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On January 28, Sen. Elizabeth Warren rallied crowd at Boston's Logan Airport protesting Trump's muslim ban

Until last week, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren was a beloved progressive icon. Her populist attacks on Donald Trump drew such raves that many progressives pushed for Clinton to make Warren her VP.

Now Warren is being criticized by Markos Moulitsas of Daily Kos and other progressives who once backed her for the Vice-Presidency. What changed? She voted to confirm Ben Carson as HUD Secretary. As Kos puts it, we cant even get Elizabeth Warren to commit to full resistance.

Progressive Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown also voted to confirm Carson. He was similarly criticized by the left.

Too Hard on Allies?

Progressive politicians should pay a price when they betray progressive interests. And a lack of accountability has been a problem. But the attacks against Warrens vote are far out of proportion.

Consider the favorable comments about Carsonfollowing his confirmation hearing made by Diane Yentel, President and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition . Yentel, representing the nations leading DC-based housing advocacy group, said that the nominee has clearly taken the time to begin to understand and come to appreciate the importance of HUDs programs Dr. Carsons commitment to advocate for HUDs programs within the administration was a positive and welcomed one.

Warrens vote is consistent with theNLIHCs position. She also reasoned that there was no reason to suspect Trump would offer a better HUD nominee, and the alternative could be much worse. Support for Carson from the nations leading DC-based affordable housing advocacy group may explain why there was no national grassroots campaign against Carsons confirmation as has arisen against Betty De Vos (Education) and Andrew Puzder (Labor).

So while the left was miffed that Warren backed Carson, her vote did not mean that she fails to understand the importance of resistance (she was at Logan Airport over the weekend with a megaphone). Nor that she was not listening to the Democratic base.

A poll last week found that Warren could face a tough re-election battle next year. This is not the time for progressives to join Republicans in criticizing a Senator who has been on the right side of every big progressive issue since taking office.

Too Soft on Allies?

While progressives take a hard line toward their national allies, it is different locally.

For example, last March when the San Francisco Chronicle asked San Francisco Supervisor Norman Yee which sites in his District Seven would be suitable for new homeless centers, Yee said, I cant think of any. Yee had backed a proposal to increase Navigation Centers, but said they were not suitable for his district because I dont think its appropriate to have it next to a business for families and children.

If a moderate like Mark Farrell made such a comment, progressives would have torn him apart. Theyd condemn Farrell for accepting the placing of homeless centers near businesses for families and children in the low-income SOMA or Tenderloin, but not in his more affluent District 7.

But progressives remained entirely silent. After all, Yee is a progressive.

When Jane Kim opposed a soda tax on San Franciscos November ballot backed by most progressives, progressives backing the measure remained silent or tried to justify her position. The feeling, which I shared, was that Kims solid progressive record did not justify her being attacked for her position on a single issue that was not central to the citys progressive agenda.

But progressive activists act differently at the national level. Politicians like Barack Obama or Elizabeth Warren are lambasted for any deviation from the progressive line, an approach seen as counterproductive locally.

Progressive politicians must be held accountable to their grassroots progressive base. As I describe it in The Activists Handbook, activists need to instill a feeling of fear and loathing in many politicians to ensure they do the right thing.

But Elizabeth Warren has proved her progressive mettle time and again. She does not need to be proverbially hit in the head by a two by four to do the right thing.

At a time when the stakes for the nation have never been bigger, Warren deserves our support, not condemnation.

Randy Shaw is Editor of Beyond Chron

Randy Shaw is the Editor of Beyond Chron and the Director of San Franciscos Tenderloin Housing Clinic, which publishes Beyond Chron. Shaw is the author of four books on activism, including The Activist's Handbook: Winning Social Change in the 21st Century, and Beyond the Fields: Cesar Chavez, the UFW and the Struggle for Justice in the 21st Century. His new book is The Tenderloin: Sex, Crime and Resistance in the Heart of San Francisco

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Progressives Wrong to Bash Warren - Beyond Chron

It was another chaotic weekend for the Trump administration.

