Up next: Congressman
@JamaalBowmanNY
talks about facing a challenge in the June 25th Democratic primary and the issues at stake in the race. Tune in now, 93.9FM, AM820 & .
growing up through Occupy, BLM, George Floyd I have seen so many massive violent police crackdowns, but the sheer asymmetry of this fucking mini army descending on some students in a building is something else
New York congressional candidate George Latimer has come under fire for racially insensitive comments. His history of slow-walking federal desegregation efforts has received less notice.
Sometimes I imagine trying to explain to someone from 2015 that the most well known Congressmember in the US today is a DSA member who uses her office to canvas working class communities in the Bronx with three languages of Ceasefire in Gaza lit
NY Times has written more about Jamaal Bowman's DSA dues that about George Latimer *obstructing federal desegregation orders*. Whatever their priorities are they are not "informing voters" or "doing journalism"
A lot of glaring factual inaccuracies in this NYTimes piece.
a) The entire piece is written as a Latimer press release.
Adjectives used to describe Bowman and progressives:
"desperate"
"embarrassing"
Adjectives used to describe Latimer:
"scripted"
"safe"
growing up going to a Hebrew School that inundated me with non-stop Holocaust history in vivid detail, I learned one thing: it is wrong to declare a group of people subhuman and then massacre them
Israel Defense Minister Yoav Gallant:
"I have ordered a complete siege on the Gaza Strip. There will be no electricity, no food, no fuel, everything is closed. We are fighting human animals and we will act accordingly."
Latimer has said like, 5 times in public that the only reason he believes anyone votes for Bowman is because they are black. it is disgusting racism that the entire journalistic edifice has given a pass for a year because they think that racism is not a big deal
if you are mainly just engaging online it's easy to miss how good AOC is at cutting through (justified) working class cynicism and apathy. the fact that she is so beloved in the Bronx, where people have almost no believe in the government or democracy at all, is really a feat
The cynics will tell you that one vote won’t change anything.
But what they don’t tell you is that nothing can change without a vote.
The truth is, the world doesn’t belong to the cynics. It’s up to us.
New York: It’s time to vote.🗳️
Tuesday, June 25th.
Spread the word.
I'm sorry but if someone can write an incredibly in depth 3500 word piece about your career of OBSTRUCTING FEDERAL DESEGREGATION in the year *2024*, you cannot be running for office
Bilal Hammoud and a handful of Arab American leaders met with Antony Blinken Friday. Blinken told them that if Palestine became a state, federal law would mandate the defunding of the UN, which could then defund the World Food Program, causing global starvation.
A beloved Black socialist leader and 5-year DSA member, who may be the most effective Green New Deal champion in Congress, had a choice: be average on Palestine and get no primary, or lead on it and get hit with the most expensive Congress primary attack ever
He chose Palestine.
As a B/UM DSA member and teacher in the Bronx, I’ve been inspired by Congressman Bowman’s leadership for years. And I’ll be voting yes on DSA endorsing him!
Why? I’m proud to share a DSA case for Bowman written by a fellow B/UM DSA member 🧵
DSA realigned the entire NY climate left behind an unapologetic vision of public ownership and public goods, built the organized power to force opponents out of the way, and made fossil fuel money an election issue. Not long ago that the main climate demand here was a carbon tax!
A Black
@BrianLehrer
Show caller this morning asked
@LatimerforNY
—
@JamaalBowmanNY
's primary opponent—about a 2021 comment he made comparing Andrew Cuomo to Emmett Till and how he could support Black constituents.
I've transcribed the shocking exchange.
the media has totally failed to convey that ~70-80% of ALL the money spent in this whole race is from ONE PAC. They act like 500k from Justice Dems and 14 million from AIPAC are somehow equivalent. it's absurd
People everywhere need to understand how disgusting and abnormal it is for special interests to dump nearly $15 million to unseat a member of Congress in a primary.
This is corruption. It is a core threat to American democracy. It also fuels Trump.
