‘Real’ U.S. Democrats demand change

GRASSROOTS PUSH

CHICAGO • On a clear, bright morning in Chicago, Marie Newman lists all the ways Dan Lipinski, a seven-term congressman, has failed the city.

“This guy has been getting away with horrible, dangerous views and votes for 13 years,” she said. “He’s done absolutely nothing for working families. He’s on a mission against women for sure … He is anti-immigrant.”

Such attacks are not unusual between political opponents. The difference is both these candidates are Democrats.

Newman entered politics for the first time not just to try to unseat Lipinski, who represents Illinois’s 3rd congressional district in Washington, but also to send a message about the future of her party.

“He is a registered Democrat but he is not a Democrat,” she told The Telegraph. “I’m a real Democrat. I’m a true Democrat.”

Her issues are shared by “progressives:” a $15-anhour minimum wage, government-funded health insurance for all, better protections for migrants and gender equality.

Lipinski backs the $15 wage, but opposes abortion on grounds of faith and voted against immigration reform, Obamacare and marriage equality.

“Some people call for a Tea Party of the Left in the Democratic Party, which I think is disastrous,” he said.

Whether politically wise or not, the calls are growing louder at the grassroots. Since the 2016 election defeat, scores of activist groups have emerged pushing that very message.

Justice Democrats is one of them, created by a handful of Bernie Sanders aides after the socialist’s push for the Democratic nomination fell short. The group is calling on left-wingers to “take the party back” by challenging moderate Democrats at the midterms.

“What we wanted to do was to take the political revolution to Congress,” explains Waleed Shahid, the group’s 27-year-old communications director, who takes inspiration from Momentum, the Jeremy Corbyn activist group in Britain.

Justice Democrats rely on small donations for funding and have a support base of thousands ready to make calls and knock on doors. The movement is causing ripples to surface right at the top of the U.S. political landscape.

Dianne Feinstein, a Democratic California senator, lost her local party’s support last month to a left-wing rival.

Democrat HQ has been accused of blocking “radical” challengers.

Senators expected to seek the Democratic presidential nomination — Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Kirsten Gillibrand — voted to keep the government shut down over the lack of a deal to protect illegal migrants.

Newman insists the race is “head-to-head” — though Lipinski’s team claims recent polling puts him in a doubledigit lead.