Latest news with #JusticeDemocrats
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Centrist Democrats are convinced they hold the answers to their party's problems
Democrats are still staring down bleak polling numbers about their party's brand, even as President Donald Trump's favorability also has dropped. The answer to Democrats' troubles at WelcomeFest, the moderate Democrats' Coachella, include: purity tests are toxic, being unpopular on the social media site Bluesky is cool and winning again means running to the center. That's the gospel speakers preached on stage Wednesday in the basement of a Washington, D.C., hotel, where hundreds of centrist elected officials, candidates and operatives gathered to commiserate over the 2024 election results and chart their version of the path forward for the Democratic Party. 'There's a hunger for people to work together, to try to find solutions and to talk in common sense terms,' said Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.), who won a much-heralded special election in 2024 by calling out his own party on immigration policies. 'I think that there's a lot more elected officials that are willing to speak up about that because they don't want to lose,' Suozzi told reporters after his appearance. Wednesday's daylong conference, which represented a who's-who of center-left Democratic politics, from analytics guru David Shor to Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin to New York Rep. Ritchie Torres, was the latest sign that moderate Democrats believe they are ascendant in the party, looking to influence its posture heading into the 2026 midterms and 2028 presidential primary. Seven of the 12 House Democrats who won in Trump districts last year participated in the event, including Reps. Jared Golden of Maine, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington and Adam Gray of California. 'Most Americans are Blue Dogs,' Gluesenkamp told writer Matt Yglesias, and noted only 10 Democrats remain in the once-robust Blue Dog Caucus. 'Politics has become irrelevant to most people because it has excluded the things that touch their life. It's about making politics more relevant to more people.' But the rifts within the Democratic Party are still evident. Speakers railed against progressive groups like Justice Democrats, Our Revolution and Indivisible, who they said forced the party into unwinnable positions — and weren't focused on winning majorities. 'When you read the documents of the national Indivisible group, they spell it right out, as plain as day, that they're throwing out the Blue Dogs and New Dems,' said Golden. 'Their goal is to divide the Democratic coalition until they are 100 percent in the image of the progressive caucus.' Progressives, for their part, called WelcomeFest a 'convention of corporate ghouls' that represents 'a massive step backwards for a Democratic Party that just lost working-class voters at a historic level,' said Usamah Andrabi, Justice Democrats communications director. 'Everyday people are not interested in elitist, technocratic, piecemeal solutions to the massive crises they're facing. They just rejected that exact Democratic Party in November,' Andrabi said. 'Voters want to see a Democratic Party that unites the working class against the handful of billionaires and corporations robbing them blind.' Andrabi also noted that Justice Democrats focus on safe Democratic House primaries, not competitive seats. Liam Kerr, a co-founder of Welcome PAC, which launched in 2022, said now that the 'leftist fever dreams died down,' they're growing a movement with 'a sense of, 'We need to think differently, we need to do things differently.'" "It's attracting a lot of people who are kind of a full generation behind the last wave of centrist Democratic entrepreneurs,' Kerr added. Data analyst Lakshya Jain kicked off the opening presentation by arguing that Janelle Stelson, a Democrat who challenged Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), was a better performing candidate than Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) in 2024. 'This seems like a really controversial idea on Twitter, but I suggest that the Democratic Party take lessons on how to win elections and how to win voters from people who have won more votes than most other Democrats,' Jain said to applause. 'If we run candidates that D.C. finds appealing, we're probably going to lose. There's an inverse correlation between what you guys all find appealing and what the median voter finds appealing.' And like any other Democratic event in 2025, WelcomeFest was interrupted by protesters, who shouted at Torres during his interview. They were played off by the producers of the event, who blasted Carly Simon's 'You're So Vain.'
