This is another excellent interview with David Sirota. And what I found most chilling was at the end of this program when David said, "I think the Republican primary is going to be, essentially, an arms race for how extreme each candidate can try to position themselves....I also think, on the Democratic side, seeing whether the party is going to pursue an agenda which says, 'We are a party that is going to deliver for the working class,' or whether the party is going to try to position itself in much the way you heard Joe Biden try to — starting to try to position himself, as a, quote-unquote, 'bipartisan conciliator.' My view is, is that the Democratic Party has a very, very serious risk in this election if it is not constantly showing that it is delivering for the working class, if it is trying to only show that it wants to work with Republicans, instead of saying, 'Our agenda is to deliver real material gains for the working class.” If the party’s agenda is not that, if it is more of a bipartisan conciliation message, I think that puts at risk in a very real way the 2024 election.'"
This is not the first time that we've been warned of the dire consequences if the power of neoliberalism continues to trump democracy and the true needs of Americans and perpetuate the suicidal path we are on — a path that is leading our nation straight into fascism and the extreme vulnerability of not being able to sustain a habitable planet. May we listen and learn and act consciously, wisely, and on behalf of a highest good for our nation, other nations, and the planet. — Molly
David Sirota of The Lever talks about how Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’s fundraising for his 2024 presidential bid could be hindered by a federal pay-to-play rule that restricts campaign contributions from financial executives to state officials who control pension investment decisions.
AMY GOODMAN: Let me ask you about your piece on Republican presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis — right? — the Florida governor, headlined “Florida Lawmakers Help DeSantis Shovel More Cash To Wall Street,” in which you report how DeSantis’s fundraising for his 2024 presidential bid could be hindered by a federal pay-to-play rule that restricts campaign contributions from financial executives to state officials who control pension investment decisions. Explain.
DAVID SIROTA: Ron DeSantis, as the governor, is one of three people who control Florida’s massive public employee pension system. About 10, 15 years ago, an anti-corruption law was passed, in the wake of corruption scandals at pension systems, which said, basically, that the financial managers who are given money to manage by public officials, to manage those moneys on behalf of retirees, they cannot give money to politicians who control that money, because the decisions about who gets to invest those moneys need to be made based purely on merit, not on political influence.
As we report at The Lever — and folks can find at LeverNews.com — our story shows that DeSantis — under DeSantis, Florida pension money was moved to various financial firms whose executives were giving money to political groups that ultimately ended up boosting Ron DeSantis’s political campaigns. Now, there’s a question about whether they used intermediary groups to try to get around that very clear anti-corruption law.
My view is, is that the Democratic Party has a very, very serious risk in this election if it is not constantly showing that it is delivering for the working class, if it is trying to only show that it wants to work with Republicans, instead of saying, “Our agenda is to deliver real material gains for the working class.” If the party’s agenda is not that, if it is more of a bipartisan conciliation message, I think that puts at risk in a very real way the 2024 election.
AMY GOODMAN: David Sirota, award-winning investigative journalist and founder of the news website The Lever. We’ll link to your pieces, “This Is What Biden Says Is A 'Big Win,'” as well as your piece on Ron DeSantis and Wall Street.
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