Posted on 03/02/2022 6:38:52 PM PST by Mount Athos
Casar will be among the most progressive members of Congress ever to serve from Texas. During his tenure on the City Council, he was best known for supporting cuts to the police department and his fight against the encampment bans that had translated into homeless citizens living in tents in public parks and under Interstate 35 bridges.
He had the backing of prominent progressives like U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, but also the support of prominent locals like Austin Mayor Steve Adler and former state Sen. Wendy Davis.
Rodriguez, seen as his most competitive rival, warned Casar’s policies would set off GOP backlashes, like Gov. Greg Abbott’s successful initiatives to reverse the Austin City Council actions at the statewide level. But Rodriguez lagged behind in fundraising and enthusiasm. He did, however, have the support of Austin and San Antonio Democratic state legislators.
Austin is still going to be Austin, just a little weirder and a little dirtier.
It’s already pretty dirty and a large number of hotels and restaurants have bars on their windows and gates on their parking lots and warnings against leaving things in your car.
Because Congress needs more degenerate, America-hating, ultra-Stalinazi Maoist-Pol Potist loons.
I’m a Longhorn- graduate school 1990. I can’t believe how trashy Austin has become.
When I do one of my Waltz across Texas rides, I avoid Austin and San Antonio like the plague.
Sad because they were both the “Bees’ Knees” back in the 70s & 80s.
I hope all Democrats copy this Bozo so voters diminish their US House of Representatives total elected to under 100. The GOP was under 100 from 1937-1939. Democrats are headed in that direction, and it can’t come soon enough.
DSA likes him, but he’s not anti-Semitic enough for them.
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https://twitter.com/demsocialists/status/1318332824672501765?lang=en
DSA @DemSocialistsDSA is proud to endorse @GregCasar for Austin, TX City Council!
Greg has proven time and again to be a fighter for the working class. He’s an @austin_DSA member and, since being elected to Austin City Council, has worked closely with his chapter on numerous campaigns:
6:26 PM · Oct 19, 2020·TweetDeck
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https://texassignal.com/austin-dsa-no-longer-supporting-greg-casars-campaign/
AUSTIN DSA NO LONGER SUPPORTING GREG CASAR’S CAMPAIGN
BY FERNANDO RAMIREZ | FEB 8, 2022 | AUSTIN, POLITICS
The Austin Democratic Socialist of America said Sunday they would no longer be supporting Greg Casar’s campaign for Congress in Texas’ 35th district.
The announcement comes after a letter detailing Casar’s policy positions on Israel was published last week by Jewish Insider.
In the letter to a local rabbi, Casar pledged to be a voice against anti-Semitism in Congress and said he would support continued “federal aid for self defense of Israel.”
Casar said he was not a supporter of Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS), a Palestinian-led movement that aims to weaken Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories like the West Bank and Gaza in similar fashion to South Africa’s Anti-Apartheid Movement.
“I also believe in the right of the Palestinian people to live in peace, security, and democracy,” Casar wrote. “These are fundamental rights. To arrive at safety and sovereignty for all, I believe the clearest path is a two state solution that will win the peace.”
In a statement by Austin DSA’s leadership committee, the socialist organization said Casar’s support for military aid to Israel and opposition to the BDS movement were “not reconcilable with DSA’s stance in solidarity with Palestine.”
“As socialists and internationalists, we recognize that Israel is an apartheid state that violates the human rights of Palestinians,” the commitee wrote. “We consistently stand against military aid and interventions around the globe, so we of course oppose providing military aid of any kind to Israel. We also support the overwhelming call from Palestinian civil society for BDS. DSA is a democratic organization that has affirmed this position in resolutions at three national conventions and in DSA’s political platform.”
Austin DSA, the largest DSA chapter in Texas, said its volunteer work was reserved for candidates closely aligned with DSA’s platform and principles, writing, “after discussions with the leadership committee and other members, the Casar campaign has rescinded their request for endorsement.”
Israel is the largest recipient of U.S. foreign military financing, receiving $3.3 billion a year largely in the form of weapon grants. Some progressives in Congress have increasingly scrutinized that relationship with Israel in the wake of a deadly crackdown on Palestinian protests in 2018-19 and an aggressive bombing campaign against Hamas in 2021 that mostly targeted and killed hundreds of civilians in Gaza.
In September, several progressive House lawmakers moved to delay a bill to fund an additional $1 billion to Israel’s Iron Dome, an air defense system Israel uses to intercept rockets launched at civilians.
The bill to provide additional funding was eventually approved in a 420-9 vote. Some left-flank members like Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and Cori Bush of Missouri voted against the measure (in a move that would later earn her some flak from supporters, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez voted present.)
“I will not support an effort to enable war crimes and human rights abuses and violence,” Tlaib, the first Palestinian-American woman elected to Congress said at the time. “We cannot be talking only about Israelis’ need for safety at a time when Palestinians are living under a violent apartheid system and are dying from what Human Rights Watch has said are war crimes.”
Progressive New York Congressman Jamal Bowman joined most Democrats in approving the funding measure, a move that caused DSA to consider expelling Bowman from the organization, although they settled on not endorsing the lawmaker for re-election after initially backing his run in 2020.
When I do one of my Waltz across Texas rides, I avoid Austin and San Antonio like the plague.
Sad because they were both the “Bees’ Knees” back in the 70s & 80s.
Austin is the boil on the butt of Texas and San Antonio is the hemorrhoid.....had lots of fun in SA in the old days. Adios
Sad......it was once such a lovely, lively town.....
Sad......it was once such a lovely, lively town.....
It sure was....even if we were able we’d never go back to SA. Never went to Austin I must say......just around the loop.That’s as close as I’d ever want to get......
Commies coming out of the cactus jungle. Shows that we were right all along!
Actually I was referring to Austin......although San Antonio was a lovely, lively town as well.
The Austin I remember....even 10 years ago was quirky, for sure.....but it still retained a respect for community and beauty.....
Now, sadly there are homeless ‘cities’ under bridges....cluttered, filthy, scary
A vote was taken to remove them, but I don’t think authorities followed through.
Actually I was referring to Austin......although San Antonio was a lovely, lively town as well.
Sorry I misunderstood but now they’re just 2 peas in a pod....not 2 cents difference.....sigh
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