Do People Bloomberg Stiffed Deserve Sympathy?

‘I’m So Sorry I Worked for This Guy’: Ex-Staffers React to Bloomberg Reversal on Field Organizers

March 20, 2020

Bloomberg is so much like Trump - and stiffing people is the quintessential Trumpian action. So these people signed on under the promise they would be paid until November.

 Some affected employees, including people who had left stable jobs to work for Mr. Bloomberg, as Ms. Wood did, expressed frustration publicly, in spite of the confidentiality and non-disparagement agreements they had signed. They said they would not have accepted the work had they known its true terms.

This item in the NYT article says:

Despite the campaign’s promises of continued employment, the field organizers had signed at-will contracts, indicating they could be terminated at any point.

So they trusted a sleaze ball. And left other jobs for a guy who many of them didn't support in the first place. I know I should be sympathetic but excuse me if I'm not. Below two articles - The Hill and the NYT. Decide for yourself.

Ex-Field Organizers Sue Bloomberg Campaign, Claiming They Were Misled

Former campaign workers for Michael Bloomberg filed two proposed class-action lawsuits on Monday, arguing they and thousands of others were tricked https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/23/us/politics/bloomberg-employee-lawsuit.html

Carranzavirus: Sue Edelman, NY Post: DOE, DeB Blood on their hands - Where was UFT?

One after another, sick Brooklyn Technical High School teachers called union chapter leader Nate Bonheimer last week, to tell him they’d tested positive for COVID-19. By Friday, five of them had shared the devastating news. But after being notified about each one, the city Department of Education still ordered the 6,000-student school’s 350 staffers to show up for work last week, saying the building had been cleaned... NY Post,  ‘Blood on their hands:’ Teachers say de Blasio and Carranza helped spread coronavirus

By Susan Edelman

March 21, 2020 |https://nypost.com/2020/03/21/blood-on-their-hands-teachers-say-de-blasio-and-carranza-helped-spread-coronavirus/

How far did the virus spread due to de Blasio and Caranza?

UPDATE: Read Eterno's take which goes way further than I do:

WHERE OH WHERE WAS THE UFT LAST WEEK WHEN SCHOOL BUILDINGS WEREN'T SAFE?

I'm very proud of Nate Bonheimer who last year took on the massive task of chapter leadership of the largest school in the city. Nate has put himself on the line publicly when it should have been the UFT doing this and protecting Nate from reprisals.

In fact Nate approached me at the March 11 UFT Del Ass and hinted at what was going on and asked me to put him in touch with Sue Edelman of the NY Post who has become the go-to reporter for teachers who have a story. In some ways Sue has replaced the UFT leadership which seems to go along with the code of silence.

“The DOE did not close the school for any of the cases,” said Bonheimer, who worries that inaction exposed others to the dreaded infection.

The city failed to follow a March 9 directive by the state Education Department that “requires an initial 24-hour closure, in order to begin an investigation to determine the contacts that the individual may have had within the school environment.”

DOE did not attempt to identify close contacts, Bonheimer said. “They did not alert the people who needed to know the most to protect themselves, their families and everyone else they came into contact with.”

One infected teacher was so torn by the secrecy he took it upon himself to personally let all his students know his condition.

Does the UFT also have blood on its hands?
I mean, why does Nate feel he has to go to the NY Post to expose a story like this? Mulgrew should have immediately demanded Tech and other schools be closed.

The information freeze started March 10, when Carranza, in an email obtained by The Post, told administrators not to alert city health officials about COVID-19 cases among students or staff.
“At the moment, there is no reason for any school to call [the Health Department] to report potential or confirmed cases,” Carranza wrote, repeating the statement later in the same email.
Carranza said DOH would get test results from labs, and school personnel should help “by keeping their phones clear.”

March 10? Wait a minute. There was a UFT Del Ass on March 11. I was upstairs watching on TV and many not have paid enough attention but did anyone here Mulgrew talk about this information freeze from the DOE? And it's not only Brooklyn Tech:

At the Grand Street campus in Williamsburg, which houses three high schools, a teacher returned from a trip to China over the February break. Despite reports of the outbreak, the teacher did not self-quarantine, but returned to teach kids in all three schools Feb. 26 through Feb. 29, a staffer said.
The teacher then became sick and stopped working. The school was not closed, and employees were not notified, insiders said.
Up to four other staffers have since become sick, they said.
The teacher did not return a message, but a relative said Friday, “He’s very ill, and so is his entire staff,” before declining to comment further.

Grand Street campus is not far from PS 147 where I taught.

Last Thursday — after Grand Street teachers worked three days in a row in the building — the principals sent a joint letter saying that “members of our school community” had self-reported positive COVID-19 tests. It did not say how many members or give other details. “Unfortunately, the DOE suspended keeping track of positive cases,” a teachers’ union official told a staffer on Tuesday. The DOE would not comment on the Grand Street or other cases.

A teachers' union anonymous official? The no guts no glory UFT which should have blasted this news and demanded the closing and told teachers to stay out for their own safety instead of whining about the Taylor Law.

Another school:

At the Jamaica High School campus, which houses three schools, Carlos Borrero, principal of the High School for Community Leadership, blasted a robocall to parents the Sunday before schools closed for students, reporting the school had “one confirmed” case and another “preliminary positive” case identified over the prior two days — while students attended. One was a teacher, Borrero said. Asked about the announcement last week, the DOE would not give details.
“The city is no longer confirming information about individual cases due to the volume, but we support any school that wants to notify their community of a self-confirmed case,” said DOE spokeswoman Miranda Barbot.

And another - which I heard about on FB - maybe the most outrageous of all:

At the Grace Dodge High School campus in the Bronx, a teacher self-reported a positive COVID-19 test on Thursday, March 12, staffers said. The DOE did not close the school the next day, when kids still attended before de Blasio announced that all schools would close for students starting March 16.

Teachers received a form letter from Carranza confirming a staffer had tested positive, saying the building was “disinfected.” The school was not closed while teachers worked last week.
“We asked when students and parents would get notification, and they still haven’t gotten it,” a teacher said. The DOE had no comment.

