Wasserman Schultz
[Comment: Elections 2016]
Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz just accused young women of “complacency” in the fight for abortion rights.
Young women, especially low income women and women of color, have been bearing the brunt of the right-wing’s relentless assault on abortion rights and have been leading the charge to fight back. Wasserman Schultz’s comment shows how out of touch she is with the progressive core values of the Democratic activist base, and is just the latest in a string of unacceptable actions that makes it clear it is time for her to resign as chair of the DNC.
Wasserman-Schultz has used her platform for her personal political gain,2 sabotaged Democratic candidates, sided with warmongers, predatory lenders and anti-choice interests, attempted to tilt the playing field in the 2016 presidential nomination, and more.
Democratic leaders have considered replacing Chair Wasserman Schultz before. Now we need to show that she has lost the support of grassroots progressives, and needs to go.
Tell DNC Chair Wasserman Schultz: Resign immediately.
Wasserman Schultz has been chair of the DNC since 2011. But now, a rising chorus of voices is calling for her ouster. Our friends at National Nurses United recently called for Wasserman Schultz to resign over the “latest blatant effort by the Democratic National Committee to rig the primary process,” and we at CREDO Action agree.
After four years, there is no longer any doubt that Wasserman Schultz must go. She has:
Rigged the primary process to suppress Democratic turnout by scheduling the bare minimum of presidential debates, at odd times when TV viewership is lowest — giving all candidates less opportunities to present their message, and suppressing the Democratic voter engagement that is essential to promote turnout at the polls.
There are only six scheduled debates in 2016 compared to twenty-six in 2008. The latest, on the Saturday before Christmas, drew the lowest ratings of any debate in 2015.
Put her own political interests ahead of the Democratic party, routinely soliciting donors at party events for donations to her own campaign and leadership PAC. She has also faced controversy for doing favors that would earn her votes for a House leadership position ahead of trying to win Republican seats. Previously, as head of the DNC’s Red to Blue program, she refused to support Democratic challengers to three Republicans she counts as friends.
Supported warmongers by trying to undermine the president’s Iran deal. Reports claim she attempted to scuttle a DNC committee resolution supporting peace and diplomacy through the nuclear agreement with Iran.
She also pointedly refused to publicly support the deal at first, giving Republicans an opening to attack, before finally voting in favor.
Sided with anti-progressive special interests that hurt Democratic voters and her own constituents, including supporting a for-profit detention center after receiving contributions from private prison companies.
Wasserman Schultz also lobbied to stop the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from cracking down on predatory lenders. Under her leadership, the DNC partnered for one of the 2016 debates with a “notoriously anti-choice” media outlet.
Chair Wasserman Schultz has repeatedly pursued her own agenda at the expense of the progressive base and basic principles of fairness. That’s bad for progressive values and bad for the Democratic Party, and she must resign.
Wasserman Schultz’s latest jab at young women is a bridge too far. Especially since it was on her watch that Democrats suffered the brutal loss of the Senate in 2014 to anti-woman Republicans, leading to the weakest Democratic showing in Congress in modern American history.
Petition to Democratic National Committee Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz:
“As DNC chair, you have repeatedly failed to act in the best interests of progressives and the Democratic Party. You have lost the trust of grassroots progressives and Democrats. Please resign immediately.”
Add your name:
Murshed Zaheed, Deputy Political Director
CREDO Action from Working Assets
