NY-16: Elliot Engel is running scared

[RandySF]

Link to tweet

?s=20

Dave Weigel
@daveweigel
Eliot Engel talking about @AOC endorsement of his opponent at a candidate forum today:

"This is not a dictatorship. This is a democracy. We shouldn't have one person, from high, even though she's a colleague of mine, think that she can anoint whoever's elected."

[Cha]

1. I like Eliot Engel.. Pelosi backs Engel ahead of tight New York primary

Speaker Nancy Pelosi offered a full-throated endorsement for Rep. Eliot Engel, her support coming as the embattled New York Democrat faces off against a competitive primary challenger later this month.

Pelosi’s backing comes after Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday night waded into the race to throw her weight behind Engel’s challenger, Jamaal Bowman. Ocasio-Cortez’s endorsement of Engel’s challenger is particularly notable considering her influence on the left and the fact that the two represent neighboring districts both covering the Bronx.

“I firmly support Eliot Engel for Congress and I support Alexandria for Congress as well,” Pelosi told reporters Thursday. “I think the people of New York are very blessed to have them both in the Congress.

”
snip//

“Chairman Engel is the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee. He also has unique privilege, which is unique and it wouldn’t happen again ... he is also not only the chairman of Foreign Affairs, he is a senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee,” Pelosi said.
“That wouldn’t happen again — that’s a lot of power,” she added.

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/04/pelosi-engel-new-york-primary-301507

[jorgevlorgan]

2. he was caught on a hot mic at a BLM event saying

"If I didnt have a primary I wouldn't be here." That was sort of the turning point of this race, I think

[Cha]

4. We'll see.. Rep Engel has done a lot of good work..

& Nancy Pelosi wants him back.

Link to tweet

NY State Senator Jamaal T Bailey[/i

NEW YORK – Adding to an overwhelming lineup of fellow progressive Democratic legislators, State Senator Jamaal T. Bailey has endorsed Congressman Eliot Engel for reelection in the 16th District, which includes parts of the Bronx and Westchester.

Time and again, Eliot has stood with me and our community – on issues including equal rights, healthcare for all, funding for our community health centers and fighting back against hate crimes and social injustice,” said Senator Bailey. “Eliot has fought against Trump and his xenophobic policies. He made sure Trump’s budget with billions in cuts to Social Security and Medicare did not pass. Our community can always count on Eliot to be there for us....

https://engelforcongress.com/news-jamaal-t-bailey-endorses-eliot-engel-for-reelection-to-congress/

[Squinch]

11. First, that's not what he said. He said he wouldn't be asking for a speaking spot on

the crowded platform if he weren't being primaried.

Second, welcome to DU. Enjoy your stay.

Engel is a great representative. He shows up in the small meetings where the press isn't and where his constituents are. You know, the meeting where people bring their problems and actually get action on them?

This one statement is being misrepresented and spread all over the DU by new posters and by AOC acolytes. I can only imagine that the same is being done elsewhere.

We need our effective and experienced representatives and primarying them and slamming them is the work of people who are not friends of Democrats. And it is just stupid right now.

[liskddksil]

33. No need to attack new members who are welcome to have

any position they would like to have. The Democratic Party is not a party of group-think and all voices should be at the table. Primaries are an essential aspect of this as long as we all come together to support the nominee after the primary has ended.

[mcar]

34. Thank you for clarifying that

Democrats need to stop doing this to gin up faux outrage against another Democrat.

[jorgevlorgan]

35. "If I didnt have a primary I wouldn't care." the sentence ends after a one syllable word.

He couldn't have said the entire sentence you suggest. The recording is at the link. His opponent has raised over a million dollars and has had some big name endorses switch to endorsing Bowman since that incident. I will support whoever wins that primary, and I think Engel has done good work. Between the two, however, I do prefer Bowman
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/02/engel-hot-mic-296963

[oasis]

3. Over the past two years I've seen Engel in plenty MSNBC/CNN short

interviews commenting about various issues his committees were involved in. He knows his stuff. Dems are going to need exprienced legislators such as he to get are nation back on track when Biden begins his first term.

[Cha]

5. Mahalo for that, oasis.. I could tell by reading twitter threads of others praising Engel..

That he's been busy doing a great job.

I just posted this above.. wanted you to see it, too..

Link to tweet

NY State Senator Jamaal T Bailey[/i

NEW YORK – Adding to an overwhelming lineup of fellow progressive Democratic legislators, State Senator Jamaal T. Bailey has endorsed Congressman Eliot Engel for reelection in the 16th District, which includes parts of the Bronx and Westchester.

Time and again, Eliot has stood with me and our community – on issues including equal rights, healthcare for all, funding for our community health centers and fighting back against hate crimes and social injustice,” said Senator Bailey. “Eliot has fought against Trump and his xenophobic policies. He made sure Trump’s budget with billions in cuts to Social Security and Medicare did not pass. Our community can always count on Eliot to be there for us....

https://engelforcongress.com/news-jamaal-t-bailey-endorses-eliot-engel-for-reelection-to-congress/

[oasis]

7. Engel and state senator, Bailey are working to make cops accountable.

They'll know what to do to get it done.

Thanks, Cha, for posting this info.

[Cha]

9. Yes, NY State Senator Jamaal Bailey & Rep Engel are Working Together

to hold cops accountable.. so long overdue!

You're Welcome.. Thank you!

[Squinch]

15. He's also done a lot of work around immigration and DACA.

He's a guy who shows up even when he knows the cameras aren't going to be there. Last I saw him in person was at a little protest of no more than 200 people with no press coverage. He spoke and he stayed.

