As we have noted repeatedly here over the last year, U.S. Senator Chris Coons has been behaving as if he did care about tending to his liberal Democratic base, and instead only cared about that the Morning Joe neoconservative set cared about. I distilled some of Senator Coons’ transgressions into paragraph form in my last post on the matter:
Over the last two years, Senator Coons has been making befriending Republicans and acting in a bipartisan way as an end goal in and of itself, regardless of the nefarious policy required to actually make something bipartisan. He provided a lifeline to Senator Jeff Flake and wavering Republicans during the Kavanaugh by proposing conducting a meaningless FBI non-investigation where the FBI, as it turns out, conducted no new interviews of witnesses, thus allowing Kavanaugh to be confirmed. Indeed, Senator Coons was aware of an allegation against Kavanaugh that was not public and would not be made public until nearly a year after the confirmation battle. He informed the FBI of the new allegation, but the FBI did not investigate it during the aforesaid non-investigation. Coons stayed quiet. He actually has voted for some of the president’s judicial nominees and discouraging public confrontations with administration officials. He voted “present” during the committee hearing to advance the Mike Pompeo nomination, which allowed the nomination to advance out of committee and get a confirmation vote. Pompeo has gone on to become the most corrupt Secretary of State in American history. Coons has become the Trump Democrat to go to when you need a belligerent comment on Iran. Coons attacked Beto O’Rourke with Republican talking points after Beto argued for an assault weapons ban (that even Joe Biden supports) and a mandatory buyback program. And then last week, when the President was deservedly booed and heckled at the World Series, Coons condemned the boos and the chants by saying “I frankly think the office of the president deserves respect.”
Well, now Senator Coons will have to worry about a primary. Actually, I am not sure he is worried. He seems to enjoy Hippie Punching, so he will probably take this opportunity to further drift right and invite Dick Cheney to campaign for him.
The candidate running against Senator Coons? Her name is Jessica Scarane. She filed a statement of candidacy with the FEC last week and plans on announcing her candidacy today. She has been involved recently with Network Delaware and Leftward DE, and serves as Board President of a nonprofit called Girls Inc., which provides mentorship and support programs for teenage girls and women. In her day job, she works as a business analyst at the Archer Group, a digital design and marketing company.
Here is her press release:
Jessica Scarane, a 34 year old digital strategist and Board President of Girls Inc. of Delaware, announces that she will challenge Senator Chris Coons in the 2020 Democratic primary election.
Coons recently came under fire for saying that more diversity in Congress would produce irreconcilable differences. If elected, Scarane will become the first millennial elected to the U.S. Senate and the first woman to represent Delaware.
Scarane is running on a progressive platform that includes Medicare for All, guaranteed housing, a livable minimum wage, and a Green New Deal. These policies have broad support throughout the country and have surged in national attention over the past year as many of the Democratic presidential candidates adopted them into their platforms.
“Delaware deserves better, and that’s why I’m running. I will listen to all Delawareans, not just the wealthy few or the political elites or the corporations. We need to lead on a Green New Deal and Medicare for All. We need real economic justice, and we need to hold true to our values as Democrats,” says Scarane.
Despite mass popular support, Senator Coons publicly opposes Medicare for All, tuition-free college, a Green New Deal, and raising the minimum wage to $15. Coons has also been criticized for breaking with Democrats on key issues, including voting for President Trump’s cabinet and judicial nominees.
“Senator Coons isn’t fighting for us. He has repeatedly made compromises with Republicans at the expense of Delawareans. A key moment for me was watching him vote to confirm Alex Azar, Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services — this is a man who has lobbied for Big Pharma and who is opposed to abortion rights — because they were buddies at Yale Law School,” says Scarane. “That’s just unacceptable to me, and it made me realize that we have to be the leaders we’re looking for to change this power structure ourselves.”
The Highlands Bunker podcast will be recording a special bonus episode from Scarane campaign launch HQ today to be released tomorrow or early Wednesday.
Our hope is that this will provide an insight to Jess, her campaign and it’s incredible energy.
For the many not the few.