It began with Steve Bannon taking on the mainstream media. On Thursday, Bannon told the New York Times, The media should be embarrassed and humiliated and keep its mouth shut and just listen for a while. Then on Saturday Trump signed an executive order that bars citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States for the next 90 days and suspends the admission of all refugees for 120 days.

Confusion ensued as Trumps chief of staff, Reince Priebus, claimed that the order doesnt affect anyone with a green card, but later said of course anyone with a green card from Syria, Iran, Sudan, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, and Yemen would be affected.

Airport officials were confused, Muslims were detained, and Republican Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham created a joint statement that criticized the order, Our government has the responsibility to defend our borders, but we must do so in a way that makes us safer and upholds all that is decent and exceptional about our nation.

In other words, Trumps order fails to live up to American ideals.

And Americans have spoken. Americans took to the streets and airports to protest when Trump announced his ban on children and their parents fleeing war torn areas. Trump said, We dont want you here. But the American people said, We do want you here.

And as a progressive, Im filled with hope. Trump was right about one thing during his inaugural address. The power is not with Trump. Its not with the media. The power is with the people.

This brings me back to Steve Bannon and the mainstream media, specifically the New York Times. Why does the Trump Administration, along with Bannon, consistently try to demonize the mainstream media? Its because they know that they are weak and that the media holds the power in the relationship.

In addition, Bannon holds a love/hate relationship with the New York Times. Bannon was the executive chair of Breitbart News. He has described it as the platform of the Internet-based alt-right.

As Donald Trump declared in November, the New York Times is, a great, great, American jewel, a world jewel. Breitbart? Not a jewel. And Bannon knows that the New York Times is more powerful and more influential that Breitbart will ever be.

Anthropologist Ren Girard calls this the model-obstacle relationship. Whether we are aware of it or not, we all have models. We all have people we want to be like. But our models want to hold onto power, prestige, or success. To do that, they can become an obstacle in our desire to be like them. This leads to increased feelings of jealousy, envy, and rivalry.

Bannon envies the New York Times. The Times is his model for success. Thats why he calls them the opposition party. The model of success is always a potential rival, in this case, the opposition. We want our model to admire us. Trump and Bannon envy the Times because of the Times success, and even more because they desperately want the Times to admire them.

But the New York Times refuses to admire the Trump Administration. Thank God! Thats not their job. But theres nothing more that Trump and Bannon want than to be admired. Why? In part because they are human, but also because they know they are politically weak.

Thats how these events of the weekend are connected. Trump doesnt have a mandate. He lost the popular vote. Hundreds of thousands of people joined the womens march in Washington DC, while many more marched throughout the world. From Seattle to New York, protesters spoke out against the refugee ban to tell people fleeing war torn countries that they are in fact welcome here. And many more of us are flooding Congressional email boxes and calling our representatives to tell them this act of exclusion is un-American.

Indeed, as a progressive Im filled with hope because we are witnessing that the power is with us the people. But in our protests and our search for justice, we would do well to realize that the Trump Administration is already weak. Their grasps for power are signs of their actual weakness.

As such, we must be careful to not turn Trump or Bannon into our models or into rivals. They are politicians in desperate need of an enemy. And so they create an enemy out of the mainstream media or the elite or the progressives.

We cannot afford to play their game. For when we do, we make them into our model and we give them more power than they deserve. The Trump Administration is not our enemy. Our current enemy is their divisive policies. And we must fight against those policies. But we would do well to do so in a way that doesnt demonize them. Otherwise, we make them into our model. And they become our obstacle. And we play right into their hands.