At the Bronx’s Alfred E. Smith campus which houses three high schools, teachers reported for three days of training on remote-teaching to begin next week.

“Ten minutes before the end of the last day, the union rep walked through the hall and said, ‘You’re free to leave,’” a teacher said. She asked why.
As custodians arrived in Hazmat suits, the union rep replied, “There’s coronavirus in the building.”

Hazmat suits while teachers were left in the building all day.
I'm sorry and I know there are many people at the UFT who are trying their best. But when in this article alone we have 4 schools where orders to close upon reports of positive tests were ignored, there is no escaping a failure of leadership where teachers and chapter leaders should know that their reports to the union would be made public to put pressure on the city to do the right thing. I love Sue Edelman and cheer her on but the UFT leadership should take the lead and not tail - put Sue out of business - don't worry Sue - I know they won't because covering for De Blasio and Caranza is never off the table.

The full article below:

Tulsi Gabbard, Called Russian Asset by Hillary Clinton, back Biden - meaning Biden must be favored by Russians

Remember all those attacks on Tulsi by the Dem establishment? And remember how Tulsi sort of defended Bernie when Warren accused him of claiming a woman can't win? I was surprised when she endorsed Biden because she backed Bernie in 2016 and also seemed close to Bernie but I think Bernie distanced himself a bit from her and didn't really stand up for her when she was attacked so this is a sort of payback.

She received support from leftists and people on the right - sort of my recent theme -

Left Meets Right in Populist Movements - the fight is between the people and the elites

Here's one article from The Guardian with links to others below:

Gabbard ran as a progressive, anti-war candidate, frequently stressing her experience as a member of the Hawaii national guard. Her campaign speeches largely focused on the ills of American wars overseas, with Gabbard promising to redirect money from the military budget to social programs.
As her campaign failed to gain momentum, however, Gabbard and her supporters increasingly criticized the media for failing to provide her with enough airtime – although the congresswoman never approached double figures in national polls.
Gabbard was seen as a rising star in the Democratic party when she became a member of Congress in 2013, and was appointed a vice-chair of the Democratic National Committee.
She resigned that position, however, to endorse Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton in 2016, and continued to chaff against her party when she met with the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, in 2017, later questioning the consensus that Assad was behind a chemical attack that killed dozens of people.
Despite backing Biden over Sanders, Gabbard thanked the Vermont senator in her announcement.
“I want to extend my best wishes to my friends Bernie Sanders, his wife Jane, Nina Turner and their many supporters for the work that they’ve done,” Gabbard said. Turner is the national co-chair of Sanders’ 2020 campaign.
She continued: “I have such a great appreciation for Senator Sanders’ love for our country and the American people and his sincere desire to improve the lives of all Americans.”
Gabbard’s moves became increasingly unorthodox in recent months as she strived for exposure.
In January Gabbard sued Clinton for $50m in retaliation for Clinton suggesting the Hawaiian was a Russian asset, months after Gabbard filed a $50m lawsuit against Google for allegedly suspending her campaign’s advertising.
Ahead of the New Hampshire primary, Gabbard held a Fox News interview where she defended Donald Trump’s decision to fire the key impeachment investigation witnesses Lt Col Alexander Vindman and EU ambassador Gordon Sondland.
A day later Gabbard appeared on the conservative Fox News network with Sean Hannity, a friend and informal adviser to the president who has promoted conspiracy theories about Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and the dead DNC staffer Seth Rich.

Left Meets Right in Populist Movements - the fight is between the people and the elites

Beware, fellow plutocrats, the pitchforks are coming | Nick Hanauer--https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2gO4DKVpa8

It’s over, the fight from the right against the left. Now the fight is between the people and the elites.......Eduard Limonov, Russian Writer and Dissident, Dies at 77
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/17/books/eduard-limonov-dead.html

I hadn't heard of this fascinating Russian, Eduard Limonov, who bounced from left to right and back and forth, which sometimes I find myself doing to my utter confusion. I do read NYT obits religiously, which are so informative about people we wouldn't necessarily know about. So at the end of the obit this quote struck me.

Exactly what I've been thinking - a sort of merging of some on the left with some on the right over key economic issues --- this wing of the left plays down the social and identity issues. It is no accident that Bernie appeals to a segment of Trump supporters - economic populism resonates with whatever we call the working class today - which is not the classic white guy doing industrial work but also a growing segment of the gig economy.

I also am a fan of the daily broadcast of the Rising web broadcast on TheTune into "Rising" weekdays, starting at 10:30 a.m. (ET). Follow us on YouTube: http://hill.cm/xgu24G9 where lefty Krystal Ball (@krystalball) · Twitter and righty Saagar Enjeti @esaagar seem to line up with each other on so many issues. They even have a book out:

The Populist's Guide to 2020 - Amazon.com

They explain what is behind their politics here: (Sorry videos didn't work - check out their web site).

Now if you dig a little on Saagar, a Trump supporter, there is a lot to be disturbed about too but let's just focus on some surface stuff. I'm pretty aligned with Krystal, though some of the attacks on non-Bernie Dems go over the line. But it is a fascinating listen.

Krystal and Saagar have brought some clarity to me on why I, coming from the left, have so disliked the Dem party establishment. The traditional left dislikes the Dem party altogether and the furthest fringes mock Bernie and AOC for not being socialist enough - so we are covering wide territory.

While the Dem corporatists won this time, as the NYT piece yesterday almost gloated about - must read - and I will have a follow up on this article later -- https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/18/us/politics/bernie-sanders-progressives-elizabeth-warren.html?fbclid=IwAR1ADh-awimNjQeA5f7zjSw0gDWdreACpvM5_yn5zE19tUZmM1LRqcrt87c

Krystal and Saagar don't see that as lasting, especially with the acceleration by the virus - she says they are coming for them with pitchforks fairly soon. They also emphasize economics over identity - which is also where Bernie has been coming from and also explains his weakness with Blacks where identity often trumps economics - which is understandable due to the level of racism. The left hasn't found a way to blend the two effectively.