Support Jamaal Bowman.
WATCH--
@chrislhayes
on the historic spending in the Democratic primary for New York’s 16th congressional district:
“This is what Citizens United has wrought: enormous swarms of big money from anodyne-sounding groups, pounding a candidate while concealing what their own
In the latest George Latimer racist rant, he says Jamaal Bowman appeared with
@chancetherapper
.
Bowman did a GOTV show with
@CashCobain_2x
, not Chance The Rapper. They are different people. But this is the level of respect George Latimer gives to Black people.
George Latimer on the LWV Debate to Rep. Bowman: “Your constituency is Dearborn Michigan”.
Dearborn has the largest Muslim population per capita of any city in the US.
@LatimerforNY
, is this a dog whistle about Muslim-Americans & Arab-Americans? Do they not matter to you?
@JakeAnbinder
genuine question: what about this excerpt is nihilistic? believing that the current system is failing and requires transformation is not political nihilism
I am a DSA member in
@AOC
’s district. I think the best way to cut through some big uninformed claims going around is to illustrate her role in some succesful DSA campaigns I’ve been involved in here.
(this only includes things I've personally worked on, not an exhaustive list)
The
#NY16
primary is one week away. It's seen over $23M in spending and reservations, making it the most expensive House primary ever.
Here's an updated look at top spending advertisers, as AIPAC-affiliated group United Democracy Project makes up 61% of total spending.
I think it is inarguable that Kathy Hochul is the worst blue state governor in the country. relative to what replacement level governor in could do in the state, she is probably the worst period
Gov. Hochul vetoed a blanket noncompete ban — legislation that was supported by organized labor, but opposed by business lobbies with a $1 million dark money campaign. (The campaign was not registered as lobbying or campaign spending.)
the New York times has written more about Jamaal Bowman's DSA dues than about George Latimer saying "You don’t mention people who are not Black or brown," or saying "your constituency is Dearborn, Michigan and San Fransisco California," or
for those outside NY: right now
@GovKathyHochul
, the Democratic governor of one of the bluest states in the country, is essentially fillibustering the Democratic legislative supermajority until she can remove civil rights protections and throw more Black people in jail
Sources say progress was made on bail changes in state budget negotiations.
@GovKathyHochul
is expected to get changes she is seeking to the “least restrictive” standard for judges. There is also talk of tweaking discovery reform now
Bail changes had been a big sticking point
one thing they don't tell you about organizing is you will go from a generalized hatred of big politicians to extremely specific blood feuds with politicians basically no one has heard of
As a former Congressmember and County employee,
@MondaireJones
has a record of working for a better future for Westchester families. I'm thrilled that he's supporting my campaign for
#RealResultsNotRhetoric
.
Welcome to
#TeamLatimer
, Mondaire!
I led the trip with
@JamaalBowmanNY
. It’s a fact: there are checkpoints in Hebron where security separates who can walk where by religion. Other checkpoints keep roads “sterile” of Palestinians. I’ve been there dozens of times. Join me.
@RitchieTorres
@AmyPaulin
@EFischberger
hi im with the lower arrakeen democratic socialists of arrakis, and I’m calling about the upcoming election. have you heard of paul maud’dib? yes I agree we need more water here. so the cool thing about maud’dib is he doesn’t take corporate donations, and he's the lisan al’gaib,
Imo DSA is substantially more powerful than it was four years ago—we have much more state power, union power, laws passed, national leadership and influence (Uncommitted, etc.) So to me the most constructive question on membership numbers is, "why don't the numbers reflect this?"
George Latimer quotes from the last 10 days:
- "Your constituency is Dearborn."
- "You don’t mention people who are not Black or brown."
- "The reason why I used Dearborn, Michigan is not because of the Islamic presence there."
- "Does he have an obvious ethnic benefit? Yes."