Funny that the guy leading in Iowa is against Medicare for all. This is not a winning issue
Is this Iowa? Are we just relying on polling? CBS poll says something different.
https://mobile.twitter.com/NicholsUprising/status/1196405085825327105
Makes you think.
how embarrassing it must be for you to have missed the fact that 1) Iowa is a right wing stronghold, and 2) all the other candidates who support ending the Insurance Cartel’s scheme have way more combined support than Petey the Dino.
Oh yeah, influential Iowa, white bread, mayonnaise capital of the world. We don’t need no stinking health care as long as you buy our corn crops to make ethanol said the farmer to the dell. That’s planet saving and reduces greenhouse gas emissions “NOT”.
Representative John Kowalko
you’re an ass
Just by chance, I read this comment while Phil Ochs was singing the line, “Ignorance is everywhere and people have their ways” from his song “Crucifixion.”
Thank heaven!
I wish Jess much success. Sounds like she will be a perfect representative for Delaware in the Senate.
Sure, let’s just start at the top. I really prefer people with experience but best of luck.
so you prefer Chris Coons’ experience in rolling over for Magas and simpering deference to republicans? … you want that… instead of experience helping real people. ok, boomer.
Experience doing what?
Doing party organizing work, for example,not just in campaign season; run for school board, county offices, city council and the like. Serving at the level and working upward. You know, old school experience in actually serving people in a political role.
Just like AOC, right?
seriously, take a hike with that crap.
If “experience” produces smarmy bastards like Chris Coons, i say, the less experience the better.
Not a single “experienced” De politician, Biden Included, has a hint of a whiff of sense about anything other than “bipartisanship” which, for the past 10 years means letting the GOP eat their lunch…. and not really THEIR lunch, but OUR lunch.
Jessica Scarane seems experienced in the needs of Delawareans. Tell me, why are you so dismissive of work with Girls Inc? what community service non-profit was Coons president of at 34? What were YOU president of sir?
I just offered a list of affiliated down ballot progressives. Should I list more? lol
Old school experience is going to get us all killed.
Chris Coons stinks.
Do you think we aren’t doing organizing? I fell like maybe you’re not paying attention.
Just because you don’t participate or pay attention you pretend it isn’t happening.
Very sad really
Very admiring of Coby and young people signing up for down ballot races. They are needed there and can amass excellent experience as the rise upstream. But as a 50 year veteran of party work I’m here to tell you these and your generation are not the first to take on these commitments, though you seem to dismiss those who pioneered before you and think you invented the idea.
50 year veteran of “party work”. Ok.
We’re organizing and activating people. That our work. It threatens a lot of people. It should.
you failed so they shouldn’t try. Got it. Very inspiring.
I would call this list of lifetime successes failure…..in the leadership of a group that overthrew Tory Dems Party leadership in the Texas Party in the late 60’s, in the leadership of a group integrating the second largest school district in the country, defeating a breakaway attempt by racists to depart that same school district after 7 year battle, running the communications for 35 liberal, black and chicano Dem campaigns in a huge conservative Texas county, running the communications for the successful Party Chair campaign leading to the winning of Texas for Dems (Carter campaign), the first since LBJ’s win, helping elect the first countywide black judge in a huge racist county in Texas, creating and leading the Progressive Populist Caucus of the Texas Democratic Party with over 1000 members, with chapters in 5 urban metro areas, resulting in the overthrow of a growth stifling party chair and the takeover of the State Committee, reforming a moribund centrist party into a liberal/progressive tour de force, working for decades in precinct organizing and creating organizing training programs for my Dems resulting in ultimately turning a huge conservative, racist county blue in 2012. And in Delaware, leading the effort to create an absent Party Platform in 2016/17 and initiating the project to rewrite/revisit Deldem Party rules which had languished in inattention, both for purposes of opening the party up to new and young persons participation. Show me your results, Ben.
im not here to measure, stanley. But let’s just say, I ran a VERY disruptive third party campaign in 10th grade for student govt. Forced a runoff between the 2 Abercrombie clad preppies that beat me. So, as a fellow political one-man Juggernaut… i get it.
You have quite a resume to be proud of. It’s taken longer for you to build than we have left as a viable global biome.
