SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
To donate by check, phone, or other method, see our More Ways to Give page.
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
Progressives made clear they have no intention of backing down to the party establishment after the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on Friday threatened to cut off funds to firms and strategists that support primary challengers against incumbents.
"The DCCC can do anything it wants to try to prevent the next generation of Democrats from taking power. They will not succeed," Sean McElwee--co-founder of Data for Progress, which is recruiting progressives to oust conservative Democrats--said in a statement.
"Make no mistake--they are sending a signal that they are more afraid of Ayanna Pressley and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez winning primary challenges than Henry Cuellar who votes with Trump nearly 70 percent of the time."
--Alexandra Rojas, Justice Democrats
The new policy was included in the DCCC's list of vendor hiring standards, which state that the organization "will not conduct business with, nor recommend to any of its targeted campaigns, any consultant that works with an opponent of a sitting member of the House Democratic Caucus."
According toNational Journal, which first reported the policy change, "Democrats involved in crafting the standards intend for them to bolster members across the ideological spectrum, from the fiscally conservative Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas to the progressive Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota--both of whom could be subject to contested primaries."
But progressives argued that the ostensibly neutral rule will disproportionately harm grassroots organizations looking to replace right-wing Democrats with bold figures like Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), who both ousted incumbent Democrats in primaries last year.
"Make no mistake--they are sending a signal that they are more afraid of Ayanna Pressley and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez winning primary challenges than Henry Cuellar who votes with Trump nearly 70 percent of the time," Alexandra Rojas, executive director of Justice Democrats, told The Intercept.
As Common Dreams reported in January, the progressive advocacy group Justice Democrats is recruiting a 2020 primary challenger to take on Cuellar, who has backed anti-abortion legislation and raised money for the GOP.
\u201cThe DCCC is using financial leverage to try and stop progressive primaries from happening in the Democratic Party.\n\nThe DCCC says they will stop conducting business with anyone who supports a primary challenge to an incumbent Democrat \u2014 just like @AyannaPressley and @AOC did.\u201d— Waleed Shahid (@Waleed Shahid) 1553269930
As National Journal reported, the DCCC's hiring standards "could cripple would-be primary opponents' ability to entice top talent to join their staff" and deprive them of millions of dollars in funds.
But progressive organizations and strategists were quick to say they will not be deterred by the DCCC's threat to cut them off.
"We see exactly what you're doing DCCC," declared Democracy for America, an advocacy group that also bolsters progressive candidates. "Don't think for one second that it'll stop us--or the grassroots army we stand with--from backing bold, inclusive populists who will better represent their districts in Congress over neoliberal corporate Dems."
\u201cWe see exactly what you're doing @dccc. \n\nDon't think for 1 second that it'll stop us -- or the grassroots army we stand with -- from backing bold, inclusive populists who will better represent their districts in Congress over neoliberal corporate Dems. \n\nhttps://t.co/l6AADku3Pa\u201d— Democracy for America (@Democracy for America) 1553268237
Rebecca Katz, a longtime Democratic consultant, toldThe Intercept that "people who can't understand the party is stronger because we have Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley in Congress should not be in the business of choosing who can run for Congress."
Katz expanded on that idea on Twitter: "The party shouldn't be in the business of protecting Dems in safe blue districts who have lost touch with their constituents. I would work with those challengers, and help lift up those voices, even if it means being blacklisted by the DCCC."
As New York Magazine's Eric Levitz noted, "it's far from clear that the DCCC's policy will even succeed on its intended [objectives]."
"The small-dollar donor armies that have freed Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from the burden of fundraising--and filled the coffers of Bernie Sanders's nascent 2020 campaign--aren't going anywhere," Levitz wrote. "The DCCC can't eliminate the demand for political operatives who are willing to assist left-wing primary challenges."
