Division in California? ? ?

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https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2022-03-05/california-democratic-party-convention

As California Democrats work to motivate their voters ahead of midterm elections in which their party is largely expected to lose control of Congress, their annual convention on Saturday instead devolved into a showcase of division.

The event, which was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, featured speakers including Vice President Kamala Harris, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Gov. Gavin Newsom, who sought to bring the party together over its successes from the last year. But the bickering between various factions overshadowed the pleas for unity by party officials who argued setting aside differences was vital for their chances in November.

One labor leader accused some in the party of being “openly hostile” to his members and said that the party needed to return to its blue-collar roots.

“We aren’t a charity, and our support is never a given,” said Andrew Meredith, president of the State Building & Construction Trades Council of California, the day after he got into a testy exchange with a committee chairwoman as he unsuccessfully tried to alter the party’s environmental platform.

“We will always put the plight of our own members at the forefront of what we do,” he said. “We must refrain from becoming the mouthpiece for unrealistic policy goals that hurt the working class and hurt the poor.”

Another labor leader denounced the influence of corporate donations and lobbyists on some elected Democrats, punctuating his speech with an expletive.

“They don’t just count on Republicans to carry their water anymore. They turn to Democrats to do their dirty work,” said Art Pulaski, the retiring longtime leader of the California Labor Federation.

A Latino leader warned Democratic politicians to avoid paying only lip service to their voters during campaign season.

“Do not take us for granted,” said Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, adding that Latinos make up 40% of California’s population. “We are strong and vibrant. Our participation in elections will ensure that we go beyond the rhetoric to real change. You cannot say, ‘Sí, se puede’ during the election and then say, ‘No se puede’ when you get elected.”

And the leader of the party’s progressive caucus, Amar Singh Shergill, complained that Democratic leaders did not value members’ concerns.

“We have been silenced, we have been pushed aside, we have been told we are not welcome,” he said during a caucus meeting. “And they’re taking a ton of dirty money and cleaning it to elect the worst people in that world.”

Despite California’s deep-blue tilt, the state’s Democratic leaders emphasized Saturday that the party must work hard in this year’s midterm elections to avoid losing ground to the Republican Party.

Though Newsom overwhelmingly beat back a recall attempt last year, and Democrats control all statewide offices and have large majorities in the state’s congressional delegation and Legislature, party leaders warned against complacency. More than 6 million Californians voted for Donald Trump in the 2020 election — the most in any state in the nation — and Republicans won back three congressional seats in Congress here.

“California has the power to make or break our efforts to keep the speaker’s gavel in Nancy Pelosi’s hands and out of reach for an amoral human being like [House Minority Leader] Kevin McCarthy,” said Rep. Adam Schiff of Burbank. “Make no mistake, should he ever become speaker, he will do whatever Trump demands, including overturning the next presidential election.”

Democrats must focus on protecting Reps. Mike Levin of San Juan Capistrano, Katie Porter of Irvine and Josh Harder of Turlock, and on ousting GOP Reps. Michelle Steel of Seal Beach, Young Kim of La Habra, Mike Garcia of Santa Clarita, Ken Calvert of Corona and David Valadao of Hanford, Schiff said.

“I don’t want to sugarcoat it,” he added. “It won’t be easy.”

Party Chairman Rusty Hicks said he was not concerned that the divisions would harm the party’s efforts this year.

“Any Democrat who is engaged in the robust discussion that takes place in a Democratic organization also recognizes what is at stake in a year like 2022, leading into 2024 and beyond,” he said in an interview. “The future of Democratic control of the House comes through California. And so I’m not concerned that the intense time of fellowship we have with one another is going to distract us from making calls, sending texts, knocking doors, sending post cards and giving to causes and candidates that matter the most in 2022.”

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