From the NYT’s yesterday:
www.nytimes.com/...
The matter of What To Do About Bernie and the larger imperative of party unity has, for example, hovered over a series of previously undisclosed Democratic dinners in New York and Washington organized by the longtime party financier Bernard Schwartz. The gatherings have included scores from the moderate or center-left wing of the party, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California; Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the minority leader; former Gov. Terry McAuliffe of Virginia; Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind., himself a presidential candidate; and the president of the Center for American Progress, Neera Tanden.
Bold by diarist.
Who is Bernard Schwartz?
Schwartz is a lifelong Democrat. According to NBC News, from 1992 to 1996 he was the largest single contributor to the Democratic Party. In 1996 he celebrated his 71st birthday with Bill and Hillary Clinton at the White House.[4] In 1998 Schwartz became embroiled in a campaign donations scandal and an alleged transfer of missile technology to China that occurred in 1996. He was exonerated of any wrongdoing in the campaign finance matter after a Justice Department investigation.[5][6][7] Loral settled the missile transfer matter with the Justice Department in 2002, paying a $14 million fine and admitting no wrongdoing.[8]
Schwartz has donated US$1 million to Priorities USA Action, a Super PAC supporting Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.[9]
Capital is worried. They never put all their eggs in the same basket. Since Beto is not catching on the issue of “what to do about Bernie” is going to continue to be a topic of conversation around the fund raisers of the rich and party leaders desperate to maintain the democratic party’s connection to monopolies.
I’d like to know Mayor Pete — what you thought you were doing at that meeting?
You have done great things thus far in your life!
How did it feel to be surrounded by all those powerful people at the meeting (and I imagine them gushing over you) — that you might be the best chance to save the party or at least draw enough votes away from Sanders in the primary? Did those party leaders promise to support you in the future?
You went on the TV networks and lined up interviews on Fox, CNN, the View, Vice, CBS, ABC, The Late Show, and a bunch of other networks. Anyone from that meeting help you land those interviews? Was that a point of discussion?
Mayor Pete — I like you. I had high hopes though. I’m starting to think (based upon your TV interviews) that you are pandering to conservatives by telling them that the city has to better understand conservative values ( as if we have not spent the last 40 years trying to convince people without empathy to have empathy).
I’m starting to think you don’t have the right ideas about Climate Change. Sure, we can tackle the big problems of the day but if you’re saying we need to tackle our institutional problems before we can address climate change — that’s like saying we need a wall before we can work on “boarder security”.
The only institutional changes we’d need to address capital right off the bat is if we win the senate, reducing the number of votes needed to pass legislation to 51 and doing away with the filibuster.
That’s a position only Warren so far has (she has my vote over it). I’m hoping Bernie gets there — but at least I can believe that Bernie can be moved towards that position.
Maybe nothing was discussed at these meetings that had anything to do with Pete & his presidential ambitions.
Maybe it was like Dick Cheney having a secret meeting with Enron & energy executives to discuss the Iraq invasion and business plans (totally harmless)?
Mr. Brock, who supported Mrs. Clinton’s past presidential bids, said “the Bernie question comes up in every fund-raising meeting I do.” Steven Rattner, a major Democratic Party donor, said the topic was discussed “endlessly” in his orbit, and among Democratic leaders it was becoming hard to block out.
“It has gone from being a low hum to a rumble,” said Susan Swecker, the chairwoman of Virginia’s Democratic Party.
Howard Wolfson, who spent months immersed in Democratic polling and focus groups on behalf of former Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York, had a blunt message for Sanders skeptics: “People underestimate the possibility of him becoming the nominee at their own peril.”
The discussion about Mr. Sanders has to date been largely confined to private settings because — like establishment Republicans in 2016 — Democrats are uneasy about elevating him or alienating his supporters.
Capital is nervous. They are looking for a dark horse candidate. I’ll make an unpopular prediction and say that in this cycle that function is going to be regulated to Mayor Pete & Beto.
Be excited, vote for who ever you want, but I’m going to vote for the change candidate this year and that’s gonna be Warren or Sanders.
It would be nice if someone from Pete’s campaign would talk about what he was doing at those secret meetings — otherwise the idea that you’re in the bag for capital and the current establishment will grow and sink your campaign.