Yesterday, in making a pitch for the Congressional Progressive Caucus, Bernie noted that “while it is critically important we do everything we can to defeat Donald Trump, it is just as important we work to elect progressives this November.” Amen!
And it’s what Blue America does.
Our endorsement page for incumbents is skimpy this cycle. But two members who have lived up to their promise AND who need the help, Cori Bush (D-MO) and Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) are both on that list.
The two of them are the primary target of the pro-genocide lobby, led by AIPAC, which recruited and is lavishly financing 2 genocide-friendly candidates.
Back to Bernie for a second. He wrote that “Today, the US House of Representatives has a stronger progressive presence than at any time in modern American history. The Congressional Progressive Caucus has nearly 100 members, including dozens of very strong progressives, who are taking on powerful special interests every single day.” That’s a low-key acknowledgement that not all the members are “strong progressives.” The chair, Pramila, deputy chair, Ilhan and whip, Greg Casar, are.
But there are no stronger progressives in the CPC or in Congress than Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush, which is why so many Republican multi-millionaires and billionaires are contributing millions of dollars to AIPAC for their war against these two members they want to make an example out of. AIPAC has a long, disgustingly racist history of targeting Black Democrats and flooding their districts with dirty money to defeat them. Cynthia McKinney (D-GA) and Earl Hilliard were the first two examples. They tried and failed— twice— to defeat Summer Lee and now they’re all out against Cori and Jamaal. Will you help them compete?
As Bernie said, they are on the team “taking on insurance companies and fighting to establish healthcare as a human right. They are fighting the oil and coal companies to save our planet and transform our energy system away from fossil fuels. They are standing with workers and consumers against the outrageous level of corporate greed we are seeing. And, at great political risk, they are opposing AIPAC and the leadership of both political parties in refusing to support any more U.S. military aid to Netanyahu’s horrific war against the Palestinian people.”
Yesterday, Cori wrote that before she was elected she was “a nurse, activist, organizer, single-mother, and pastor who knew from firsthand experience that those in power weren’t doing enough for regular, everyday people like us. I ran for office to be a powerful voice for the people of St. Louis and fight for the bold, progressive change that our communities, our country, and our world deserve— the kind of change that establishment, corporate-backed politicians have spent years blocking. As an ‘insurgent’ candidate, I took on an incumbent who’d been in Washington for two decades and was part of a 52-year political dynasty, and with the help of Justice Democrats and this people-powered movement, I defeated him in 2020. Now, I’m being challenged by an AIPAC-endorsed candidate in one of the most competitive Democratic primaries of 2024 this August.”
That’s true and it’s one of the reasons why Blue America has endorsed Cori again this cycle and why we’re asking people to contribute to her campaign. There are only 10 members of Congress on that list.
Yesterday Jamaal wrote that he “first ran for Congress because too many of us, from the Bronx to Westchester, were being failed by a broken system. As a school principal, I witnessed too many of our children dying of gun violence with too little attention and action from those in power. Too little being done to make life better and easier for working families. Too little action on the climate crisis… I’m keeping up the fight for Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, student debt relief, and human rights for Palestinians. But after I joined the rest of the Squad in becoming the first members of Congress to call for a ceasefire in Gaza last year, AIPAC vowed to spend $100 million against us and recruited an out-of-touch, moderate Democrat to run against me. My opponent has since made racist and Islamaphobic comments and accepted nearly $1 million from a super PAC bankrolled by Trump mega-donors.”
Cori and Jamaal need our help to beat back AIPAC the way Summer Lee just did. It’s very serious; the stakes are high.
Nancy Ohanian, the award-winning political cartoonist, has a brand new book of her artwork just out now. She gave me 3 autographed copies to give away to contributors who help Cori and Jamaal this week. This is what the book looks like:
Just go to this page and contribute any amount to Cori and any amount to Jamaal. A week from today— so on Cinco de Mayo (next Sunday)— we’ll randomly pick 3 names and send them each a book… plus a copy of the Nancy-designed MAGAzine:
Thanks for always doing what you can to help make this a better world,
Howie, for the entire Blue America team
