Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) speaks during a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. on June 24, 2019. (Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)
Sanders Says Last Thing California Needs Is 'Some Right-Wing Republican Governor'
"The September 14 recall of Governor Newsom is a bold-faced Republican power grab. Don't let it happen."
With just two weeks to go before California's closely watched gubernatorial recall election, Senator Bernie Sanders warned Sunday that the effort to oust Gov. Gavin Newsom is a "bold-faced Republican power grab" and urged the state's voters to reject it at the polls.
"At this unprecedented moment in American history, when we're trying to address the crisis of climate change, guarantee healthcare for all, and pass real immigration reform, the last thing we need is to have some right-wing Republican governor in California," Sanders (I-Vt.), the chair of the Senate Budget Committee, said in a 30-second spot recorded for the "Stop the Republican Recall" campaign.
"Return your ballot, or vote no in person, by September 14th," added the Vermont senator, who won California's 2020 Democratic presidential primary.
The effort to recall Newsom advanced in June after proponents gathered enough signatures--more than 1.7 million--to trigger the election. Early voting began this month, and Californians who opt to participate will face two ballot questions: one asking whether Newsom should be recalled, and another asking who should replace him.
According to FiveThirtyEight, recent polling on the first question is very close, with 50.6% of Californians saying they want to keep Newsom in office and 46.3% saying they want him removed. If more than 50% vote yes on the first question, the challenger with the most votes will become California's next governor.
"It's going to be a very tight race," Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) told The Hill last month. "I think people realize this is not a slam dunk."
Larry Elder, a longtime right-wing radio host who recently said that "the ideal minimum wage is $0.00," has emerged as the Republican frontrunner to succeed Newsom. Democrats, for their part, have launched what's been described as "the largest voter mobilization effort in state history" to keep Newsom in office.
But as the Los Angeles Times reported, Newsom and the state Democratic Party "successfully deterred any prominent Democratic politician from running" in the election.
"That means if voters recall the Democratic governor from office next month," the newspaper observed, "his replacement is likely to come from a group of top Republican candidates--almost all of whom have publicly supported [former President Donald] Trump."
While a Republican governor of California would face significant legislative obstacles given that Democrats hold supermajorities in the state's Assembly and Senate, a GOP leader could have the power to eliminate Democrats' razor-thin control of the U.S. Senate should the chamber's oldest sitting member--88-year-old Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)--leave her position for any reason.
"If California has a Republican governor, a sudden Feinstein departure from the Senate would be catastrophic for progressive politics," HuffPost's Daniel Marans reported earlier this month. "Big-ticket items remaining on Biden's agenda, from immigration reform to climate action to strengthening union power, would be dead on the spot, at least until a new Senate was seated after the 2022 midterms--and that's if Democrats win back the majority, an uncertain assumption."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
With just two weeks to go before California's closely watched gubernatorial recall election, Senator Bernie Sanders warned Sunday that the effort to oust Gov. Gavin Newsom is a "bold-faced Republican power grab" and urged the state's voters to reject it at the polls.
"At this unprecedented moment in American history, when we're trying to address the crisis of climate change, guarantee healthcare for all, and pass real immigration reform, the last thing we need is to have some right-wing Republican governor in California," Sanders (I-Vt.), the chair of the Senate Budget Committee, said in a 30-second spot recorded for the "Stop the Republican Recall" campaign.
"Return your ballot, or vote no in person, by September 14th," added the Vermont senator, who won California's 2020 Democratic presidential primary.
The effort to recall Newsom advanced in June after proponents gathered enough signatures--more than 1.7 million--to trigger the election. Early voting began this month, and Californians who opt to participate will face two ballot questions: one asking whether Newsom should be recalled, and another asking who should replace him.
According to FiveThirtyEight, recent polling on the first question is very close, with 50.6% of Californians saying they want to keep Newsom in office and 46.3% saying they want him removed. If more than 50% vote yes on the first question, the challenger with the most votes will become California's next governor.
