Tag: Democrats

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Biden Announces Kamala Harris For Veep Pick

L-R Joe Biden, Kamala Harris
Former Vice President Joe Biden announced today that Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) is his choice for running mate in the 2020 presidential election. From the New York Times:

Joseph R. Biden Jr. selected Senator Kamala Harris of California as his vice-presidential running mate on Tuesday, embracing a former rival who sharply criticized him in the Democratic primaries but emerged after ending her own campaign as a vocal supporter of Mr. Biden and a prominent advocate of racial-justice legislation after the death of George Floyd in late May.

Ms. Harris, 55, is the first Black woman and the first person of Indian descent to be nominated for national office by a major party, and only the fourth woman in history to be chosen for one of their presidential tickets. She brings to the race a far more vigorous campaign style than Mr. Biden’s, including a gift for capturing moments of raw political electricity on the debate stage and elsewhere, and a personal identity and family story that many find inspiring.

Susan Rice, former Ambassador to the UN, viewed by many to be a top contender announced her support for the pick. GLAAD points up Sen. Harris’ record on LGBTQ issues which includes:

  • Establishing San Francisco County’s first LGBTQ hate crimes unit, LGBTQ victim advocacy unit, and LGBTQ sexual assault awareness program, as San Francisco District Attorney

  • Refusing to defend Prop 8, California’s ban on same-sex marriage as the state’s Attorney General, later performing the marriage of the couple who sued to get Prop 8 overturned

  • Creating the first-in-the-nation law to ban gay or trans “panic” defenses used to justify violence against LGBTQ people, and later, as U.S. Senator, introducing a bill to ban its use in federal trials

  • Introducing legislation to prevent the use of religious beliefs to justify LGBTQ discrimination

  • Supporting the Equality Act, which bars discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation and gender identity nationwide including in education, federal funding, housing, education and public accommodations and the jury system

  • Introducing legislation to ensure LGBTQ Americans are counted in the U.S. Census

 

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New York: Two Out Black Candidates Win Primaries, Set To Make History

L-R Mondaire Jones, Ritchie Torres (images via campaigns)
New York City Councilmember Ritchie Torres won the Democratic primary for New York’s 15th Congressional District, defeating virulently anti-LGBTQ opponent Rubén Díaz Sr. and putting him on track to become the first openly LGBTQ Afro-Latinx member of Congress. The seat is one of the safest in the country for Democrats, almost guaranteeing Torres will win in November. He will join Mondaire Jones, who also won his primary for New York’s 17th Congressional District last night in a safe district, in becoming the first two Black openly LGBTQ members of Congress when they win in November. Mayor Annise Parker, President & CEO of LGBTQ Victory Fund, released the following statement about Torres’ and Jones’ primary victory:

“Voters in the Bronx rejected the politics of bigotry and instead put Ritchie on track to become the first openly LGBTQ Afro-Latinx member of Congress. At a time when our country is divided and we confront the realities of racism and police brutality, it is essential we have a voice like Ritchie’s fighting to turn the demands of protesters into legislative change at the federal level.

“Richie and Mondaire have shattered a long-standing political barrier with their primary wins, putting them on track to becoming the first two openly LGBTQ Black members of Congress. Black LGBTQ people – like all LGBTQ people – are severely underrepresented at every level of government, but this gives hope that we are moving toward building a U.S. Congress that is more representative of the people it serves.”

