Former FBI director James Comey was slammed for begging Democratics to avoid "the socialist left" on Sunday. (Photo: James Borchuck/Tampa Bay Times/ZUMAPRESS)
Jul 23, 2018
Fired FBI director and faux "resistance hero" James Comey was widely ridiculed for using Twitter on Sunday to beg Democrats to not "lose your minds and rush to the socialist left," as democratic socialist and bold progressive political candidates are garnering public support by pushing popular policies like Medicare for All in spite of sabotage efforts by the party's corporate wing and donors.
The backlash was immediate, with several critics pointing to the popularity of proposals such as tuition-free public college, a living wage, and a transition to renewable energy.
\u201cThe "sensible, balanced, ethical" position is:\n\n\ud83c\udfe5 Health care for all\n\ud83d\udcda Free college for all\n\ud83d\udcb0 Good wages for al\n\ud83c\udf0e A livable planet for all\n\u2696\ufe0f Justice for all\n\u270a\ud83c\udffd Getting big corporate, money out of politics\n\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 An America for all, not the few\u201d— Waleed Shahid (@Waleed Shahid) 1532295808
\u201cWhat do we mean by \u201cthe socialist left\u201d (Comey\u2019s scaremongering phrase) apart from the goal of a health care system like those in the rest of the rich world, and a few things America used to have, like cheap public higher education and higher taxes for rich people?\u201d— Kurt Andersen (@Kurt Andersen) 1532314095
Journalists David Sirota and Rania Khalek, meanwhile, pointed to Comey's history working for a hedge fund.
\u201cAfter working at a hedge fund Lockheed Martin, James Comey has a net worth of $15 million. What is it with rich people wanting to deny the rest of us access to education and healthcare and other basic things developed countries provide their citizens? https://t.co/fwvv9ZA4qP\u201d— Rania Khalek (@Rania Khalek) 1532340039
Noting that Comey's estimated net worth is somewhere north of $15 million, The Intercept's Glenn Greenwald, in a series of tweets, derided the Democratic Party as "failed and collapsed," and sarcastically remarked, "Just have the Party shape itself in his image and voters will return in droves."
Some challenged Comey's clear implication that democratic socialists are incapable of "ethical leadership."
\u201c(comey's tweet assumes that a "socialist left" ipso facto cannot be "sensible, balanced, ethical")\u201d— b-boy bouiebaisse (@b-boy bouiebaisse) 1532294206
Hey Jimmy, We talkin' about the same sensible, balanced, ethical leadership that eroded our trust in gov't, stole from the poor & middle-class to make the rich even wealthier, and helped to deliver Trump? Just askin' for about 320 million Americans. BTW, can you spell hypocrisy?
-- Bill Cimbrelo (@Bill_Cimbrelo) July 22, 2018
Others pointed to Comey's decision to send a letter to Congress about investigating more of Hillary Clinton's emails just days before the 2016 presidential election, and urged him to stay out of politics.
\u201cI guess, in a way, James Comey is an expert authority when it comes to getting Trump elected. https://t.co/bmTdenIyqa\u201d— Katie Halper (@Katie Halper) 1532359096
\u201cDear @Comey:\n\nIn regards to you giving advice to Democrats on what we should be or not be doing.\n\nDid you forget the role you played in 2016?\u201d— Karine Jean-Pierre (@Karine Jean-Pierre) 1532352722
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Fired FBI director and faux "resistance hero" James Comey was widely ridiculed for using Twitter on Sunday to beg Democrats to not "lose your minds and rush to the socialist left," as democratic socialist and bold progressive political candidates are garnering public support by pushing popular policies like Medicare for All in spite of sabotage efforts by the party's corporate wing and donors.
The backlash was immediate, with several critics pointing to the popularity of proposals such as tuition-free public college, a living wage, and a transition to renewable energy.
\u201cThe "sensible, balanced, ethical" position is:\n\n\ud83c\udfe5 Health care for all\n\ud83d\udcda Free college for all\n\ud83d\udcb0 Good wages for al\n\ud83c\udf0e A livable planet for all\n\u2696\ufe0f Justice for all\n\u270a\ud83c\udffd Getting big corporate, money out of politics\n\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 An America for all, not the few\u201d— Waleed Shahid (@Waleed Shahid) 1532295808
\u201cWhat do we mean by \u201cthe socialist left\u201d (Comey\u2019s scaremongering phrase) apart from the goal of a health care system like those in the rest of the rich world, and a few things America used to have, like cheap public higher education and higher taxes for rich people?\u201d— Kurt Andersen (@Kurt Andersen) 1532314095
Journalists David Sirota and Rania Khalek, meanwhile, pointed to Comey's history working for a hedge fund.
