House Democratic leadership

I often write that Joe Crowley-- handpicked by Pelosi and Hoyer to take over the House Democrats after they leave-- is the single most corrupt Democrat in Congress. Over the weekend I got a call from a friendly Democrat in Congress who asked me on what basis I keep making that claim.

You read about all these Democratic candidates who say they're not going to vote for Pelosi for Speaker. It's almost de rigueur for them to say it sometime during their campaign. She laughs and says she has the votes anyway. Does she?

Would the Democrats win more votes in November if Pelosi announced she was retiring? No one doubts it. Does she care? Nope; she's obsessed. I speak with candidates and members of Congress every day. Almost no one I speak with wants Pelosi leading the party-- including people who admire her.

Anyone-- almost-- than CrowleyThe other day I was speaking to a top staffer on Capitol Hill. I mentioned that Jim Clyburn, was so drunk no one even understand what he's saying. "It's easier to make a list of members who aren't drunkards," he offered, than members who are. It'll take you half as much time." Maybe he was on his best behavior when David Siders interviewed him for Politico last week.

Wall Street's dozen biggest bets for 2018Every progressive in America should be alarmed at this Politico headline from yesterday: Queens party boss angles to succeed Pelosi as speaker. Heather Caygle and John Bresnahan wrote, dispassionately, that "Rep.

Real leadership doesn't mean being a sieve for corrupt special interest cashThe new Quinnipiac poll asks voters if they approve or disapprove of the way Congress is handling its job? That was the exact question. Total approval is 12% and total disapproval is 81%.

With no progressive likely to challenge Pelosi for House Democratic leader after the midterms-- what a tragedy!-- the Democrats are going to wind up with the most corrupt member of their caucus, Wall Street’s very own Joe Crowley, as leader/Speaker.

Basically, Joe Crowley is just a hack politician from the Queens County of yesteryear, when it was an Irish and Italian enclave that still supported Republicans and conservatives. Queens is very different today but Joe Crowley-- ironically, still the Democratic Party Machine boss for the county-- may know it intellectually but doesn't experience the change, since he and his family live in Virginia.

The most powerful political brand of 2018 belongs to Randy Bryce, the iron worker, single dad, caring son and veteran running against Paul Ryan in southeast Wisconsin: IronStache. He's raised over $5,000,000 in small contributions and he's so popular among ordinary working folks that incumbents are asking him to come to their districts and campaign with them!

The DCCC's and Pelosi's Blue Dog in Chicago, Dan Lipinski, faces the voters in a week, on March 20th. The DCCC and Pelosi are supporting someone who is anti-Choice, anti-LGBTQ, anti-immigrant, anti-healthcare, someone who votes with Trump more frequently than almost any other Democrat. Does the Pelosi Party even mean anything any more. How many they throw core constituencies under the bus like this? Where would they draw the line?