Political revenge. Mass deportations. Project 2025. Unfathomable corruption. Attacks on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Pardons for insurrectionists. An all-out assault on democracy. Republicans in Congress are scrambling to give Trump broad new powers to strip the tax-exempt status of any nonprofit he doesn’t like by declaring it a “terrorist-supporting organization.” Trump has already begun filing lawsuits against news outlets that criticize him. At Common Dreams, we won’t back down, but we must get ready for whatever Trump and his thugs throw at us. Our Year-End campaign is our most important fundraiser of the year. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. By donating today, please help us fight the dangers of a second Trump presidency. |
Progressives made clear they have no intention of backing down to the party establishment after the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on Friday threatened to cut off funds to firms and strategists that support primary challengers against incumbents.
"The DCCC can do anything it wants to try to prevent the next generation of Democrats from taking power. They will not succeed," Sean McElwee--co-founder of Data for Progress, which is recruiting progressives to oust conservative Democrats--said in a statement.
"Make no mistake--they are sending a signal that they are more afraid of Ayanna Pressley and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez winning primary challenges than Henry Cuellar who votes with Trump nearly 70 percent of the time."
--Alexandra Rojas, Justice Democrats
The new policy was included in the DCCC's list of vendor hiring standards, which state that the organization "will not conduct business with, nor recommend to any of its targeted campaigns, any consultant that works with an opponent of a sitting member of the House Democratic Caucus."
According toNational Journal, which first reported the policy change, "Democrats involved in crafting the standards intend for them to bolster members across the ideological spectrum, from the fiscally conservative Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas to the progressive Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota--both of whom could be subject to contested primaries."
But progressives argued that the ostensibly neutral rule will disproportionately harm grassroots organizations looking to replace right-wing Democrats with bold figures like Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), who both ousted incumbent Democrats in primaries last year.
"Make no mistake--they are sending a signal that they are more afraid of Ayanna Pressley and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez winning primary challenges than Henry Cuellar who votes with Trump nearly 70 percent of the time," Alexandra Rojas, executive director of Justice Democrats, told The Intercept.
As Common Dreams reported in January, the progressive advocacy group Justice Democrats is recruiting a 2020 primary challenger to take on Cuellar, who has backed anti-abortion legislation and raised money for the GOP.
\u201cThe DCCC is using financial leverage to try and stop progressive primaries from happening in the Democratic Party.\n\nThe DCCC says they will stop conducting business with anyone who supports a primary challenge to an incumbent Democrat \u2014 just like @AyannaPressley and @AOC did.\u201d— Waleed Shahid (@Waleed Shahid) 1553269930
As National Journal reported, the DCCC's hiring standards "could cripple would-be primary opponents' ability to entice top talent to join their staff" and deprive them of millions of dollars in funds.
But progressive organizations and strategists were quick to say they will not be deterred by the DCCC's threat to cut them off.
"We see exactly what you're doing DCCC," declared Democracy for America, an advocacy group that also bolsters progressive candidates. "Don't think for one second that it'll stop us--or the grassroots army we stand with--from backing bold, inclusive populists who will better represent their districts in Congress over neoliberal corporate Dems."
\u201cWe see exactly what you're doing @dccc. \n\nDon't think for 1 second that it'll stop us -- or the grassroots army we stand with -- from backing bold, inclusive populists who will better represent their districts in Congress over neoliberal corporate Dems. \n\nhttps://t.co/l6AADku3Pa\u201d— Democracy for America (@Democracy for America) 1553268237
Rebecca Katz, a longtime Democratic consultant, toldThe Intercept that "people who can't understand the party is stronger because we have Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley in Congress should not be in the business of choosing who can run for Congress."
Katz expanded on that idea on Twitter: "The party shouldn't be in the business of protecting Dems in safe blue districts who have lost touch with their constituents. I would work with those challengers, and help lift up those voices, even if it means being blacklisted by the DCCC."
As New York Magazine's Eric Levitz noted, "it's far from clear that the DCCC's policy will even succeed on its intended [objectives]."