Their major target is often the Democratic corporate elites - clearly they lean toward Bernie as sort of a bridge favoring the working class.

Must watch videos where the left meets the right - a few short segments worth viewing from yesterday.

A typical assault on the Dem leadership - here for being behind Trump - Saagar claims Republicans showing more leadership protecting workers than Dems. Krystal and Saagar BLAST Pelosi for holding up cash to workers .... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZo_Ei0xJNQ

Another assault on the Dem leadership from the left: Michael Brooks issues DIRE warning to Establishment Dem -- Michael Brooks describes how Republicans have managed to propose solutions better for the working class than Democrats.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nas5d5EeAHc

Krystal is crystal clear on advice to Bernie to preserve the movement by not battling for a lost cause - she says he has the most leverage at this point by not running and organizing. 
Krystal urges Bernie to Drop Out Now as he can be more effective in leading the movement. She points to the presidency not being that much of a prize at this time... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O78XUDVzENI&t=130s

Here they talk to Airline union president Sarah Nelson:  Flight Attendants Union President: No airline bailouts, we need worker relief

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VXbH-WOHDg 

Saagar Enjeti: Celebrates the DEATH of libertarianism

An insightful piece from the Saagar on the right -- so interesting with his attack on libertarianism. Saagar Enjeti: Celebrates the DEATH of libertarianism https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clMafIdh1Ts

<

If you want to see a slice of politics you don't get on FOX or MSNBC - watch Rising every day -- I just listen to the audio on my phone by going to The Hill site and click on Hill TV.

Norms Buzz for Wednesday March 18, 2020

I've been fairly lazy about writing this blog. The problem has been so many

things to write about I can't decide and by the time I do decide the moment has passed. So I will try to do a morning piece on a variety of issues.

Beware the Ides of March (15) - and so it has come to pass. Did you know that March 15 was tax day in ancient Rome? Was Brutus using the assassination as a tax dodge?

And what about bad luck on Friday the 13th?

So we have been sheltering in place - sort of - in Rockaway after we spent a few days in the city last week and even went to a Broadway show last Tuesday night after going to the half price ticket line and finding no line at all for the first time ever. I didn't come back to Rockaway by ferry until Thursday - and I used the subway on Wednesday after going to the Delegate Assembly and taking a stained glass class at the UFT earlier that day. So if I did get contaminated I figure a week more. My brother and sister in law took a ten day cross Atlantic cruise and ended up in Barcelona with a return by air last Saturday morning, a few hours after the ban went into effect but they landed on Saturday and Global Pass got them through the passport check without the big crowds. They had to be checked I think they may have gone to some military base and then were released to go home and hibernate for 14 days.

My wife cancelled Passover which would have put 30 people in our house. Now we will have to live off massive briskets.

We have a tour of Baltic States scheduled for May 31 and are hoping that gets cancelled. We are still stuck for the air fair from Finair and for the costs of the visas to Russia.

The virus has subsumed everything and I see a dismal decade ahead. 20% unemployment will be lucky.

Having a second crisis just a dozen years after the last one - is that a sign of late stage capitalism decay?

A couple of articles in the NYT in Tuesday's (March 17 - St. Patrick Day or so they say) and Politico today struck me as worth commenting on.

Top Court Rules _______ Can Bypass Term Limits -- NYT - https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/16/world/europe/russia-putin-president-for-life.html - Putin until 2036.

I left Putin's name out because I've been saying that if Trump gets re-elected and wants a third term the court may be so stacked that he gets it. I also wouldn't be surprised to see the virus being used to try to mess up the election - and in fact if Trump actually does somethings right will be used to argue for his re-election - don't change horses in mid-stream. (See the Politico article below.)

My fears which I hope to expound upon in the future is that Biden wins and is left with a ruined economy like Obama was and then gets blamed for the ruined economy and a slicker more civil version of Trump demagoguery gets elected in 2024 - think Victor Orban in Hungry - or Charles Lindbergh in 1940 in Roth's must read and watch on HBO - Plot Against America. Trump haters are in for a very real politic experience when he's gone where attempts to rally and demo will be met by troops.

Cuomo Si - the ever abrasive and suddenly apt governor cuomo - was the headline in Tuesday's NYT. On line the headline is:

Andrew Cuomo Is the Control Freak We Need Right Now

In ordinary times, Mr. Cuomo’s relentlessness and bullying drive New Yorkers crazy. In the age of the coronavirus, they soothe our battered nerves.... https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/16/business/media/cuomo-new-york-coronavirus.html

This is sort of funny because I agree and I used to be a big Cuomo hater, especially due to his backing of charters and attacks on the teacher union - but our union did something right - ran a big campaign against him and for the last election he was more amenable. The union seemed more ambivalent about running against the IDC candidates but I think they did have some effect in eliminating them and had a big effect in winning back the state Senate for the Dems.

Cuomo is a master political operative and the article makes a point I have been thinking of: 

He wins elections by grinding opponents into dust before they can make it to the ballot box. He governs by transaction, not inspiration, as a dispenser of favors and destroyer of insurgents’ dreams, the purest master of the machine since Lyndon Johnson in his prime.

That is no faint praise. My wife and I have been talking about Cuomo in favorable terms since Trump was elected as the only Democrat who could supersede Trump in terms of viciousness - but he's our vicious guy. Trumpism has turned many people to the left but I find myself torn between turning left towards Bernie or right towards Cuomo. For many this current crisis is just the top of the heap that began with the Nov 2016 election. We expected nothing less than Trump fumbling the crisis -- a smart version of Trump would have seen right away how that could be a threat to his election but this guy never sees beyond the next few hours.

We actually thought Cuomo should have run this time but I am sure he is thinking 2024 no matter who wins because I don't see Biden doing a 2nd term. If Trump wins again Cuomo has a better path than if it's Biden, whose VP will have the head start. Also expect Bernie's successor to be a factor.

