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Caucus Chair and Vice Chair — Replacing Joe Crowley……Joe Crowley of Queens is Chair of the Democratic Caucus — until the new Congress takes over. A sign of the times, he was defeated in the primary by Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez. A moderate Irish urban Democrat defeated by a Puerto Rican Democratic Socialist.
……Some newspapers and many Republicans reacted as if radicals were taking over the Democratic Party. As Democrats approach flipping forty Republican seats, the flippers are mostly moderates. Left wing radicals rarely flip Republican held Congressional seats. The Democratic Caucus that will elect a new Chair and a new Vice-Chair will be more moderate than the Caucus that elected Joe Crowley. Will the leadership be moderate?
……Caucus Chair…Barbara Lee CA 13 age 72 is radical. She is co-chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, whip and former co-chair of the Progressive Caucus, a founding member of and vice chair of the LGBT Equality Caucus. Daughter of a Lt. Colonel, she was a strong opponent of the Iraq War and the only “no” vote on the authorization of the use of force after the 9/11 attack. ……Lee invited Shirley Chisholm to speak at Mills College when she was an undergraduate and joined her campaign for president. She volunteered for the Oakland Chapter of the Black Panther Party and worked on Bobby Seales campaign for mayor. She worked for Congressman Ron Dellums and replaced him.……Lee’s candidacy is not impossible. In 2016, she ran for Vice Chair. Lost by a single vote. She explained. She attracted conservative Democrats who appreciated her capacity to work with those who disagree with her. Civility. Respect. Would a younger candidate be more attractive? Asked by the Washington Post about possible Speaker candidates to oppose Nancy Pelosi, Ocasio-Cortez responded: Is Barbara Lee available?
……Hakkim Jeffries NY 08 age 48 is not a radical. Crown Heights Midwood High School. SUNY Binghamton. NYU Law School. Public Policy MA from Georgetown. Corporate litigator for Paul, Weiss. Litigator for CBS and Viacom. CBS is in New York, but a distance from Crown Heights. ……Back in Brooklyn, he lost two primaries for the Assembly before winning one. He won three elections. Became formidable. Announced for Congress. The 30 year incumbent decided to retire. Jeffries has become part of the New York leadership. The Democratic leadership. Encouraged to run for Mayor in 2017. He turned it down.……Jeffres votes on pipelines are indicative of his caution. He opposed the Keystone Pipeline, but also opposed an amendment prohibiting US sales of oil from the pipeline. He is less cautious about issues germane to his district.……Jeffreis‘ is a majority black district. Twenty percent white. Almost 20% Hispanic He supports public housing. Reductions in marijuana arrests. Reductions in ;police violence. ……So….maybe he’s a little radical. With memories of growing up in a tough neighborhood. Lessons learned, he says, on the need for toughness. Hakeem Jeffries fits waht Democrats need from their leaders this time around.
……Caucus Vice Chair…Katherine Clark MA 05 age 55 lives in Melrose — the 86th wealthiest municipality in Massachusetts. She went to St. Lawrence University where she was on the riding team. Then to Cornell Law School. She got a job in a firm in Chicago. Went to Colorado for a clerkship. She served as the general counsel to the Colorado District Attorney’s Council. Back in New England, in Massachusetts, she got a degree from the Kennedy School and served as General Council for the Massachusetts office of children’s services. ……Clark looked good, but not great. Except when she served as a legislator. In the Massachusetts House and Senate she got her hands on almost everything that was important. She was named legislator of the year by the municipal association and the police association for work reforming the pension system. Her capacity for flexibility and problem solving was expressed in her position on privacy — expanding wiretapping authority for control of street crime, limiting police examination of electronic records by requiring probable cause.
……In Congress, Clark has been similarly pragmatic, similarly effective in working with a variety of Members. She added drama. She refused to attend Trump’s inauguration. She refused to attend Netanyahu’s speech to Congress. She confronted Betsy DeVos with tough questions. She co-chaired the Red to Blue DCCC effort. She worked with the women who were part of the Blue Wave. She urged Angie Craig of Minnesota to announce early to avoid a primary fight. She prevented DCCC from supporting a man rather than Abigail Spanberger in Virginia. She worked with men, too. Chris Pappas of NH, Andy Kim of NJ, one of the last to have victory declared, Jared Golden of Maine, another late victor. Dan McCready of North Carolina who lost but, I hope, will be back for more after North Carolina’s gerrymandering is fixed. ……Clark is popular. Described as taking strong positions without offending. Asked to describe Congress, Clark said that it was a lot like the television program “House of Cards” but without the murders.
……Pete Aguilar CA 31 age 39 is a youth movement by himself. He was mayor of Redlands before the age of thirty, President of the Inland Empire League of California Cities. His family has been in California for two or three generations. As best he can tell, his family got to California working on the railroad. Now, in a reversal, he and his children are learning Spanish.……He ran for Congress in 2012, but got tangled up in California’s open primary system. Aguilar came in third behind two Republicans, who then ran against each other.Aguilar came in second in 2014 and won the general.
…Aguilar is best known for his support for the DACA Program — to make permanent residents of undocumented youths brought to the US as children. He goes beyond to to provide them support. He is an advocate of job training, of Pell Grants, of providing support to young people of all sorts — not just the Dreamers.
……Aquilar has worked hard to elect other Latinos to Congress, to state offices. As whip for the Hispanic Caucus in Congress, he worked to pass bills in their interest. He is accustomed to early success. From 26 year old councilman to mayor to Congressman. LIke his first try for Congress, he may face a bump. Clark is more experienced, has more connections throughout the Congress. In Congress, you can lead a youth movement when you are 55.……
Here is my ticket so far: …Speaker: Nancy Pelosi CA 08 age 78…Majority Leader: Steny Hoyer MD 05 age 79…Whip: Jim Clyburn SC 06 age 78…Assistant Maj Leader Ben Ray Lujan NM 03 age 46…Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries, NY 08 age 48…Caucus Vice Chair Katherine Clark MA 05 age 55… …Next Note: DCCC Chair and DPCC Co-Chairs……It doesn’t happen often. Constituents rarely contact Members of Congress about Leadership races. Do it. Tell your Member of Congress who you support for Leadership positions. Whether you agree with me or would create a different slate. Find your Representative’s web site. Call an office and let him or her know what you think. Send an email. Even a letter. Participate in this decision. That’s what democracy looks like.
One more candidate to think about. Georgia. Secretary of State. We know that, at minimum, Stacy Abrams would have been in a runoff for election as Governor of Georgia if it were not for voter suppression by the Secretary of State. Let’s elect John Barrow https://www.barrowforgeorgia.com/ Secretary of state. Barrow was the last white Democratic Member of Congress in Georgia. A frequent target of Republicans, he was finally defeated. He is back. He’d be a moderate Democrat. He would be for expanding the electorate, not suppressing it. And he is in a runoff. On election night, he Barrow was behind by a half point. 49.1% to 48.6%. The election is December 4 is a brand new event. Not a recount. Help Barrow get past 50% this time.
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