Minneapolis Congressman Keith Ellison, who’s about to begin his second term, is vying to become head of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, according to the D.C. paper The Hill.
No, I’ve never heard much about the Congressional Progressive Caucus, either. It’s apparently a step down from the Congressional Black Caucus, which is snatching current CPC co-chair Barbara Lee. But the Hill notes the Progressive caucus will swell to 80 members in January, and have more influence given the Democrats’ election year sweep.
Ellison is fighting above his weight, or at least his seniority. He’s running against incumbent co-chair Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.), a nine-termer who looks like she can pull scads of PAC money from her Marin-Sonoma district, and Arizona Rep. Raúl Grijalva, a four-termer, who The Hill says was rumored to lead the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
The CPC is apparently dumping its co-chair structure so all the crabs are fighting in one pot.
[Hat tip: MnPublius.]
Looks like Woolsey is indeed formidable–she got Cindy Sheehan into the 2006 State of the Union, is a self proclaimed former “welfare mother”, tried to revoke the Boy Scouts charter, and wrote on Congressional stationary to ask for clemency for a rapist (denied). But we can dream — Go Keith!
Great organization, the 5th would be so proud. They promote “a crackdown on free trade and corporate welfare, an increase in income tax on the wealthy, tax cuts for the poor, and an increase in social welfare spending by the federal government.” (Wikipedia).