Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Keith Ellison. Alex Wong via Getty Images (source)by Gaius PubliusThe fight for the soul of the Democratic Party continues, as does the Sanders revolution. Next up, who will be the new DNC Chair, Sanders-endorsed progressive Keith Ellison or some Clintonist?Zach Carter and Sam Stein at the Huffington Post:
Congressman Keith Ellison Wants To Run The DNCIt would be a major shift in approach, and a major contrast with Donald Trump.Rep. Keith Ellison, a leading progressive voice in Congress and one of only two Muslim Americans in the House of Representatives, has his eyes on becoming the next chair of the Democratic National Committee.The Minnesota Democrat has been planning a run for weeks, and has begun informally talking to other party lawmakers and insiders about his prospects for the post, several sources have told The Huffington Post.His name was floated as a possible DNC chair by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) on Thursday morning, giving him the type of institutional progressive support that would make his candidacy formidable. MoveOn.org, a major progressive network, also said in a statement that Ellison would be “an excellent DNC chair.”Ellison’s identity as a black man and the first Muslim member of Congress would serve as a symbolic rebuke to President-elect Donald Trump. And his ties to Sanders would give him credibility in the progressive community that feels the party has catered too much to elite interests. He is also regarded as a savvy television presence ― which seems likely to be a major requirement for the job in the age when Democrats are out of power in every branch of government.
That Sanders endorsement:
Sanders gave voice to the frustration among many liberals in the aftermath of Trump's stunning triumph over Hillary Clinton. He told The Associated Press in a phone interview that millions of working-class voters' decision to back Trump was "an embarrassment" to the party and that Democrats must take a strong stand against the role of corporate interests in politics."It is an embarrassment, I think, to the entire of Democratic Party that millions of white working-class people decided to vote for Mr. Trump, which suggests that the Democratic message of standing up for working people no longer holds much sway among workers in this country," Sanders said....He said he would support Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota to become the next chairman of the Democratic National Committee.
The battle lines are drawn. Sanders-supporting Keith Ellison? Or some Clintonist?
Will he run the DNC and keep his day job as drug lobbyist at Dentons alongside Trump admin official Newt Gingrich? pic.twitter.com/oIUU12FlVb— Zaid Jilani (@ZaidJilani) November 10, 2016
The fight for the soul of the Democratic Party continues. The next few months may set in cement for a generation the reputation of the Party in the eyes of Sanders supporters who would not pull the lever for Clinton.I can't wait to see what the Party will tell us, in light of the latest wreckage, who they want to be. Choose carefully, Democrats, is my own best advice. You may not get too many bites at this apple.GP