Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and, according to a report by Politico, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) have joined Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in naming Rep. Keith Ellison (D-MN) as a good pick to serve as the next leader of the Democratic National Committee.
The two senators’ tentative support make Ellison an early favorite to lead the institutional Democratic party as it faces the prospect of controlling no branch of government in Washington for the first time in 10 years.
In an interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow Thursday night, Warren said Ellison, the first Muslim-American ever elected to Congress and one of Bernie’s Sanders’ earliest high-profile elected official supporters, would make a “terrific” chair.
“I talked with Congressman Ellison. I really, really like Keith. And I think he’s terrific and I think he would make a terrific DNC chair,” she said. Warren went on to say that she had just heard that former Gov. Howard Dean had also announced his candidacy and would also “like to hear what his visions is.”
A source close to Schumer told Poltico’s Playbook that the incoming Senate Minority Leader supports Ellison for the position as well.
“Without a Democratic White House, Schumer’s view is the DNC is where grassroots organizing in sync with leg[islative] battles should be organized,” Politico quotes the source as saying.
Ellison said he would announce whether he would seek the position on Monday in a conference call with the grassroots group Democracy for Action, according to the Washington Post. Previously, Politico reported that the congressman was reaching out to various state and federal Democratic leaders and members of Hillary Clinton’s campaign team.
Seems that, now that the initial shock has worn off, Democrats are preparing to fight back.
Fine, whatever if it prevents people on the left from being idiots and not voting then go for it.
That’s a good start.
I like Ellison, but then again the Dem party is not trying to attract a middle age white man like myself. Oh, but wait . . . .
Doubling down on the symbolism (multiculturalism) that got white voters enflamed for Trump, I dunno. I would feel really bad for Ellison being used this way. Would he have to give up his seat to do it?