Bernie's Right: Schumer's Corruption Proves Our Constitutional Problem Won't Be Solved In DC

"Not Me; Us... That Is the Only Way Forward"

Yesterday, we speculated on whether Democrats could win back Gen Z voters who have abandoned the party— and on what it might take. Nominating corporate-friendly, GOP-lite candidates who call themselves “moderates” and “centrists” would be the worst possible way to go about it. If you Google “2028 presidential election, wiki,” you get 2 lists of potential Democratic candidates: “Expressed interest”— Rahm Emanuel (no, really) and Tim Walz— and “Speculated by the media,” which includes 18 names... from the incredibly putrid (Andrew Cuomo), through a litany of careerist corporate shills like Gavin Newsom, Pete Buttigieg, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Amy Klobuchar, Gretchen Whitmer all the way to a small gaggle of progressives like Ro Khanna and AOC. The description of AOC:

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has served as the representative of New York’s 14th congressional district since 2019. Ocasio-Cortez has been proposed as a potential candidate by many sources. Politico noted that Ocasio-Cortez “has a prominent following from younger, diverse people.” According to Politico, there is speculation among media outlets that Ocasio-Cortez could be a potential candidate for president in 2028. Pundits for NY1 proposed Ocasio-Cortez would be a “formidable contender” if she decided to make a run for the White House. Monica Crowley said Ocasio-Cortez enjoyed “real grassroots support” due to her prominence on social media, while Slate’s  Ben Mathis-Lilley wrote in November 2024 that Ocasio-Cortez “might already have an opening to be the front-runner for the 2028 nomination.” The Hill noted that she had moderated her stances during the presidency of Joe Biden, taking a more centrist approach compared to Sanders.

Some names must have been included by mistake, like freshman Senator Jon Ossoff, struggling to be reelected next year, policy flip-floppin’, alcoholic, women abusing freshman senator Ruben Gallego and unaccomplished former Rep. Dean Phillips (didn’t he quit the party?). And then there’s a 350 pound billionaire and… did we mention Andrew Cuomo?

Yesterday, Lisa Lerer and Shane Goldmacher wrote that “With no clear standard-bearer, many Democrats anticipate a crowded primary field that could grow as large as— if not larger than— the 2019 lineup of more than two dozen candidates. Next week, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York is attending town halls with Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont in three western states: Nevada, Arizona and Colorado. With Sanders now 83 and appearing to rule out a third presidential bid, there is an open progressive lane for someone like Ocasio-Cortez, 35, who is not seen as especially likely to run but is often floated as a potential heir to Sanders.”

The Times leaned into the most vanilla, least challenging candidates— Mayo Pete, JB Pritzker, Tim Walz, Kamala, Josh Shapiro, Gretchen Whitmer, Gavin Newsom and Andy Beshear. One prominent senator, who in a discussion last night of whether or not the FBI gave a Schumer file to Trump, told me “it's clear the old Dems are not going to save us.”

I’m pretty sure that Bernie’s not running for president. In an e-mail to his supporters about the Schumer stab in the back last week, he noted that the “bill puts more and more power into the hands of the White House” but that 10 Democrats from the corporate wing of the party voted for it anyway— Schumer (Wall Street), Kirsten Gillbrand (Wall Street), John Fetterman (PA), Jeanne Shaheen (NH), Maggie Hassan (NH), Gary Peters (MI), Catherine Cortez Masto (NV), Dick Durbin (IL), Brian Schatz (HI) and Angus King (I-ME). “That is sad,” he wrote, “and a real failure on the part of Democratic leadership. NOBODY in the Senate should have voted for this dangerous bill… Trump, Musk and the Republican Party are going after Social Security, cutting thousands of jobs at the Social Security administration. They are going after Medicaid, trying to cut the program by over $800 billion dollars. That means millions of kids are going to lose their health care. It means if your mom and dad are in a nursing home, they're going to be in trouble because 2/3 of people in nursing homes are supported by Medicaid. They are going after the Veterans Administration and want to cut over 80,000 workers at the VA, which means our veterans will get lower quality health care. They're going after public education, nutrition assistance programs and regulations to protect us from polluters and corporate crooks— and on and on it goes.”

He was just warming up: “And why do they want to cut all of these programs that are so important to the working families of our country? The answer is very simple: they want to give massive tax cuts to the richest people in America. In their program, they are going to give over $1 trillion to the top 1%, paid for by cuts to programs working people rely on to survive. It's the Robin Hood principle in reserve. They’re taking from the poor and working people and giving to the very rich. And if you think my Republican colleagues lose a minute of sleep thinking about all of the harm they will cause for families across the country in the process, you would be mistaken.”

So. Where do we go from here?

First, we have to understand that the economic and political crises facing our country will NOT be solved in Washington, DC. The system is just too corrupt. As a result of Citizens United billionaires in both parties are able spend unlimited sums of money buying and selling politicians— and that’s what they do. Further, on any given day, thousands of corporate lobbyists roam the halls of Congress doing the bidding of their corporate masters.

The ONLY way that real change ever takes place is from the bottom on up. It’s when millions of people, at the grassroots level, reject the status quo and stand up for justice and decency. And the good news is that we’re beginning to see that happen right now— all across the country. Seniors in large numbers are telling Congress: don’t cut the Social Security Administration. Veterans and their organizations are telling Congress: don’t cut the Veterans Administration. Students are telling Congress: don’t cut Pell grants and student loans.

And large numbers of people are coming out to town meetings— and taking on members of Congress who are prepared to vote against their interests.

Over the past several weeks I've held a series of town meetings in Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin and Michigan. And what I have found is that in these districts, and all across the country, Americans are saying loudly and clearly: NO to oligarchy, NO to authoritarianism, NO to kleptocracy, NO to massive cuts in programs that working people desperately need, NO to huge tax breaks for the richest people in our country.

Next week, as part of our Fighting Oligarchy tour I, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and other progressive members of Congress, will be holding events in Nevada, Colorado and Arizona. And that’s just the beginning.

There must be meetings and rallies in all 50 states, and they should take place over and over again. And when those rallies are over, we need to organize the people who attend to mobilize in their communities and be in touch with their members of Congress.

But that is not all.

We need progressives to run for office at all levels. I am talking about school boards, city councils, state legislature and the races that are not in the news but make a tremendous difference in local communities.

We need to build community and bring people together even when it isn't about politics first. The Republican Party is always trying to divide us up based on race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation and more... we need to come together as one.

We need to elect a U.S. House and a U.S. Senate that will prioritize the needs of the working people in this country. We now have open Senate seats in Minnesota, Michigan, and New Hampshire. Who are the progressives that are going to run, and how can we support them? There are also a number of House seats that can be won.

Further, we need to be looking for new and creative ways to educate each other in a world where nearly the entire media and communications infrastructure is owned and controlled by the wealthiest people in this country.

If there was ever a time in American history when we need to come together, this is that time.

Not me.

Us.

That is the only way forward.