In a sharp rebuke to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the California Democratic Party has declined to endorse the state’s own senior senator in her bid for reelection.
Riven by conflict between progressive and more moderate forces at the state party’s annual convention here, delegates favored Feinstein’s progressive rival, state Senate leader Kevin de León, over Feinstein by a vote of 54 percent to 37 percent, according to results announced Sunday.
Neither candidate reached the 60 percent threshold required to receive the party endorsement for 2018. But the snubbing of Feinstein led de León to claim a victory for his struggling campaign.
“The outcome of today’s endorsement vote is an astounding rejection of politics as usual, and it boosts our campaign’s momentum as we all stand shoulder-to-shoulder against a complacent status quo,” de León said in a prepared statement. “California Democrats are hungry for new leadership that will fight for California values from the front lines, not equivocate on the sidelines.”
I'm a little concerned about this.
Dianne Feinstein has been in the Senate since 1992.
Yes she is part of the "establishment" but she is also a known quantity with a lot of support in her state.That means if she were to run for reelection, especially while riding the "blue wave," there is an almost certain victory.
If this Kevin de Leon guy, who may be an excellent candidate, wins the primary there is an increased possibility that something heretofore unknown in his background may be discovered and then he could be vulnerable in the general.
The saying "As California goes, so goes America" could bite us in the ass if we start seeing other safe seats suddenly challenged by more ideologically "pure" liberals who cannot win the general election.
Remember that is what has been happening with the conservatives, and they are losing seats right and left.
Look I want strong progressives in as many seats as possible, but I am also a pragmatist, and I know that if we start applying these purity tests to our sitting members of Congress and the Senate, we might purify ourselves right back to an overwhelming Republican majority in both houses.
We're not that thrilled with Feinstein. She's not progressive. She is very wall street. It's time for her to step aside.
ReplyDeleteWould the DNC support a opponent if they thought he might lose?
Yeah, probably. They do it all the time.
They're shooting themselves in the foot again in Texas.
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/dccc-laura-moser-democrat-texas_us_5a8f87a8e4b03b55731a6d6a
They still can't see a growing populist support for a progressive agenda.
Keeping Feinstein on is a symptom of how out of touch with the voters they are.
Rightly or wrongly, i've always thought DF fashioned her political career on the corpses of George Moscone and Harvey Milk.
DeleteFeinstein was president of the Board of Supervisors when the mayor was killed, and she filled in, which is how it's done, just like is happening right now following the December death of mayor Ed Lee. Feinstein moved on from mayor because of her accumulation of experience over the years.
DeleteI remember her news conference after the murders. Recalling it always makes me think of Al Haig during the 20 minutes he thought he was President.
DeleteI think voters want younger people...at 85 I say let a younger person do this.
DeleteYes, exactly! I actually like Dianne, but at 85 it is not only politically shortsighted, but realistically ridiculous to have an 85-year-old running for a 6-year term of ANYTHING.
DeletePrimary elections in California are different then most states. The top two winners go to the general election in November. It is possible to have 2 Dems running against each other. We had that happen last election. I agree tho, I would rather go with someone I know.
ReplyDeleteIf it ends up being her or De Leon she may lose.
DeleteIf that's my choice, I'm voting for De Leon. Time for Feinstein to retire. If she can't step aside gracefully and anoint a successor with her blessing, then I say he should run hard and take her out.
How much did it cost the taxpayers to send that idiot Ivanka to the Olympics and she was interviewed by the fake NBC news.guess it isn't fake news if fox can't broadcast.
ReplyDeleteToo much
DeleteTwould be interesting to see how much Donald has grifted from taxpayers. It seems that he was broke and suddenly rich. Just like Putin who is a billionaire and his job doesn't make that much.
DeleteIt's called blatant kleptocracy.
I saw her (ivankon) mug and turned it OFF! I refuse to watch this $wamp Mon$Ter spectacle bullshit.
DeleteOlympics junkie that has to watch primetime, NBC coverage was abysmal.
DeleteLipinski and Weir hosting the closing ceremony as we have to watch I-VANK-a make it all about Trump? NO THANK YOU.
https://www.rawstory.com/2018/02/represent-russia-internet-rips-ivanka-trump-sarah-sanders-olympics-closing-ceremony-photo-op/
DeleteSomehow, I have a feeling that First wife/daughter of the US, who has no security clearance, has been sent to make some inroads with the South Koreans, i.e. get a new tRump Tower built in Korea
DeleteOp:"Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter and a senior adviser to the White House, said she isn’t sure if teachers should be given firearms after the massacre at a Florida high school earlier this month that left 17 people dead. But she remained open to the proposal, saying such plans were
Delete“NOT a bad idea."
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ivanka-trump-teachers-armed_us_5a936fbee4b03b55731d79a6
OT-FYI:2010
Deletehttps://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-simpsons-predicts-olympic-curling_us_5a926b2ee4b0ee6416a3faab
I changed the channel to the Canadian station, don't need more trump in my life!
DeleteVictoria was on PBS. Repeat from last week and then an extended final episode at 9pm.
