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Local Democratic Chairs Declare Support for Phil Murphy for Governor and Jerry Green for re-election as Chairman of the Union County Democratic Committee

Democratic municipal chairs throughout Union County have declared their intention to support both Phil Murphy for Governor and the re-election of Assemblyman Jerry Green for Chairman of the Union County Democratic Committee.

When I was first elected county chairman, I made it a point to work closely with our municipal chairs to ensure Democrats at every level of the ballot had the resources they needed to compete, declared Green. Im honored by their continued support for myself and Phil.

What has made Jerry a successful chairman is his belief that every Democrat, regardless of where they live in Union County, has a voice and brings real value to our party, said Phil Murphy. I am as humbled to have the support of Union Countys grassroots Democratic leaders as I am proud to support Jerry Green for re-election as chairman. Union Countys Democrats will keep moving forward under his continued leadership.

Since being elected county chairman in June 2013, Chairman Green and Union County Democrats have successfully defended all nine Freeholder seats, all three county-wide constitutional offices, all incumbent Democratic legislators, and made significant local gains in communities such as Kenilworth, Summit, Cranford, Springfield, Garwood, and Roselle Park. Weve come a long way, but theres still more to get done, stated Green. With this support, Im eager to seek re-election in June and keep moving our Party forward.

In endorsing Murphy, the local leaders cited his innovative ideas for fixing the states economy and growing the middle class by investing in communities, education, and critical infrastructure.

The Democratic Primary for Governor is on Tuesday, June 6th. The election for Democratic countychairman will be on Tuesday, June 13th.

Supporting Jerry Green for Democratic County Chairman and Phil Murphy for Governor:

Clark Nancy Sheridan Cranford Bette Jane Kowalski Fanwood Colleen Mahr (1st Vice-Chair) Garwood Hugh Sinclair Hillside Anthony Salters Kenilworth Peter Corvelli Linden Nicholas Scutari

Mountainside Rick Schkolnick New Providence Steve Velloric Plainfield Adrian Mapp Rahway Samson Steinman

Roselle Reginald Atkins Roselle Park Dan Petrosky Scotch Plains Joanne Glover

Springfield David Barnett Summit Susan Hairston Union Joe Cryan Westfield Janice Siegel Winfield Margaret McManus

Union County Democrats Endorse Joe Cryan for State Senate

Union County Democratic Chairman Jerry Green, Elizabeth Mayor J. Christian Bollwage, the 20th Legislative District Assembly members Annette Quijano and Jamel Holley, and the Democratic Municipal Chairmen from the 20th Legislative district today issued their joint support of Union County Sheriff Joseph Cryan for State Senator in the 20th District. Their support follows press reports that long-time State Senator Raymond Lesniak has filed the paperwork required to run for governor.

Union County Democratic Committee Chairman Jerry Green issued the following statement:

Ray Lesniak has been a strong, effective legislator since the day he first assumed office in 1978. His work as the New Jersey Chair for the Clinton/Gore and Gore/Lieberman campaigns and his tireless efforts to pass the Marriage Equality Act and for the abolition of the death penalty in New Jersey are just a sample of what he has accomplished in his almost forty years in the legislature. He will be missed in the Senate.

It is critically important that the 20th Legislative District have a representative in the State Senate with a similar dedication to public service and strong public policy. I believe Sheriff Cryan would be the ideal candidate. He has a long history fighting for people in the 20th District and, as a former colleague of mine in the General Assembly, I have seen first-hand the dedication, expertise and tenacity Joe brings down to Trenton each day on behalf of those he represents. I am supporting Sheriff Cryans candidacy as the Democratic nominee, because I believe he is the right choice to join Senator Nick Scutari in representing Union County in the State Senate.

Message from Chairman Jerry Green

As the Union County Democratic Chairman, I am proud and excited to represent you, the democrats of Union County. Without the help from our many volunteers and supporters, our Democratic team would not be the success it is today. Please explore the many resources our website has to offer including, but not limited to finding local events, your elected officials on the Federal, State, County, and Municipal levels, volunteer information and more. Also I want to encourage you to contact us with any questions or thoughts you may have. I thank everyone for how much support you showed our party during our 2016 General Election.

