As tensions escalate in an internal battle between the centrist and left wings of the Democratic Party, a group of progressives is making a move to begin a new left wing party apparatus.
A decision by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee late last month to blacklist vendors that support primary challengers over party incumbents drew a line in the sand against the potential progressive overthrow of the party’s established order.
In response to the new policy, 14 progressive groups Thursday announced the launch of the DCCC Blacklist—a collective of left wing vendors that are bucking the Democratic campaign arm’s directive.
“If we want to fight for a Green New Deal, Medicare for All, free college, getting corporate money out of politics, and an end to mass incarceration and deportation then we need to help build a network of alternative campaign infrastructure to support progressive primary challengers from this DCCC sabotage,” said Waleed Shahid, communications director for the progressive group Justice Democrats, one of the groups behind the new vendor list.
As Common Dreams reported Thursday, reconciliation attempts over the vendor policy stalled out this week. Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-Ill.), the chair of the DCCC, told Politico Wednesday that she had no intention of backing down in her decision.
“We’ve got a policy that the caucus supports, the leadership supports, and it plays the long game,” said Bustos.
That prompted a response from Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), the co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
“It is not playing games for the Democratic Party to be inclusive of all its members perspectives,” said Jayapal.
The divisions over the policy appear to have deepened to the point that there’s not likely a way out for both sides. In a statement about the creation of the new vendor list, Indivisible’s María Urbina said that intentional or not, the policy on vendors would serve to keep the party less diverse.
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