\u201cAfter working at a hedge fund Lockheed Martin, James Comey has a net worth of $15 million. What is it with rich people wanting to deny the rest of us access to education and healthcare and other basic things developed countries provide their citizens? https://t.co/fwvv9ZA4qP\u201d— Rania Khalek (@Rania Khalek) 1532340039
Noting that Comey's estimated net worth is somewhere north of $15 million, The Intercept's Glenn Greenwald, in a series of tweets, derided the Democratic Party as "failed and collapsed," and sarcastically remarked, "Just have the Party shape itself in his image and voters will return in droves."
Some challenged Comey's clear implication that democratic socialists are incapable of "ethical leadership."
\u201c(comey's tweet assumes that a "socialist left" ipso facto cannot be "sensible, balanced, ethical")\u201d— b-boy bouiebaisse (@b-boy bouiebaisse) 1532294206
Hey Jimmy, We talkin' about the same sensible, balanced, ethical leadership that eroded our trust in gov't, stole from the poor & middle-class to make the rich even wealthier, and helped to deliver Trump? Just askin' for about 320 million Americans. BTW, can you spell hypocrisy?
-- Bill Cimbrelo (@Bill_Cimbrelo) July 22, 2018
Others pointed to Comey's decision to send a letter to Congress about investigating more of Hillary Clinton's emails just days before the 2016 presidential election, and urged him to stay out of politics.
\u201cI guess, in a way, James Comey is an expert authority when it comes to getting Trump elected. https://t.co/bmTdenIyqa\u201d— Katie Halper (@Katie Halper) 1532359096
\u201cDear @Comey:\n\nIn regards to you giving advice to Democrats on what we should be or not be doing.\n\nDid you forget the role you played in 2016?\u201d— Karine Jean-Pierre (@Karine Jean-Pierre) 1532352722
Fired FBI director and faux "resistance hero" James Comey was widely ridiculed for using Twitter on Sunday to beg Democrats to not "lose your minds and rush to the socialist left," as democratic socialist and bold progressive political candidates are garnering public support by pushing popular policies like Medicare for All in spite of sabotage efforts by the party's corporate wing and donors.
The backlash was immediate, with several critics pointing to the popularity of proposals such as tuition-free public college, a living wage, and a transition to renewable energy.
\u201cThe "sensible, balanced, ethical" position is:\n\n\ud83c\udfe5 Health care for all\n\ud83d\udcda Free college for all\n\ud83d\udcb0 Good wages for al\n\ud83c\udf0e A livable planet for all\n\u2696\ufe0f Justice for all\n\u270a\ud83c\udffd Getting big corporate, money out of politics\n\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 An America for all, not the few\u201d— Waleed Shahid (@Waleed Shahid) 1532295808
\u201cWhat do we mean by \u201cthe socialist left\u201d (Comey\u2019s scaremongering phrase) apart from the goal of a health care system like those in the rest of the rich world, and a few things America used to have, like cheap public higher education and higher taxes for rich people?\u201d— Kurt Andersen (@Kurt Andersen) 1532314095
Journalists David Sirota and Rania Khalek, meanwhile, pointed to Comey's history working for a hedge fund.
\u201cAfter working at a hedge fund Lockheed Martin, James Comey has a net worth of $15 million. What is it with rich people wanting to deny the rest of us access to education and healthcare and other basic things developed countries provide their citizens? https://t.co/fwvv9ZA4qP\u201d— Rania Khalek (@Rania Khalek) 1532340039
Noting that Comey's estimated net worth is somewhere north of $15 million, The Intercept's Glenn Greenwald, in a series of tweets, derided the Democratic Party as "failed and collapsed," and sarcastically remarked, "Just have the Party shape itself in his image and voters will return in droves."
Some challenged Comey's clear implication that democratic socialists are incapable of "ethical leadership."
\u201c(comey's tweet assumes that a "socialist left" ipso facto cannot be "sensible, balanced, ethical")\u201d— b-boy bouiebaisse (@b-boy bouiebaisse) 1532294206
Hey Jimmy, We talkin' about the same sensible, balanced, ethical leadership that eroded our trust in gov't, stole from the poor & middle-class to make the rich even wealthier, and helped to deliver Trump? Just askin' for about 320 million Americans. BTW, can you spell hypocrisy?
-- Bill Cimbrelo (@Bill_Cimbrelo) July 22, 2018
Others pointed to Comey's decision to send a letter to Congress about investigating more of Hillary Clinton's emails just days before the 2016 presidential election, and urged him to stay out of politics.
\u201cI guess, in a way, James Comey is an expert authority when it comes to getting Trump elected. https://t.co/bmTdenIyqa\u201d— Katie Halper (@Katie Halper) 1532359096
\u201cDear @Comey:\n\nIn regards to you giving advice to Democrats on what we should be or not be doing.\n\nDid you forget the role you played in 2016?\u201d— Karine Jean-Pierre (@Karine Jean-Pierre) 1532352722
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.