This isnt the 60’s when you got started, man. We dont have time for people to rise through the channels and “wait their turn”. Chris Coons is the product of that… and what do we have for it? A “democrat” who will refuse to save the eco system if he cant get one cultist magat nazi to also agree? We’re supposed to put our future in the hands of someone who wants to find comity with Mitch McConnell? fuck. that. ,. friend.
We cant keep saddling children with lifelong debt and ruining families with medical bankruptcy while those who “did it right” get to do nothing. We cant keep talking about finding common ground with a party who is literally sprinting to the right. Joe Biden is fucking wrong. They will not “have en epiphany” after trump. They were faithless fucks before trump, they’ll just get worse when they can gripe about his presidency being stunted.
I guess it’s true of even liberal Texans — they can’t stop bragging.
And still, no answer to the question. It’s a simple question, and you’re a chickenshit for refusing to answer it.
What you did in Texas way back when carries no particular weight here. You want to work with the party to improve it, fine. But if you want to pretend that candidates need your approval before they file to run, you can fuck off all the way to Texas.
Y’know, this reminds me of the Mitch Crane Experience. “I was a liberal in [fill in the blank], so you can’t challenge anything I say.”
You shit on Jess Scarane for no particular reason I can tell, and you still won’t say whether it’s better or worse for the progressive cause to challenge wee little Chris Coons from the left.
You’ve spent most of your typing bragging about yourself, not supporting your poorly thought out position. Try discussing the issue you brought up, because otherwise it was just trolling.
Stan did this at at any expense to relationship and family cohesion. Congrats huge difference in the world.
I’ve already donated. You should consider it, too. Even if she doesn’t win, pressure on Coons (and other corporacrats) from the left is worth the investment.
well it worked so well on Carper…..
There can be no half measures. retire coons. More young women in congress is the only path forward.
Alby, I was just correcting the record accusing me of failure…..just recounting my history. If anyone wants failure, I was deeply involved in local leadership with antiwar movements re: Vietnam and Iraq/Afg as a veteran and former Army officer. Didn’t get it done, did we?
No, but you weren’t wrong to try.
My question is about your apparent desire to reject the good because it isn’t perfect. The simple fact is that challenging Coons is a career-ender for any Democrat with governing experience. Only a neophyte would have reason to try. So Jessica Scarane, or someone like her, is all you’re going to get.
You’re not wrong, I just don’t see how rejecting a person who might force Coons to the left helps, other than in forwarding Democratic unity or some such. I don’t think much of Democratic unity, since most Delaware Democrats fail to meet the standards I require of Democrats.
Do you really want Coons to think we’re OK with saying that diversity will upset the comity of the Senate, or that he’ll uphold the filibuster should Democrats try to do away with it? I’ll donate to anyone who wants to put an end to the career of this intelligent but vainglorious, cowardly little man. Our own little Lord Farquaar.
the “record”, you’re worried about is a pointless internet piss-ant (me) who doesnt even use his full name when posting.
Sorry if you were offended by my throwaway line not properly acknowledging your illustrious career. If anything, i failed. I failed because it gave you a reason to further avoid answering the simple and straightforward question about why you’d take someone who would rapturously crawl up McConnell’s ass if given half a chance, over someone who has “no experience” (read, not yet corrupted) ?
If Jess Scarane wins the nomination, are you saying you’lll support an establishment “moderate” republican who “went the delaware way?”
@ben: I don’t think we’re going to get an answer, which speaks volumes by itself.
This is the problem with trying to change the system from the inside: You sell integrity for access, as it were. If he speaks out against Coons he’ll be ostracized by party loyalists, so he can’t.
Posted 10/10/19. A lifetime ago??
In a recent Delaware Liberal comment, State Rep John Kowalko blistered Senator Chris Coons over his unwillingness to address the unfolding atrocity of our enabling of the Turkish attack on American allies in Syria.
Because of the recent permission granted by Trump to the Turkish autocracy that will allow/encourage a campaign of genocide against the Kurdish people, who have exhibited a courageous and determined willingness to fight the evils of terrorism, I felt obligated to revisit a past moment in my personal experience with Turkeys history.