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News Round-Up: June 2, 2020

The number of senior LGBTQs is expected to double in the next 10 years
Some news items you might have missed: • LGBTQ Nation: Experts say there are 2.4 million LGBTQ seniors in the U.S. and that number is projected to reach seven million by 2030. Check out this list of organizations that offer valuable resources for aging LGBTQ people. • Instinct: The British government has announced that strangers (or couples living apart from each other) are no longer legally allowed to have sex for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. The text of the legislation outlaws indoor gatherings “when two or more people are present together in the same place in order to engage in any form of social interaction with each other or to undertake any other activity with each other.” • Pink News: Levi’s has released a pair of denim chaps for Pride Month which are apparently “inspired by the resilience and beauty” of the LGBT+ community. The Pride offering is described as a “classic Levi’s silhouette, reimagined as a pair of unapologetically bold chaps.” #ThingsThatMakeYouGoHmm
(image via Levi’s)
• The Advocate: The state of Minnesota has filed a human rights complaint against the Minneapolis Police Department following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who died last week while being pinned him to the ground by a white police officer. The Minnesota Department of Human Rights will begin an investigation into the MPD’s conduct over the past decade to determine if officers “engaged in systemic discriminatory practices.” • New York Times: The ongoing protests across the country have spurred political campaign donations to Democrats via their ActBlue website. Between Friday and Monday, the online donor platform processed over $60 million in donations. • NowThis News: Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, the bishop who oversees St. John’s Episcopalian Church in Washington DC, was outraged over the use of force on peaceful protesters and church clergy by Donald Trump. Bible in hand, Trump posed awkwardly for a photo and then walked away from the chaos, but many are calling this an abuse of power and a dangerous stifling of the 1st Amendment right to peaceful protest.

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DNC Moves Democratic National Convention To August

The organizers for the 2020 Democratic National Convention have pushed the nominating event to August 17 from its originally scheduled dates of July 13-17 in an effort to navigate the ongoing COVID-19 threat. From the New York Times:

The Democratic National Committee on Thursday postponed the party’s national convention because of the coronavirus, moving it from mid-July to mid-August. It is the largest political event to be moved so far because of the pandemic, which has already led to the cancellation of hundreds of state and local conventions from both parties.

The convention will still be held in Milwaukee, as planned, the week of Aug. 17, officials said, a week before Republicans plan to gather in Charlotte, N.C., to re-nominate Mr. Trump.

The delay comes just hours after the party’s likely nominee, former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., called for rescheduling the convention during an appearance on “The Tonight Show.”

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New York Governor Postpones Presidential Primary To June 23

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Saturday he will postpone the New York presidential primary originally scheduled for April 28 due to the coronavirus threat.

From the New York Times:

“I don’t think it’s wise to be bringing a lot of people to one location to vote, a lot of people touching one doorknob, a lot of people touching one pen,” Mr. Cuomo said in a news conference. “So we are going to delay that and link it to an election that was previously scheduled on June 23.”

A primary for state legislative and congressional races had already been set for June 23, and now all of the state’s primary elections will be held on the same date, he said.

Ten other states, as well as Puerto Rico, have rescheduled their primary elections as the campaign calendar has been upended by the outbreak, citing guidance from health officials who have urged people to avoid gathering spots, including polling places.

A handful of other states have switched to voting entirely by mail and have extended deadlines for doing so.

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Biden Sweeps 3 More States, Sanders ‘Assessing’ His Campaign

L-R Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders
After losing all three Democratic primaries Tuesday night by double-digits, Sen. Bernie Sanders’s (I-Vt.) campaign manager on Wednesday said that the senator “is going to be having conversations with his supporters to assess his campaign,” according to The Hill. Noting that “the next primary contest is three weeks away,” Sanders’s campaign manager, Faiz Shakir, said in a statement that Sanders “is focused on the government response to the coronavirus outbreak and ensuring that we take care of working people and the most vulnerable.” This follows a brutal night for Sanders where he lost across the board to former Vice President Joe Biden. Biden won Florida’s primary 62 percent to Sanders’ 23 percent, per Buzzfeed News. In Illinois, it was Biden 59 percent to Sanders’ 36 percent, and in Arizona, the former vice president won 44 percent versus 32 percent for Sanders. Biden spoke after the three contests were called and he addressed Sanders’ supporters directly:

“Senator Sanders and I may disagree on tactics, but we share a common vision for the need to provide affordable health care for all Americans, reduce income inequity that has risen so drastically, to tackling the existential threat of our time, climate change.

“Sen. Sanders and his supporters have brought a remarkable passion and tenacity to all of these issues. Together, they have shifted the fundamental conversation in this country. So let me say, especially to the young voters who have been inspired by Senator Sanders: I hear you. I know what’s at stake. I know what we have to do.”