Images: Donald Trump (By Michael Vadon [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons); Protesters (By Nathan Keirn from Kadena-Cho, Japan (NAK_2421.jpg; to the Commons uploaded by odder) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons); Steve Bannon (By Don Irvine (Steve Bannon) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)

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Why Progressives Should Be Hopeful: Trump, Immigration, and the Media - Patheos (blog)

Control of the Senate will be key to the early successes of a Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton administration. The House is also up for grabs Tuesday night, but Republicans are widely expected to keep their majority -- even if their current 246-186 seat advantage is narrowed.

(CNN) Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer stepped to the microphone to rally a crowd of President Donald Trumps opponents in New Yorks Battery Park on Sunday.

Are we gonna win this fight? he asked.

The cheers Schumer got back were mixed with jeers. Stop voting for his nominees! an attendee shouted back.

The episode showed the pressure Democratic senators face as they head into another week of votes on Trumps Cabinet nominees.

Democrats have watched as progressives turned out en masse at pro-Obamacare rallies, then stunned the political world with the attendance across the globe at womens marches, and now are opposing Trumps executive order banning travel to the United States from seven Muslim-majority nations with protests at airports across the the country.

The protesters and activists loyalty, though, is to their causes not to Democrats and what binds them is their strident opposition to Trump. They are demanding total opposition to the Presidents Cabinet nominees, and turning their fury on Democrats who dont fight Trump tooth and nail.

Even the partys liberal icons like Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts arent getting the benefit of the doubt.

Warrens committee vote to confirm Ben Carson for secretary of Housing and Urban Development set off intense backlash on the left leading to Warren addressing her vote in a Facebook post that began with the frustrated line: OK, lets talk about Dr. Ben Carson.

Yes, I adamantly disagree with many of the outrageous things that Dr. Carson said during his presidential campaign. Yes, he is not the nominee I wanted, Warren wrote. But the nominee I wanted is not the test.

Some Democrats are attempting to strike an impossible balance: The left craves the same tactics Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell used to stymie President Barack Obamas legislative agenda and block him from filling a Supreme Court vacancy.

But Senate Democrats have also sought to pick their battles, knowing that one day Republican senators could face the same pressures to oppose a Democratic president.

Tying nominees to executive order

On deck Monday is a Senate vote to advance the nomination of former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson to become secretary of state.

Democrats are now expected to push for the vote to be delayed until he comments on the Trump travel ban on refugees and citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries.

Democrats say this is going to be a big line of focus going forward, hoping to to put the question to all the nominees on whether they support the executive order. This includes non-controversial nominees, including Elaine Chao, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnells wife, who was chosen to head the Department of Transportation and would have oversight on the airline industry/airports.

Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions, Trumps pick for attorney general, energy secretary nominee Rick Perry, the former Texas governor, Rep. Ryan Zinke, Trumps Interior Department pick, and education secretary nominee Betsy DeVos are all slated for committee votes Tuesday.

Trump could also roll out a Supreme Court nominee as early as Tuesday, setting off another battle royale on Capitol Hill.

Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine the 2016 Democratic vice presidential nominee tweeted a passionate criticism of Trump on Saturday, saying the United States should not turn our backs on widows and orphans fleeing the very evil we despise.

Then a response came from Howard Dean, the former Democratic National Committee chairman and progressive hero.

Tim, this is great but the Dems in the Senate actually have to do something about this stuff. You are being left behind by your base, Dean wrote.

Kaine defended himself Sunday on NBCs Meet the Press, arguing that opposition to Trumps Cabinet nominees is so fierce in part because of Democrats tough questioning.

We are holding Trump nominees feet to the fire, demonstrating to the world that many of them are either unqualified or extreme or ethically challenged. And Ill tell you, Chuck, I have never seen calls to my office from folks the way Ive seen them over these cabinet nominees, Kaine told host Chuck Todd. And thats because a lot of us on the Democratic side are cast in a spotlight on what theyre doing.

The real test of Democrats reading of the national mood, though, will be a set of five red-state senators up for re-election in 2018: Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill, Indiana Sen. Joe Donnelly, Montana Sen. Jon Tester, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin and North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp.

