By Nolan D. McCaskill
WASHINGTON, Sept 19 (Reuters) - Democrats are seeking to reclaim Congress, but lingering divisions from a bruising run-up to the November election threaten to imperil the party's attempt to claw back power from President Donald Trump's Republicans.
With control of both chambers at stake, Democrats have sought to move past the bad blood of the primaries, but in several competitive states, influential party figures have withheld endorsements or so far declined to campaign with nominees for the November 3 US midterm elections.
In ‌Maine, the governor has yet to endorse the Democratic US Senate candidate. In Texas, a congresswoman has declined to campaign alongside the state representative who defeated her in the Democratic Senate primary. In Michigan, establishment centrists are steering clear of the party's progressive Senate ‌pick. In New York, victorious democratic socialists are criticizing congressional Democrats for joining Republicans in condemning socialism. In Florida, the party has yet to rally behind its Senate nominee.
"Whether you are a progressive or an establishment Democrat or a conservative Democrat, we all have a vested interest in getting every single person over the finish line in November," said US Representative Summer Lee, a progressive Pennsylvania Democrat up for reelection.

#november #democrat #representative #declined

Tomi Lahren, the host of Outkick's "Tomi Lahren Is Fearless."
After breaking out as a 21-year-old creator back in the early days of Facebook-driven political commentary, Tomi Lahren spent the next decade establishing herself as a fixture in conservative media. Along the way, she carved out a massive footprint across Fox News, YouTube, podcasts, and the social media accounts she uses to broadcast her perspective directly to millions of followers.
Speaking of those followers, not to mention the rest of her expansive media audience, here's one thing that surely hasn't escaped their notice: These days, some of Lahren's biggest targets are on her own side.
Lahren, who co-hosts The Big Weekend Show on Fox News in addition to hosting OutKick's Tomi Lahren Is Fearless, has repeatedly called out Republicans and the Trump administration this year over stalled priorities like mass deportations. She's also blamed the party's economic record for making socialism palatable to younger voters, warned that the right is in danger of losing young women, and slammed plans to import foreign beef as a betrayal of American ranchers.
Where others might see that kind of infighting as conservative media splintering into rival factions of podcasters and influencers, however, Lahren told me she views it more as simply the natural growing pains of an ecosystem that's expanding in real time.

#fearless #year #along

The House of Representatives passed a resolution condemning socialism on Tuesday evening, with all but eight House Democrats voting against it.
In a stunning twist of fate, however, the vote would not have occurred if two House Democrats hadn't stepped in hours earlier to help the GOP through a procedural hurdle — blindsiding House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., in the process.
Jeffries later threatened consequences for the pair in a dramatic statement late on Tuesday night, calling their move a "breach of trust."
The resolution passed 220 to 192 with all "no" votes coming from the left, including Democrats' senior leaders: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., and House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, D-Calif.
Johnson Scores Win As Conservative Rebels End House Floor Blockade Over Voter Id Bill

#House #minority #resolution

Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear called socialism a "failed experiment" on Sunday, addressing a new poll that found socialism was viewed more favorably than capitalism by Democrats.
CBS News' Ed O'Keefe asked Beshear about a CBS poll that found 58% of Democrats have a positive view of socialism, compared to just 32% who have a positive view of capitalism.
"What I make of it is that people are struggling. They're struggling because the cost of groceries is too high. The cost of gas is too high. It's too hard to see a doctor, and when you do, the cost of that is too high as well. They're not asking for a lot," Beshear said on "Face the Nation."
He continued, "And right now, they're seeing a system that doesn't work for them. Now, I believe socialism is a failed experiment, but I do believe that we need to get results for the American people, and I think when you look at Democratic governors, you see those results."
Beshear cited some of his work in Kentucky and said Americans just want to see results.

