Clyburn, Schiff endorse Eliot Engel ahead of competitive primary

[brooklynite]

Source: Politico

House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn and Rep. Adam Schiff are endorsing Rep. Eliot Engel, the pair of Democratic heavyweights offering their full support as the embattled New Yorker fights to hold onto the seat he’s represented for more than three decades.

Clyburn, the No. 3 House Democrat, and Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, have considerable influence within Democratic politics. Both men praised Engel for his longtime service to his Bronx district and tenure as chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee in statements exclusively obtained by POLITICO on Sunday.

“Let me be blunt: We need leaders in Congress with proven records of standing up for civil and human rights,” said Clyburn (D-S.C.), the highest-ranking African American in Congress. “Eliot Engel is not new to the fight for justice and equality — he's been in the fight his entire life, and I have worked with him on these issues for almost three decades.”

Clyburn's support comes as Democrats prepare to move a police reform bill through the House this month, sweeping legislation that’s been offered in response to the national outcry over the police killing of George Floyd. Engel is an original sponsor of the police reform bill.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/14/clyburn-schiff-endorse-eliot-engel-318749

[still_one]

1. Going to be interesting

[elleng]

2. and Jeffries, D-NY.

[TristanIsolde]

3. Who is his challenger ?

[rpannier]

6. Jamaal Bowman

Safe Dem seat no matter who wins

[TristanIsolde]

4. Found him in the link: Jamaal Bowman

It seems this is a safe Dem seat no matter who wins the primary.

[BeyondGeography]

5. Hope this is true, as Engel deserves to lose

Link to tweet

[George II]

8. Why do you say Engel deserves to lose, what he he done or not done....

...to warrant losing?

On the other hand, what has Bowman done to warrant a victory next week? Do you realize Bowman only became a Democrat two years ago?

[BeyondGeography]

9. He has become indifferent to his district

You can read the OP, which includes a link to an Atlantic article that tells you where he chose to stay during the lockdown when New Rochelle was at the epicenter of the pandemic, or you can believe his own words:

Link to tweet

o

The NYT didn’t endorse Bowman for no good reason.

[George II]

10. That little 20-second or so clip has been debunked. We never see what he said before or after that.

[BeyondGeography]

11. You mean the part where the Bronx Borough Pres smacks him down?

[George II]

16. That was in that short clip - there's more to it than that. He didn't "smack him down".

[riversedge]

13. oh my my!! not the thing to say Rep. Engel.

[BeyondGeography]

14. If that doesn't work for you he voted for IWR and opposed the Obama/Biden Iran deal

But AOC endorsed Bowman so, Go, Eliot! Amirite?

[RhodeIslandOne]

17. Katie Porter endorsed him too

Interesting.

[theaocp]

7. Who's going to cry about living in a dictatorship now? n/t

[liskddksil]

12. I'm skeptical that national Democrats

will have much sway in a local primary, such as this.

[SBoy]

15. Sorry to break with my fellow Dems, but Engel has to go

He doesn’t live in the same State as his District and holds his “constituents” in the highest contempt. We need Representatives who will do the needed work for the good of the people they represent.