@marisakabas2
@BrianLehrer
@LatimerforNY
@JamaalBowmanNY
caller: "what I don't want you to do is engage in tokenization, because every time you're asked about race you then start going into a litany of "I have Black friends" response"
Latimer: *immediately starts listing the Black people he knows*
the problem with DSA is that we have a lot of so called “socialists” who remain completely silent about the fact that there are only 25 blimps *in the entire world*
🧵 New Yorker here! Here's our top concerns:
-teenagers not paying 2.75 yet riding the subway
-landlords not making enough to buy a 12th building
-too many teachers per school
-libraries open too long
-too many places to swim and learn to swim
-cars not hitting enough people
I really like
@HadasThier
's profile of Jamaal Bowman and his race against AIPAC. She captures two things especially well—Bowman's "principal energy" and the stakes, which couldn't be higher.
DSA has the political winds at our backs, we are getting historic wins locally, and making national waves.
Why any NPC member would throw it in the trash to push mass layoffs that will hamstring our Uncommitted organizing and tag us as union busters to the public is beyond me
The NPC majority just dropped its plan to balance the budget—laying off 12 staff members, while voting to retain stipends for themselves. Genuinely disgusted.
one thing that has been lost in this race is that Latimer is one of the most online candidates ever. he must have written like 7000 facebook posts (including arguing with constituents all the time)
Catch me on
@colbertlateshow
tonight!
We’re talking old school hip hop, bringing principal energy to Congress and so much more! Tune in at 11:35ET ✌🏿
#Colbert
Jamaal Bowman is a rising Black progressive star beloved by the young voters, Black and brown voters, and progressive voters who beat Trump. If Democrats let $20M in ads get him replaced with someone who regularly makes headlines like this, what will those voters do in November?
In fact it is the PRIMARY way that good old fashioned American racism works within electoral politics.
Latimer running to begin with, was about pitting rich white people against poor POC in the Bronx, in an attempt to take represenation away from the people who actually need it.
I genuinely did not think this could happen, but relentless organizing by
@nycDSA
and
#NoMoneyForMassacres
allies just overcame one of the biggest anti-ceasefire blocks in congress.
there's no better sign to keep going even harder for Palestine ⇣
Jamaal Bowman opposes genocide. George Latimer is getting the most financial backing in a Congressional primary ever, from a Republican-funded lobby group, because he supports genocide.
This is the singular fact of this race, and the press fails every day they don't just say it.
AOC's contributions to historic material victories in New York are irreplaceable. So are those of our many local and state Socialists in Office. When we understand how their power actually works, we can cut through the left's most fraught debate entirely.
as far as what constitutes acting like an NGO, I would say that the idea that "our workers just have to eat shit because we are a movement organization" is the most NGO-ey thing on earth
Here is
@LatimerforNY
laughing when Jamaal Bowman asked how many Black and latino workers got jobs on the Mount Vernon project he keeps bragging about. About what you expect from a guy who thinks record Black voter turnout is "skewing the vote."!
@redstarcaucus
when surveyed, 100+ chapters asked for more staff support over more direct funds by something like 16:1. over 1000 members signed an anti layoffs letter and 0 signed a nonexistent pro layoffs letter. you may have the power structurally, but members are not with you on this
Asked about his “Dearborn” and “ethnic benefit” comments, George Latimer accused Jamaal Bowman of trying to “play the ethnic game.”
From his interview with Good Day New York yesterday:
NEW: George Latimer's campaign responds to charges of Islamophobia over the "your constituency is Dearborn comment" from last night's debate against Rep. Jamaal Bowman.
"In the same breath he also mentioned San Francisco, California."
"It is one thing to call for a ceasefire, it is another to take the measures necessary to work towards liberation for all." —
@DerrickNAACP
, President and CEO
Read our full statement:
this is my biggest single comms tip for DSA chapters: good photos of actual people conveys your legitimacy in a way nothing else can. I went from knowing nothing about
@IthacaDSA
to thinking "wow they seem impressive!" in like 1 second with this
I am so proud and excited to officially be standing side by side with my new comrades on the Solidarity Slate! A Better Ithaca is within our reach!