Dean wasnt the only Democrat calling on the partys senators to block Trumps nominees.

Dan Pfeiffer, a long-time top Obama aide, tweeted that Democrats need to oppose Trump nominees including Sessions.

We cant live in a world where Trump violates every norm and Democratic elected officials support people like Sessions out of courtesy, he said.

In Battery Park on Sunday, Linda Sarsour, a Palestinian American activist and former Bernie Sanders campaign surrogate, said that any Democrat who voted to confirm Sessions should expect a primary challenge next time theyre on the ballot.

Thats not a threat, she said. Its a promise.

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Progressives warn Democrats: Stand up now or face challenges in '18 - WGNO

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Nothing is perfect.

That's as true in politics as it is in all other aspects of our lives. Not even the most devoted supporter could plausibly argue that America's first black president was perfect. The same is true of the historic nomination of Hillary Clinton, or of the biggest mass demonstration in U.S. history.

That doesn't mean Barack Obama's presidency, Hillary Clinton's nomination, or the Women's March on Washington were progressive failures. They were, in many cases, very good for progressives. They marked real, meaningful progress. They just weren't perfect.

But all too often, progressives seem inclined to make the perfect the enemy of the good.

After the Women's March on Jan. 21 which inspired an estimated 3 to 4 million to rally for women's rights in cities across the U.S. and around the world progressive critiques immediately started rolling out.

None of this is to say that these assessments are invalid, incorrect, or without merit. Many transgendered Americans did feel unfairly left out of the Women's March. A big percentage of white women did vote for Donald Trump. And the American left in general, and the Women's March specifically, surely has a long way to go before achieving the laudable goals of intersectionality. And obviously, any member of any group has the right to speak up when they feel excluded. The march undoubtedly could have been more diverse, more self-aware, and more pointed in its cause.

In fact, not even Clinton who arguably achieved the biggest mark of progress for women in 2016, even if she fell short of the ultimate goal made the cut on the Women's March's list of honorees. The March's oversight spurred further dissatisfaction, giving birth to the hashtag #AddHerName.

Obviously, this isn't the first time women have debated how warmly to embrace Clinton. No woman should feel compelled to support a political candidate just because of a shared gender identity. But for proponents of equality and women's rights, Clinton's historic nomination should have offered at least some cause for celebration. But many bristled: They wanted a woman, just not this woman.

Feminist Camille Paglia, for one, refused to celebrate a woman who has "ridden" on her husband's "coattails." An intersectional feminist suggested the color of Clinton's skin made it hard for her to fully appreciate Clinton's accomplishment. "The election of a white woman to the highest office doesn't say a whole lot about my feminism," said Imani Gandy, co-host of the This Week in Blackness Prime podcast.

Obama, too, has faced criticism from the left for not being enough:

Though columnist Julia Craven gives a nod to how Obama is seen "as an indication of how much black Americans can accomplish," she criticizes Obama for avoiding appearing "too black," causing him to fall short of "fully doing what needed to be done to improve race relations."

The writer wasn't alone in thinking that. Van Jones, Obama's former special adviser on green jobs, said that "sometimes it felt like he was president of everyone except black people." Activist Al Sharpton conceded Obama "never gave [the black community] a bill that hurt us," but he "would have liked to see the Obama years do more."

Those are legitimate criticisms of Obama. But so often these days, "not enough" is equated with failure rather than what it actually is: good but not great.

Things can always be better. And activists of all stripes should never stop striving toward something better. Indeed, progress could never be achieved if people simply sat back and said "good enough." But progress is often incremental. Even when a step in the right direction carries with it traces of society's multitudinous shortcomings and failures and inequalities, it can still count as forward motion. Sometimes it's okay to celebrate the good, even if the good is far from perfect.