I will have a lot to say about the Bernie Biden situation later but my instinct is to stop attacking Biden and in essence putting up Trump ads because as I said last week:

The Fat Lady Sang for Bernie - and Perhaps the Dem Party

I will say this again and again as a still Bernie movement fan - preserve and build on the movement - and a warning - today's young supporters are often tomorrow's centrist Dems or even Republicans. The sharp line at 45 between Biden and Bernie backers is indicative of people who have reached mid-career and with families. The key is if the younger gen actually reaches stability in their 40s. (Something I intend to explore in the future.)

Don't bury Trump yet
As usual the anti-Trumpers are trumpeting his demise over the virus and how he neglected it. Will they try to pin the blame on him for the deaths? Politico says "not so fast."

ADVANTAGE INCUMBENT? — The coronavirus is laying waste to the presidential primary, postponing elections and canceling traditional campaign activities as a fearful nation hunkers down.

And then there's the general election. The conventional wisdom is that President Donald Trump's uneven, and at times chaotic, handling of this crisis is deeply problematic for his reelection chances. But it may not be that simple.

So far, Trump has taken a beating. The economy is tanking, and just 46 percent of Americans believe the federal government is doing enough to confront coronavirus, down from 61 percent last month, according to an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll . Few people trust what Trump is saying about the pandemic, the same poll found.

But Trump has time on his side, with the coronavirus spreading early in the election cycle. This week, the Republican president adopted a more somber tone, and Democrats are beginning to worry that he could mold the narrative to his benefit. A massive stimulus, including direct payments to Americans, could help him in November.

"The initial mishandling of the coronavirus by the government doesn't mean voters will penalize Trump in November," said Michael Ceraso, who worked for Sanders in 2016 and was Pete Buttigieg's New Hampshire director before leaving his campaign last year. "We know we have two candidates who can pivot this generation's largest health crisis to their policy strengths. But history tells us that an incumbent who steers us through a challenging time, a la Bush and 9/11 and Obama and the Great Recession, are rewarded with a second term."

And that's exactly how some in Trump's inner circle view it. People close to the Trump campaign acknowledge to our colleague, Alex Isenstadt, that the president didn't handle the response well in the opening weeks. But if the pandemic abates and the economy stabilizes by the fall, they see a scenario in which Trump comes out of the crisis framing it as an American comeback story and positioning himself as the leader who navigated the country through a crisis.

Adding to Democrats' concerns is that it could be months before they mount a unified offensive against Trump. In a normal year, the presidential primary would be shutting down by now, with Joe Biden extending his delegate lead and little left on the electoral map for Bernie Sanders to look forward to.

Last night was another disaster for Bernie and his fans. I am reading stuff from the left, right and center and some of the pro-Bernie blogs are not living in the real world. Think of the next steps for the Bernie movement and how to grow it, not shrink it. Maybe more later.

If you get sick, you still get paid!! -- Shan for Congress Vs Gregory Meeks -

Friends,

As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to spread, our campaign will be an entirely digital one. 

So, over the next few days, I will be discussing how the Coronavirus outbreak impacts working people, and highlights the need for structural change in our society. We will discuss a different issue and solution each day. I want everyone to be made aware of how this situation is impacting folks, but also provide hope that with the right

representation, we can protect ourselves in the future. 

Everyone’s a socialist in a pandemic -Manjoo - NYT, Naomi Klein on Pandemic and Disaster Capitalism - And How Are We Going to Pay for Fighting the Virus - the question not being asked

The coronavirus might teach us all to value a robust safety net — but there’s a good chance we’ll forget the lesson, because this is America, and forgetting working people is just what we do... Manjoo, NYT

The only thing that makes sense if the program Bernie Sanders is offering on health care and I can guarantee the costs of this crisis will make anything put on the table by Bernie pale in comparison. I want all the Bernie bashers over the costs - I'm talking to you Biden - to come back with their tales between their legs.

“You can look at it as socialized medicine,” Representative Ted Yoho, a Republican from Florida, told HuffPost. “But in the face of an outbreak, a pandemic, what’s your options?” As I said, it’s almost funny: Everyone’s a socialist in a pandemic. But the laugh catches in your throat, because the only joke here is the sick one American society plays on workers every day....

The coronavirus might teach us all to value a robust safety net — but there’s a good chance we’ll forget the lesson, because this is America, and forgetting working people is just what we do.

Farhad Manjoo, NYT

The NYT seems to have a split personality - fundamentally opposing Bernie Sanders while putting up a variety of signals on medicare for all. Tuesday, March 10 an op ed by Scott Atlas, of course from the right wing Hoover Institution, read like an ad for the current enormously wasteful  health care industry. Some of the article is LOL funny. But not laughable is the Manjoo piece:

Much of the danger we face now grows out of America’s tattered social safety net — the biting cost and outright lack of health care and child care and elder care, the corporate war on paid leave, and the plagues of homelessness and hunger. As the virus gains a foothold on our shores, many Americans are only now waking up to the ways these flaws in the safety net cascade into one another.

Farhad Manjoo who I used to read all the time when he did Tech for the times, wrote a piece that is also sort of funny - from another direction - in Thursday's major editorial of the Times in the prime spot opposite the op eds. Serious stuff for the NYT.

Manjoo offers a sliver of optimism though he dashes it at the end:

There may be a silver lining here: What if the virus forces Americans and their elected representatives to recognize the strength of a collectivist ethos? The coronavirus, in fact, offers something like a preview of many of the threats we might face from the worst effects of climate change. Because the virus is coldly indiscriminate and nearly inescapable, it leaves us all, rich and poor, in the same boat: The only way any of us is truly protected is if the least among us is protected. So what if we used this illness as an excuse to really, permanently protect the least among us?.....

The coronavirus might teach us all to value a robust safety net — but there’s a good chance we’ll forget the lesson, because this is America, and forgetting working people is just what we do....
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/11/opinion/coronavirus-socialism.html

You might also check out the more likely vision from Naomi Klein:

Coronavirus Is the Perfect Disaster for ‘Disaster Capitalism’

Naomi Klein explains how governments and the global elite will exploit a pandemic.

https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/5dmqyk/naomi-klein-interview-on-coronavirus-and-disaster-capitalism-shock-doctrine

Republicans Want Medicare for All, but Just for This One Disease

Everyone’s a socialist in a pandemic.

