From Justice Democrats:
As we witness the end of Roe v. Wade and one horrific mass shooting after another, it’s astonishing to see the Democratic Party dump resources into TX-28 to back an anti-abortion, NRA “A-rated” Democrat. All to stop a progressive working-class woman of color from bringing her bold vision for our country to Congress. I’m furious.
It wasn’t just the MASSIVE amount of money (more than $2.5 million) that Super PACs spent to stop Justice Democrat Jessica Cisneros and protect conservative Democrat Henry Cuellar. It was also top Democrats like Nancy Pelosi giving anti-choice Cuellar $23,000.
It was Nancy Pelosi and James Clyburn (the third-ranking Democrat in the House) doing robocalls for Cuellar. Democratic leadership even showed up to a rally with Cuellar, just days after the leaked Roe Supreme Court draft decision.
This race isn’t over. Cuellar leads by 177 votes but there are more votes to count and very likely a recount coming. The current tiny margin here makes this all the more enraging, Scott.
With a margin this small, it’s clear that Jessica could have easily defeated the one anti-abortion, pro-NRA Democrat in the House if it wasn’t for the full-throated support of Pelosi and the party establishment in Washington for Cuellar.
The priority of the Democratic Party should NOT be to stop progressive candidates. It should NOT be doing the bidding of Wall Street, Big Oil, and corporate mega-donors. It should be working to pass progressive legislation that delivers people the support and relief that we desperately need.
Instead, Democratic Party leadership spends its time fighting progressives harder than they fight Republicans and fascists who are trying to tear apart our democracy and strip women of rights over their own bodies. Pelosi and the Democratic establishment went all-in for a candidate that opposes core planks of the Party — abortion rights, worker rights, gun violence prevention, fighting climate change, etc. — rather than allow a fair primary between Jessica and Cuellar.
The Democratic Party would rather light money on fire for an anti-abortion Democrat than use it towards keeping the Democratic majority.
As AOC said, Congress shouldn’t be an incumbent protection racket — especially when the incumbent is against protecting abortion rights and against stronger gun laws to reduce the rampant gun violence in this country.
Not only did the political establishment throw $2 million at Jessica from AIPAC (the same group that tried and failed to defeat Justice Democrat Summer Lee with $3 million). The establishment had at least $750,000 from Democratic mega-donor Reid Hoffman’s “Mainstream Democrats PAC.”
But Cuellar isn’t even a “mainstream Democrat.” He helped thwart President Biden’s Build Back Better Act, another piece of legislation that Pelosi supported and Cuellar opposed. Why would Pelosi back Cuellar with money and robocalls?
It’s because the chief mission of party leaders and corporate donors is to stop progressive change that threatens the status quo. They don’t want more Justice Democrats in Congress who will fight to deliver Medicare for All and a Green New Deal for the people. For the Democratic Party, it’s corporate profits over the people.
The Haunted Typewriter 