Politico
2 days ago
- Politics
- Politico
Centrist Democrats are convinced they hold the answers to their party's problems
Democrats are still staring down bleak polling numbers about their party's brand, even as President Donald Trump's favorability also has dropped. The answer to Democrats' troubles at WelcomeFest, the moderate Democrats' Coachella, include: purity tests are toxic, being unpopular on the social media site Bluesky is cool and winning again means running to the center. That's the gospel speakers preached on stage Wednesday in the basement of a Washington, D.C., hotel, where hundreds of centrist elected officials, candidates and operatives gathered to commiserate over the 2024 election results and chart their version of the path forward for the Democratic Party. 'There's a hunger for people to work together, to try to find solutions and to talk in common sense terms,' said Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.), who won a much-heralded special election in 2024 by calling out his own party on immigration policies. 'I think that there's a lot more elected officials that are willing to speak up about that because they don't want to lose,' Suozzi told reporters after his appearance. Wednesday's daylong conference, which represented a who's-who of center-left Democratic politics, from analytics guru David Shor to Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin to New York Rep. Ritchie Torres, was the latest sign that moderate Democrats believe they are ascendant in the party, looking to influence its posture heading into the 2026 midterms and 2028 presidential primary. Seven of the 12 House Democrats who won in Trump districts last year participated in the event, including Reps. Jared Golden of Maine, Marie Gluesenkamp Perez of Washington and Adam Gray of California. 'Most Americans are Blue Dogs,' Gluesenkamp told writer Matt Yglesias, and noted only 10 Democrats remain in the once-robust Blue Dog Caucus. 'Politics has become irrelevant to most people because it has excluded the things that touch their life. It's about making politics more relevant to more people.' But the rifts within the Democratic Party are still evident. Speakers railed against progressive groups like Justice Democrats, Our Revolution and Indivisible, who they said forced the party into unwinnable positions — and weren't focused on winning majorities. 'When you read the documents of the national Indivisible group, they spell it right out, as plain as day, that they're throwing out the Blue Dogs and New Dems,' said Golden. 'Their goal is to divide the Democratic coalition until they are 100 percent in the image of the progressive caucus.' Progressives, for their part, called WelcomeFest a 'convention of corporate ghouls' that represents 'a massive step backwards for a Democratic Party that just lost working-class voters at a historic level,' said Usamah Andrabi, Justice Democrats communications director. 'Everyday people are not interested in elitist, technocratic, piecemeal solutions to the massive crises they're facing. They just rejected that exact Democratic Party in November,' Andrabi said. 'Voters want to see a Democratic Party that unites the working class against the handful of billionaires and corporations robbing them blind.' Andrabi also noted that Justice Democrats focus on safe Democratic House primaries, not competitive seats. Liam Kerr, a co-founder of Welcome PAC, which launched in 2022, said now that the 'leftist fever dreams died down,' they're growing a movement with 'a sense of, 'We need to think differently, we need to do things differently.'' 'It's attracting a lot of people who are kind of a full generation behind the last wave of centrist Democratic entrepreneurs,' Kerr added. Data analyst Lakshya Jain kicked off the opening presentation by arguing that Janelle Stelson, a Democrat who challenged Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.), was a better performing candidate than Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) in 2024. 'This seems like a really controversial idea on Twitter, but I suggest that the Democratic Party take lessons on how to win elections and how to win voters from people who have won more votes than most other Democrats,' Jain said to applause. 'If we run candidates that D.C. finds appealing, we're probably going to lose. There's an inverse correlation between what you guys all find appealing and what the median voter finds appealing.' And like any other Democratic event in 2025, WelcomeFest was interrupted by protesters, who shouted at Torres during his interview. They were played off by the producers of the event, who blasted Carly Simon's 'You're So Vain.'
