In 2013, Kshama Sawant was elected in a non-partisan Seattle city election for City Council. She is running for re-election this year. This story says some Seattle Democrats favor inviting her to party-sponsored debates, but other Democrats object. Washington state voter registration forms do not ask about party affiliation, so whether someone is a member of one particular party is often ambiguous.
From the article cited, written by Deborah Wang:
“The concerns raised were that as a local Democratic group, our mission is to elect Democrats, and by lending our name, we were giving this stage to someone who is not a Democrat,” Corrado said.
So the 37th District Democrats’ executive board pulled out of the forum and decided to hold its own —without Sawant. It also declined to extend an invitation to Josh Farris, a housing activist who is running against incumbent Bruce Harrell in City Council District 2. Farris, a Sawant supporter, says he’s an independent.
You can imagine the response from Sawant’s supporters.
“I felt outraged,” said Jeanne Legault, a Democratic Party activist who supports Sawant. She helped draft a petition to have Sawant included in the forum. It was signed by 76 members.
Legault said it shouldn’t matter what party Sawant aligns herself with, as long as she agrees with Democrats on key issues.
“I think we need to open our tent a little bit, and include other minor party organizations, like the Green Party or the Socialist Party or whatever, because we are all on the same side and we are stronger working together,” Legault said.
After receiving the petition, the 37th District Democrats decided to cancel its candidates’ forum entirely.
Gee, I honestly thought it was the “Hammer and Psycho”, the symbol of the Seattle Carpenter’s Union and their demand for a minimum living wage of $36.53 per hour, based on a 40-hour workweek .
“Hammer & Cycle” is the symbol of the Red Angels, a new pro-communist bikers club. They would do well to avoid the Cossacks!
Ah Terry. Don’t you mean hammer and sickle?
1. Legault said it shouldn’t matter what party Sawant aligns herself with, as long as she agrees with Democrats on key issues.
2. After receiving the petition, the 37th District Democrats decided to cancel its candidates’ forum entirely.
Clearly, what we have here is a disconnect between ideological democrats (i.e. socialists) and
the pragmatic political professionals who (generally) run the Democratic Party. IOW; “lets tap the collectivist sentiments of the left WITHOUT painting a hammer & cycle on our back”
Good luck with THAT!