Progressives Just Won A Major Victory In New York Politics

canada goose clearance On Wednesday, all that appeared set to change. The group of turncoats, known as the Independent Democratic Conference, have tentativelyagreed to return to the mainstream Democratic fold, striking a deal that could ultimately hand Democrats unified control of New York government. Andrew Cuomo, the Democrat who brokered the agreement. They do not plan to let up anytime soon. canada goose clearance

“The heat is clearly on. They wouldn’t have agreed to come back to the Democrats, if they did not believe that their seats canada goose outlet in usa were at risk,” said Alessandra canada goose outlet eu Biaggi, a former Hillary Clinton campaign staffer challenging state Sen. Jeffrey Klein, leader of the Independent Democratic Conference.

Canada Goose Outlet The eight members of the IDC participate in a power sharing agreement canada goose outlet michigan with Senate Republicans that affords them committee leadership posts and controversial financial stipends known as “lulus.” Canada Goose Outlet

buy canada goose jacket cheap Prior to two recent vacancies, Democrats enjoyed a one seat numerical majority in the canada goose outlet mall state Senate. Republicans nonetheless canada goose outlet germany controlled the chamber due to the outright backing of conservative Brooklyn Democrat Simcha Felder and the arrangement with the eight IDC members. buy canada goose jacket cheap

Until the 2016 election, many New Yorkers were unaware of the IDC and Felder’s coalition with Republicans, which began in 2012. Anger at the election of President Donald Trump prompted new enthusiasm among New York Democrats that has dramatically increased scrutiny on state politics in general, and the IDC in particular.

Canada Goose Jackets IDC members blame Felder for Republican control, canada goose outlet real claiming they have canada goose outlet edmonton moderated a GOP agenda that would pass with Felder’s help anyway. But progressive activists, some of whom are backing a primary challenge against Felder as well, have lambasted the IDC members as “Trump Democrats.” They note that GOP control of the Senate, enabled in canada goose outlet houston part by the IDC, has prevented progressive climate action canada goose outlet boston and single payer health care bills that passed the state Assembly http://www.canadagoosecanadaoutlet.com from coming up for a vote, and stalled or diluted other liberal legislation. Canada Goose Jackets

canada goose deals IDC critics have also drawn attention to the fact that under the current system, New York’s budget negotiations arehammered out between four men Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan (R), Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D) and IDC canada goose outlet new york Leader canada goose outlet uk sale Klein who has been accused of sexual misconduct by a former staffer. canada goose deals

canada goose coats This year, members of the IDC face their canada goose outlet uk first serious primary canada goose outlet parka threats. Biaggi is one of seven Democrats challenging IDC members with the backing of major progressive organizations like the Working Families Party. (State Sen. David Carlucci is the sole IDC member without a progressive challenger.) canada goose coats

Cuomo, often blamed for failing to leverage his power against the IDC goose outlet canada and Felder, has also elicited a left leaning primary challenge from Cynthia canada goose outlet ontario Nixon, an actress and progressive education activist. Nixon has made Cuomo’s alleged complicity with the IDC a major theme of her run.

Watch Edie Falco (!) explain how the fake Democrats in the IDC are preventing NY from being a real blue state. This September, we can defeat every single one of them and the Governor who enabled them. He publicly called on Klein to rejoin the mainline caucus as Stewart Cousins’ deputy, the New York Times reported and HuffPost confirmed from canada goose outlet online reviews a Democrat close to Cuomo. Stewart Cousins tentatively accepted the deal with a handshake at the time, and her caucus has since embraced it, though many details still need to be worked out. For Stewart Cousins, it is an improvement on a November proposal blessed by Cuomo in which she and Klein would serve as co leaders.

canada goose coats on sale A condition of the deal is that canada goose parka outlet uk neither former IDC members, nor mainline Senate Democrats would back primary challenges against incumbent members. canada goose coats on sale

canada goose clearance sale That means that the IDC’s challengers cannot expect support from the canada goose outlet phone number mainline caucus. Biaggi shrugged the matter off claiming she never expected to run with their endorsements. canada goose clearance sale

canada goose store “The voters in this canada goose outlet 2015 district who are hurting the most need the leadership of a true Democrat who favors things like tenant protection and closing loopholes that landlords have abused for so long,” she said. canada goose store

buy canada goose jacket In anopen letter to IDC members on Wednesday in which Biaggi and the six other candidates affirmed their decision to stay canada goose outlet black friday in the race, they argued that IDC members “cannot undo the damage that [they] have done by blocking a single Democratic state Senator in the room to advocate for common sense progressive priorities.” buy canada goose jacket

Intent on punishing IDC members and securing a more progressive Senate delegation for its own sake, the grassroots coalition No IDC New York and the labor backed New York Working Families Party canada goose outlet are both maintaining their canada goose outlet official support for the IDC challengers. “Spending canada goose sale uk 2, 4 or 6 of the last 8 years caucusing with Republicans the Democratic base isn’t gonna forget that in a second because you had a steak dinner with Andrew Cuomo.”

Canada Goose sale For her part, Nixon slammed the governor for supposedly allowing the canada goose outlet in new york IDC to canada goose outlet washington dc persist for so long. Her campaign distributed dozens of links to articles suggesting he facilitated the arrangementand allowed it to continueso he could canada goose uk avoid voting on more progressive legislation. Canada Goose sale

“If you’ve set your own house on fire and watched it burn for eight years, finally turning on a hose doesn’t make you a hero,” Nixon said.

cheap Canada Goose Today’s announcement on the IDC deal shows the power of our movement. Power concedes nothing without a demand. We demanded and now a terrified establishment canada goose outlet trillium parka black is canada goose outlet in uk throwing voters a bone. Instead, the policies of President Trump and the Republican Congress, as well as the two looming special state canada goose outlet toronto address Senate elections on April 24, one of which is competitive. cheap Canada Goose

Canada Goose online “What we’re saying here today is we have a common enemy,” Cuomo said flanked by Stewart Cousins and Klein. “And the common enemy is defeating Trump canada goose outlet reviews and Ryan and McConnell and defeating their agenda and taking over the New York state Senate so we can protect the state the way it needs to be protected.” Canada Goose online

canada goose However, Cuomo also revealed at the press conference that his re election campaign would be coordinating canada goose victoria parka outlet closely with the campaigns efforts of Senate and Assembly Democrats. He framed the effort as a demonstration of his commitment to retaking the Senate, but it could also potentially create the perception that Nixon is running against the entire slate of New York Democrats. canada goose

canada goose black friday sale A key matter of contention for progressives is the timing of the breakthrough almost immediately after the passage of a state budget in which Cuomo, together with IDC and state Senate Republican leaders, notably excluded key liberal priorities. Cuomo also chose to schedule the special elections for open state Senate seats vacated by two mainline Democrats only after the new budget’s deadline. canada goose black friday sale

canadian goose jacket Critics do not consider the new budget adequately progressive. IDC primary challengers highlighted that it failed to abolish cash bail, pass a state level version of the DREAM Act or add new protections for vulnerable home renters. It also didn’t incorporate an Assembly bill that aims to mitigate the impact of climate change on the state,they added in their letter canadian goose jacket.