Category Archives: Keith Ellison

11/6 Midterm Election Night & Open Thread

The Progressive Wing Posted on by

Birdies–

Tonight we find out how much of a check the American people want to have on our Executive Branch. Or put it another way, how many of the 1000 legislative seats will the Dems gain from the last 10 years of losses? Will voters feel comfortable with the economy and overlook Trump? Will Trump’s divisiveness prevail and turn out his base?

Will we see our first women Native American Congressional Reps? First AA governor of FL and first female gov of GA? How well will the OR candidates perform in this cycle?

Of course, we hope there are no machine irregularities, but it’s anticipated that some will occur. And election lawyers will be on hand just in case.

In the Senate, Democrats are defending 26 seats while Republicans are only defending nine.

(those are predictions if they are filled in with red or blue, gold signifies toss-up)

In the gubernatorial races, there are 33 races, in which Dems could possibly pick up 9 of them.



(those are predictions if they are filled in with red or blue, gold signifies toss-up)

First polls close at 6ET in Indiana, VT and KY. Most in the MSM are saying to watch the 6th district in KY, but the bellwethers will be in VA 4 GOP races and FL 4 GOP races when the polls close at 7 ET.

Larry Sabato of Crystal Ball expects Dem pick-ups in the gubernatorial races, including Kansas.

Big races:

TX Sen – Beto vs Cruz
NV Sen – Rosen vs Heller
FL Sen – Sick Rott vs Nelson
AZ Sen – McSally vs Sinema
CA Sen – DeLeon vs Feinstein
MO Sen – Hawley vs McCaskill
TN Sen – Breesan vs Blackburn
VT Sen – Sanders vs a pack of Indies (well, not a big race, but it is Bernie’s re-up)

FL Gov – DeSantis vs Gillum
GA Gov – Kemp vs Abrams
MD Gov – Jealous vs Hogan
WI Gov – Evers vs Walker
IL Gov – Pritzker vs Rauner
AZ Gov – Garcia vs Ducey
ID Gov – Jordan vs Little
MI Gov – Whitmer vs Schulette
IA Gov – Hubbell vs Reynolds

MN AG – Ellison vs Wardlow

Add the races you are keen about in the comments!

12/12 News Roundup – Nina Turner on DNC Unity Reform Commission, Open Primaries, Caucuses & More

The Progressive Wing Posted on by

Nina Turner On Transforming the Democratic Party From the Inside

The DNC Unity Reform Commission finished their recommendations of reforms to the Democratic National Committee this weekend, which included a 60 percent reduction in super delegates, more democratic rules in caucuses, greater DNC budget transparency measures, and the creation of an elected Ombudsman Committee to hold the DNC accountable during the presidential primaries. The recommendations will be sent to the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee, who have six months to accept or propose amendments to the recommendations before the 447 DNC members vote on whether to enact the recommendations in the DNC’s Fall 2018 meeting.

“There’s going to be a lot of organizing between now and then to get the members of the DNC to vote for in favor of the changes that the Unity Reform Commission has recommended,” said Our Revolution President Nina Turner, a member of the commission, in an interview with the Real News Network. “We need the grassroots. This is a insiders’ game, so the only people who get a chance to vote are the people who are members of the DNC. But we need the grassroots to use their voices, to say to the DNC that they support the recommendations of the Unity Reform Commission.”

Though Turner and progressives on the commission did not come to a consensus with the Clinton appointed members of the commission on every proposal they pushed, Turner noted the fact they were able to come to a consensus on several reforms is progress in the right direction.

“One way or the other, the DNC members will have a chance to weigh in on these changes and vote them up or down,” added Turner. “So we need grassroots lobbying efforts to the members of the DNC to say that these changes should happen to make this party more accountable and more transparent, and to have real unity the Democratic Party’s going to have to reform.”

..

The DNC itself still has a long road of reforms ahead to earn back the trust of voters who were disenfranchised by the 2016 Democratic Primary process and subsequent DNC member appointments and staffing. In order to accomplish this, Turner noted, progressives and Berniecrats must, “go to our states and run for those seats, so that when members of the DNC are selected, that we have a real seat at the table because we were elected by our states. And so that increases the likelihood that someone who is a progressive can be appointed to those seats.”

