Did Elizabeth Warren just quietly endorse Bernie Sanders?
by Gaius Publius
Sanders' latest Iowa ad. This is the first ad I've seen that features a Muslim woman (h/t Zaid Jilani).
"Anyone who shrugs and claims that change is just too hard has crawled into bed with the billionaires who want to run this country like some private club." –Elizabeth Warren, 1/21/16
Did Warren just quietly endorse Sanders? I think she did, but please decide for yourself. It's pretty clear she did what the Huffington Post headline writer said, "Elizabeth Warren Sinks Clinton's Hopes for Endorsement." Here's the data.
There have been discussions about the possibility of an Elizabeth Warren endorsement — of Sanders, some say; or of Clinton, others say; or of no one. I have some thoughts here ("The Great Unmasking") that apply to what would happen to Warren should she side with the Wall Street crowd under any pretense or rationale whatever. So I'm glad to see she'll avoid a "Howard Dean moment" after all. (No, not the scream; I'll expand on that later. Dean has decided to lose what Warren has decided to keep — a progressive reputation.)
Elizabeth Warren Sinks Clinton's Hopes for Endorsement
In a speech before the Senate Thursday, on the sixth anniversary of the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision, Elizabeth Warren made clear -- for those with ears to hear -- that she will not endorse Hillary Clinton.
If you have observed how closely Warren's and Bernie Sanders's messages line up, it is hard to imagine that she would endorse Clinton over him, anyway. Even so, the question has remained. But now, were there any question about whether or not Clinton is truly a Progressive, Elizabeth Warren -- with her extraordinary, precise eye for the heart of an issue, and her unsurpassed clarity of expression -- has answered it.
The first ten minutes of Warren's speech address corruption in campaign finance, and the impact of Citizens United. She lists seven steps we could take right now, including six actions -- bills before Congress, executive action, and powers already within the purview of the FEC and the SEC; and the seventh, a Constitutional Amendment to restore federal and state authority to regulate campaign contributions.
Warren is eloquent, moving, and on topic as always. Right at the end, however, she changes gears. I almost missed it; what she had said up to that point was so compelling that my mind was ringing. It was only on the second listen that I caught them: three sentences that leapt from the specific (campaign finance reform) to the general (Progressivism itself)...
Then Miller presents those sentences. From the video (see below), they are:
"A new presidential election is upon us. The first votes will be cast in Iowa in just eleven days. Anyone who shrugs and claims that change is just too hard has crawled into bed with the billionaires who want to run this country like some private club."
Not to put too fine a point on it, Miller adds that Warren "reminds us that 'politically impractical' is just code for 'wealthy donors don't like it.'" Here's that Warren speech, cued up to the key moment.
A comment about Warren: This election is calling out everyone who leads, from positions of power, the work for progressive causes. Many are passing that test. Some are not. The result has become, indeed, a great unmasking. I'm glad to see, for Warren as for others, that the mask is identical to the face, she has nothing she won't want us to see, and she's proud to make that known.
Will this non-endorsement endorsement be a game-changer? The stars may be lining up.
Blue America has endorsed Bernie Sanders for president. If you'd like to help out, go here; you can adjust the split any way you like at the link. If you'd like to "phone-bank for Bernie," go here. You can volunteer in other ways by going here. And thanks!