14-05-2025
- Politics
Smart politics or a publicity stunt? The man behind the latest effort to impeach Donald Trump
LANSING, Mich. -- A Michigan congressman is charging ahead — largely without support from his own party — in his attempt to impeach President Donald Trump, a move that comes as the congressman faces political trouble at home. Second-term U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar has introduced seven articles of impeachment against the Republican president. Thanedar, who represents a safely Democratic Detroit-area district, is facing multiple primary challengers for a second time as some Democrats seek to shake up the party following the 2024 election. Here's the background. Thanedar, 70, represents Michigan's 13th Congressional District, a solidly Democratic district in Detroit. He easily won reelection in the November general election. Previously, he lost the Democratic gubernatorial primary to current Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2018 and then served one term in the state House of Representatives. An immigrant from India, Thanedar has said he is pushing an impeachment resolution because he feels compelled to defend the Constitution. He has put up advertisements in Michigan demanding that Congress impeach Trump. Thanedar was poised to force a vote on the resolution Wednesday, but backed down in the face of criticism from fellow Democrats. Still, Thanedar insisted he was not abandoning the effort and would seek to build more support. Thanedar beat eight other Democratic candidates for the party nomination in 2022 before he went on to win his first term in Congress in November of that year. The win, however, left the city of Detroit without Black representation in Congress for the first time since the 1950s — a notable omission for a city that is nearly 80% Black. Many prominent Black leaders of Wayne County and Michigan Democrats — including Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan — threw their support behind other primary candidates in 2024. One of his most viable competitors, state Sen. Adam Hollier, was kept off the ballot after election officials found that he had not submitted enough valid signatures. A businessman who made his career in the pharmaceutical and chemical world, Thanedar has poured millions of dollars of his own money into his political races, including $10 million on his unsuccessful run for governor. Two young Black Democrats, including Hollier, recently announced campaigns to unseat Thanedar in 2026. A spokesperson for Thanedar's campaign did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment about the incumbent's challengers. Michigan Rep. Donovan McKinney launched his campaign for the position about two weeks ago. He has the backing of Justice Democrats, a group known for helping to elect progressive members to Congress, and he earned the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who represents the neighboring 12th Congressional district. Thanedar's district features part of one of the largest Arab American populations in the U.S. Since the Israel-Hamas war, many of his constituents have decried his support for Israel. Tlaib, who represents the city of Dearborn, is the only Palestinian American in Congress and opposed the Biden and Trump administrations' unwavering support for Israel over the Gaza war. 'You all know I need a real partner in Washington, D.C. who will fight to represent and deliver for our Wayne County families,' Tlaib said in a video endorsing McKinney posted on social media Monday. Adrian Hemond, a Michigan-based political strategist, said the impeachment effort is likely to drive fundraising and mobilize support for Thanedar's primary race, even as it is destined to fail. The move may also be an attempt to 'box out' Thanedar's primary challengers from media attention early in the race, he said. 'So it's smart politics for him,' Hemond said. Hollier called the impeachment resolution a 'publicity stunt' in an interview with the Associated Press. He accused Thanedar of ignoring real needs of his district, such as veteran benefits and childcare. 'This is the kind of thing that Donald Trump wants Democrats to be doing,' Hollier said. Thanedar is expected to force a floor vote on the matter before the end of the day, but Republicans and possibly some Democrats will likely vote to table it. Given the Republican majority in Congress, almost certainly not. Thanedar's resolution is expected to fail in the House chamber if he calls it up for a vote. If impeachment gained traction — more likely if Democrats gained a majority in next year's midterm elections — it would represent a historic third time that Trump has faced efforts to impeach him after he was twice impeached during his first term as president — first in 2019 on charges related to withholding military aid to Ukraine as it confronted Russia and later on a charge of inciting insurrection over the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by a mob of his supporters.
Boston Globe
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Smart politics or a publicity stunt? The man behind the latest effort to impeach Donald Trump.