Turner says that only by gaining access to these local seats can progressives make real change. “The more people we can get elected as committee persons and chair and vice chair persons, the more then that we can impact what happens on the national level,” she said. “So I want people to run if they really care about working inside the party.”

I do not have the video to go with the interview from the Real News Network so instead will provide one of Turner discussing the topic with Bill Press:

More news/video/tweets/etc. in the comments.

12/8 News Roundup – Nurses Back Call ForKeith Ellison To Fill Senate Vacancy, DNC Leaders Call For SuperDelegate Cuts & More

The Progressive Wing Posted on by

As Franken Steps Aside, Nurses Back Call for Keith Ellison to Fill Senate Vacancy

On the heels of Sen. Al Franken’s announcement Thursday that he will resign following accusations of sexual harassment by several women, National Nurses United (NNU) began circulating a petition calling on Minnesota’s Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton to appoint Rep. Keith Ellison to fill Franken’s soon-to-be vacant Senate seat.

“At a time when the Senate is poised to enact a disgraceful tax bill that shifts more resources from working people to big corporations and the one percent, on top of repeated attacks on health coverage, environmental and workplace protections, and other critical fights, we need the proven progressive voice of Keith Ellison in the Senate,” NNU co-president and Minnesota resident Jean Ross, RN, said in a statement.

According to news reports, Ellison is on Dayton’s short list of possible candidates, alongside Lt. Gov. Tina Smith and Rep. Tim Walz. Because Franken did not specify the precise date of his departure, it is unclear when Dayton will announce his replacement. Whoever is chosen will face a special election in November of next year.

If selected, Ellison would become the first Muslim to ever hold a seat in the U.S. Senate. He would also “provide a critical voice of leadership in the Senate at this pivotal moment for working people in Minnesota and across the U.S.,” Ross argued.

“Keith has been an outspoken advocate for nurses and other working people in his distinguished service in the House, and has shown a broad national reach and worked to build coalitions across the country this year as the Deputy Chair of the Democratic National Committee,” Ross concluded. “He is exactly the representative we need in the Senate today.”

More news/video/tweets/etc. in the comments.

11/10 News Roundup – Sanders Calls On DNC To Implement Findings of #UnityReformCommission, 100% Renewable More Feasible Than Ever & More

The Progressive Wing Posted on by

We Need a Truly Grassroots Democratic Party: A Call for DNC Chair Tom Perez To Implement Findings Of #UnityReformCommission by Bernie Sanders

The Establishment (political, economic and media) wants us to believe is that real and fundamental changes in our society are impossible.

No. We cannot guarantee health care to all as a right. No. We cannot revitalize the trade union movement, raise the minimum wage to a living wage of $15 an hour and provide pay equity for women. No. We cannot effectively compete in the global economy by making public colleges and universities tuition-free. No. We cannot lead the world in combatting climate change and transforming our energy system away from fossil fuels. No. We cannot reform our broken criminal justice system or finally achieve comprehensive immigration reform.

They want us to think that in the wealthiest country in the history of the world, a nation which has more income and wealth inequality than almost any nation on earth, the best that we can do is to accept tiny, incremental change.

I could not disagree more.

Right now, a Democratic National Committee Unity Reform Commission, comprised of people who supported our campaign, people who supported Secretary Clinton’s campaign, and people appointed by DNC Chair Tom Perez are working on a set of policies that will determine the future direction of the Democratic Party. In many ways, this Unity Commission will determine whether the Party goes forward in a dynamic and inclusive way, or whether it retains the failed status quo approach of recent years. It will determine whether the Party will have the grassroots energy to effectively take on Donald Trump, the Republican Party and their reactionary agenda or whether we remain in the minority.

In my view, this Commission must:

* Make the Democratic Party more democratic and the presidential contests more fair by dramatically reducing the number of superdelegates who participate in the nominating process. It is absurd that in the last presidential primary over 700 superdelegates (almost one-third of the delegates a candidate needed to win the nomination) had the power to ignore the will of the people who voted in the state primaries and caucuses.