By Farhad Manjoo

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/11/opinion/coronavirus-socialism.html

The Fat Lady Sang for Bernie - and Perhaps the Dem Party

Some thoughts from the rational left. I turn it over to Michael:

Michael Fiorillo has left a new comment on your post "Panicked Bernie Supporters Plead With him

Michael FiorilloWednesday, March 11, 2020 at 10:00:00 AM EDT

Unlike many Bernie supporters, I was never convinced he could defeat Trump, even if he could win the Democratic nomination (which the #McResistance TM would go to any lengths to deny him, even if meant reelecting Hair Furor, since that, not Trump's reelection, might shatter their golden rice bowls).

But while Sanders might have lost to Trump, Biden will be destroyed by him: the accelerating cognitive decline (which Ds are gaslighting the public about), the hypocrisy about his truly horrendous legislative record, the corruption of his brothers and son. Trump will go medieval on him, and it will work...

And if corona virus and the economic crisis it's causing do allow Biden to eke out a (highly doubtful) victory, then we will be virtually guaranteed Trump 2.0 in the near future. Unhinged liberals and the #McResistance TM have convinced themselves that Nobody Can Be Worse Than Trump, but they are again wrong, as always: a strong case can be made that we "lucked out" with Trump, who is undisciplined, largely incompetent (though still mis-underestimated by hysterical liberals), focused mainly on his own boodling, and is relatively non-ideological. When the Next Trump emerges - some people predict it will be Senator Josh Hawley from Missouri - he will be far more clever and competent, and evilly effective.

In that case, if/when Stephen Colbert tells another grossly homophobic "joke" (which was OK Because Trump, right?) about Trump 2.0 and Putin, the guys with ski masks and automatic weapons may actually rappel through the windows of CBS, which the McResistance TM has been falsely predicting for 4 years now.

If the Center/Left refuses to offer working people tangible improvements in their lives (which is precisely what a Biden nomination constitutes) then that void will be filled by the Right, no matter how dishonestly.

Glen greenwald shows how gaslightijng from the #McResistance TM continues...

https://theintercept.com/2020/03/09/it-was-democrats-and-their-media-allies-who-impugned-bidens-cognitive-fitness-yet-now-feign-outrage/ 

If there are any silver linings in the pandemic, it might be that it slays “small government” and the model of “globalization” that have been shoved down our throats over the past forty years...

https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2020/03/coronavirus-reveals-the-cracks-in-globalization.html 

 

Panicked Bernie Supporters Plead With him to go on the attack - but why expect Bernie to change his stripes?

Popular democracy to Sanders is a relationship where everyone gets a chance to be heard. Even though the aide worried that Bernie wasn’t optimizing his use of time, he admired his dedication. “At the end of the day, he’s a good man,” the aide says. “He cares about poor people. How many people really care about the poor?” But as Bernie’s popularity and influence grew, it seemed all he wanted to do was scale up the regime of town meetings.... Matt Tiabbi, Rolling Stone

Let me state straight up I'm a Bernie supporter and will vote for him in the NY primary at the end of April. But I'm also a realist and get annoyed when I hear magical thinking from the Bernie crowd, especially the socialists who always seem to think the fall of capitalism is about to occur (there is a case to be made for that) and the socialist nirvana will follow (I don't see that case). So let's look at some reality and also consider the case of what if it's Biden vs Trump? I know some people on the left who actually would prefer Trump because he would hasten the fall of capitalism. They probably don't see themselves ending up in a detention camp for their political activity as laws are passed to not allow any demos or rallies and the Trump courts say OK to everything - including a third term.

So I've finally been convinced - that the most important issue right now is not medicare for all, it's beating Trump. And a divided Dem Party makes that extremely unlikely. And I also don't love the attacks on Biden as being senile and mentally messed up. As one who also misses words and forgets things when distracted, I still see myself as competent --probably as competent to run this country as Trump is. So it's time to face facts. If Biden is the one I will most likely vote for him - unless he goes so far right I can't. Someone said to me Biden won't get anything done and I replied I don't care -- at the very least he would restore things on the environment, etc and probably move the needle on health care.

The key is the other elected officials and the left/progressive just don't have enough of them - yet. The infrastructure is still weak on the left, though growing - but not enough to have kept pace for Bernie growth. The movement will have to pass on to others with a different face - younger and not white.

The revulsion Trump inspires has become the dominant force and most democrats seem covinced that even a hampered Biden has a better chance to defeat Trump than Bernie. As many Dems seem repulsed by the label socialist as those who don't seem bothered by it. That's not enough.

I also want to toss in that if Bernie were the one to win the nomination and the election the reality is that he too would have trouble getting things done. The argument on the left that there would be a rising up to force the electeds to do the right thing is somewhat doubtful. We know that young people have a lot to do outside politics and they can get very busy fast.

I have some to think that Bernie's attacks on the Dem Party has created a serious backlash - not at the top but at the bottom. I see it from old colleagues on FB.

Go take a poll in your own schools -- where does Bernie stand vs Biden vs Trump. Take that pulse and pool it with other schools.

With Michigan seeming to be slipping away from Bernie, the pleas from the Matt Tiabbi, Chrystal Ball (Rising, The Hill), Michael Moore crowd are growing more intense for Bernie to slash and Bern Biden. They almost express outrage at Bernie for saying Biden is a friend and a nice guy and by doing that Bernie is killing his chances for making a comeback. Matt and his podcast partner Katy Halper seemed to think Bernie was satisfied to start and build a movement and doesn't want the nomination enough to do whatever it takes  and that if he doesn't go nuclear he is letting his supporters who have given him so much money down. I actually admire Bernie for being honorable even if it hurts his chances. It is that feature that has made him a different politician.

Let me say this again - if you can't win the black vote, especially the women, you can't win. Bernie seems to turn off the traditional black vote -- could be cultural - the way he comes off - or could religious people don't cotton to socialist ideas or to non-religious people, especially when they are not even Christian. I'm sure its complex and at some point we will know why. Would an AOC get the black vote? Probably do better but I'm not so sure.

