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New York Times

Democrats in Congress Urge Democrats in Albany to Return to the Party New York Times The letter, signed by 18 members of Congress, is the latest effort to persuade the eighth-member Independent Democratic Conference, and a ninth rogue senator, Simcha Felder of Brooklyn, to abandon their coalition with the Republicans and help take ... and more »

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Democrats in Congress Urge Democrats in Albany to Return to the Party - New York Times

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi hasannounced that if the Democrats take the House in next years elections, within the first 100 hours they will pass a bill to increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour. While this might seem like just some unimportant posturing Republicans will probably still have the Senate, and they have the White House, so such a bill would have almost no chance of becoming law it shows something important thats going on within the Democratic Party.

To say the party is moving left is basically true, but too simplistic. The Trump presidency is pushing Democrats toward a new kind of clarity but theyre still arguing over what form it will take.

On the minimum wage, Democrats have been steadily upping their demands in the past few years, as Republican resistance to any increase has hardened. It started at $9, then became $10.10, then $12. At the start of the 2016 campaign, Bernie Sanders supported $15, and Hillary Clinton supported $12, but by the end of the race, she was on board with $15 as well (albeit with some caveats). The bill Democrats are now rallying behind would raise it gradually to $15 by 2024, then index it to inflation.

There are a number of ways to interpret this evolution. One is that Democratic politicians are realizing that this is what their voters want. Another is that theyre being pulled to the left by Sanders and his supporters. Another is that theyre realizing that a more robust emphasis on inequality is critical to them winning back the White House. All of which might contain some truth. But they also may be realizing that they need to stop worrying so much about the details at least when it comes to what they present to the public and paint in some broad strokes. Instead of agonizing about whether $14 or $15 might maximize income gains while minimizing job losses, theyre just saying: $15 is what people like? Fine, well go with $15.

Democrats are never going to stop being concerned about what works theyre the party of government, after all but the election of 2016 was the ultimate test of whether they could win by showing that they cared about getting policy right. As Clinton said in her speech at the Democratic convention, I sweat the details of policy, whether were talking about the exact level of lead in the drinking water in Flint, Mich., the number of mental-health facilities in Iowa or the cost of your prescription drugs. Because its not just a detail if its your kid, if its your family. Its a big deal. And it should be a big deal to your president, too.

Most Democrats agree with that as a substantive matter. But as a political matter, it has some problems, as Clinton could tell you. This is a complicated issue, so heres my complicated proposal doesnt help anyone if it means that Donald Trump becomes president.

So Democrats now seem to be thinking more about a division between the front end and back end of what theyre presenting to the public. You can think about it as the difference between the interface and the underlying code, or the maitre d and the chef. The party has been dominated by the people who sweat the details, which is how you sometimes get losing candidates such as Clinton, John Kerry or Al Gore, who know a lot about politics and governing but arent very good politicians. Every once in a while, you find someone who cares a lot about policy and is also charismatic Bill Clinton, Barack Obama but those people are rare. And right along with that problem you have the problem of uncharismatic policies.

For instance, the Affordable Care Act is an uncharismatic policy that is meant to solve an intricate, interlocking series of problems in the American health-care system. But you know what is a charismatic policy? Single-payer health care. Its easy to understand, and it promises terrific benefits. And right now, theres an argument brewing between leftists who want the party to stand firmly for single-payer, and liberals who support it in principle but worry about the political and practical difficulties of getting there. To those liberals, the leftists respond: We need to aim high, speak in broad strokes and not get bogged down by self-imposed constraints about the possible.

The truth is, we dont know how the public would respond to a presidential candidate advocating single-payer. Sanders advocated it, but he never got attacked with the full force of the Republican propaganda machine, which is capable of some pretty impressive stuff (you might recall that along with the enthusiastic help of the news media, it turned Clinton into historys greatest monster because she used the wrong email account). Maybe the policy is charismatic enough to survive that, or maybe not. But we might find out in 2020, or perhaps in 2024.

