked out a victory mainly because around 1 million dollars came flooding in at the end from No Labels and other Lieberman affiliated centre right groups (many of them supported with Republican money as well as centrist Democratic money) that hammered and smeared Newman with a shit tonne of adverts and direct mailings.
Bipartisan No Labels groups super PAC network revealed: mega Chicago donors
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2018/3/12/18316470/bipartisan-no-labels-group-s-super-pac-network-revealed-mega-chicago-donors
With a boost from Chicago-area mega donors, including White Sox and Bulls Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf, No Labels, a group advocating bipartisanship in Congress, has created a network of super PACs to influence the 2018 elections but doesnt want its fingerprints on the money.
One of the super PACs, United for Progress Inc., has spent $740,334 as of Sunday to bolster Rep. Dan Lipinski, D-Ill., in his March 20 Illinois Democratic primary battle with Marie Newman in the 3rd Congressional District. The names of the super PACS dont link them to No Labels. A Sun-Times investigation determined super PACS related to No Labels include: United for Progress Inc.; Citizens for a Strong America Inc.; United Together; Govern or Go Home; and Forward, Not Back.
The Sun-Times inquiry included interviews with donors or their representatives and an examination of documents filed with the Federal Election Commission. United for Progress, Inc., is playing political hardball, attacking Newman in the commercials and direct mail pieces it paid for. Lipinski is part of a No Labels offshoot, the congressional Problem Solvers Caucus.
snip
THE ILLINOIS CONNECTIONS: Last year, a No Labels leader, former Sen. Joe Lieberman, was a draw at a meeting at the Chicago Club, 81 E. Van Buren. Lieberman was the 2000 Democratic vice presidential nominee who became an Independent senator from Connecticut.
snip
No Labels funds dishonest attacks against Marie Newman to boost Blue Dog Dan Lipinski
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/3/13/1748758/-Centrist-group-No-Labels-funds-dishonest-attacks-against-Marie-Newman-to-back-Blue-Dog-Dan-Lipinski
Well what do you know: It turns out the mysterious super PAC called United for Progress, which has spent at least $740,000 to help conservative Democratic Rep. Dan Lipinski in his primary against progressive challenger Marie Newman, received much of its funding from the aggressively centrist group No Labels and billionaire mega-donor Jerry Reinsdorf, who is chairman of both the Chicago White Sox and the Chicago Bulls. No Labels promotes the same sort of naive #bothsides mentality that plagues the world of cable news punditry, and even went so far as to moronically label Donald Trump a "problem solver" during his presidential campaign.
While support from No Labels itself should be a mark of shame for any Democrat running in a safely blue district like this one, the mailer they've been funding is even more disgraceful. It takes the guise of an ominous fake-but-official-looking letter from "Illinois Restaurant Enforcement" that claims the restaurant Newman once owned was guilty of health code violations, then proceeds to outright lie about the economic impact of the single-payer healthcare plan Newman supports.
One would expect to see Republicans launch these sorts of dishonest attacks against a progressive challenger, not those who support a nominal Democratic incumbent. And it's one more reason why Democrats in this 55-40 Clinton district can do a whole lot better than Dan Lipinski.
snip
Delusional Group Declares Donald Trump a Problem Solver
The only problem Trump could solve is that we dont have a dumb enough president
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/delusional-group-declares-donald-trump-a-problem-solver-58107/
Here are some labels that apply to Donald Trump:
Racist
Egomaniac
Bloviator
Delusional
Liar
Asshole
On Monday, the nonpartisan group No Labels gave him a new, and hilarious, one: problem solver.
Six presidential candidates Democrat Martin OMalley and Republicans Ben Carson, Chris Christie, John Kasich, Rand Paul and Trump signed the organizations Problem Solver Promise, officially making them No Labels Problem Solvers. The group says it will bestow the label on any candidate who signs its meaningless pledge.
No Labels declined to make an exception for Trump the candidate who has proposed, among many other things, building a giant border wall, deporting 11 million people, banning Muslims from entering the country and shutting down mosques. In just the last two days, hes come out in favor of direct head-to-head collisions in the NFL and elephant torture.
snip
Holocaust Denier Smear Hits Tight Chicago Area Congressional Primary
https://forward.com/fast-forward/396658/holocaust-denier-smear-hits-tight-chicago-area-congressional-primary/
A heated Democratic congressional primary race in suburban Chicago has reached a new low, as accusations of Holocaust denial are falsely hurled at progressive challenger Marie Newman.
Newman, who is seeking to unseat the incumbent Dan Lipinski as the Democratic candidate for Illinois 3rd congressional district, has staked a liberal position, hoping it would convince Democrats to chose her way over that of Lipinski, a blue dog Democrat known for his more conservative views.