Biden began his delegate lead in the race by coming out on top in 10 of 14 contests on Super Tuesday. Then on March 10, Biden won five of six contests including Washington state which was considered a safe haven for Sanders. Political experts say Biden will have a nearly insurmountable lead in delegates by the time all of the votes are counted from this week’s primaries. Biden currently has around 1,180 delegates, while Sanders has just about 884 delegates. You can check the count as more delegates are allocated at RealClearPolitics. Candidates must garner at least 1,991 to officially clinch the nomination. Forty percent of delegates remain to be allocated. Ohio, scheduled to vote last night, postponed its primary at the last minute due to coronavirus concerns. Additionally, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, and Puerto Rico have also delayed their primaries.

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Cory Booker Endorses Joe Biden For President

L-R Sen. Cory Booker, former Vice President Joe Biden (via Instagram)
New Jersey Senator Cory Booker has officially endorsed former Vice President Joe Biden for president adding to the growing support of Democratic lawmakers for Biden. From the New York Times:

Mr. Booker’s endorsement comes one day after Senator Kamala Harris of California endorsed Mr. Biden, and the two senators will appear with him at a rally in Detroit on Monday night. Mr. Booker will also campaign alongside Mr. Biden in Flint, Mich., earlier in the day and attend a fund-raiser with him.

Mr. Booker and Ms. Harris were two of the most prominent black candidates to run for president, and their endorsements come as Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont scrambles to make up ground among black voters in Michigan, where they make up a sizable part of the electorate.

“African-American voters in the South, African-American voters here in Detroit, they have played a pivotal role in my entire lifetime in choosing the Democratic nominee,” Mr. Booker said. He pointed to Mr. Biden’s deep connections with black voters and what Mr. Booker saw as “understanding the issues of race and frankly racial reconciliation and racial justice, and even saying things now about choosing a black woman on the Supreme Court.”

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New Poll Shows Biden With Huge Lead In Florida Primary

The latest survey by St. Pete Polls of Democratic voters in Florida shows former Vice President Joe Biden with a commanding lead in the upcoming Sunshine State primary. Democratic voters in Florida support Biden by 61 percent while Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders garnered 12 percent support. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren only received 5 percent support. Mike Bloomberg was still in the field of active candidates when the poll was conducted and he received 14 percent support from likely voters.  Florida’s Democratic primary will be held in less than 2 weeks on March 17. There will be 248 delegates up for grabs.

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Montana Governor Poised To Run For US Senate

Gov. Steve Bullock of Montana
Two-term Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock of Montana appears ready to reverse himself on previous statements and announce a run for the U.S. Senate for his state. From the New York Times:

For months, even when he was still a presidential candidate, Mr. Bullock has faced questions about whether he would take on Mr. Daines. And when he dropped out of the presidential race in December — after a spirited but underfunded campaign — he again said that he would not run for the Senate.

But Mr. Bullock, who is barred by term limits from running for re-election this year, has faced one of the most sustained lobbying campaigns of any would-be Senate candidate — a reflection both of his potential as a candidate and how badly Democrats need to put another seat in play.

Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the minority leader, flew to visit him in Montana last month. And when Mr. Bullock was in Washington last month for the meeting of the National Governors Association, he also met with former President Barack Obama, as was reported by Politico.

More quietly, a handful of union officials have reached out to Mr. Bullock to assure him he would have all the resources he needs in a state that still retains a strong labor tradition, according to one of the party officials, who was familiar with the conversations.

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Satire: Randy Rainbow Finds Wisdom In Lloyd Webber ‘Any Dem Will Do’

Randy Rainbow (screen capture)
As we head into Super Tuesday, political satirist Randy Rainbow looks to the wisdom of the Lloyd Webber canon to help us find our way past the gaffes, blunders, missteps and exits among the Democratic candidates. In a mash-up of “Any Dream Will Do” and “Coat of Many Colors” from the hit musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Rainbow underscores the one definitive truth for Democrats this election cycle: “Any Dem Will Do.” As usual, Rainbow’s wordsmithing is on point and clever. “How will I choose / It’s like the lotto / But here’s my motto / Any Dem will do” Start your day with a bit of Randy. (Hey, I like the sound of that…)