The Women's March wasn't a flawless demonstration. But millions of people still showed up and took a stand for what they care about and believe in. Clinton might not be the ideal feminist, and her campaign was certainly not free of poor decisions, but at least we can finally say a woman won a major political party's presidential nomination and the country's popular vote. Obama might not have made as much progress as some hoped he would, but at least, after 43 white men, America finally had a black president.

These evaluations may seem to lack nuance. But at their core, each of these accomplishments still contains an obvious win for liberal values that can and should be celebrated. And if liberals can only be satisfied when perfection is reached, they will never satisfied.

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Why can't progressives celebrate incremental progress? - The Week Magazine

Betsy DeVos, Donald Trump's nominee for education secretary, appeared before senators at her confirmation hearing on Jan. 17, but some of her responses created more questions than they answered. (Jenny Starrs/The Washington Post)

More than 300 state lawmakers hailing from all 50 states have added their voices to the chorus objecting to President Trumps nomination of Betsy DeVos as education secretary.

The lawmakers, who are overwhelmingly Democrats, voiced their opposition to DeVos in a joint letter that is expected to be delivered to U.S. Senators on Monday, the day before a Senate committee is scheduled to vote on her nomination.

They comprise a minority of the more than 7,300 state legislators nationwide, but their criticisms echo those that have been made in recent weeks by Democratic Senators, labor unions, civil rights groups and advocates for children with disabilities, as well as many parents and teachers.

[Teachers, parents, kids protest DeVos ahead of confirmation vote]

The state lawmakers argue that DeVos, who has no professional experience in education, is unqualified for the job and that the charter schools and voucher programs she has worked to create and expand have undermined public schools, which they see as critical civic institutions that serve the majority of students.

As states embrace greater authority over education under the new Every Student Succeeds Act, the legislators wrote, we are deeply concerned that Ms. DeVos will bring her lack of experience with public education, her failure to understand key federal laws, and her track record of undermining public education at the state level with her to Washington.

The letter was coordinated by SiX Action, a group that has ties to labor and pushes progressive policies within states. (Read the full letter at the bottom of this post.)

The state lawmakers letter is just one of the latest volleys in what has become a pitched partisan battle over DeVoss confirmation.

[Key Republican defends DeVos, says Dems are desperately searching for reasons to reject her]

America Rising Squared an arm of the Republican super PAC America Rising on Monday launched an online advertising campaign defending DeVos as someone who knows what it takes to repair our failing schools.

The 30-second video accuses Democrats of bowing to the will of teachers unions and playing politics as usual with DeVoss nomination. It will run on social-media platforms nationally but will target residents offive states with Democratic senators: West Virginia, Montana, North Dakota, Missouri and Indiana.

By trying to block this extremely well-qualified nominee, Senate Democrats are once again putting the interests of their big labor allies ahead of the needs of millions of American kids trapped in the failing status quo, said Brian Rogers, executive director of America Rising Squared. Betsy DeVos is a critical part of the change America voted for this election, and we look forward to her serving with great distinction as Secretary of Education.

[ National Education Association: More than 1 million emails sent to senators urging a vote against DeVos]

America Rising Squared has been involved in promoting other Cabinet nominees, including Jeff Sessions forattorney general, Scott Pruitt for administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, Andrew Puzder for labor secretary, and Tom Price for health and human services secretary. But a spokesman said the five-figure ad buy on DeVoss behalf is the organizations most significant involvement to date.

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions is scheduled to vote on DeVoss nomination Tuesday, with a full Senate vote expected in the coming weeks.

Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) said last week on MSNBCs Rachel Maddow Show that virtually all Democrats will vote against DeVoss nomination. But DeVos appears very likely to be confirmed: Republicans hold the Senate majority, and no GOP senators have indicated they intend to oppose her.

State lawmakers urge U.S. Senators to reject Betsy DeVos as education secretary by emma brown on Scribd

Originally posted here:
Progressives launch last-minute push against Betsy DeVos, and conservatives counter with online ad campaign - Washington Post