#beshear #socialism #democratic #democrats

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Sunday that he does not back the agenda of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), even as democratic socialists and left-leaning candidates racked up primary wins in the last few months.
"I don't support the DSA agenda, as has been articulated by the DSA itself. Now, you're going to have individual members who have been elected in Democratic primaries and if they are elected in the general in November, will be part of the House Democratic Caucus. It's going to be a broad caucus. There will be progressives. There will be New Dems. There will be Blue Dogs," Jeffries told NBC News's Kristen Welker on "Meet the Press," noting other factions of the Democratic Party.
"What I'm excited about are the candidates who are running to flip seats in November, to deliver us a majority that pushes back against Donald Trump's extremism and moves the country in the right direction," he added.
Democratic socialists and insurgent progressive candidates have beat out more establishment figures in recent Democratic primaries.
The DSA, a nonprofit activist group, is the central organizational machine behind democratic socialism in the U.S., but some candidates may back democratic socialist ideology without being formal members of the organization.

#House

Republican Senate candidate Michele Tafoya, a former sportscaster, said Wednesday that voters told her it was "embarrassing" to be from Minnesota, amid progressive candidates' wins across the state.
In an appearance on Fox News's "America Reports," host John Roberts asked Tafoya about polling that showed her trailing her opponent, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, a progressive who netted the Democratic nomination.
"The cards are stacked against you, it would seem," Roberts said. "No question, you've got a big hill to climb there."
"Minnesotans are exhausted, and John, quite frankly, they're embarrassed. I have talked to hundreds of voters in Minnesota who have told me, 'Gosh, I went on vacation this summer. I didn't want to tell people where I was from because it's embarrassing.' And it's true," she said, detailing how Democrats in the North Star State are wary of shifts in the party toward socialism.
Democrats are set to begin the Minnesota Senate general election with an advantage, according to the early polling from Mason-Dixon Polling & Research. It did not poll specific candidates but reported that Democrats lead Republicans on the generic ballot in the Senate race, 49 percent to 41 percent.

#polling

Palantir CEO Alex Karp on Monday once again warned that AI frontier labs are too untrustworthy for enterprises.
The CEO, who famously studied philosophy and earned a PhD in social theory, implied in Palantir's quarterly shareholder letter that these were the kinds of capitalists who gave rise to Marxist socialism.
"There are Marxist overtones and undertones to our business," he wrote in a letter to shareholders about Palantir's outstanding quarter. "Others, including many of those building large language models, intend, knowingly or otherwise, to capture the means of production of their purported partners."
To be clear, AI labs have hardly cornered Palantir out of the market. Quite the opposite. The skyrocketing use of AI helped Palantir achieve record-breaking results. For its second quarter, the company reported $1.9 billion in revenue, up 93% over the year-ago quarter, and $1.1 billion in profit, "more profit in a single quarter than we did in total revenue in the same period the year before," he wrote.
During the quarterly conference call with Wall Street **** ysts, he explained his **** ogy further, relying heavily on a sort of "tech bro patriot" jargon common among defense tech companies. (Palantir's senior leadership is entirely male.)

#year

Multiple self-identified Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)-linked individuals signed onto a statement extolling "Chinese socialism."
"We, Friends of Socialist China, aim to support the People's Republic of China and to promote understanding of Chinese socialism," the statement declares, in part.
"The global advance to socialism is indispensable if humanity is to survive and to flourish; humanity needs socialism in order to prevent climate breakdown, end poverty, establish global peace and work towards dismantling structural discrimination and oppression," the statement says, characterizing the "record of the socialist countries" as "overwhelmingly positive."
China, Russia, Iran And North Korea Form 'Axis Of Aggressors' That Could Overwhelm Us, Book Warns
The national flags of the United States and China flutter at the Fairmont Peace Hotel on April 25, 2024, in Shanghai, China.

