California's Democratic Governor Jerry Brown repeatedly vetoed universal
healthcare after the state legislature voted it through; Democratic state majorities in NY, CT and NJ refused to enact legislation to close the "carried interest" tax loophole that makes billions for hedge-fund managers; Rhode Island Democrats went on a slashing spree, taking down pensions for teachers, firefighters and other public servants while the finance-affiliated state treasurer funneled the pension funds into her pals' underperforming hedge funds; Democrats in NJ gutted the tax bill to give millionaires an easy ride; New York Democrat Governor Andrew Cuomo shut down the state anti-corruption commission, only to have his top aide busted for being horrifically corrupt.
These establishment Democrats all hold the safest of seats, and when that happens, they cozy up to industry at the expense of workers. After all, osculating captains of industry gets you invited to fancy parties where you can collect tons of campaign checks, plus those guys will give you awesome "consulting" work once you're out of office (think of this as the "Dan Lipinski effect".
All things being equal, robber-barons would rather give money to Republicans, but if a Republican can't get elected, they'll just buy themselves some Democrats.
But the 2018 Tsunami is changing that. By primarying these DINO's, progressive Democrats are offering a real challenge — not just to Trump, but to the Trump-lites who aren't openly racist but who are just as happy as Trump is to hand the country over to looters.
The Democratic Establishment is running scared. After the New York Democratic Party libeled a progressive candidate for governor who is standing up to Andrew Cuomo, Cuomo claimed he had no idea what was going on.
Perhaps one of the dozens of Republican operatives he's hired to work for his government could explain it to him.
There, the administration of Democratic stalwart Rahm Emanuel has used that power to initiate one of American history’s largest mass closures of public schools and layoff hundreds of teachers. During Emanuel’s tenure, public workers’ retirement savings were invested with financial firms whose executives have bankrolled Emanuel’s political apparatus. Emanuel’s administration also reportedly oversaw a police dark site where suspects were allegedly imprisoned without charge – and the Democratic mayor’s appointees infamously blocked the release of a videotape of Chicago police gunning down an unarmed African American teenager.With the city subsequently suffering an explosion of gun violence, racial strife and economic inequality, Democratic donors responded by lavishing Emanuel with massive campaign contributions and Democratic voters reelected him. When Hizzoner later announced his retirement amid the trial over the police shooting, Emanuel was immediately lauded as a great hero by the most famous face of the Democratic party, Barack Obama.
The former president’s move was a powerful reminder that Democrats’ let-them-eat-cake attitude and nothing-to-see-here complacency is a toxic gangrene afflicting not just the distant tips of the party’s local tendrils. The fish rots from the head down, and Democrats’ festering noggin is at the top of the national party, where Democratic states’ federal lawmakers have been helping Republicans ransack everything not nailed down to the floor.
Yes, let's wipe out Trump. But take neoliberal Democrats with him, too [David Sirota/The Guardian]
