Before I was even old enough to understand it, my grandfather once told me that there is only one thing worse than the Democratic Party-- the Republican Party. It's helped guide my politics since the 1960s when I resigned as president of the pro-war (in Vietnam) College Young Democrats and joined the militantly antiwar Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) instead.
This weekend the incredibly, horrifically corrupt California Democratic Party is having its convention. I was on pins and needles last night as they voted on endorsements. I was most concerned about the ability of Cristina Garcia to prevent the party machine from steamrolling over her and endorsing "ex"-Republican Robert Garcia, a corrupt, conservative corporate whore who the party is pushing for the open CA-42 seat (southeast L.A and Long Beach). Threats and bribes were everywhere-- and they even rolled out Nancy Pelosi to try to strong-arm delegates against Cristina-- the kind of independent-minded candidate that machine politicians like Pelosi fear and loath. In the end, CA-42 was the only district in the state-- the only one-- where the machine lost the endorsement process. Robert Garcia's efforts came to naught and there is no party endorsement. Huge progressive win!
On the other hand, the party got behind two of the worst members of the legislature who are running for Congress-- Adam Gray and Rudy Salas. The Courage Campaign just released their annual score card for members of the legislature. These are the scores for the 19 Democrats in the Assembly with F grades:
Jim Cooper- 8
Jim Frazier- 8
Adam Gray- 12
Rudy Salas- 12
James Ramos- 23
Cottie Petrie-Norris- 31
Carlos Villapudua- 35
Freddie Rodriguez- 35
Sharon Quirk-Silva- 35
Tom Daly- 45
Sabrina Cervantes- 36
Joaquin Arambula- 38
Ken Cooley- 38
Patrick O'Donnell- 38
Blanca Rubio- 42
Tim Grayson- 46
Al Muratsuchi- 50
Brian Maienschein- 58
Tasha Boehner-Horvath- 58
Remember what happened when the DCCC recruited the worst-- as in most conservative-- Democratic member of the New Jersey state Senate for Congress and then made sure he was elected? Hint: Jefferson Van Drew. Still don't remember? After Van Drew was elected to Congress he was, predictably, a rot gut Blue Dog voting with the GOP... and then was so charmed by Trump that he switched parties and is now officially a Republican. Remember when Schumer recruited the single worst-- as in most conservative-- Democrat in the House to run for an Arizona Senate seat? His choice was Kyrsten Sinema. Consequences?
1- The Senate refuses to pass fair voting rights legislation
2- The Senate refuses to expand the Supreme Court
3- The Senate killed Build Back Better
4- The Senate refuses to reform the filibuster
5- The Senate refuses to lower drug prices or raise the minimum wage
6- The Democrats are about the lose Congress
Is this all Sinema's fault? No, not all her fault; the fault is with Joe Manchin and Sinema-- equally. And it's also Schumer's fault for looking for the worst Democrat in Congress to run for the Senate, something Democrats always do... and on every level. Schumer is trying the same old failed hat trick in Ohio (Tim Ryan) and Pennsylvania (Conor Lamb) now. Don't forget, Schumer didn't recruit her despite her miserable record; he recruited her because of her miserable record.
The DCCC has not just gotten behind Rudy Salas, arguably the worst Democrat in Sacramento; they endorsed him, helped him clear the field of other (better) candidates and made him a top priority for Democratic donors. If he wins, he will be another corrupt scumbag in the House voting against working families, against the environment, against equality... and with the Republicans in DC just the way he votes with the Republicans in Sacramento. He had already been endorsed by the California Democratic Party. And last night his Mod Squad pal, Adam Gray-- with the same "F" grade and the same pathetic score of 12-- was also endorsed by the party. The alternatives were "No Endorsement," which got 5.7% or Phil Arballo, another pitiful conservative sack of crap, who got 26.4%. Gray won 67.9% of the votes-- and with it, the increasingly worthless California Democratic Party endorsement.
This is what Courage has to say about Salas, newest conservative darling of the DCCC: "With remarkable-- and concerning-- consistency, Salas maintains his position on the edge of shame for the seventh straight year, earning another solid F-rating. With over $550k in donations from big oil, police, and real estate, his campaign runs on dirty money. His record indicates that he shamelessly earns those donations, as he has taken every opportunity to oppose criminal justice reforms, corporate housing transparency, and accountability this term." If you donate to the DCCC that's where your money is going.
I nearly forgot to mention that another assemblyman with an "F" who's running for Congress, Joaquin Arambula, was endorsed in the first round (as Salas was). One one last thing: today would be a perfect day to contribute to Cristina Garcia-- not just because she's a great candidate and would make a kick-ass member of Congress-- but because she stopped the corrupt Democratic Machine from railroading through an endorsement for Robert Garcia, an indiction about how hard she works and how effective she is. No other progressive candidate was able todo what she accomplished. She stood up against the party establishment and against Pelosi's tyranny and she beat them! To contribute to her campaign, you can click on the link above or you can click on the Bluer California 2022 thermometer on the left.