"It's going to be a very tight race," Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) told The Hill last month. "I think people realize this is not a slam dunk."
Larry Elder, a longtime right-wing radio host who recently said that "the ideal minimum wage is $0.00," has emerged as the Republican frontrunner to succeed Newsom. Democrats, for their part, have launched what's been described as "the largest voter mobilization effort in state history" to keep Newsom in office.
But as the Los Angeles Times reported, Newsom and the state Democratic Party "successfully deterred any prominent Democratic politician from running" in the election.
"That means if voters recall the Democratic governor from office next month," the newspaper observed, "his replacement is likely to come from a group of top Republican candidates--almost all of whom have publicly supported [former President Donald] Trump."
While a Republican governor of California would face significant legislative obstacles given that Democrats hold supermajorities in the state's Assembly and Senate, a GOP leader could have the power to eliminate Democrats' razor-thin control of the U.S. Senate should the chamber's oldest sitting member--88-year-old Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)--leave her position for any reason.
"If California has a Republican governor, a sudden Feinstein departure from the Senate would be catastrophic for progressive politics," HuffPost's Daniel Marans reported earlier this month. "Big-ticket items remaining on Biden's agenda, from immigration reform to climate action to strengthening union power, would be dead on the spot, at least until a new Senate was seated after the 2022 midterms--and that's if Democrats win back the majority, an uncertain assumption."
With just two weeks to go before California's closely watched gubernatorial recall election, Senator Bernie Sanders warned Sunday that the effort to oust Gov. Gavin Newsom is a "bold-faced Republican power grab" and urged the state's voters to reject it at the polls.
"At this unprecedented moment in American history, when we're trying to address the crisis of climate change, guarantee healthcare for all, and pass real immigration reform, the last thing we need is to have some right-wing Republican governor in California," Sanders (I-Vt.), the chair of the Senate Budget Committee, said in a 30-second spot recorded for the "Stop the Republican Recall" campaign.
"Return your ballot, or vote no in person, by September 14th," added the Vermont senator, who won California's 2020 Democratic presidential primary.
The effort to recall Newsom advanced in June after proponents gathered enough signatures--more than 1.7 million--to trigger the election. Early voting began this month, and Californians who opt to participate will face two ballot questions: one asking whether Newsom should be recalled, and another asking who should replace him.
According to FiveThirtyEight, recent polling on the first question is very close, with 50.6% of Californians saying they want to keep Newsom in office and 46.3% saying they want him removed. If more than 50% vote yes on the first question, the challenger with the most votes will become California's next governor.
"It's going to be a very tight race," Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) told The Hill last month. "I think people realize this is not a slam dunk."
Larry Elder, a longtime right-wing radio host who recently said that "the ideal minimum wage is $0.00," has emerged as the Republican frontrunner to succeed Newsom. Democrats, for their part, have launched what's been described as "the largest voter mobilization effort in state history" to keep Newsom in office.
But as the Los Angeles Times reported, Newsom and the state Democratic Party "successfully deterred any prominent Democratic politician from running" in the election.
"That means if voters recall the Democratic governor from office next month," the newspaper observed, "his replacement is likely to come from a group of top Republican candidates--almost all of whom have publicly supported [former President Donald] Trump."
While a Republican governor of California would face significant legislative obstacles given that Democrats hold supermajorities in the state's Assembly and Senate, a GOP leader could have the power to eliminate Democrats' razor-thin control of the U.S. Senate should the chamber's oldest sitting member--88-year-old Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)--leave her position for any reason.
"If California has a Republican governor, a sudden Feinstein departure from the Senate would be catastrophic for progressive politics," HuffPost's Daniel Marans reported earlier this month. "Big-ticket items remaining on Biden's agenda, from immigration reform to climate action to strengthening union power, would be dead on the spot, at least until a new Senate was seated after the 2022 midterms--and that's if Democrats win back the majority, an uncertain assumption."