Wall Street Democrats are on notice: Andrew Cuomo, Rahm Emanuel & the party’s new civil war

[RiverLover]

Wall Street Democrats are on notice: Andrew Cuomo, Rahm Emanuel and the party’s new civil war
Voters are sending a clear message to neoliberals. If the party's national candidates aren't listening, they should
Salon
4/2/15

For those pining for a Democratic Party that tries to represent more than the whims of the rich and powerful, these are, to say the least, confusing times.



On the presidential campaign trail, Hillary Clinton has been promoting standard pro-middle-class rhetoric, yet also has been raking in speaking fees from financial firms. One of her potential primary challengers, former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, has been sounding anti-Wall Street themes, but only after finishing up two terms in office that saw his state plow more public pension money into Wall Street firms, costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars in financial fees.

Similarly, in Washington, the anti-Wall Street fervor of those such as Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren sometimes seems as if it is on the ascent — that is, until big money comes calling.

*Indeed, on the very same day Reuters reported on big banks threatening to withhold campaign contributions from Democratic coffers, Democratic lawmakers abruptly coalesced around Charles Schumer as their next U.S. Senate leader.

CNN captured in a blaring headline how unflinching an ally the New York senator has been to the financial elite: “Wall Street welcomes expected Chuck Schumer promotion.” Notably, Democrats appeared ready to promote Schumer over Assistant Democratic Leader Dick Durbin, who once dared to publicly complain that “banks frankly own” Capitol Hill.

It would be easy to conclude that the status quo is winning Democratic politics — but a series of high-profile elections shows the trends are markedly different outside the national political arena....

http://www.salon.com/2015/04/02/wall_street_democrats_are_on_notice_andrew_cuomo_rahm_emanuel_and_the_partys_new_civil_war_partner/

(*Anybody else notice this? It was like "House of Cards" playing out right in front of our eyes...)

[daleanime]

1. Don't pay attention to what they say....

pay attention to what they do.

[RiverLover]

2. Exactly.

For me, it was Obama who brought that lesson home.

[GoneFishin]

3. ^this x 100

[rhett o rick]

4. k & r. Thanks for posting. nm

[PatrickforO]

5. Populists need to take back the Democratic party, that's for sure.

Neoliberalism isn't working worth a hoot for anyone but the 1%.

[aspirant]

6. Is Zephyr Teachout

considering a Senate run? I think she get around 35% against Cuomo and didn't even have time for a campaign.

This could be a short leadership position for Schumer.

[LiberalElite]

9. I think she had a campaign but

not much money (at least what's considered to be not much): $800,000.00 I saw her at an anti-fracking rally across from a hotel where Cuomo was speaking.

[Jim Lane]

16. Yes, and, more to the point, Schumer doesn't have Cuomo's negatives

Cuomo had opposition based on fracking and probably even more based on corruption and general dysfunction in Albany (including his disbanding of the corruption-investigating commission that he himself had created). On top of that, he had ticked off most of the public-employee unions.

If Zephyr Teachout or anyone else ran a similar underfunded insurgent campaign against Schumer (who's up for re-election next year), she wouldn't get anywhere near the percentage of the vote she got against Cuomo.

[aspirant]

17. So your solution

is to let Corporatist Schumer slide thru with no primary election because he has no negatives and always votes with the people?

[Jim Lane]

19. I said nothing about "my" solution

You asked about the prospects for a Teachout campaign against Schumer. I did some volunteer work for Teachout and I know something about New York politics, so I gave you my response about Schumer's situation.

That Schumer faces no serious danger means that neither Teachout nor anyone else should run against him with the expectation of winning. That doesn't end the inquiry, though. I supported Teachout against Cuomo even though I knew she had no serious expectation of winning.

Teachout did at least draw some attention to her issues. I don't know whether a primary challenger to Schumer would have the same effect. The media may have given Teachout some coverage because of Cuomo's perceived weakness. In 2006, when Hillary Clinton ran for re-election, she also had an underfunded progressive challenger, labor activist Jonathan Tasini. She refused to debate him and completely ignored him. The corporate media didn't pay nearly as much attention to Tasini as they did last year to Teachout. I suspect that a challenger to Schumer would fall more into the Tasini than Teachout category. That doesn't mean we must give Schumer a free pass, but it is a factor to take into account.

[aspirant]

20. 2006 = 2016 Okay

So no 50-state solution but no free pass to Schumer

How do you accomplish Schumer's "no free pass" primary?

[Jim Lane]

23. Sorry, I'm done here.

I didn't say 2006=2016 and I didn't say Schumer should get a free pass and I really have no more time for this conversation you're having with someone I can't see.

You asked a question and I gave my two cents' worth. For the grand strategy of the 2016 Senate election in New York, you'll have to look elsewhere.

[aspirant]

24. I'm trying to figure out

exactly how much your "two cents" is worth.

[aspirant]

18. My memory

has confusion with The Working Families Party finally endorsing Cuomo after verbal concessions and Teachout announcing on June 16 well after Cuomo campaign began.

[sabrina 1]

27. If not, she should. She gave Cuomo a serious challenge, even as a virtual unknown with

hardly any money.

I would love to see her run for either Congress or the Senate.

I bet she made the Corporate Dems very uncomfortable.

[Enthusiast]

7. It makes me physically ill to see a D beside Andrew Cuomo, Rahm Emanuel and the rest.

We can't even pretend that they have our best interests.