* Make primaries more open by ending the absurdity of closed primary systems with antiquated, arbitrary and discriminatory voter registration laws. Republicans are the ones who make it harder for people to vote, not Democrats. At a time when more and more people consider themselves to be Independents our job is to bring people into the Democratic Party process, not exclude them. It is incredibly undemocratic that in some states voters must declare their party affiliation up to six months before the primary election.

* Make it easier for working people and students to participate in state caucuses. While there is much to be said for bringing people together face-to-face in a caucus to discuss why they support the candidate of their choice, not everybody is able to attend those caucuses at the time they are held. A process must be developed that gives everyone the right to cast a vote even if they are not physically able to attend a state caucus.

* Make the DNC’s budget and decision-making processes more open and transparent. If we are going to build a Party that relies on working people who are willing to give $5, $10 and $27 donations, they deserve to know where that money is going and how those decisions are made.

I look forward to following the progress of the Unity Reform Commission, and I urge Chairman Tom Perez and the entire Democratic National Committee to develop policies which move the Democratic Party forward in a very different direction — a direction that will lead us to national and statewide victories. It’s important that you do the same:

Please sign the petition calling on the Democratic National Committee and Chairman Tom Perez to accept, support and implement policies which make the Democratic Party more inclusive, more democratic and more transparent.

More news/video/etc. in the comments, including:

*Bernie Sanders, 10 Senate Democrats push USDA for ‘consumer-friendly’ GMO label
*‘Great Things Come Out of Discomfort’: Our Revolution’s Nina Turner
*Dreamers Take Over Senate Building to Demand New Protections
*Republicans Plan to Turn Puerto Rico Into a Theme Park for Fossil-Fuel Corporations
*Progressive Rep. Ro Khanna: Stop All Weapons Sales to Saudi Arabia Now
*Pipeline news, Water Protector Updates & More

11/7 News Roundup – Bernie: Trump Doing Exact Opposite of What He Promised, Progressive Leaders Respond To Paradise Papers & More

The Progressive Wing Posted on by

Happy Tuesday TPW readers! Welcome to the new folks (if you have any issues, you can send them to the tpwhelpdesk@gmail.com) and a big thanks for continuing to come back for those who have been here before. Starting the day off with Bernie and I tend to do:

As President, Trump Doing Exact Opposite of What He Promised on the Campaign Trail by Bernie Sanders

When Donald Trump campaigned for president, he told the American people that he would stand up for the working class and take on the political and economic establishment. One year since his election, he has repeatedly reneged on his promises by supporting the interests of the wealthy and powerful at the expense of working families.

During his campaign, candidate Trump said that he was going to “drain the swamp.” Now that he is president, Trump has brought more billionaires into his administration than any president.

While campaigning, Trump told the American people he was going to provide health “insurance for everybody.” As president, he supported a disastrous bill that would have thrown millions off of health insurance, substantially raised premiums for older workers and defunded Planned Parenthood.

As a candidate, Trump said he understood the pain of working families. His budget would slash funding for affordable housing, college financial aid and Head Start.

And while Trump wants to make devastating cuts to programs that working families desperately need, he is working overtime to provide a massive tax break to billionaires like himself.

..

In other words, Trump as a candidate promised the American people one thing, as president he is doing the exact opposite.

But simply stopping Trump’s agenda is not enough. We can join every other major country and guarantee healthcare to all as a right. We can demand that the wealthiest people in this country and the largest corporations start paying their fair share of taxes. We can create millions of decent paying jobs by rebuilding our nation’s infrastructure. We can reform our broken criminal justice system and pass comprehensive immigration reform. We can raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour and make public colleges and universities tuition-free.

Together we need to build a government and an economy that works for all of us, not just the 1%.

More news/videos/tweets/etc. in the comments, including:

*Bernie Sanders’ stepdaughter considers running for office
*How it became a crime to be poor in America
*The indefensible Republican response to the Texas mass shooting
*Children Sue Trump Admin for ‘Reckless and Deliberate Indifference’ to Climate Threat
*2018 Candidate Updates/Media
*Pipeline news, Water Protector Updates & More

9/28 News Roundup – Sanders Slams Trumps Tax Plans, Ellison Backs Bernie’s Healthcare Advocacy & More

The Progressive Wing Posted on by

‘Morally repugnant’: Bernie Sanders, top Democrats slam Trump’s tax plan

Democrats on Wednesday slammed President Donald Trump’s tax reform plan, calling it “morally repugnant,” suggesting there would be little to no cross aisle support for the initial outline of the plan.