My narrow experience has been in the UFT where a considerable number of black teachers (mostly a bit older) have  on the whole rejected the left-wing opposition groups who have remained mostly white over the decades.

To expect Bernie to go on the attack (like talk about Hunter or question Biden competence) is sort of funny coming from Bernie supporters who brag about Bernie sticking to his guns on so many issues. Taibbi described Bernie as not aggressive personally and a counter puncher -- he will respond if attacked but not go on the attack. Bernie genuinely seems to like Joe from what we hear and personal issues count and that is one of the reasons I like Bernie.

While we may see an increase in intensity from Bernie why expect him to be something he is not? And I also think Bernie needs to think practically. What if he doesn't get the nomination and slash and burn tactics create so many divisions in the Democratic Party, it doesn't recover for the challenge to Trump. Biden does not look like a great candidate and I always thought Bernie had a better chance to beat Trump. Given the outcomes of the past two weeks I'm not so sure. We have learned that you can't win without the black vote and despite Bernie people pointing to young black people favoring Bernie - well you saw the outcome -- massive rejection of Bernie in the black community. Also stories that suburban women are not for Bernie.

I've had some personal experiences with white women of a certain age who despise Trump so much they start spitting and sputtering when his name comes up. What surprised me was how much they dislike Bernie - there seems to be a gag reflex for them - Bernie seems to call up something visceral and they attribute all kinds of things to him -- aggressive, ego-driven, selfish -- no matter how much I try I can't dent them.

And then there are the older voters generally who reject Bernie by heavy amounts.

So to me things are looking pretty bleak. Michael Moore on his podcast made the bogus case that if the western states had reported first Terrible Tuesday would have been reported differently in the media while ignoring that many ballots in California and Colorado were mailed in before the Biden surge. There's too much stacked up against Bernie but I will root for him hard in Michigan.

If you want to hear some podcasts, look up Matt Taibbi with Katy Halper - Useful Idiots, Michael Moore - Rumble, and The Young Turks. If you want to understand the revolutionary left position in the Dem Party and Bernie I heard an excellent analysis on REVLEFT Radio blog on March 2. I learned a lot about why some Bernie or busters will sit out the election.

Here is the Taibbi piece in Rolling Stone:

To Rebound and Win, Bernie Sanders Needs to Leave His Comfort Zone

Current and former staffers say Sanders has run a great campaign — except when it comes to taking on Democrats like Joe Biden by name. Can he fix that?

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/bernie-sanders-attack-joe-biden-democratic-primary-963934/

Warren wanted to reform everything except the Democratic Party itself - NYT

While Mr. Sanders offered them red meat, the other candidates were trying to sell an Impossible Burger.
Mr. Sanders’s most loyal followers are as much part of a counterculture as they are members of a political campaign. Rather than asking the best and brightest to lead the way beyond left and right, they have come up with a novel fusion of populism and socialism that marries a critique of the inequalities generated by capitalism with a rejection of technocratic nudging and meritocratic striving.
.....the Sanders campaign has its fair share of Ivy-trained policy specialists. But to its millennial base, the difference between their tribe and the rest of the party is obvious at first sight. It’s what separates Ms. Ocasio-Cortez from Katie Porter, Jacobin from Vox and Democratic Socialists of America from the Democratic Renaissance Project. They can’t stand MSNBC; their attitude toward Russia, Ukraine and impeachment tended toward indifference; and don’t get them started on “The West Wing.” 
 The problem for Mr. Sanders is that this group is still a distinct minority among Democrats, and the populist revolution that was supposed to sweep new voters to the polls has failed to arrive. But Democratic leaders shouldn’t celebrate for long. Mr. Sanders remains a formidable opponent, and President Trump will be waiting in the fall. The Democratic establishment has put all its chips on Mr. Biden, and the costs will be high if the gamble doesn’t pay off... NYT -
Timothy Shenk

This is an excellent analysis and confirms some of my thinking that while the left has grown it is far from reaching a critical mass necessary and that explains the recent turn of affairs in the primary. But if Biden loses to Trump, Shenk points out something I've been thinking:

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will turn 35, the minimum age required to serve as president, on Oct. 13, 2024.

2024 - AOC and Pete battle for the soul of the dem party and don't be shocked if the same scenario plays out but next time the face of the left won't be an old Jewish guy from Brooklyn.

Opinion | Elizabeth Warren Was the Wrong Kind of Radical

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/05/opinion/elizabeth-warren-drops-out.html

She wanted to reform everything except the Democratic Party itself.

By Timothy Shenk

Mr. Shenk is a co-editor of Dissent.

• March 5, 2020

Remember when Elizabeth Warren was going to save the Democratic Party?

Back in 2016, it looked as if she had been engineered in a lab to broker a truce between the Democratic establishment and a resurgent left. Instead, she has spent the last year caught in the crossfire between the two camps. It’s a bloody tale with important lessons for would-be peacemakers in the Democratic civil war.

Super Tuesday Dem Primary Takeaway #1

Who really won Super Tuesday? Not Joe Biden. But those old three forces of American history — the ones which led directly to American collapse. Patriarchy, supremacy, and capitalism.... This was the day America rejected what was probably it’s last and best chance at social democracy.... voters rejected even the most lightweight kind of social democracy possible, which is what Bernie offered.
.....umair haque --The Day America Rejected Social Democracy and Chose More Collapse

Bernie's not even a real socialist but calls himself one. An interesting, if dismal appraisal of Super Tuesday. I'm working on my own appraisal but the landscape keeps changing ever hour. My socialist friends have eternal optimism, especially Marxists who are sure capitalism will collapse and be replaced by nirvana socialism. So far history says the opposite - but we have time - until the floods followed by us becoming Venus.