[Cha]

16. Good to know, Squinch.. Mahalo!

[Squinch]

17. Mahalo, Cha! And thanks for your post. I so hope we don't lose this good guy.

But it's always great to see you!

[Cha]

19. Thank you! Great to see

your reality based posts, too!

I've been reading so much of what Engel has been doing for Democracy on twitter... & and knew he was being primaried by someone who is backed by justice democrats.. so that it was going to erupt soon.. and here we are.

[Squinch]

20. If I'm not mistaken, Bowman tried for County Executive a few years ago against Latimer.

Bowman is AOC's candidate.

In a debate among the candidates for that race that I attended, all pledged to support the winning candidate after the primary except Bowman, who wouldn't say he wouldn't run third party in a race where a third party race would have given the seat to a Republican.

He didn't end up doing it, but really, what a tool.

[Cha]

21. wow.. Best of Luck to Rep Eliot Engel!

[madaboutharry]

10. AOC seems to like running "the cool kids table" in the lunchroom.

It is hard to take her seriously. She seeks attention rather than putting her nose to the grindstone and learning how to become a serious legislator. Going after experienced office holders who have done good work is not what first term congress people should be doing with their time.

[Hortensis]

27. :) Don't you mean a mostly empty table in a corner?

Although every now and then someone joins Ocasio or another in a statement, maybe 3 self-exiles hang there out of 235. But of course, imagined "cool" no doubt.

Agree so much with what you say. She's kind of fascinating for bravely trying to ride a zeitgeist that snatched her up without any experience or accomplishment, all while being so young we can't get a good idea of who she's going to be. Just how fatally prone to extremist thinking is she -- or not?

When we restore sufficient stability and hope for the future to calm the nation down, what interest there is in kicking over the national table will mostly melt away. Will she still imagine herself leading a wave of radical change, or will she have sensibly set herself to securing her giant socioeconomic leap up to the halls of "corrupt" Democratic establishment power? For sure her youthful novelty will have worn off way before then with the 95% of constituents who didn't vote for her, though, and she'll have been forced to restyle herself. If she wants to stay.

[Mike 03]

8. Engel has always impressed me as a good outspoken Democrat

but I seriously question his judgment after the hot mic incident. His appearances on CNN and MSNBC have always impressed me. Now I know it's just one really bad incident, but what other cynical things does he say that weren't caught on a hot mic? It was just so cynical and we don't need cynical politicians right now, we need people with deep convictions who don't just "phone it in" when it's election time. Just my opinion.

I wish I could just ask him straight, "Why did you make that comment?" Maybe he was anxious and it was a nervous "joke."?

[Squinch]

13. The comment is being misrepresented. He was saying he wouldn't be asking for a

spot on the crowded speaking platform if he weren't being primaried.

You want effective legislators elected? They have to get mic time.

Engel is not cynical, he doesn't phone it in. He is one of the ones who actually works for us.

So great. Let's all get into the circular firing squad formation and take out one of our good voices.

We are assholes.

[Cha]

18. I thought that was misrepresenting what actually

happened but I wasn't sure..

Thank you for clarifying, Squinch!

[Mike 03]

30. Agreed

That's a good post. Except for the part about us being "assholes".

[Cha]

31. lol.. you have a good

sense of humor, Mike.

[Mike 03]

28. Thank you for clarifying.

He never ever struck me as cynical. The reporting of the comment really surprised me; that is why I was wondering if the intention was different than the way it had been reported.

My comments were very measured and I'm not "shooting" anybody. I like Engel, and I'm not voting in that election. I'm interested in why people do the things they do. I just meant, "I wish I could crawl inside his mind and understand why he said what he said."

The way you explained it gives it a much different, more innocent and self-depreciating context. Thanks.

[Squinch]

12. I guess making a true statement constitutes running scared now.

This stunt of Alexandria's, trying to push out an experienced and very, very effective representative, has made me lose the little respect I had left for her.

Why, in God's name, can't she go after Republicans?

[Mariana]

26. Endorsing a candidate for office is "dictatorship"? That's a true statement?

Last edited Mon Jun 8, 2020, 09:33 AM - Edit history (1)

I guess Engel is a dictator as well, because he has made endorsements, too.

[liskddksil]

32. Only their side is allowed to do politics apparently nt

[Tom Rinaldo]

22. Dictatorship??? One person anointing???

His comment here is over the top to the point of absurd. Primaries ARE Democracy. Endorsements are standard operating procedure. Although I generally like AOC and tend to agree with her I actually have no opinion on this particular race because I haven't looked at it. I'm sure a case can be made that AOC is wrong on this specifically, and/or that she is unwise to voice her opinion on someone else's congressional primary race,but Engel's rhetoric here is repugnant.

[Mariana]

24. Rep. Engel has endorsed candidates for office.

Last edited Mon Jun 8, 2020, 09:32 AM - Edit history (1)

He certainly can't claim to be unfamiliar with the concept.

[Mariana]

23. I think Rep. Engel needs to consult a dictionary

Last edited Mon Jun 8, 2020, 09:33 AM - Edit history (1)

because endorsing a candidate for office is not an act of "dictatorship" or an "anointing" or any such thing. In fact, since Rep. Engels has himself endorsed candidates for office, perhaps he should also look up the word "hypocrite".

[theaocp]

25. It's a primary endorsement, not a dictate from on high.

WTF is wrong with Engel? Dude is flailing. "Dictatorship"? Fuck off.

[Renew Deal]

29. She didn't annoying anyone.

He just needs to win his election.