Sincerely,

Jerry Green

Union County Democratic Chairman

Constitution & By-Laws

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Union County Democratic Committee Vote Column A!

AVENTURA, Fla. Senators, protesters and admirers weathered a cold, rainy day in the nations capital for the inauguration of President Donald Trump. One thousand miles or so to the south, roughly 120 Democratic donors and dozens of other party insiders retreated to a golf resort to regroup. It was a balmy funeral. Self-styled leaders of the resistance sipped cocktails around a heated outdoor pool, debated voter outreach strategies under the chandeliers of a piano bar and listened to hour after hour of presentations about What Went Wrong and how to right it.

The event was organized by David Brock, a longtime Hillary Clinton operative whose various organizations collectively burned through $75 million in the 2016 election cycle only to watch their political patron fall to a reality TV demagogue. In the opening address of the conference at Turnberry Isle Resort, Brock defended both his own work and the direction of the Democratic Party. Trumps election, he insisted, was a black swan event born of James Comey and traitors inside the FBI. Democrats should not over-learn the lessons behind their loss. Clinton, after all, won the popular vote by 3 million, despite Russian interference a grand achievement in the face of the vile sexism of voters who would not accept one of the most qualified, dedicated, committed, forward-thinking and honorable people to ever seek the presidency of the United States. Brock didnt mention her paid speeches to Goldman Sachs.

Brocks only regret, if it can be called that, was the Clinton campaigns refusal to follow his advice about Trumps business record. Republican nominee Mitt Romney was known as a successful businessman before Barack Obama savaged him in 2012 over Cayman Islands investment schemes. A sustained campaign blasting Don the Con, Brock said, could have prevented the 2016 Rust Belt wipeout by focusing on Trumps reliance on cheap foreign labor and his aggressive avoidance of federal tax bills.

Did Hillarys own campaign rob her of the only anti-Trump argument that would have opened up the all-important economic issue to her advantage? Brock asked. Thats the inescapable conclusion.

Its true that Clintonia botched its economic message. But Brocks broad diagnosis of the Democratic Partys ailment was so obviously wrong that many of the party elites he invited to speak at his Florida retreat rejected their hosts premise. Multiple speakers talked to reporters about a decade-long slide in state and local party viability, which resulted in the loss of over 900 state legislature seats in the Obama era.

I can tell you, said one insider, the conversations going on in those rooms are a long way from Davids talk.

Reporters were not allowed into most of the donor presentations, but many of the speakers spoke frankly to the press afterward about their assessment of the partys predicament.

Everyone in that room agrees that absent the Comey letter and absent WikiLeaks, [Clinton] wins, said Jon Cowan, president of the Third Way think tank. Its a close race. But you cant start from that if youre going to rebuild the Democratic Party . Democrats are in their worst electoral position since the Civil War.

The challenges that face working people and Im not talking code for white working people but all people trying to survive in a 21st century economy [result from being] let down by an approach towards globalization and towards financialization and so forth that cant be squared, said Mike Podhorzer, political director at the AFL-CIO, the nations largest federation of labor unions. That has to be acknowledged.

Bernie Sanders won the primary in West Virginia, said Ilyse Hogue, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America. Bernie Sanders ran on a zero fossil fuels platform in a state that really, really wants its coal jobs back. So theres a bigger thing at play than just the policy fights that are healthy within a party. And its a values proposition, and its the way were connecting with people from a values perspective.

The Brock dissenters at the Florida confab have their own differences. Cowan recently raised $20 million for a project to reinvigorate the party by many critics suggest essentially crushing the Sanders and Elizabeth Warren wing that has effectively assailed Trumps Cabinet nominees after Clintons loss a strategy Brock himself ostensibly disavowed in an (admittedly odd) public letter to Sanders.

But some of Brocks allies arent ready to make nice. Populism is inherently anti-government, Cowan told Politico. That works if youre a right-wing conservative, like Donald Trump. That doesnt work if youre the party of government.

Others rejected the idea that Democrats need to choose between so-called identity politics and economic messaging, arguing that the party needed to work harder to reach working-class voters of all colors. The Democratic coalition lives in the economy, all right? former Bill Clinton campaign manager James Carville said. The idea that somehow its only white working-class people that live in an economy and, you know, blacks, Hispanics, unmarried women, gay people theyre like everybody else. Thats an insane argument to have!

