WHY THE RANCOR?
There is a war going on in the Democratic Party. It has become a personal war, and is only going to become more bitter as we approach the election in November.
No, it’s not just Sanders/Clinton for the nomination, although that is part of it. It is also Harry Reid against Alan Grayson. It is Debbie Wasserman-Schultz against Elizabeth Warren.
Debbie is fighting Elizabeth and her Consumer Finance Protection Agency to prevent laws that would cap the usurious interest rates that pay day lenders can charge.
Harry Reid stated in a Democratic meeting that he hoped Alan Grayson would lose the next election. How’s that for party unity?
I received a fund raising letter from Sen. Grayson that I thought sums up the reasons for the war succinctly. I reprint the letter in its entirety, minus the links for donations. Please feel free to go to his website and give generously if you can. I feel his use of the word “betrayed” is not an overstatement.
Dear Donald,
This is a short essay on progressive anger: its origin, its attributes, its meaning, and its cure.
We’re tired of being sold out. That’s why we’re angry.
The Democratic Party has long been the home for those who believe in justice, equality, and peace. And for just as long, our progressive wing has served on the front lines in this fight. We’ve made the calls, knocked on the doors, donated the funds, and stuffed the envelopes to get Democrats elected. We were grassroots leaders when Democrats took the Senate and the House in 2006, and the White House in 2008.
In my case, I heard the call for justice, equality and peace, ran office for the first time in my life in 2006, and lost. Then I picked myself up off the floor, dusted myself off, ran again in 2008, and won. Our party has benefited from a steady stream of people like me who care enough to get involved, and push as hard as we can to make the world a better place.
This election cycle, all that has changed. The same leaders, and the same party, for whom we’ve been the foot soldiers for so long have become dismissive, condescending and even malicious toward anyone who isn’t willing to “get in line” and follow the dictates of party bosses. Our own party politburo has accused us of disloyalty when we wouldn’t back yet another American war in the Middle East, or their sell-out schemes to expand corporate welfare. Our own party politburo has attacked us for opposing new fake trade giveaways to multinational corporations. And worst of all, our own party politburo has attacked us ruthlessly whenever we want the choice of our candidates to be made by The People, rather than party bosses and party hacks. In the hands of a corrupt and inept “leadership,” our love for the principles of Team Blue has become unrequited love. All they care about is obedience – “shut up, and do as you’re told, or we will hurt you.”
My campaign and other progressive campaigns were, of course, prepared for the inevitable attacks from the GOP. We were less prepared for the attacks by petty dictators from inside the very party we helped build. This election is going to be the most expensive in history, because we not only have to spend to fight back against the Republicans -- we have to spend to fight back against the corrupt Establishment ruling class of our own party.
Who wins, when malicious Establishment Democrats viciously come after progressives like me? DC “political consulting” firms, and the Republican Party. Who loses? The American People. Our so-called “leadership” is not just putting their thumb on the scale – they’re smashing the scale.
I used to say that you had only three friends in life – God, your mamma, and the Democratic Party. It’s getting really hard to say that these days.
We’ve been betrayed by the Party that we built, the Party that we love. So we’re angry. What are we supposed to be, bemused? Nonplussed? Mildly dismayed?
How can we stop this cancer from destroying our party, making it the unDemocratic Party, and letting the Republicans win? It’s simple. Give the Democratic Party back to the People. Let the People, not the party, decide who our candidates are.
If we want to continue to be the party of the People, then we need to be a party by the People, and for the People. It’s just that simple.
We’re fighting as hard as we can to win back the heart and soul of our party, but we can’t do it alone.
Let’s teach the politburo a lesson: The People, united, can never be defeated. That’s what the Democratic Party has to be all about – whether the party hacks like it or not.
Courage,
Alan Grayson
May 21, 2016