Who is Shri Thanedar? Thanedar, 70, represents Michigan's 13th Congressional District, a solidly Democratic district in Detroit. He easily won reelection in the November general election. Previously, he lost the Democratic gubernatorial primary to current Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2018 and then served one term in the state House of Representatives. Advertisement An immigrant from India, Thanedar has said he is pushing forward with an impeachment resolution because he feels compelled to defend the Constitution. He has put up advertisements in Michigan demanding that Congress impeach Trump. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up When was he first elected? Thanedar beat eight other Democratic candidates for the party nomination in 2022 before he went on to win his first term in Congress in November of that year. The win, however, left the city of Detroit without Black representation in Congress for the first time since the 1950s — a notable omission for a city that is nearly 80% Black. Many prominent Black leaders of Wayne County and Michigan Democrats — including Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan — threw their support behind other primary candidates in 2024. One of his most viable competitors, state Sen. Adam Hollier, was kept off the ballot after election officials found that he had not submitted enough valid signatures. Advertisement A businessman who made his career in the pharmaceutical and chemical world, Thanedar has poured millions of dollars of his own money into his political races, including $10 million on his unsuccessful run for governor. Who is challenging Thanedar in the 2026 Democratic primary? Two young Black Democrats, including Hollier, recently announced campaigns to unseat Thanedar in 2026. A spokesperson for Thanedar's campaign did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment about the incumbent's challengers. Michigan Rep. Donovan McKinney launched his campaign for the position about two weeks ago. He has the backing of Justice Democrats, a group known for helping to elect progressive members to Congress, and he earned the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, who represents the neighboring 12th Congressional district. Thanedar's district features part of one of the largest Arab American populations in the U.S. Since the Israel-Hamas war, many of his constituents have decried his support for Israel. Tlaib, who represents the city of Dearborn, is the only Palestinian American in Congress and opposed the Biden and Trump administrations' unwavering support for Israel over the Gaza war. 'You all know I need a real partner in Washington, D.C. who will fight to represent and deliver for our Wayne County families,' Tlaib said in a video endorsing McKinney posted on social media Monday. Why is Thanedar pressing for impeachment now? Adrian Hemond, a Michigan-based political strategist, said the impeachment effort is likely to drive fundraising and mobilize support for Thanedar's primary race, even as it is destined to fail. The move may also be an attempt to 'box out' Thanedar's primary challengers from media attention early in the race, he said. Advertisement 'So it's smart politics for him,' Hemond said. Rep. Shri Thanedar (D-MI, Full video here: — CSPAN (@cspan) Hollier called the impeachment resolution a 'publicity stunt' in an interview with the Associated Press. He accused Thanedar of ignoring real needs of his district, such as veteran benefits and childcare. 'This is the kind of thing that Donald Trump wants Democrats to be doing,' Hollier said. Thanedar is expected to force a floor vote on the matter before the end of the day, but Republicans and possibly some Democrats will likely vote to table it. Can Trump be impeached? Given the Republican majority in Congress, almost certainly not. Thanedar's resolution is expected to fail in the House chamber. If impeachment gained traction — more likely if Democrats gained a majority in next year's midterm elections — it would represent a historic third time that Trump has faced efforts to impeach him after he was twice impeached during his first term as president — first in 2019 on charges related to withholding military aid to Ukraine as it confronted Russia and later on a charge of inciting insurrection over the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol by a mob of his supporters. Trump was acquitted both times by the Senate.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Liberals rail at establishment: ‘Too many corporate, establishment politicians'
