Tuesday, we saw that Ted Lieu is running for a junior leadership post, co-chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC). The other member that people keep urging to run for House leadership is living legend Barbara Lee. I spoke to her when she was in Texas a few weeks ago stumping for BETO and making calls for progressives running for congressional seats. As you probably already know, she's an amazing woman.When I was in the process of retiring from Reprise, I was eager to move from L.A. One of the artists I worked with, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day told me there was a house for sale in his Oakland neighborhood. "You should move there," he said. "We can have barbecues and invited Barbara Lee." I moved to Stroudsberg, PA instead... what a mistake, since righted by moving back into my old house in Los Angeles. I'm not much of a barbecue guy anyway and I was lucky enough to run into Congresswoman Lee at an event in L.A. and get to know her enough so that I could say that, like very few politicians, she's even better than her legend.With Blue Dogs and New Dems from the Republican wing of the Democratic Party feeling their oats more than ever and moving rapidly to consolidate whatever power they can on behalf of Wall Street and their corporate masters, House Dems need a trusted and respected progressive voice in the leadership more than ever. And that's Barbara. If Billie Joe admires her... yeah this is the woman who's going to save the congressional Democrats from slipping even further into the clutches of Big Business and the Military Industrial Complex. She's running to be chair of the House Democratic Caucus-- and members-- including your member-- vote next week. Out-going members don't get a vote but the new freshman class does.That said, House Democrats have to avoid the fractious nature of the GOP during their time in the majority. Congresswoman Lee has successfully demonstrated that she knows how to ensure that progressive values are represented and that women and people of color have a voice in the direction of the Caucus. At the same time she has been a unifying figure with a strong reputation of working with more conservative Members among House Dems; she is widely seen as an honest broker.She strikes me as a rare politician who always puts values first, not the kind of naked careerism that drives way too many American politicians. When her office reached out in a dear colleague letter a few months ago, they appealed by reminding Members that she is "a unifying figure that can most effectively help us put a check on Trump and show the country that Federal level Democrats have a governing agenda that they can support going into the 2020 Elections." These are the key points she made in a leadership battle where actual policy is rarely discussed:
The strength of House Democrats lie in their diversity of experiences and ideas. Whether it’s working across the aisle to enact HIV/AIDS laws, or bringing the Sanders and Clinton campaigns together behind a cohesive and progressive Democratic Platform, Rep. Lee's career has been dedicated to finding common ground and delivering results. Over the years, she has fought to lift families out of poverty and empower everyday people. As Caucus Chair, she will ensure that House Democrats hear every view, respect every member, and welcome every voice.House Democrats are at their best when everyone has an opportunity to contribute and collaborate. Rep. Lee's top priority will be offering new ways to engage all members. She will provide robust member services to empower everyone in our caucus and develop more forums to showcase your innovative work. It is important to her to build on Chairman Crowley’s work equipping all offices with the cutting-edge, creative tools-- and especially digital resources-- to engage directly with constituents.As the next Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, Rep. Lee has the proven ability to work with all Democratic House members to achieve consensus on policy issues, help develop legislative and party priorities, and ensure every member has the tools necessary to be successful.Rep. Lee is well prepared for the position, with her leadership roles in the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus, Congressional Progressive Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus, and the LGBT Equality Caucus.With the House returning to Democratic control, it’s more important now than ever before to elect a Democratic Caucus Chair with a strong authentic, progressive record-- someone who can help mentor freshman members, build consensus within the Caucus around progressive policies, and then have the strength and tenacity to turn those policies into law.
There's never any ambivalence about where Barbara Lee stands. That's what happens when someone-- even a politician-- has moral clarity. She'd be good for America. You should call your member of Congress and ask her or him to vote for Barbara Lee on November 28 (next Wednesday). Her opponent, Hakeem Jeffries, isn't terrible.
