Thread by @joefirestonephd

@IndLeftNews @BenSpielberg @jimmy_dore (1) The #ReplacePelosiJan3 & negotiate w/other Speaker candidates 2 THEN #ForceTheVote + get more changes campaign was drowned out by the FTV movement. Today, the FTV ppl on the ground in DC r condemning Squad votes 4 Pelosi. Way too little & way 2 late.

@IndLeftNews @BenSpielberg @jimmy_dore (2) But, a more important 1, is that the Squad felt free 2 decide how 2 vote on Pelosi w/o consulting the ppl's movement. These advocates of bottom-up democracy did not practice it all when it came 2 the most important decision they would make during the next 2 years.

@IndLeftNews @BenSpielberg @jimmy_dore (3) They're not the only ones of course. Bernie Sanders did the same thing when he dropped out of the pressidential race. His "Not me. Us!" movement suddenly turned into an "it's my decision alone", affair. That enraged me at the time. It still does. After extracting all that ...

@IndLeftNews @BenSpielberg @jimmy_dore (4) work & money, often from poor ppl, he didn't feel he had to consult w/anyone else but, at most, his inner circle about whether it was time to support Biden or not. Going beyond progressive "leaders" however, I think all our politicians in our "democracy" feel free 2 take ...

@IndLeftNews @BenSpielberg @jimmy_dore (5) support of all sorts from us w/out involving us in decisions they are taking that are critical to our lives. Very few of them talk bottom-up democracy, but even those who do, practice top-down democracy, in which they mobilize us for fundraising & 4 coming out to vote 4...

@IndLeftNews @BenSpielberg @jimmy_dore (6) them, but when there is that big issue to weigh in on, we don't hear from them asking about what they ought to do and why. What percent of Squad supporters do you suppose wanted them 2 vote to re-elect Pelosi & her team of oligarchs 2 lead the D party in the House. 5%? 2%?

@IndLeftNews @BenSpielberg @jimmy_dore (7) Pelosi has approval from 20% of Americans, but among the progressive movement ppl who contributed so much to Squad elections I'd be surprised if even 2% think she's done a good job. Yet the Squad felt free 2 vote 4 her? Ridiculous! Anyway, my point here is that the left

@IndLeftNews @BenSpielberg @jimmy_dore (8) needs 2 develop 2-way communications channels ppl can use easily & rapidly 2 influence decision making of elected leaders on a daily, continuous basis. The lobbyists 4 big money r there every day in Congress grabbing mind share of Reps, but ppl r not. That has 2 change.. .

@IndLeftNews @BenSpielberg @jimmy_dore (9) Take the Speaker election issue; the day after the election was over Pelosi began lining up ppl 4 her re-election fight. But where were we? Were we lining up the enhanced Squad 2 oppose her? We wanted MFA in the worst way, were we telling the Squad what we wanted & would ...

@IndLeftNews @BenSpielberg @jimmy_dore (10) not tolerate a leader who had said we would never get it, who was also opposed 2: the GND, free college, student debt elimination, paid family leave, expanded SS, inexpensive public housing, a JG, a BI, a House where floor votes r controlled by an oligarchy? No! We ...

@IndLeftNews @BenSpielberg @jimmy_dore (11) ignored the upcoming leadership issue, or procedural issues in Congress, or others important 2 our futures & focused on Trump, Covid, s-checks, & Biden's cabinet . All understandable, but inattentive 2 what was around the next corner that would shape the next 2 years.

@IndLeftNews @BenSpielberg @jimmy_dore (12) The progressive movement needs a way of anticipating key votes & mobilizing 2 influence them way before they happen. We all knew the vote 4 Speaker was coming; we knew Pelosi was weak; we knew she was opposed to most of what our movement wanted. So why the hell did we ...

@IndLeftNews @BenSpielberg @jimmy_dore (13) wait 2 mobilize until a bit more than 2 weeks before & more than a month after convos started between Pelosi & progressives in Congress. & why the hell did we then mobilize around a policy issue that wasn't even going 2 come up until after key issues of institutional . ..

@IndLeftNews @BenSpielberg @jimmy_dore (14) power were settled that were going to have a profound effect on the key policy issues we cared about? These failures were ours, but also the failures of the Squad & other progressives. After all, when those convos started the Squad & the CPC leaders could have been ...

@IndLeftNews @BenSpielberg @jimmy_dore (15) transparent. They could've alerted us 2 the beginning of bargaining. They could have asked us 4 our views. They could've done their part in getting us involved w/a process that was going to affect our lives. It's on us 4 not being alert & demanding they do so, but it's on ..

@IndLeftNews @BenSpielberg @jimmy_dore (16) them 4 not including us in the process. So, 4 the future there are some things we need to do. (a) We must make our reps understand that they owe us both transparency + inclusiveness in their decision making if they want volunteers & funding. Second, we must slow down on . .

@IndLeftNews @BenSpielberg @jimmy_dore (17) contributing either work or funds 2 them until they acknowledge error in voting 4 Pelosi & promise transparency + inclusiveness in the future. (c) We must continue 2 pressure them to force a floor vote on #MFA & other key issues in the House; (d) We must pressure them 2...

@IndLeftNews @BenSpielberg @jimmy_dore (18) change the rules again 2 completely eliminate #paygo, & even more importantly, 2 adopt a new rule of the House that will trigger automatic floor votes 4 any bill that gets 20 co-sponsors in the House. Such a rule is of enormous importance because it would do a great ...

@IndLeftNews @BenSpielberg @jimmy_dore (19) deal 2 democratize the House by reducing the power of the Speaker & the Committee Chairs to determine what gets to the floor and what does not. BTW, if such a rule had been in place in 2019, #MFA would long since have gotten a floor vote in the House.

@IndLeftNews @BenSpielberg @jimmy_dore (20) And finally, (e) the movement needs to set up its own early warning system 4 key votes likely 2 come before Congress. Perhaps that's a service #MPP could do 4 the movement, increasing its own credibility, & would set it up as center of resistance 2 the oligarchy.

@IndLeftNews @BenSpielberg @jimmy_dore (21) Btw, a good way 4 the Squad to acknowledge its errors in lack of transparency & inclusiveness towards their base would be 4 them 2 file a motion 2 #VacateTheChair #ForceTheVote See: ballotpedia.org/Fact_check/Whe…"motion_to_vacate_the_chair"_rule_last_used_in_Congress