I listened to all sides yesterday - the gleeful MSNBC and the sober analysis from still hopeful Bernie sites. Biden people think Trump will kill Bernie and Bernie people (including me) think Trump will kill Biden. I would rather Biden lose to Trump than Bernie because a Bernie loss to Trump would really kill the move to progressivize the Dem Party, so there's a silver cloud in a sense. I disagree with Haque in this sense -- if Biden loses to Trump the left is still alive and building. If Biden were to win he would be so ineffective, the left would still rise. If Bernie were to win he would be undercut by both parties who want to brand him a failure and might be Jimmy Carterized. So my political instinct is that the best case scenario is for Bernie not to win the nomination but come close and show the progressive movement is alive and willing to fight for a takeover of the Dem party - though I'm already seeing signs of left abandonment and talk of third party. Maybe there's some hope with the Democratic Socialists.

Umair Haque lines up with my view - that as capitalism fails we are more likely to get fascism than socialism. Here is one of his conclusions:

Poverty, in other words, causes fascism. Keynes made that great discover a full century ago. Poverty as in deprivation of the basics, which is what Americans suffer. Who else has to ration insulin and education and operations because there’s never enough money to afford what you need? What the?

Electing — or even running — a Biden won’t break the vicious cycle of poverty and fascism that’s at the heart of American collapse. It will only fuel it. Because a Biden, like any good neoliberal, doesn’t think people deserve basic things as human rights, whether healthcare or retirement. You are only worth what you earn. Nobody has any intrinsic or inherent worth. Exploitation becomes the only social law or norm or value left in operation. Bang — American collapse.

Yet that is exactly why a demagogue can come along and makes people — who feel worthless, little, betrayed, angry — feel good and valued again. Biden is the status quo — but in a deep way. In the battle between a failed neoliberalism and an ascendant authoritarianism — how can the former win? It’s a failed neoliberalism that sowed the seeds of authoritarianism, by dehumanizing and violating and abusing people, to the point that they sought to do all that right back to even more vulnerable people. That is how fascism is born, and why “it” happened here in America all over again.

I'll come back to this and focus some attention on the process of endorsement in our own union (UFT/AFT) where Mulgrew went Biden and Randi at the last minute went Warren for show while we know they preferred Biden all along. The idea being floated that Warren might drop out and support Bernie seems ridiculous to me because I see Warren as closer in some ways to Biden -- stories of her being offered VP by both candidates are floating around but I see Klobuchar as being rewarded for her endorsement by Biden but more likely Harris or Stacie for Biden. I see a Nina Turner type for Bernie.

The Day America Rejected Social Democracy and Chose More Collapse

Some (Grim) Lessons From Super Tuesday

https://eand.co/the-day-america-rejected-social-democracy-and-chose-more-collapse-9c9ebff519fd

umair haque

Follow

Mar 4 · 12 min read

That was quite a wild ride. Super Tuesday.

WE Caucus makes inroads in Philadelphia Teacher Union Election Against President Jordan but the AFT Machine Still Prevails with big majority

Longtime teachers’ union president Jerry Jordan will hold on to his leadership post after fending off a challenge from an increasingly vocal and consequential caucus within the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers... Philadelphia Inquirer

The trend within teacher unions for more militant action bodes well for WE and caucuses like it. But in Philadelphia at least, it’s delayed by four years.... Mike Antonucci, Intercepts

March 3, 2020 - 4PM I'm watching a live feed on FB of Nancy Pelosi on the education bill with Randi standing next to her. Standing with them is newly elected Philly union president Jerry Jordan who just defeated the left WE caucus in the election last week. Hmmm. No Alex Caputo-Pearl who led a successful strike as president of the UTLA and was just elected VP after yielding to Cecily Myart-Cruz has been elected president of UTLA, the first biracial Black woman elected to lead the union in its 50-year history. UTLA, the 2nd largest union in the AFT after the UFT. Or Jessy Sharkey, president of the Chicago TU, the third largest local which was leaning Bernie but due to some Warren support did not endorse? (Randi endorsed Warren over the weekend- a political play since Mulgrew is running as a Biden delegate and we know they are on the same page. In other words, I see this as a shot at the left. (I wonder if WE pushed for an endorsement of Bernie as we saw MORE members under the guise of Labor for Bernie do in the UFT?)

I remember at the 2014 AFT convention in LA, a workshop was set up for Alex Caputo-Pearl and then Chicago union president Karen Lewis to discuss progressive unionism and Randi forced them to include Mulgrew and Jerry Jordan as part of the panel. I taped it but never published that very interesting debate. Alex and Karen were bulldozed by Randi.

Since I always look for conspiracy theories I see the Jordan presence as a slam at the left by Randi.

Anyway, here is some info on what happened in Philly where WE (Caucus of Working Educators) ran its 2nd campaign and doubled their vote from last time. I got to know WE people years ago when we hung out with them in LA before they were even a caucus and they were strong social justice people but with a real feel for the members. I liked a lot of them.

WE is affiliated with rising left wing opposition in the AFT through UCORE where elections were won in Baltimore recently - see my report: Why Can't MORE B more like BMORE? - Radical Teachers’ Movement Comes to Baltimore where I contrasted these rising movements with the failures of MORE in NYC. Look at the WE platform as described in the Inquirer story for an explanation.

The progressive group’s platform centered on empowering PFT members to have more of a say in the operation of their union, and on holding open contract negotiations with the district. It promised to fight for higher wages for paraprofessionals, better environmental conditions, and smaller class sizes. WE members have criticized the current PFT regime as too bureaucratic and slow to respond to members’ concerns, and not active enough on issues of social justice.

Last time WE focused on social justice - note the concentration on bread and butter. MORE fundamentally ignores the day to day issues UFT members face. MORE, by the way, ran a fundraiser for WE a few weeks ago. Look at the excellent WE web site: https://www.workingeducators.org/

And it is pretty interesting that WE, which was inspired by MORE in 2015 to form a caucus got almost 40% of the vote in its second run for office while MORE was destroyed in the 2019 UFT elections in its third run for office. [I have lots to say about why but will have to do that another time.] I believe if the undemocratic socialists hadn't blown up MORE we would have been able to push into the one third range by running a strong united front campaign. But that game is over for a long time.

Here is a fairly sympathetic article towards WE in the Inquirer and a more skeptical article by the right wing Mike Antonucci. I land somewhere between the two because Jerry Jordan is a weak union leader and Philly teachers have been slammed and he still got 62% of the vote. The turnout was tremendous - 60%, up from 44% in the last election in 2016, which accounts for the doubling of the WE vote from last time.
Compare that to the meager turnout in UFT elections - half that or less.