#socialism #peace #democratic

Democratic Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong's campaign told Fox News Digital Tuesday that she does not recall posting on social media in favor of abolishing the Senate in 2021 and said that was not her current position.
Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) co-chair Megan Romer went viral Sunday for confirming that the DSA supported abolishing the Senate, eliminating national borders and prisons, replacing the presidency and the Supreme Court, and more during an interview with Shannon Bream on "Fox News Sunday."
Republican candidate for Wisconsin governor Tom Tiffany said in a post to X that Hong believed in all the ideas mentioned in the viral video.
"This sounds a lot like DSA-backed FrancescaHongWI. Does she want to abolish the police? Yep. Does she want to abolish prisons? Absolutely. Did she call for abolishing the U.S. Senate? Yes. Socialism is knocking on Wisconsin's door. This November, we slam it shut," Tiffany wrote.
Dem Socialist Running For Wisconsin Governor Pushed 'Abolishing The Police'

#abolishing #senate #tiffany

By Johan Ahlander
STOCKHOLM, July 23 (Reuters) - After championing huge policy shifts in Sweden by propping up a minority centre-right government for four years, the far-right Sweden Democrats say they have won the political arguments and now deserve a share of power for themselves.
But it is a demand that could prove a step too far for voters in an election in September, and potentially ‌bring down Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. The prime minister, who once told a Holocaust survivor he would never cooperate with the Sweden Democrats, now says he has lifted those "red lines".
Sweden, the stalwart of European ‌socialism for generations, has undergone a startling rightward shift in policy and public opinion in recent years, especially over immigration in a country where one person in five was born abroad.
The number of asylum seekers last year was down 97% from the peak a decade ago. One of Europe's most welcoming immigration systems has become one of its most stringent: newcomers face employment restrictions, language and culture tests, and reduced welfare payouts. Immigrants who break the law can be swiftly expelled, and others are offered payments to leave voluntarily.

#Sweden #minister #johan

Stephen A. Smith delivered a forceful defense of capitalism and the American dream Thursday on his SiriusXM program, "Straight Shooter with Stephen A.," accusing the socialist wing of the Democratic Party of portraying the United States as the source of Americans' economic struggles.
"This ain't Denmark. This ain't Finland. This ain't Sweden. This is the United States of America," Smith said.
The ESPN commentator argued that the United States remained a destination for people who believe hard work and individual ambition can provide opportunities unavailable elsewhere.
"You roll over to these borders with the vision and the fantasy and the passion that, 'Yo, here I can achieve anything,'" Smith said.
Socialism Vs Capitalism: House Dems Clash Over What Ny Election Results Mean For Party

Infighting has erupted within the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) about the selection of its pick for U.S. president, as the group's influence continues to grow on the national stage and speculation swirls about a 2028 presidential run by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.
The infighting reveals fractures in the roughly 120,000-member group, which has emerged as the preeminent socialist group in America. The division also sheds light on how some Democratic Socialists of America members believe the group can gain a permanent foothold in American politics and deliver on its socialist ideals on a national scale.
Some Democratic Socialists of America leaders have been pushing for an earlier presidential endorsement in place of the group's normal practice of selecting endorsements at its biennial national convention, which is set for summer 2027.
One faction known as the "Groundwork" caucus is pushing strongly for the group to conduct a national member poll and "endorse AOC on day one." The caucus believes an early endorsement will help DSA hold a more influential early role in 2028 presidential politics and "build power for socialism."
Democratic Socialists Of America Leader Says 'Many' In Group Would Be 'Thrilled' At Aoc In 2028

A deepening rift within the Democratic Party is coming into sharper focus as the establishment grows frustrated with the rising influence of the party's socialist wing.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., called out her Democratic colleagues for their "disrespectful" welcome of socialists into the "big tent" party.
"I think that there are a lot of very disrespectful comments that are coming from some parts of the Democratic Party that are dismissing the voters who elected these individuals," Jayapal told CNN.
She made the comments as socialism gains ground within the Democratic Party, with socialist candidates securing major primary victories and unseating established Democrats.
Rahm Emanuel Warns New Generation Of Dem Socialists Don't Like America

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) said a "significant part" of the Democratic Party is being "taken over" by "extreme views" after candidates with ties to democratic socialism recently scored wins in congressional primary races.
Fetterman said during an appearance on Fox News's "Saturday in America" that the rise in progressive candidates signals a growing shift for the party.
"There's a significant part of our party that's getting taken over with these extreme views," Fetterman said.
"You know, whether it's P. Hustle in Maine or the new squad coming in out of New York City or the guy in Colorado, that's the direction that our party's going," he added, referring to Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner (D) by a nickname.
Platner, who describes himself as a "New Deal Democrat" in favor of working-class policies including "Medicare for All," is the presumed Democratic nominee in the Pine Tree State's race for the upper chamber.