In recent days, Newman claimed, voters have been receiving text messages from activists with the Washington-based No Labels group, trying to convince voters not to support her. In one instance, a voter receiving the text message informed the sender that he has already decided to vote for Newman, not Lipinski. His opponent is a Holocaust denier among other things, the Lipinski supporter texted back. In a second exchange, the voter was told again about Newman: Did you know shes a Holocaust denier.
Newman accused Lipinski of playing politics with a tragedy in human history that cost the lives of millionsand which deeply affects those of Jewish heritage, including my husband and his family. Lipinski is considered one of the few endangered Democratic incumbents in the nation due to the tight primary. The winner should easily beat a Republican challenger in the district that voted for Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump by a healthy 16% margin.
snip
Group Tied To Lipinski Says Marie Newman Is 'A Holocaust Denier'
IL-3 Democratic challenger Marie Newman claims group tied to Congressman Dan Lipinski is texting voters saying she's a 'Holocaust denier.'
https://patch.com/illinois/oaklawn/group-tied-lipinski-claims-she-s-holocaust-denier
LA GRANGE, IL -- Challenger Marie Newman is calling out Congressman Dan Lipinski for running a "dishonest machine-style campaign" after some of her supporters complained of receiving text messages stating that Newman is a "Holocaust denier." Newman and Lipinski are said to be in a statistical dead heat in the contentious Democratic primary in Illinois's 3rd Congressional District. Supporters said they began receiving the text messages this past weekend.
A woman who identifies herself as "Leslie Benjamini" from the Washington, D.C.-based No Labels group -- a political centrist organization comprised of Republicans, Democrats and Independents who aim to combat partisan dysfunction in politics by focusing on bipartisan problem solving -- texted a voter asking him if he planned to vote for Dan Lipinski in the March 20 Democratic primary. When the the receiver stated he is voting for Newman, Benjamini states that Lipinski's opponent is a Holocaust denier. Benjamini tells the receiver to look up "No Labels, a new group that is trying to get government working again." The message goes on to state that Lipinski is a "believer in this group."
"His opponent is a Holocaust denier among other things," the text goes on to say. "Please educate yourself before you vote. All I ask."
Lipinski does have an opponent who is a Holocaust denier who is running as the lone candidate in the Republican primary in Illinois' 3rd District, avowed neo-Nazi Art Jones of Lyons. In the second message sent to the Newman supporter, Benjamini mistakes the receiver's phone number for his mother's.
"For the second time I am NOT [NAME]
she is my mother and she hosted a fundraiser for Marie Newman. And for the record, I voted for her early Saturday [March 10]." "Thanks for voting," Benjamini texts back. "Did you know she's a Holocaust denier."
The No Labels group based in Washington, D.C., was founded in 2010. The group strives to "create a vibrant New Center that supports leaders who put country before party." No Labels inspired the Problem Solvers Caucus, a bipartisan group of congressional members that includes Lipinski. A Chicago Sun-Times investigation has also tied No Labels to such Super PACS as United for Progress Inc. As of late, United for Progress Inc. has been sent out a flurry of political hit pieces attacking Newman's progressive agenda, as well as TV and radio commercials
An angry Newman demanded an apology from Lipinski, accusing the congressman of running "dishonest machine campaign."
snip
No Labels Needs A Warning Label
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/opinion-no-labels-mark-pocan_n_5c06b110e4b0cd916fb0b042
I was duped.
When I was elected to Congress in 2012, I attended the Bipartisan Program for Newly Elected Members of Congress at Harvard University. I was so excited to be a member of a branch of government for the most awesome country on the planet. At the program, one of the presentations was from a group named No Labels. The organization put forward a proposal for governing that meant working across the aisle to solve problems and stopping the gridlock in Washington. I was excited! While I was a strong progressive in the Wisconsin Legislature, that was my governing approach. By working with people who do not always agree with you, you find out what you have in common and you can get good things done.
snip
However, things quickly went south. I attended a few meetings at the outset, but the rhetoric wasnt about finding ways to get things done and breaking gridlock ― rather it was more about finding more centrist, more corporate and more special interest-focused things to do. Soon thereafter, No Labels became involved in elections with a closely contested U.S. Senate race in Colorado, backing Republican Cory Gardner over Democrat Mark Udall. That didnt seem right. A group that wasnt supposed to pick labels was doing exactly that: picking a label. When asked to join the Problem Solvers Caucus, members were never told that this would be part of the program.
snip
I drifted away from the organization, as apparently did most people who thought it was focused on trying to break through the gridlock in Washington. No Labels membership has dwindled steadily since 2015. Fast-forward to the past few weeks, when No Labels Problem Solvers Caucus tried to threaten Nancy Pelosis speakership. While No Labels was originally advertised as a group committed to getting things done and breaking gridlock, it now seems more focused on stopping Pelosi and providing a fast track for special interests and lobbyists.