While Brocks stable of thinkfluencers battled over different visions of a Democratic Party re-think, Brock himself was asking for money to reboot the existing infrastructure. The Democrats got outflanked digitally by the hard right this round, he said. Ramping up funds for the ShareBlue.com space would probably do the trick.

[ShareBlue] was one of the few places online where Hillary supporters really felt safe, Brock told reporters. They developed a narrative that they stuck to for the entire campaign that Hillary was not a victim, but she was an underdog in a society plagued by sexism and media bias. And that might not have worked for the campaign, but it certainly lit up their audience, and people ate it up.

Other digital media outlets had failed to communicate just how great Hillary Clinton was in 2016, Brock said. The Huffington Post isnt what it was.

The reinvigorated ShareBlue project will be heralded by David Sirota, a deeply respected investigative journalist whose work has forced the resignations of officials in New Jersey and Connecticut. Sirota has cultivated a reputation as a nonpartisan corruption watchdog.

Brock told reporters that moneyed Democrats generally shared his vision.

I think that donors dont feel that were in as bad shape collectively as a party and a movement than what you might read about in the media, Brock told reporters.

At cocktail receptions and off-party whisper-sessions, Brocks guests appeared comfortable. But few seemed enthusiastic about the partys political prospects. And they may have grown accustomed to overpaying.

Its a very nice tourist course, a golf-enthusiast resort guest told HuffPost. But its not worth $300 a round.

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It's The End Of The Democratic Party As We Know It, And David Brock Feels Fine - Huffington Post

Stephanie Cho believes its time.

Time for the face of Gwinnett Countys government to fully reflect those of its people, she says. Time for its most powerful body to have its first non-white member.

This moment of urgency comes in the wake of the recent behavior by County Commissioner Tommy Hunter, who last weekend called civil rights leader and U.S. Rep. John Lewisa racist pig in a post on Facebook.

We want to see more people that are underrepresented, woman, people of color, immigrants, be in these positions, said Cho, the executive director of the Atlanta branch of Asian Americans Advancing Justice, a non-partisan advocacy group. Because that is the face of Gwinnett now.

Groups like Chos, the NAACP and the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials already work to promote better representation of their respective communities. But many now say Hunters words and the furor theyve whipped up have served as a wake-up call.

Youre going to see us contesting very, very strongly this year in the municipal elections, something that hasnt been done before, said Gabe Okoye, who took over this month as chairman of the Gwinnett County Democratic Party . And that will be in readiness for 2018.

Hunter was just re-elected in November. But in 2018, two other commission seats will be up for grabs.

Hunter became the center of controversy on Monday after The Atlanta Journal-Constitutionpublished screenshots of several posts on his personal Facebook page. The racist pig post was written Saturday afternoon amid a well-publicized feudbetween Lewis and president-elect Donald Trump.

white voters were no longer the majority in county. Hillary Clintons Gwinnett win in Novembers presidential election was the first for a Democrat since Jimmy Carter in 1976.

Gwinnetts Board of Commissioners, meanwhile, remains strictly Republican and white. Voting rights advocates say thats partially by design.

Last year, the Georgia NAACP, the Georgia Association for Latino Elected Officials and several individualsfiled a federal lawsuit against Gwinnett County, arguing that the way the countys commission and school board districts are drawn thwarts minorities from electing the candidates of their choice and therefore limits their collective voice in the community.

The county filed a motion to dismiss that suit last month, and the plaintiffs filed their response this week. Theyve asked for oral arguments to be heard in the case.

In November, Hunter won re-election over black Democratic challenger Jasper Watkins by a two-point margin. Board Chairman Charlotte Nash took just 52 percent of the vote against challenger Jim Shealey, another black Democrat.

Lynette Howards deeply diverse District 2, which includes Peachtree Corners, Norcross and Lilburn, is due for an election in 2018. So is John Heards District 4, which includes a large chunk of Lawrenceville and runs northeast to Buford and beyond.

Okoye said the Democratic Party already has some well qualified people angling for those positions, and that Hunters comments and the delayed reactions from his fellow commissioners will play roles in both fundraising and future campaigns.

