CPC endorses Brown over Turner

The Lever reports that the Congressional Progressive Caucus is turning its back on one of the most progressive candidates to ever run for public office: Nina Turner. Instead they decided to endorse the neoliberal primary incumbent, Shontel Brown. This after the CPC endorsed Turner when the two first competed for the position:

"Brown racked up support from the fossil fuel-funded, pro-Israel DMFI PAC (support she requested), Ohio Republicans, and a contractor that she had awarded $17 million to as a city councilor, a potential tit-for-tat that resulted in an ethics probe. [...] DMFI PAC and the corporatist dark money group Third Way spent $2.4 million promoting Brown and opposing Turner."

But Brown immediately joined the CPC thereafter despite obviously not being a progressive. "She also joined the CPC’s adversary caucus, the New Democrat Coalition, which includes several CPC members." 

So Jayapal's excuse is that she's an incumbent member so she gets the endorsement pro forma. This is yet another example of the CPC catering to establishment process while surrendering progressive values and policies. We've seen it before when they surrendered on the $15 minimum wage and backed out on their pledge to not pass the infrastructure bill before Build Back Better, now dead, passed the Senate. Many of us progressives are doubting that the CPC is really committed to us, instead just paying lip service for our votes. And endorsing Brown adds further to that doubt.

"But if the strategy ends up with the caucus endorsing a candidate who ran a campaign backed by pharmaceutical lobbyists, the pro-Israel lobby, and Republicans — all constituencies whose interests are vehemently opposed to the CPC’s agenda — against a progressive like Turner, the inside game has gone awry."