Worse, this past week Ive read a few articles regarding what No Labels has been up to in the last couple of years. First, the organization spent almost twice as much helping re-elect Republicans as it spent helping Democrats. Second, reporters reviewed email correspondence that showed No Labels contemplating a plan to attack Pelosi and use her leadership as a wedge to divide congressional Democrats. And third, its clear that No Labels never had any meaningful ultimatums or demands on rules for leadership during eight years of a Republican-led House, or over the last four years of a Republican-led Senate. No Labels only has challenges for Democratic leadership in the House, specifically, for our next speaker, Nancy Pelosi.
That sure seems like a label to me. Look, I get it. No Labels is slick, and I got duped. But no other current or newly elected member of Congress should fall for its shtick. No Labels is a centrist, corporate organization working against Democrats with dark, anonymous money to advance power for special interests. Period.
snip
Turin_C3PO
(13,912 posts)Yeah, it definitely sounds like Lipinski needs to be booted, especially since hes in a safe district. I dont mind politicians holding moderate positions but being anti-choice and anti-LGBTQ just shouldnt fly in todays Democratic Party.
Celerity
(43,149 posts)2016 President Donald Trump 61.8 - Hillary Clinton 31% Republican Party (United States)
but Petersen wins (15 straight elections)
these are the Highest Trump Score Democrats in the House
mcar
(42,278 posts)Suprk
(90 posts)Lacy Clay is facing a primary challenged by Cori Bush, and African American woman.
https://coribush.org/
Jose Garcia
(2,588 posts)Clay defeated her by almost 20% in 2018.
DeminPennswoods
(15,265 posts)to their seats. Competition is American as apple pie.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)And that they exist only to troll, subvert and lose us elections?
Celerity
(43,149 posts)Politico does the same bollocks all the time. Always painting with the Dems in disarray brush.
1 It says black lawmakerS , plural, then uses Cori Bush (black herself) primarying Clay, which she said she would do last fall, after she lost as the ONLY verified example. Clay and his father have had that seat for 50 years, and he is just pissed that AOC and other campaigned for Bush. His quotes in this story are not a good look, they show a severe sense of entitlement (literally saying it is insulting to voters for anyone to dare to primary him.)
2 It repeats an old, debunked story about Hakeem Jeffries
That was based of a an old, discredited Politico (quelle surprise) story.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211566037
Link to tweet
Link to tweet
3 It then goes back into innuendo mode, again mostly unsourced and using pure speculation (and denied by the people being accused by the only named source for one of the charges)
4 It cuts against its own title by then giving examples of JD AFRICAN AMERICAN candidates primarying non blacks, and again, other than Clay (who knew almost a year ago he was being primaried again, by the same A-A woman) gives ZERO other examples of what its title claims.
This cycle, Justice Democrats is also supporting Bronx educator Jamaal Bowman, who is black, as he takes on House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), who is Jewish, and Jessica Cisneros, a 26-year-old Hispanic woman who is running against her former boss, Cuellar.
Also, ALL, literally every one, of those races above are absolutely dark dark blue districts, zero shot to lose for the Democratic Primary winner, so there is zero danger a Rethug sneaks in.
Furthermore it talks about ANOTHER JD BLACK primary challenger (last year) Chardo Richardson who ran against one of the leaders of the most centrist, farthest right Democrat Caucus, Problems, Stephanie Murphy (who is, surprise, NOT BLACK).
Murphy's group was one main forces trying to oust Pelosi as speaker, Problems Solvers was the group that sandbagged Pelosi on the border bill that kicked this Pelosi/Squad bollocks all off. Problem Solver gets millions from RW funding, it has Rethugs in it, and they even endorse and help Republicans win against Democrats (the Rethugs Gardner in Colorado for instance). Murphy was one of the centrists who said they would work with Trump.
see more about No Labels, Problems Solvers above in the thread (here is a direct link) https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142340389#post13
Lastly
Henry Cuellar, listed above in the article, (being primaried by another Hispanic in a safe Blue seat) is a member of The Blue Dogs, and he is close to, if not one of the worst Democrats in the House.
All of the following below is fully documented at this link: https://www.democraticunderground.com/100212187459#post15
His district is a safe blue one, and I so so hope Cisneros beats him.
This article is pure typical Hill dodgy shitstirring trying to pit Dem on Dem with plazzy spin, falsehoods, and innuendo.