Laying the groundwork for a free trade agreement that would remake his nation's economy, Mexican president Carlos Salinas de Gortari loaned crates of art to the United States in the autumn of 1990. Bolstered by a $10 million advertising campaign, the works were destined to be shown in a series of one hundred and fifty exhibitions and events intended to counter Americans' derisive views of Mexico. Illustrating many of the ads was a self-portrait of Frida Kahlo.
Frida Kahlo, Untitled [Self-portrait with thorn necklace and hummingbird] 1940. Nickolas Muray Collection of Mexican Art.
The selection of Kahlo's mestiza visage as the face of Salinas's neoliberal propaganda was as prescient as it was improbable. Within a decade, Frida would become one of Mexico's leading exports. Championed by celebrities including Madonna – who deemed Kahlo her "soul mate" – the artist grew into a global brand in the years that Salinas privatized the Mexican economy and NAFTA lifted his country to the pinnacle of globalization. Mattel brought a Frida Kahlo Barbie doll to market. Frida's name and likeness, known only to an elite in her lifetime, have been licensed for products ranging from sneakers to cosmetics. For those manufacturers, and for the neoliberals who appropriated Kahlo to sell free trade with Mexico, her life of political radicalism is left unmentioned. (Mattel never considered making a doll of her lover Leon Trotsky.)
The peculiarities of "Fridamania" provide the leitmotif of Frida: The Making of an Icon, a sprawling exhibition organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, now on view at Tate Modern. The MFAH curator Mari Carmen Ramírez suggests an underlying cause for Kahlo's many conflicting representations in the opening paragraphs of her astute catalogue essay. Kahlo's iconicity "is not limited to a single image but is plural, resulting from the seemingly infinite number of competing icons that today comprise and perpetuate her myth," Ramírez writes, making the case that the myth entails much more than even the legends of Vincent van Gogh and Pablo Picasso. "The Frida phenomenon is unlike anything else in past or recent history. It is not limited to Kahlo's art-making but extends to all aspects of her social image, innermost character, as well as her attire."
As a "polyvalent" icon with a lifelong habit of narcissistic theatricality, Kahlo has been put in the service of causes ranging from Chicano identity to Mexican dignity, from socialism to feminism, from queerness to disability. All of these have a basis in her life, which also included the role of devoted wife and muse to the muralist Diego Rivera, and the part of avant-garde painter creatively mixing Mexican folk art with Surrealism. Each of these dimensions of her character has attracted different constituencies to the cult of Frida. And many aspects of her identity have come into fashion recently, decades after her premature death in 1954.

CNN's chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins pushed back on President Donald Trump's rhetoric about the rise of democratic socialism in the U.S., which Trump has incorrectly conflated with communism, following several victories from progressive House candidates in New York primaries.
During "The Source with Kaitlan Collins" on Friday, the CNN anchor aired remarks Trump made earlier that day at the annual Faith & Freedom Coalition Conference, where he described democratic socialists as "hardcore Godless communists" and "the most serious threat to our country since its existence."
Collins challenged the president's "border apocalyptic" comments that America could become a communist nation.
"While Democrats themselves have been wrestling with what Tuesday night means for the direction of their party, socialism, much less democratic socialism, is not communism," she said.
She is referring to the string of Democratic primary victories in New York on Tuesday from democratic socialists backed by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D).