“I have cast some lonely votes, fought some lonely fights, mounted some lonely campaigns. But I do not feel lonely now.”
it's frustrating to be entering a moment of historic uprising with this albatross around our necks. newly radicalized and newly organized leftists are not going to accept the arguments that normal union values don't apply inside the org we're asking them to join or organize with
Update: The NPC majority has declined to attend tonight's meeting, so we are going to cancel it. We plan to invite the NPC to a private meeting and bargain our MOU. Time is of the essence, as our layoffs notice mark May 25th as the last day for seven unit members.
one reason I am so adamant about funding our comms: DSA just won workers the highest minimum wage in the country (over 20 dollars an hour!). we should be doing massive paid media campaigns to ensure every worker know that *DSA* did this--the news certainly won't do it for us!
Congratulations to
@SeattleDSA
members and
@RTWRenton
for a hard fought victory tonight to Raise the Wage in Renton WA. Organizing gets the goods!
Stay tuned for more on how this victory was won.
I am excited to cross-endorse Gabi Madden, and would be honored to work with her in the Assembly to bring the priorities of working people to the forefront. We need real champions who will show up and do the work, and I know she and I will deliver for our communities and New York
Apparently there is a loud contingent of people who think it’s fine to gain entry to buildings by smashing windows with hammers. You learn something new every day.
Latimer is literally just lying to reporters to get stories now. probably explains why he kept baselessly calling Bowman a liar on tv yesterday while doing his stupidass "truth alarm" gesture thing
Yesterday, 207 House Dems voted against the National Defense Authorization Act, which among other things further restricts the ability of servicemembers & their families to access abortion care. Jamaal Bowman missed the vote, causing it to pass by 1 single vote.
Most DSA membership bumps come from external political issues: Bernie, Trump, George Floyd, etc.
But
@mhvdsa
grew nearly 300% by making their own. By running an election on
#BuildPublicRenewables
, an issue *DSA created*. IMO, replicating this model is how we reach the next level.
pat ryan made his career off doing intelligence in the fucking iraq war, but is afraid of a peaceful protest in the hudson valley. guess he's only tough when he's helping the military slaughter brown people in another country?
Today a crowd attempted to forcibly enter our district office in Kingston, climbing the roof, interrupting work with constituents, and directly threatening my staff.
My full statement below.
Gonna take this chance highlight the work of some incredible designers I've worked with, whose work directly enabled some of DSA's biggest victories.
The visuals they create don't just look 🔥--they advance our strategic messaging goals with, imho, unparalleled effectiveness.
pretty sure that when asked about his Dearborn comments on CNN, George Latimer said that
@RashidaTlaib
is "from Dearborn"
no, she's from Detroit! great defense against it being an Islamophobic dogwhistle man
I haven't worked for DSA, but I've worked as staff member on a DSA election campaign, as well as been a highly engaged DSA member. From my experience, I think think this is the wrong question Staff are not a replacement for members, they are *amplifiers* for members.
in membership orgs like DSA or unions, the Q isn't "are staff good or bad?"
the Q is, are members capable of doing the work that staff do? how can we help members do that work self-sufficiently? if the work must be paid to get done, how do you decide who should be paid?
I'm fed up with the chaos in DC, and I know you are too.
You know me. I took on the NRA. I led the fight to protect access to reproductive care. And I've always prioritized
#RealResultsNotRhetoric
.
On June 25th, it's time to break through the dysfunction.
Brian Lehrer: Do you agree with Senator Schumer that Netanyahu should step down?
George Latimer: "I agree that Senator Schumer is a key spokesperson."
This is what $20 million from AIPAC buys you. Latimer is to the right of Chuck Schumer and like a million Israelis!
The votes are in! We’re endorsing
@JamaalBowmanNY
for Congress in NY-16!
Jamaal has been one of the strongest voices against genocide and for peace as many of his colleagues rush to warmonger. Together, we WILL defend this seat from AIPAC and pro-war extremists!