[djean111]

8. Oh, here is a quote from a weird (IMO) OP on GD that is all a-flutter because Franken and Sanders

are happy with Obama's Iran agreement. "Democrats and liberals get it." WTF?????
Liberals are now being framed as a splinter group within the Third Way Corporate Democratic Party. Tolerated as long as we fall into line.

[Doctor_J]

10. hope so, but Cuomo's ed deal got passedt, Obama will sign TPP, Hillary will be the nominee,

Schumer will be the minority leader, and sp healthcare will never be mentioned again. We just can't compete with wall street. Liberals are now assaulted on DU just like on Fox (though I have doubts that the turd way, BOG, and pumas ever actually voted democratic).

Keep up the good fight

[RiverLover]

11. Ok wow, that puts it in perspective.

Not a very good one. (I wrote more but deleted. Would get me in trouble.)

[jeff47]

13. That's a lovely example of "Must vote for the D no matter what"

and how it never works out all that well.

Schumer will be the minority leader, and sp healthcare will never be mentioned again.

The ACA moved the healthcare battle to the states. We need to be working there.

We just can't compete with wall street.

Yeah, that's why Brown lost in CA. Having nowhere near as much money as Fiorina.

Except the exact opposite happened.

Money helps, there's no doubt about it. But money does not always equal votes in an election. Give people a reason to vote for the Democrat in the race, and they will show up. Money be damned.

Keep up the good fight

We'll get there. It's just going to take a while. Third way-style Democrats are rather entrenched. It'll take a bit to root them all out.

[Doctor_J]

22. You are cherry picking

The ACA moved the healthcare battle to the states. We need to be working there.

Vermont, the most liberal state in the union, said they can't do it. The reason it was "left to the states" is so that it would never happen. That was part of the plan.

Yeah, that's why Brown lost in CA. Having nowhere near as much money as Fiorina.

One governors mansion, in the second most liberal state in the union. Meanwhile IL, WI, MI - usually reliably blue states - are now run by Repukes. If you don't believe money and media beat positive thinking, we're not going to get out of this mess.

[jeff47]

25. Not quite

Vermont, the most liberal state in the union, said they can't do it.

No, the governor panicked after 2014 and ran from it. Not "can't do it". Big difference.

The reason it was "left to the states" is so that it would never happen.

Yeah, it's SO much easier to convince the red states to implement single payer at the federal level instead of fighting for it in a blue state.

Get to work instead of whining about it not being done for you.

Meanwhile IL, WI, MI - usually reliably blue states - are now run by Repukes.

Yes, because the Democratic candidate followed the 2014 plan - run from Obama and be Republican-Lite.

Brown is merely a convenient example where money doesn't guarantee victory. He's got a model that works against money - give people a reason to show up instead of being Republican-lite.

Obama won NC in 2008 and barely lost it in 2012. A very red state. He spent way less money in NC than either Republican. Again, he gave people a reason to show up instead of being Republican-lite.

[Doctor_J]

26. you've gone from cherry picking to lying

No, the governor panicked after 2014 and ran from it. Not "can't do it". Big difference.

The governor said the state doesn't have the money. that means can't do it. This can only be done on a large scale due to the cost spreading necessary. I would like to say the dems tried and failed in 2009-2010, but that would be a lie. They never intended to do it, and the voters figured that out, and then realized that having huge dem majorities in congress isn't that helpful. Hance the 2010 midterms.

Get to work instead of whining about it not being done for you.

Get to work at what? The intent of Heritage Care was to sink SP. Why do you think a 5-year delay was placed on states to implement their own? It was a total success. We remain with the worst and most expensive "system" in the world, because the insurance lobby owns too many politicians to overcome.

Yes, because the Democratic candidate followed the 2014 plan - run from Obama and be Republican-Lite.

Obama IS republican lite - he brags about it, insults liberals, and favors rttt, fracking, TPP, private insurance, arctic drilling, and prosecuting pot smokers instead of banksters. Is duplicity and "centrism" are big reasons for the heavy losses since 2008

[sabrina 1]

28. And don't forget NJ, another Blue State where the Dem Party itself endorsed the Republican.

[Eleanors38]

29. My intense involvement with politics taught me this:

You don't need more money than your opposition, only enough.

Further, a $ shortage can be made up by Big numbers of volunteers and there creativity and energy; if you don't have this, maybe your "cause" isn't that appealing.

[jeff47]

12. Schumer was not at all a surprise. Nor in any danger of not becoming the next leader.

The Democrats in the Senate still more-or-less use a patronage system. And Schumer has spent many years building up allies for Reid's eventual retirement.

Warren is new, and has not had time to do so. As a result, she was never in contention to become leader. But the fact that a new leadership position was created for her indicates just how much she is steering the conversation.

[Jim Lane]

14. I had thought Durbin would contest the post.

In 2010, with Reid facing a tough re-election challenge, the word was that both Durbin and Schumer were quietly trying to line up support to be the leader if Reid lost his seat.

[jeff47]

15. Schumer lined up more support back then, and thus has more support today. (nt)

[appalachiablue]

21. Along with the neoliberal Wall Streeters, what about DWS & the DNC chair? People who aren't

associated with DC or Wall Street are still voters for the Dem. Party. Dean has been mentioned as a replacement here and so has a revival of his 50 state strategy. Seems like a good idea.