Despite all of Bernie Sanders’ laudable successes, he’s been hamstrung by his consistent inability to make inroads in communities of color. It was the basis of my original “demographic ceiling” thesis, which I had pegged at 30 percent. He exceeded that, but getting to 38 percent is cold comfort to those who wanted to see a real movement blossom. And the early state results bear it out: You do not build a liberal movement by bringing together white people, then hoping that people of color come along for the ride. You start with those communities of color.

And as the early state results make clear, that never happened....

1) You don’t try to impose your framing and issues on people who have different priorities....

2) You don’t become resentful of other groups when they don’t follow along. The ugliest part of this primary campaign has been the accusation that certain Democratic voters don’t matter, especially since those voters being dismissed are disproportionately brown and black....

3) Everyone is on the same page from the beginning. Related to the above, I cringe every time I see a white progressive demanding that black or Latino voters explain their support for Hillary Clinton. Do you not realize how horrible that looks, and how offensive that is, that white people are demanding that people of color justify their choices? It’s beyond cringe-inducing. It’s deeply disturbing....

4) You will be more effective. Bottom line, no white-dominated liberal movement will succeed when 40 percent of Democrats are people of color. And people of color will be reluctant to join a movement led by little-known whites. History has made us justifiably suspicious of the Great White Savior. So building from the ground up, with full inclusion of people of color in leadership, will allow for a broad-based coalition that can have the numbers to topple the system. Because you know what, screaming at people of color about the oligarchy and corrupt Clinton really isn’t doing anyone or any movement any favors.

So why am I harping on this? Because I want to build an effective movement, and the Sanders campaign didn’t prove to be an effective vehicle for it. Yet the goal is one worth pursuing, so we need that movement.

But the case of Tulsi Gabbard becomes less curious and more expected once you look at her links to a different set of ethnic and religious hardliners: the Hindu nationalist Indian Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Since her election to Congress, Gabbard has tied herself closely to this party, which has a history of condoning hatred and violence against India's Muslim minority. Many of her stateside donors and supporters are also big supporters of this movement, which disdains secularism and promotes religious sectarianism....

Why did Gabbard work so hard to shield BJP abuses from congressional review? The answer lies in her base of supporters. The BJP draws on support from the large Indian expatriate community through an organization called the Overseas Friends of BJP. In August of last year, the group convened a large number of Indian American BJP supporters in Atlanta as part of an eight-city tour designed to prepare for Modi's first visit to the United States the following month.

Throughout my service as Mayor, as Governor and campaign for president, I never wavered on the need to pass comprehensive immigration reform.

I believe that our outdated and inhumane immigration laws no longer meet our economic needs, our national security imperatives, or most importantly, our values as a people.

I believe that we need to lead with the compassionate message and actions that have made us who we are: a nation of immigrants, bonded together by our diverse beliefs and traditions.

Immigration is what has made America, America.

And while much can be done by bold executive action, it is no substitute for Congressional action. We need leaders in Washington who will tirelessly stand up to the kind of hateful, misguided rhetoric we've seen thrown at the millions of New Americans and fight to forge consensus on an issue that has shaped this country.

I believe Braddock, Pennsylvania Mayor John Fetterman is that kind of leader, and that's why today, I am endorsing his campaign for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania. He really needs our help, so click here to join his progressive campaign.

As Mayor of Braddock, PA for more than ten years, he's taken on the kinds of issues that are now at the forefront of the American conscience: income inequality, green jobs, access to health care and gun violence, to name just a few.

But John's wife Gisele has a remarkable story that is so emblematic of our experience as a country, and the work on immigration that lies before us. Like so many before her, she came to this country with her family from Brazil in search of a better life — fleeing a violent and unstable situation.

Her family overstayed their visa, and for years, she lived in the shadows undocumented while her mother cleaned houses for twelve hours a day. And while Gisele would eventually obtain her green card, it shouldn't have been that hard.

When John is asked about what he thought of Gisele and her family staying here illegally, I love his response: "I’m so glad she did."

It's time we approached the issue of immigration with humanity and an understanding of how we have all been shaped by it, directly or indirectly. Once again, we must remember that the enduring symbol of our nation isn't the barbed wire fence — it's the Statue of Liberty.

Please join me in supporting John's bid for the U.S. Senate. We need more leaders in Washington ready to embrace immigration reform, rather than running away from it.

Thank you,
Martin O'Malley

The Maryland Offshore Wind Energy Act of 2013, which went into effect on June 1, 2013, established a number of provisions for a qualified offshore wind project: It must be located on the outer continental shelf, between 10 to 30 miles off the coast, and in an area designed for leasing by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management in consultation with the state.

Then-Gov. Martin O’Malley first introduced the act in January 2013 – his third attempt at establishing offshore wind legislation in the state. His 2011 and 2012 versions of the act were first defeated by the Maryland General Assembly.

Martin O'Malley now has extra time on his hands. It seems like he wants to have some fun with it.

On March 13, the former Maryland governor and recently former Democratic president candidate will bring O'Malley's March, his seven-piece Irish pub-rock band, to Creative Alliance at the Patterson (3134 Eastern Ave., Highlandtown). It is O'Malley's first scheduled performance with the band since he suspended his presidential campaign last week.