DeleteHere in CA we call Feinstein our "republican senator." Sure, she is more liberal than the current republicans, but she is very similar to republicans who served over 20 years ago. Feinstein is for big corporate welfare, her environmental record is mixed, and she refuses to have any public town halls where voters can question her. I have not decided who I will vote for, but I'm leaning towards de Leon.
ReplyDeleteI trust Californian voters to make their own decisions. It's a democracy. For now.
DeleteShe is 84 and been in Congress for 25yrs. She should be mentoring others so that she can pass the torch. We need term limits!
ReplyDeleteHeidiWY
Yes, we do, but it will never happen.
DeleteSigh.
De Leon hasn't done that much, not when it comes to being qualified to succeed Feinstein as CA Senator, and should seek another office. Just because he's being termed out of his current seat this year doesn’t make him qualified for the Senate. If he wants to serve, great, but not as Senator—not yet.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, he’s known for his prop to overturn the anti-immigrant Prop. 187, but this came twenty years after it passed under a GOP governor and is not that impressive--twenty years later, most CA residents had long been against 187. That prop, along with the GOP homophobic Prop. 8 against gay marriage, started losing support immediately after it passed.
Feinstein has her flaws, but her experience and knowledge will get my vote. She’s re-toughened up since Trump got into office and I know she’ll be committed to working on the gun issue. Like she did after the 1993 SF shooting that left eight people dead. My husband worked in that office and saw the shooter and almost died. He heard people breathing their last breaths. He identified the shooter’s body for the police in the stairwell where the guy had shot himself dead. DiFi’s assault weapons ban was allowed to expire because of the GOP assholes, but it’s time for more legislation, and Feinstein, who by the way became mayor after our mayor was shot dead so she’s been involved with this topic of guns for a long time, is someone who should be in office to help make something happen. She’s on committees that require her intellect. She’s ranking member of the Intel and Judiciary committees and I want to see her stay on them. She and new senator Kamala Harris make for a good pair of liberal and moderate senators.
But the SEIU (Service Employees International Union) and Rep. Gutierrez and some others who are pushing to get 1 mill Latinos to register to vote (and naturalize first if necessary) in 2018 are behind DeLeon and he’ll get a lot of votes, to be sure. He’s involved in education and immigration matters and that is important, but I just don’t see him as ready. Former San Francisco District Attorney and then eight-year CA Attorney General Kamala Harris was. We don’t need a second new senator. Harris and Feinstein are a strong pair for right now.
I'd like to see Christine Kehoe run but I guess she isn't that ambitious and prefers to stay in the state Legislature.
DeleteI guess Harris wasn't that ready since she was so quick to jump on the Gillibrand band wagon and deny Al Franken his due process.
DeleteI'm sorry, but she is 84 and with a new six year term, she will be 90. It is time for some young blood in our government. Yes, they must be qualified. I say this as an elder crone also. At some point, the elders must step aside to make room for younger leaders with new ideas.
ReplyDeleteSame for the geezer men.
DeleteYertle The Turtle for starters.
OT? "The powerful gun lobby group does not support Trump’s proposals to raise the age limit for buying certain types of guns and to ban bump stocks that enable semi-automatic rifles to shoot hundreds of rounds a minute, a spokeswoman said on ABC’s “This Week.”
ReplyDelete“The NRA doesn’t back any ban,” Dana Loesch said."
https://www.politicususa.com/2018/02/25/gun-lobby-pushes-back-trumps-gun-plans-florida-shooting.html
https://www.rawstory.com/2018/02/scrawny-misfit-turned-floridas-worst-school-shooter/
Deletehttps://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/02/trump-campaign-fundraise-parkland-shooting-florida/
Delete'“Armed Educators” could protect students because they “love” them—and that guns, along with yearly bonuses for the teachers who wield them, would be a “very inexpensive deterrent.”'
I'm voting for Feinstein, but six years from now De Leon could have my vote. Right now, if former LA mayor Antonio Villaraigosa ran for Senate I'd have a harder time deciding.
ReplyDeleteThe same sleazebag villaragoosauce who banged that channel 52 reporter on the side behind his wife and behind Jesus Christ's back????,THAT Antonio??
DeleteToo old to hold office! Retire. Have margaritas on a golf course
ReplyDeleteYou too McCain - especially so - stop being a martyr. Go be human before you die whenever that is, which is like when your. / 240,yrs old. Cindy will still look 48, plastic doesn't age
He won't last that long.
DeleteMy cousin had the same cancer, had the tumor removed but still died 18 months later.
Diane has work for California issues. I am all for new young blood but ya better look really close as to who you replace her with. There are a couple of KGB plants and scabs pushing for the destruction of California. DONT be fooled by the russian KGB and trumpsters. The slob blob mob sucks.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads-up Ivan. Please send us some borsht.
DeleteRohrbacher will be gone soon.
DeleteNetworks that gave don trump a platform to steal the election must be removed. Republicans that continue to approve of NRA scam stocks and Don trump must be called out as traitors and charged with treason. It is time to stop this crime now.
ReplyDeleteThe Senator is some one who I have thought on several occasions should change party affiliation as she seems more republican that democrat. We do not need corporate democrats like her. Now is as good of a time to replace her than any.
ReplyDelete