Still, 62% is not insignificant but we've always maintained that it is within striking range and if WE keeps organizing and doesn't make the same mistakes as MORE they may be serious contenders in 4 years. Or not, given the methods the UFT-like machines use to maintain control --- see above for Jerry Jordan appearance on the stage with Randi and Pelosi.

Philadelphia teachers’ union president Jerry Jordan fends off challengers, but progressives make gains

by Kristen A. Graham and Juliana Feliciano Reyes, Updated: February 26, 2020

https://www.inquirer.com/education/pft-philadelphia-teachers-union-jerry-jordan-caucus-of-working-educators-we-election-leadership-20200226.html

Jonathan Wilson

Longtime teachers’ union president Jerry Jordan will hold on to his leadership post after fending off a challenge from an increasingly vocal and consequential caucus within the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers.

Organizing by the Caucus of Working Educators fueled strong turnout in the election, whose results were announced Wednesday.

Related stories

---

• Why these Philly teachers say the school district is afraid of them winning the union election
• Teachers are refusing to enter a Philadelphia elementary school because of asbestos fears
• With salaries capped at $30K, Philly’s classroom aides are demanding more

» READ MORE: Read more: The Caucus of Working Educators' bid to seize control of the PFT

The results are especially weighty given the PFT’s outsized role in the city’s political landscape. The union plays a crucial oversight role in the Philadelphia School District’s unfolding asbestos crisis, and it is negotiating the first contract since the union won back the right to strike with the district returning to local control in 2018.

Advertisement

Jordan’s slate, known as the Collective Bargaining Team, appeared to win 62% of the vote, with the early tally 4,453 to 2,761. Split-ticket votes have not yet been counted, but the early results made clear that most of the union’s 13,000 members favored Jordan’s steady hand, track record, and collaborative working style.

Jordan, who has led the PFT since 2007 and has worked for the union full time since 1987, said he was “delighted” by the results, which came on his 71st birthday.

"Our nearly 13,000 members are passionate, dedicated, and engaged, and working with them daily is one of the great honors of my life,” Jordan said in a statement. “The campaign was spirited, and it allowed us the opportunity to organize around a vision for public education that resonated with our membership.”

Nearly 60% of the PFT’s 13,000 teachers, counselors, nurses, secretaries, and paraprofessional workers cast ballots, up from 46% in 2016, the first time WE opposed Jordan’s leadership.

The Caucus of Working Educators, whose slate was topped by Kathleen Melville, a teacher at the Workshop School, a high school in West Philadelphia, made a stronger showing than it did in 2016, the last time it challenged Jordan’s leadership.

» READ MORE: Read more: With salaries capped at $30k, Philly's paraprofessionals are demanding more
 

The progressive group’s platform centered on empowering PFT members to have more of a say in the operation of their union, and on holding open contract negotiations with the district. It promised to fight for higher wages for paraprofessionals, better environmental conditions, and smaller class sizes. WE members have criticized the current PFT regime as too bureaucratic and slow to respond to members’ concerns, and not active enough on issues of social justice.

WE, part of a wave of young people turning to organized labor as a way to make change, comes out of a tradition of the rank-and-file educators who have taken over unions in Chicago, Los Angeles, and Baltimore. These are cities where union leaders have taken their members on massive, high-profile strikes — with significant public support — that reminded the country that unions are still a force to be reckoned with.

The Caucus of Working Educators’ campaign is part of a trend of rank-and-file challenges to the union establishment, as legacy unions have languished around the country. Union members — from journalists to UPS package handlers to truck drivers — have challenged veteran leadership, which they accuse of being too complacent and too cozy with management to fight for workers.

Melville, 37, congratulated Jordan and his team and said in a statement that WE looked forward “to continuing to push for a more engaged and empowered PFT membership together.”

The caucus’ stronger showing, she said, made it plain that “Working Educators’ vision has resonated with thousands of educators across the city."

Jordan, in an interview, said WE’s campaign “was a very serious challenge," but said that its platform “was very similar to the platform my caucus had” — focused on working conditions and meaningful wage increases.

WE members’ views will certainly have a place during negotiations, said Jordan, adding that so far only a few bargaining sessions have been held. The PFT president expects that the pace of talks will now accelerate.

So far, Jordan said, the talks have been “very professional.”

Now the Antonucci take:

Incumbent Holds Off Opposition in Philadelphia Union Election

http://www.eiaonline.com/intercepts/2020/02/27/incumbent-holds-off-opposition-in-philadelphia-union-election/

On the heels of this story about a long-time incumbent union president being challenged by some members of his rank-and-file comes the election for officers of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers.
Jerry Jordan has been president of PFT since 2007, but he faced strongly organized opposition from Kathleen Melville and her Caucus of Working Educators (WE).
WE wants to reverse PFT’s decline. It claims that membership has shrunk by 40%, from 21,000 to 13,000.
Turnout was high for a union election, with more than half of eligible members casting ballots. The final results have not yet been certified, but Jordan emerged as the clear winner, with somewhere between 60-66% of the vote.
The outcome was bittersweet for WE, which more than doubled its vote totals from four years ago and emerged as a force to be reckoned with. However, even as the caucus improved turnout, it couldn’t cobble together something closer to a majority.
WE is similar to other opposition caucuses throughout American Federation of Teachers affiliates in that it wants a more muscular approach to collective bargaining and a social justice focus. The caucus has received credit for demanding open contract negotiations, instead of the closed-door bargaining between district and union officers that is standard practice throughout the U.S.
But a closer look reveals that WE’s call for openness extends only to more members of the PFT. The caucus wants one member from each school to be present at the table, not the public.
The trend within teacher unions for more militant action bodes well for WE and caucuses like it. But in Philadelphia at least, it’s delayed by four years.

Mike's last comment is ridiculous. What does he mean that the public should be at the table? Unions are not public agencies. Let the city bring in the public if it wants.