First on his plate, though, are local city council elections, which Okoye said his party has never specifically targeted. Duluth, Lilburn and Norcross, among others, have multiple city council seats up for election this fall.

For me, you have to start from the ground up, you know? Okoye said.

Kerwin Swint, the chair of Kennesaw State Universitys department of political science, called Hunters ill-fated comments bulletin board material. He said they could give Gwinnetts Democrats some early motivation.

But a real, tangible change in the countys politics, or in voters attitudes?

I dont think one ill-timed, ill-thought-of comment is going to be a game changer or anything like that, Swint said. Its more symbolic than anything.

The symbolism is exactly what groups like the NAACP are seizing upon.

Marlyn Tillman, president of the organizations Gwinnett chapter, said her organization had already started having conversations about getting people more engaged in local politics. Hunters comments, she said, are energizing those efforts.

We are going to use it as a point of connection for people, Tillman said. To be able to say, OK now, you see this, right? This is a result of the bigger picture.

That bigger picture not only includes changing demographics but a history of distrust.

Gwinnett Commissioner Lynette Howard said this week she didnt know what the political fallout from her colleagues Facebook posts would be. But she admitted it probably put a dent in the reputation of a board thats still trying to regain credibility from corruption scandals that were first exposed by The AJC in 2009 andremained in the headlines until 2014.

She said she hopes Hunters actions will inspire people to really see what it means to elect somebody to Gwinnetts highest governing body, that voters will re-focus on electing quality people.

Continued here:
Democrats, diversity groups look to capitalize on 'racist pig' post - Atlanta Journal Constitution

The ongoing contest between the Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders wings of the Democratic Party continues to divide Democrats. Its urgent Democrats stop squabbling and recognize seven basic truths:

The Party is on life support, Democrats are in the minority in both the House and Senate. Since the start of the Obama administration theyve lost 1,034 state and federal seats. They face 32 state legislatures fully under GOP control. No one speaks for the party as a whole. The Partys top leaders are aging, and the back bench is thin.

OPINION

The future is bleak unless the Party radically reforms itself. If Republicans do well in the 2018 midterms, theyll control Congress and the Supreme Court for years.

We are now in a populist era. The strongest and most powerful force in American politics is a rejection of the status quo and a deep and profound distrust of elites.

That force propelled Donald Trump into the White House. He represents the authoritarian side of populism. Bernie Sanderss primary campaign represented the progressive side.

The question hovering over Americas future is which form of populism will ultimately prevail. At some point, hopefully, Trump voters will discover theyve been hoodwinked. Authoritarian populism doesnt work because it destroys democracy. Democrats must offer the alternative.

The economy is not working for most Americans. The economic data show lower unemployment and higher wages than eight years ago, but the typical family is still poorer today than it was in 2000, adjusted for inflation; median weekly earning are no higher than in 2000; a large number of working-age people mostly men have dropped out of the labor force; and job insecurity is endemic.

Inequality is wider and its consequences more savage in America than in any other advanced nation.

The Partys moneyed establishment big donors, major lobbyists, retired members of congress who have become bundlers and lobbyists are part of the problem. Even though many consider themselves liberal and dont recoil from an active government, their preferred remedies spare corporations and the wealthiest from making any sacrifices.

The moneyed interests in the party allowed the deregulation of Wall Street and then encouraged the bailout of the Street. Theyre barely concerned about the growth of tax havens, inside trading, increasing market power in major industries (pharmaceuticals, telecom, airlines, private health insurers, food processors, finance, even high tech), and widening inequality. Meanwhile, theyve allowed labor unions to shrink to near irrelevance. Unionized workers used to be the ground troops of the Democratic Party. In the 1950s, more than a third of all private-sector workers were unionized; today, fewer than 7 percent are.

Its not enough for Democrats to be against Trump, and defend the status quo. Democrats have to fight like hell against regressive policies Trump wants to put in place, but Democrats also need to fight for a bold vision of what the nation must achieve like expanding Social Security, and financing the expansion by raising the cap on income subject to Social Security taxes; Medicare for all; and world-class free public education for all.

And Democrats must diligently seek to establish countervailing power stronger trade unions, community banks, more incentives for employee ownership and small businesses, and electoral reforms that get big money out of politics and expand the right to vote.