President Donald Trump’s plan would reduce the number of personal income tax brackets and overhaul business taxes, lower the corporate tax rate from 35% to 20%, reduce the pass-through tax rate from almost 40% to 25%, and “streamline” business tax breaks.

Democratic leaders immediately condemned the bill, casting it as a proposed tax break that would largely benefit the wealthy by lowering the top income tax bracket from 39.5% to 35% and lowering the pass-through tax rate, something largely used by wealthy earners.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer decried the proposal in a speech on the Senate floor, saying Republicans “designed their tax plan to be cheered in country clubs and corporate board rooms.”

..

Sen. Bernie Sanders argued that the plan would exacerbate income inequality, singling out its proposal to repeal the estate tax, noting that the top 10% of earners pay 90% of estate taxes.

“At a time of massive wealth and income inequality, Trump’s tax plan is morally repugnant and bad economic policy,” Sanders said in a statement.

More news/video/etc. in the comments, including:

*Bernie Sanders Thinks War Is Overrated, And He’s Right
*Shocker! Health Insurers Condemn Bernie Sanders’ ‘Medicare for All’ Bill
*Meet Roy Moore’s Opponent: Full Doug Jones Interview
*Pipeline & Water Protector Updates
*Puerto Rico In Crisis As Corporations/Wall Street Make Things Worse
*Some Cities, Native American Activists, Reject Columbus Day
& More

9/26 News Roundup – Puerto Rico In Crisis, Target Announces A $15 Min Wage & More

The Progressive Wing Posted on by

Happy Tuesday friends, thanks for visiting TPW! If you are not currently a member and would like to be, please email the tpwhelpdesk@gmail.com and I’ll get you set up (or you can try your luck with the automated system…).

Starting off with some good news:

‘Our Momentum Is Unstoppable’: Workers Celebrate as Target Announces $15 Minimum Wage

In what is being described as a huge victory for the tens of thousands of workers across the country who have for years organized, rallied, and gone on strike for higher wages, Target on Monday announced that it plans to raise the company-wide minimum hourly wage to $11 by next month and $15 by 2020.

“Five years ago, when 200 New York City fast-food workers first walked off the job for $15 an hour and union rights, nobody gave us a shot. Since then, we’ve spread this movement to every corner of the country and beyond fast-food. We did what they said we couldn’t: we won. We won in the states, in the cities, with the big politicians and with the big corporations,” Steven Suffridge, a Minneapolis McDonald’s Worker and Fight for $15 organizer, wrote in an email reacting to the news. “And today, we won $15 an hour for all Target employees.”

In celebration, Fight for $15 and other groups began circulating a graphic that echoes Suffridge’s message: “When we fight, we win!”

Immediately upon seeing the news of the Target wage boost—which will affect over 320,000 workers throughout the U.S—activists and lawmakers immediately began raising the question: if Target can pay its workers a decent wage, why can’t Walmart, McDonald’s, and other profitable low-wage corporate giants?

“C’mon McDonalds, Walmart, and everybody else,” wrote Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.), who recently celebrated Minneapolis lawmakers for overwhelmingly voting to raise the city minimum wage to $15 by 2024. “Pay your workers right!”

The rest of the days news/videos/etc will be in the comments, including:

*Voting machine concerns have states eyeing return to paper ballots
*Tony Blair Says Bernie Doesn’t Have the Answers (Public Opinion Says Otherwise)
*Bernie Sanders’ Graham-Cassidy Debate Quotes Will Inspire You To Fight For Health Care
*National park ban saved 2m plastic bottles – and still Trump reversed it
*Candidate Updates (Stephen Jaffe, Joe Cunningham, Jack Love, Abdul El-Sayed, Cathy Myers & more)
*Corbyn is a changed man – and he’s forging a path to power
& much more.