Progressive Democrats are on a tear. The party liberals — particularly younger voices, in Congress and outside of it — are increasingly disillusioned with how the Democrats' old guard is managing the high-stakes battle against President Trump, who is using his second term to dismantle the conventions of law and government. On issues as varied as immigration, impeachment and picking committee leaders in the Capitol, these voices are airing frustrations that the party is failing to meet the moment in the face of a White House threat they deem to be existential. Many are battling to divorce the party from the veteran leaders of the past — to include former President Biden, who has reemerged recently with a series of public events — and instead carve an avenue for younger up-and-comers to take the reins and remold the party's image with designs to win back the working class. 'Voters are fed up with this entire class of incumbents,' said Usamah Andrabi, spokesperson for Justice Democrats, a liberal group advocating for a new crop of younger progressives. 'There are too many corporate, establishment politicians who they feel like are do-nothing Democrats in the face of this existential threat,' he added. 'And it's time to usher in a new generation.' The fight over Trump's deportation policy is a major source of strife. Trump has long used immigration as a wedge issue to animate conservatives and other voters who find appeal in his tough-enforcement approach, and some moderate Democrats have warned colleagues to steer clear of the topic for fear of a voter backlash. Liberals are furious with that advice, saying the real backlash will occur if Democrats don't fight tooth and nail against mass deportations, many of them taking place without any semblance of judicial screening. 'That is crazy, that any Democrat would say this is a losing position for us,' Ezra Levin, co-founder of the Indivisible Project, another grassroots progressive group, said in a recent interview with The Bulwark. 'They're thinking about it in these, like, 1990s political terms, and we just live in a completely different environment now.' In recent days, the clash has turned to more structural matters, as liberals are questioning whether the party's rules make it all but impossible for the young stars of the future to move up. Those questions were thrust into the spotlight after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) last week declined a run at the top Democratic seat on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee, a prominent perch for Democrats fighting to shine a public light on Trump's many controversies. The reason? The party's seniority system, she said, stacked the odds against her. 'It's actually clear to me that the underlying dynamics in the caucus have not shifted with respect to seniority as much as I think would be necessary, and so I believe I'll be staying put at Energy and Commerce,' she told reporters. Some Democrats questioned that argument, noting that Ocasio-Cortez would have had to leave the powerful Energy and Commerce panel to seek the Oversight seat without any assurances she would win it. 'It wasn't like a done deal or anything,' said one Democratic lawmaker, who spoke anonymously to discuss a sensitive topic. '[Seniority] is a strong factor, but it was more of a rolling the dice kind of situation.' Still, Ocasio-Cortez is not only a liberal superstar with a huge national following, she's also a favorite of the left to run for the White House in 2028. And after she announced her Oversight decision, progressives wasted no time taking shots at a seniority system they say is denying younger talent any chance at upward mobility. 'She's right that there are still barriers to keeping young people running for these sorts of positions. I mean, that's part of my calculation in not running, as well,' said Rep. Maxwell Frost (Fla.), a second-term Democrat who had also weighed a run at the Oversight seat. As a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, Frost said he understands the value of a seniority system that's helped minority lawmakers rise to power on numerous committees over the course of decades. 'But also times are changing, and I think there's more avenues for young Black people and Latinos to be able to get there,' Frost said. 'So I see both sides. But … it's a very uphill battle' for younger members. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas), another second-term liberal who is also interested in the Oversight seat, has been even more blunt, decrying 'systems' she says prevent lawmakers from representing the voters who empowered them, particularly as it pertains to the fight against Trump. 'There is an inside, outside game. I mean, I think if the outside could vote, then I would be the clear winner,' Crockett said recently on SiriusXM's 'Urban View' program. 'At the end of the day, it's the people that put us in the seats. And the people need to believe that Democrats are listening, and that they are going to give them the fighter that they are looking for to go after this man and this administration.' Branching out further, some liberal Democrats used the Oversight debate as a platform to call for another change to the party's power structure: the establishment of term limits for committee heads. While Republicans have long used a two term-limit system, Democrats have eschewed that idea in another bow to seniority. That, more and more liberals say, is a mistake that needs changing. 'I think the Republicans have it right,' said Rep. Becca Balint (D-Vt.). 'Maybe it's not two terms. Maybe it's three; maybe it's four — we can come to a sweet spot here. But we need to be cultivating, not just younger talent, but different talent,' she added. 'If we're not constantly replenishing who those voices are that can capture storytelling — this is all about storytelling, that's what politics is, right? 'And so I just feel like, structurally, I don't think that we're meeting this moment.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