What we can say is that there will almost certainly be other issues on which Democrats will discard their previous Its complicated position for ones that take a firm, clear stance and leave the compromises and complications until after the election. For instance, youll probably see candidates coming out in favor of marijuana legalization, instead of saying Lets see how it works at the state level for a while (which was Clintons position). That new clarity could come out in a lot of different ways, but it wont necessarily be because they want to move left so much as they want to offer voters an unambiguous choice.

Of course, Democrats will always disagree over the details, but its clear what has to happen now: They all have to agreethat they need to offer a crisp, clear vision to the voters about what it will be like if they give Democrats power. Clinton, who got too bogged down herself in the details in 2016, today gave a speech in which she hinted at this growing recognition.

For too long, our leaders have viewed politics as the art of the possible, she said in her commencement address at Wellesley today. The challenge now is to practice politics as the art of making what appears to be impossible possible.

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How the Trump era is pushing Democrats toward a new clarity - Washington Post (blog)

Two Maine Democratic lawmakers have unenrolled from the party.

Rep. Denise Harlow, of Portland, and Rep. Ralph Chapman, of Brooksville two veteran lawmakers and progressive members of the Democratic caucus both dropped their party affiliations earlier this week, according to the office of House Speaker Sara Gideon. Both lawmakers are heavily involved in environmental issues and recently split with the majority of their party by opposing a bipartisan bill to overhaul Maines metallic mining regulations.

In an interview, Harlow raised concerns about the voice of individuals within the party as well as the influence of lobbyists within the State House.

Denise Harlow

Obviously, this is not a decision that I have taken lightly, said Harlow, who added that her familys Democratic roots go back to her great-grandfather. I have been a member of the Democratic Party for my entire adult life and have proudly represented part of Portland in the Legislature for 6 1/2 years . . . I continue to be aligned with the core Democratic values.

However, Harlow said individual thinkers are often marginalized in the party and she remains extremely concerned about the influence lobbyists have in Augusta. Harlow is serving her fourth term and is prohibited under Maines term limits from running again in the House. While Harlow could seek a Senate seat, she said Friday she had no plans to run again.

Ralph Chapman

Chapman, who is also serving his fourth term, could not be immediately reached for comment Friday.

Their decisions to unenroll reduces the narrow numbers edge that Democrats hold over Republicans in the House but is unlikely to significantly alter the political balance because both lawmakers are considered liberal or progressive. Democrats now hold 75 seats in the House while Republicans hold 71 and independents occupy five seats, including Chapman and Harlow.

Gideon said she respected the pairs decision.

Im disappointed that Rep. Harlow and Rep. Chapman have unenrolled from the Democratic Party, but I respect their decision and value their friendship, Gideon, D-Freeport, said in a statement. I have always admired their progressive values and the passion they bring to their work. Democrats will continue to staff them and our door is always open to them. I look forward to continuing to work with them on issues that matter to all of us.

Harlow declined to go into specifics about her decision. However, she and Chapman were outspoken opponents of a bill to re-write Maines environmental regulations for metallic mining. While the compromise bill that passed both chambers of the Legislature, Harlow and Chapman argued that the bill could still lead to groundwater contamination or other pollution problems. Both lawmakers said they believed large-scale metallic mining posed too large a risk to the clean water, air and land that draws so many tourists to Maine.

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Two Maine Democratic lawmakers drop from the party - Press Herald

New York Times

New York Democrats See Special Election Win as Good Sign for '18 New York Times ALBANY There were two special legislative elections in New York on Tuesday, both won by Democrats. The outcome of one was a foregone conclusion, the other an utter surprise especially given the convincing margin of victory by the Democrat, ... Do a Pair of State House Wins Portend a Democratic Wave?The Atlantic Democrats flip 2 state legislature seats in Trump districtsABC News Democrats just won two important state-level special electionsWashington Examiner HuffPost -Common Dreams -Shareblue Media all 30 news articles »

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New York Democrats See Special Election Win as Good Sign for '18 - New York Times

By Stephen Nash By Stephen Nash May 26 at 4:21 PM

Stephen Nash is the author of Virginia Climate Fever How Climate Change Will Transform Our Cities, Shorelines and Forests.