In 2007 I sponsored a resolution of remembrance of the atrocities committed against the Armenians by the Turkish/Ottoman Empire regime. Here is the statement I released at the time:
Kowalko, enthusiastic about the resolution, stated:
“It was my privilege to honor your request that the Delaware General Assembly proclaim April 24 as a day of remembrance of the Armenian Genocide. On Thursday April 5th 2007 the Delaware House of Representatives unanimously passed House Resolution No. 14 proclaiming the 24th as a day of remembrance and enumerating some of the horrors perpetuated on the Armenian people.
I was particularly honored to present this resolution since it will officially record and acknowledge a moment in the history of mankind when man’s inhumanity to man and humankind’s disregard for a civilized morality was made horribly apparent. The attempt to systematically eliminate all traces of a noble civilization such as the Armenian culture is another shameful moment in the history of the world. In order to guard against recurrences of such base and shameful behavior we must freely admit that these types of horrors occurred and still occur. To paraphrase “those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat its failures” and failure to admit the moral failings of society will only ensure more decay.
I am humbled to be able to present and record the true story of the persecution and debasement foisted upon such a noble civilization as the Armenians’ to recognize its greatness and to warn our future generations of the intolerance and hatred that can lurk just below the surface of humanity so that we may always guard against the base instincts of inhumane behavior.”
“We want to thank Representative Kowalko for leading the efforts on passing this legislation, and the initiative taken by Mike to take the initiative to pass this resolution,” commented ANC ER Director Karine Birazian. https://www.armenian-genocide.org/Affirmation.409/current_category.143/affirmation_detail.html
The narrative did not end there. I was confronted by Turkish-American businessmen who objected to the resolution (which passed unanimously) and met with a half-dozen of them on several occasions. I was convinced then and still believe now that I had made the proper decision in light of the ridiculous assertions they made to me (personally) at that time. One argument was that including the word “genocide” in the resolution was inappropriate because the word/term “genocide” had not been coined in the early 1900’s when the atrocities occurred. But perhaps the most startling admission/challenge to the resolution was voiced by a half-dozen Turkish businessmen at one of the meetings I hosted for them in my district. They objected to the estimated number of 1.5 million Armenian (forced-march) deaths and presented me with papers assuring that number was exaggerated. I will never forget the feeling of revulsion I had when they offered me those “papers” and stated that “it is wrong for your resolution to state that “1.5 million” Armenian men, women and children were killed by the actions of the Turkish government when the documents show that the documented number of fatalities is no more than “560,000”. Just roll that absurdity of an argument around in your collective consciences for a brief moment and after recovering from your feelings of nausea and revulsion look at the current day status of America’s policies and allegiances.
The power-brokers, corporatist apologists and billionaire self-interests, aided and abetted by their political dependents have continued their journey to capture all of the power and money they can accumulate regardless of the costs in human lives while abandoning any sense of humanity they may have once felt. This sociopathic narcissist we have representing the most powerful office in the world, and his Neanderthal-thinking supporters are plunging the world headlong into an apocalyptic world of inhumanity. These supporters/enablers are not limited to the Grahams, Jordans, and McCarthys of the political world. As long as Senator Coons cannot decide/declare that this aberration of a president is unfit to continue to serve I will not support any election bid that Sen. Coons pursues and will view him as an enabler and abettor of a criminal.
Representative John Kowalko
Also, to Stan’s point, whatever it is. We’re fighting bottom up.
Madinah
Eric M
Larry Lambert
Coby
Maybe you’re out of the loop.
These inspiring newcomers are making my point.
Your point being that people shouldn’t take on a sitting U.S. Senator unless they’re politically experienced, apparently.
Since nobody of the description you prefer shows any sign of doing such a thing — and this being Delaware, nobody who wanted to continue his or her career would — would you prefer nobody run a primary against Chris Coons?
Those are your choices, old-timer. The kids aren’t going to get off your lawn.
Having no rational arguments against a strong preference for experience, you resort to ageist insults. Pathetic.
im literally following your lead and engaging on the level you set.
You cant name one reason we should value Coons’ “experience” and came roaring out of the gate with “shes too young” so…. next.
Im pretty sure Alby is also ancient…. no offense, alby. I know you can take it.
So put your victimhood away Stan. you got called out by one of your own… and many others.
I’ll p;ut my progressive background up against anyone and it has earned me the right to not be called out by any of you minor league players. Check is out on my blog profile at Pitchforks&Populists.
