What went wrong? Dem. Party contestants to face tough questions

[portlander23]

What went wrong? Dem. Party contestants to face tough questions
Heidi M Przybyla
USA Today

As the party searches for a new chair and vice chair, the DNC has decided to hold four regional forums, moderated by journalists instead of party insiders. It’s the first time Democrats have held regional forums for party elections in more than ten years.

The dates and moderators for the DNC events, which will be live streamed, are:

- On January 14 in Phoenix: Jon Ralston of the Nevada Independent
- On Jan. 28 in Houston: Evan Smith of the Texas Tribune
- On Feb. 4 in Detroit: Ron Fournier, editor of Crains Detroit Business.
- On Feb. 11 in Baltimore: April Ryan of American Urban Radio Networks

Ellison is a leading figure among congressional progressives and grassroots groups including MoveOn.org who has the support of Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, as well as Sen. Chuck Schumer, the new Senate minority leader. Although Ellison was endorsed by the AFL-CIO before Perez entered the race, Perez has deep ties with unions and the labor community as well as with the Obama administration. He bills himself as an experienced manager who can rebuild the party’s infrastructure.

While there are distinctions between the two on some issues – for instance, Perez did not openly oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership under Obama – they are both essentially grassroots progressives.

I would add that while Ellison and Perez are close on the issues with the exception of TPP, the other exception is Ellison wants to ban contributions from lobbyists while Perez wants to allow them.

Instituting a ban would be a return to an Obama policy that was abandoned during Hillary Clinton's run:


Keith Ellison Vows To Ban Lobbyist Contributions To The DNC
Zach Carter and Daniel Marans
Huffington Post

In a new video interview with The Huffington Post, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) pledged to ban contributions from lobbyists to the Democratic Party if he’s elected as its next chairman.

“Yeah, I would,” Ellison told HuffPost when asked about banning lobbyist donations. “I think it’s important that people feel that the party is their party … There is a pragmatic, perhaps too pragmatic step that you can say, ‘We’ll just take whatever money from whatever source in whatever amount.’ But once you do that, I think you cross a line where people do not feel that the party is really theirs.”

President Barack Obama banned lobbyist contributions to the Democratic National Committee after winning the 2008 election, but the then DNC Chair, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) quietly lifted the ban during Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential run. In a December interview with HuffPost, Ellison’s chief rival for Wasserman Schultz’s successor, Labor Secretary Thomas Perez, refused to rule out lobbyist donations.

[Me.]

1. I Think Fournier Is A Poor Choice

I always wondered if his viciousness towards HRC was personal or directed at the party generally.

Edited to ask:

Instituting a ban would be a return to an Obama policy that was abandoned during Hillary Clinton's run.

Wasn't that change a Wasserman Schultz choice/decision?

[OnDoutside]

2. Yes it's a staggeringly poor choice.