What if they didnt take the cash?

Some Democrats in Washington and Richmond mill and mull, dazed and Trump-flummoxed. Theyre compelled to look for new roles to play but cant unstick from the old ones cant find clarity or hope to offer a mistrustful electorate.

Campaign finance reform at the state legislature would be a great place to start, but its hard for some Democrats to think outside the treasure box. Three-quarters of American voters nearly equal numbers in both parties are convinced that Congress is for sale. Given its record, the Virginia legislature cant make a credible claim to higher public confidence. Maybe Roanoke, of all places, offers inspiration.

Why are the real estate agents, the health industry, the beer wholesalers and bankers shoving all that cash into the Virginia legislature? Law professor William Black, a former bank regulator, summarizes the ordinary citizens street-level, tragic view when he writes that a campaign contribution always generates the best return on investment.

When I asked Republican gubernatorial candidate Frank Wagner, a state senator from Virginia Beach, about big money in state politics last year, he remarked that he can certainly understand the sentiment of some of the public that Oh, he received money from them, therefore he is beholden. ... I think its a conclusion that many people would draw.

A mistaken conclusion, he assured me. But funny thing the state-regulated power utility Dominion Energy gave more than $7.4 million to Virginia legislators over the past decade, including $770,000 in 2016-2017 alone , according to the nonprofit, nonpartisan Virginia Public Access Project. Coincidentally, Dominion has racked up an astonishing string of legislative triumphs over those years, amping up its profit margins along the way.

You could ask your state senator or delegate: Why is it ethical to take money from a state-regulated entity or any corporation and then vote on measures that affect those corporations profits? Dont accept the easy answer: I need the money to get elected. Vermont, Connecticut and conservative Arizona have figured that out, with voluntary donation limits and public financing for candidates. Is your senator or delegate pushing noisily for that? Why not?

Democrats could change and grab onto this populist ethical issue, but many of them would burn their hands. Dominion the top corporate giver on a long list of big donors gives money to dozens in both parties. State Sen. Richard L. Saslaw (D-Fairfax) is the biggest individual prizewinner, thanks to his long legislative service, perhaps, with gifts of $298,000 from Dominion over the years.

Roanoke Del. Sam Rasoul, a 35-year-old management consultant, exited a leadership role in that chambers Democratic caucus: My party needs to evolve, he told me. After the election, which really signaled an all-time low for Democrats in modern history, it became evident that we were stuck in our rationalizations as to why we are losing. I dont want to be part of an establishment leadership apparatus that doesnt want to radically change the way they do business.

Soon after, he announced that hell decline campaign donations above $5,000 from anyone and will take no more campaign cash from special-interest PACs and corporations.

Does money really buy influence in Richmond? Its so obvious that this is not in the interest of Virginians, yet somehow this legislation passes with overwhelming support, Rasoul told me. Its sad to watch to watch that happen, because its clear that the legislature, as far as Dominion is concerned, is bought and paid for.

A higher multiple of $25 campaign donors can outweigh the few behemoths, and integrity inspires voter engagement. Rasoul thinks that in the social-media era, voters pay far less attention to all that high-dollar junk mail, the blaring television commercials and fake telephone push polls. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and President Trump proved that.

Rasoul doesnt seem to be strutting over his decision, though. It just feels better, he told me. Its not perfect until we have public financing of campaigns, or some other mechanism to limit dollars so people are playing on a level field. What I did is not the whole solution, but it was the biggest step I think I could take right now to send a clear message to the people of Virginia, or across this country, that we are not beholden to special interests that we are operating in the interests of the people.

Candidates could gain support by signaling that. It would be great to see some more of them try.

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The populist ethical issue hurting Virginia Democrats - Washington Post