The life of the Party its enthusiasm, passion, youth, principles, and ideals was elicited by Bernie Sanderss campaign. This isnt to denigrate what Hillary Clinton accomplished. Its only to recognize what all of us witnessed: the huge outpouring of excitement that Bernies campaign inspired, especially from the young. This is the future of the Democratic Party.

The Party must change from being a giant fund-raising machine to a movement. It needs to unite the poor, working class, and middle class, black and white who havent had a raise in 30 years, and who feel angry, powerless, and disenfranchised.

If the Party doesnt understand these seven truths and fails to do whats needed, a third party will emerge to fill the void. Third parties usually fail because they tend to draw votes away from the dominant party closest to them, ideologically. But if the Democratic Party creates a large enough void, a third party wont draw away votes. It will pull people into politics.

And drawing more people into politics is the only hope going forward.

Send letters to letters@suntimes.com

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Robert Reich: 7 truths Democrats need to understand - Chicago Sun-Times

Eight years after President Obamas rise inspired his party to dream of decades of Democrat-control in Washington, his party looked on Friday as President Trump put the final nail in those hopes.

A sizable chunk of Democrats didnt even show, saying they couldnt stomach and in some cases refused to accept Mr. Trumps victory.

Those who did attend flashed a mix of glum, dejected or stoic expressions, as they wondered what to expect from the enigmatic new president.

Usually when a candidate comes in they come from a Democratic perspective or a Republican perspective so you kind of know whether they will go and what they are about, said Sen. Bob Casey, Pennsylvania Democrat. But there is an uncertainty about where the president will be on an issue or in terms of his focus on an issue on a particular day or week. I hope we can better sense of that in short order.

Usually members of the party that lost the White House set aside the first day for celebrating democracy, and while there was some of that, overall Democrats said they see their role as intense resistance.

Nowhere was that more clear than on immigration, where Democrats held a press conference to demand Mr. Trump soften his stand on an issue that helped carry him to victory.

Donald Trump has coldly said people like my parents and those of us gathered here today have got to go, said Rep. Linda Sanchez, California Democrat. Well, Mr. President I am American and I am a member of the United States Congress and I am here to tell you I am not going anywhere. Get used to seeing our faces.

Little was out of bounds for criticism.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Mr. Trumps inaugural address detailing a still-struggling economy and out-of-touch politicians sounded like a campaign speech and ignores eight years of economic growth under President Obama.

One Democrat who did seem to be enjoying the inauguration was Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who snapped with his GOP colleagues on the Capitol steps.

Im excited to be with my colleagues & fellow Americans as we watch @realDonaldTrump be sworn in as our 45th President, Mr. Manchin said on Twitter.

He later issued a statement saying he looked forward to continuing to build our relationship with Mr. Trump.

Hillary Clinton powered through the event in a staid manner, months after coming out on the losing end of showdown with Mr. Trump.

Im here today to honor our democracy & its enduring values. I will never stop believing in our country & its future, she said on Twitter.

Michelle Obama, meanwhile, wore her disappointment on her face sparking a blizzard of posts on social media featuring photos and videos of the steely-eyed former first lady and quips about her lack of a poker face.

Gearing up for a fight over Obamacare, a number of Democrats wore #ProtectOurCare buttons.

Mrs. Pelosi said she was glad Mr. Trump didnt mention the health law in his inaugural address.

Liberal groups said theyll lead the resistance.

This President clearly has no mandate, said Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club. If and when he and his administration try to undermine climate action, assault our democracy, or attack the people and places we love, he will face a wall of organized people who will fight him in the courts, in Congress, in the marketplace, in the states, and in the streets.

The first chances for Democrats will come on Mr. Trumps nominees.

Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, New York Democrat, said he wont allow them to speed through the chamber.

Over the last several weeks, Republicans have made a mockery of the cabinet hearing process trying to ham through nominees in truncated hearings, nominees with serious conflicts of interest and ethical issues unresolved, Mr. Schumer said on the Senate floor. The president-elects cabinet is a swamp cabinet full of billionaires and bankers loaded with conflicts of interest and ethical lapses as far as the eye can see.

Continued here:
Democrats quickly vow to pushback against Trump agenda - Washington Times