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing another blow after a massive wealth tax he warned could cause a wealth and business exodus from the state was officially added to the November ballot.
Despite his opposition, the measure's sponsor, Billionaire Tax Now, announced Thursday that it was officially being added to the state's ballot. The measure, called the California Billionaire Tax Act, would impose a one-time, "emergency" 5% tax on Californians with ****** ets exceeding $1 billion. The tax has been endorsed by socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who called it "reasonable and necessary" "at a time of unprecedented and growing wealth consolidation and income inequality."
However, Newsom, a rumored frontrunner for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination, has come out strongly against the tax, citing fears that billionaires will simply up and leave to states like Texas or Florida.
In a lengthy Substack post on the tax, Newsom wrote, "Last night, it became certain that a wealth tax would be placed on the November ballot in California. I'm voting no."
Socialism Vs Capitalism: House Dems Clash Over What Ny Election Results Mean For Party

A new report from Downtown Seattle ***** ociation (DSA) claimed that Seattle lost thousands of jobs and significant property value in the years since implementing the "JumpStart" payroll tax in 2020.
Monday's report compared Seattle's status with its neighboring city, Bellevue, which has no comparable payroll tax or social housing tax, and found that while Seattle's workforce and property values have shrunk, Bellevue's has remained resilient.
"[S]ince 2020, what we have seen in downtown Seattle is not a 'jump start,' but instead, a slowdown," the report read. "Since being implemented, downtown Seattle has lost around 30,000 jobs. The office vacancy rate increased to 32% in the downtown core. And more than $10 billion in office value has been lost."
Seattle About To Get Ny's Hammer-and-sickle Treatment. Socialism Is Coming Your Way
It continued, "Meanwhile, in Bellevue, dating back to 2020, the city has seen more jobs come to its core, lower office vacancy, and the stability of office building values. This provides a stark tale of two cities and two tax environments just miles apart."

Controversial Twitch streamer Hasan Piker threw his support behind two far-left candidates running for Congress in New York City, arguing their victories would help push the country closer to socialism.
"For the longest time, I thought we were so far away from socialism, and we might still be far away from socialism, but we do have an opportunity right here, right now, more than ever before," Piker said Thursday at a Brooklyn rally for candidates endorsed by the New York chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America ahead of the state's June 23 primary.
Leading the DSA-backed slate are State ****** emblywoman Claire Valdez, D-N.Y., and activist Darializa Avila Chevalier, whom Piker praised as "giants" of the socialist movement.
"We must seize that opportunity, and you all must continue your own disciplined organizing for that to happen," Piker told the crowd. "That is the challenge."
Democratic Socialist Mamdani Ally Mounts Bid For Us House Of Representatives

(Photo Credit: NBC News)
It was party time at Spencer Pratt (R) HQ in Los Angeles on Tuesday night — and NBC News got a real good look at it.
Two buzzed buds giddily dished on live TV to reporter Liz Kreutz about why the ex-reality star was moving on in the LA mayoral race, after earning roughly 30% of the votes in Tuesday’s primary.
One of the fellas — while donning a black striped suit, holding a cigarette and a ****** tail, and looking like a roadie for Crosby, Stills, and Nash circa 1969 — said it was obvious why Pratt resonated: Mayor Karen Bass (D) had wrecked the city.
“H]e’s speaking out against communism and socialism, and it is a real big problem in our cities, especially in LA, where it’s turned to ****** . It’s not an accident,” the Pratt bro said. “They’re doing it by design. Karen Bass wants to destroy our city, and it’s nice to see someone like Spencer Pratt.”

Former Vice President Pence said Sunday that his party has “lost our way,” but also went after Democrats by saying they “have lost their minds.”
During an interview on “Meet the Press,” NBC News’s Kristen Welker pressed Pence on who he would support in the upcoming U.S. Senate race in Texas, as the controversial Republican nominee, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, is set to face off against the Democratic nominee, Texas state Rep. James Talarico.
While Pence did not directly confirm whether he would vote for Paxton if he could, he did say that he has confidence in Republicans in Texas. He also said he could “never” vote for Talarico if he could vote in Texas.
“Look, I — I think, in many respects, Republicans have lost our way,” Pence said in the interview. “But, Democrats have lost their mind. And I think the reason why we’re going to hold the Senate — and we have a real shot to hold the House — is because of the extremism on the Democratic side.”
“I mean, you literally have candidates, not just the mayor of New York, but some of the most prominent voices in the party that are openly advocating for socialist policies and socialism itself.”