I’ll p;Ut mY pR0gr3$$ivE b@cKgRoUnD uP @gAInsT aNyOnE aNd iT hAs ea7nEd mE tHe riGhT t0 n0t Be CaLLed oUt bY aNy Of YoU MInOr lEaGuE PlAyeRs. CheCK Is (us?) oUt oN mY bLOg pRoFilE aT Pitchforks&Populists.
SO SORRY, ME LORD. I had no idea whith WHHHHOM I was speaking. I’ll remember to bow and scrape next time.
priceless.
None of us have a right to shit. Not as far as “the right to not be called out”. wake up.
Yeah, but you still won’t answer the question. Appeal to your self-proclaimed authority aside, you’re nothing special.
LBJ, asshole.
Having no answer for my point — nobody of your description is running, so your choices are Scarane or no primary — you play the victim. Pathetic yourself. But we already knew that.
I’m the same age you are. I just don’t use experience as an excuse for stodginess.
Then again, you expressed your admiration for LBJ, so I know exactly what kind of a progressive you are.
Signing one bunch of civil rights bills doesn’t make him any less responsible for Vietnam.
So my take is you have no answer to the conundrum I presented you with.
Make a statement, Stan. Would you prefer someone inexperience challenge Coons in a primary or would you prefer nobody challenge him at all? Those are your choices. Stop stalling and make one.
Suggest you read my friend and liberal icon Ronnie Dugger’s book on LBJ, a deeply flawed but heroic leader for giving us the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts. He led the fight for these, not just “signed the bills”. I applaud and thank him for this justice, while spending precious years opposing and organizing against the horrific Vietnam war he inherited from another hero of mine, Dwight Eisenhower. I was in Army Intelligence services when “advisers” were coming home from 13 month tours there, sent by Eisenhower.
That’s nice, but I’m doing Caro, so I’m not interested in hagiography. I know his work on civil rights. It was undone by his continuing escalations of Vietnam IMHO. Your mileage obviously differs, and in a way that isn’t all that flattering. As glad as I am that civil rights were temporarily won — you’ll notice they aren’t in place anymore in the South — more African-Americans were killed in Vietnam than in all the riots combined.
At least say you’re not going to answer the question. Ignoring it like this, you might as well be a politician yourself.
We are really down a rabbit hole here, but I’ll add something to the LBJ/Vietnam story here.
There is a book on the Cuban Missile Crisis by Seldon Stern (Historian at the JFK Library) that actually blames RFK for LBJ’s errors in Vietnam. He suggests, through transcripts and available documentation, that JFK engaged in back-channel communications with the Soviets to avert the crisis through RFK. He maintains that only a few individuals knew that this had happened in the way that it happened and that most of the ExCom (inc. LBJ). To them, it was portrayed as the Soviets backing down because of American strength.
LBJ took the wrong lesson from it and neither JFK nor RFK seems to have corrected the record with LBJ. So LBJ kept trying to follow the false map laid out by JFK.
The irony is that RFK ran a few years later on his anti-war platform after failing to provide critical info to LBJ that could have prevented the war in the first place.
But it is all before my time, and I’m getting to be an old man. Carry on.
Pretty weak excuse IMO. Completely different scenarios, different opponents, and there’s plenty of contemporary evidence that LBJ didn’t want himself or the country to be seen as losing the war.
Coons entire experience pre senate was not being Tom Gordon. Since oopsing-into the Senate his time has been spent kissing McConnells shelled-ass and supporting the murder of Palestinian kids. What, my dude, is so fucking valuable about his experience?
Shané Darby in City Council district #2. Forgot that one.
Safe Streets campaign
Blight bill tenants rights activism
You know, Stan, you should consider a podcast patronage. You’re missing a lot of cool shit.
So glad that Jessica Scarane has put her progressive hat in the ring to get rid of Coons in the primary. I wish her well and will be sending a check.
That’s the spirit!
That leprechaun has a pot of gold that’s going to put him on TV more than Law & Order reruns. He will be on Morning Joe everyday. Coons for Majority Leader!
Children, children. Please stop having tantrums. No matter who the Dems put up, Delaware loses.