"The small-dollar donor armies that have freed Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from the burden of fundraising--and filled the coffers of Bernie Sanders's nascent 2020 campaign--aren't going anywhere," Levitz wrote. "The DCCC can't eliminate the demand for political operatives who are willing to assist left-wing primary challenges."
Progressives made clear they have no intention of backing down to the party establishment after the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on Friday threatened to cut off funds to firms and strategists that support primary challengers against incumbents.
"The DCCC can do anything it wants to try to prevent the next generation of Democrats from taking power. They will not succeed," Sean McElwee--co-founder of Data for Progress, which is recruiting progressives to oust conservative Democrats--said in a statement.
"Make no mistake--they are sending a signal that they are more afraid of Ayanna Pressley and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez winning primary challenges than Henry Cuellar who votes with Trump nearly 70 percent of the time."
--Alexandra Rojas, Justice Democrats
The new policy was included in the DCCC's list of vendor hiring standards, which state that the organization "will not conduct business with, nor recommend to any of its targeted campaigns, any consultant that works with an opponent of a sitting member of the House Democratic Caucus."
According toNational Journal, which first reported the policy change, "Democrats involved in crafting the standards intend for them to bolster members across the ideological spectrum, from the fiscally conservative Rep. Henry Cuellar of Texas to the progressive Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota--both of whom could be subject to contested primaries."
But progressives argued that the ostensibly neutral rule will disproportionately harm grassroots organizations looking to replace right-wing Democrats with bold figures like Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), who both ousted incumbent Democrats in primaries last year.
"Make no mistake--they are sending a signal that they are more afraid of Ayanna Pressley and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez winning primary challenges than Henry Cuellar who votes with Trump nearly 70 percent of the time," Alexandra Rojas, executive director of Justice Democrats, told The Intercept.
As Common Dreams reported in January, the progressive advocacy group Justice Democrats is recruiting a 2020 primary challenger to take on Cuellar, who has backed anti-abortion legislation and raised money for the GOP.
\u201cThe DCCC is using financial leverage to try and stop progressive primaries from happening in the Democratic Party.\n\nThe DCCC says they will stop conducting business with anyone who supports a primary challenge to an incumbent Democrat \u2014 just like @AyannaPressley and @AOC did.\u201d— Waleed Shahid (@Waleed Shahid) 1553269930
As National Journal reported, the DCCC's hiring standards "could cripple would-be primary opponents' ability to entice top talent to join their staff" and deprive them of millions of dollars in funds.
But progressive organizations and strategists were quick to say they will not be deterred by the DCCC's threat to cut them off.
"We see exactly what you're doing DCCC," declared Democracy for America, an advocacy group that also bolsters progressive candidates. "Don't think for one second that it'll stop us--or the grassroots army we stand with--from backing bold, inclusive populists who will better represent their districts in Congress over neoliberal corporate Dems."
\u201cWe see exactly what you're doing @dccc. \n\nDon't think for 1 second that it'll stop us -- or the grassroots army we stand with -- from backing bold, inclusive populists who will better represent their districts in Congress over neoliberal corporate Dems. \n\nhttps://t.co/l6AADku3Pa\u201d— Democracy for America (@Democracy for America) 1553268237
Rebecca Katz, a longtime Democratic consultant, toldThe Intercept that "people who can't understand the party is stronger because we have Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley in Congress should not be in the business of choosing who can run for Congress."
Katz expanded on that idea on Twitter: "The party shouldn't be in the business of protecting Dems in safe blue districts who have lost touch with their constituents. I would work with those challengers, and help lift up those voices, even if it means being blacklisted by the DCCC."
As New York Magazine's Eric Levitz noted, "it's far from clear that the DCCC's policy will even succeed on its intended [objectives]."
"The small-dollar donor armies that have freed Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from the burden of fundraising--and filled the coffers of Bernie Sanders's nascent 2020 campaign--aren't going anywhere," Levitz wrote. "The DCCC can't eliminate the demand for political operatives who are willing to assist left-wing primary challenges."