A group of progressives has formed what they call the “Working Families Party” and released Thursday a manifesto, The People’s Charter, obviously aimed at reigning in Joe Biden and his attempt to look like a moderate.
Led by the freshmen congresswomen notoriously known as The Squad, the document demands Biden adopt radical Leftist objectives. While AOC, Ayanna Pressley, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib are the prominent members of the new Working Families Party, there are literally dozens of progressives involved.
They may possibly see as the party replacement for the Democrat Party should it collapse under a Trump and Republican landslide. Or perhaps, a third party that will split from the Democrats.
Those include defunding police, keeping schools closed indefinitely, implementing programs resembling Franklin Roosevelt’s failed public works programs, enacting the Green New Deal and “ending systemic racism,” something that hasn’t even been proven to exist.
That isn’t all, however. The legislative agenda would fundamentally change the face of the U.S. government. While centralized federal government been on the ascendancy for decades, this document would remake government, it’s purpose, function and power.
It Is a legislative blueprint for what progressives plan to push through the House and Senate, Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) said.
One of the supporters of the "People's Charter" is Rep. Ro Khanna (D=CA), one of the most radical members of the Democrat Caucus in the house. (Photo: Scott Morgan/Reuters)
"The aim is a clear agenda that progressives in the House will advance focuses on these big items," Khanna told Fox News. "We will push for Medicare-for-all during the pandemic. We will push for the creation of millions of good jobs in communities left behind. And we will advance a bold vision to tackle climate change and have a livable planet, which is the aspiration of the Green New Deal. I expect at least 80 to 100 House Democrats will support the basic principles and agenda."
The backers of this radical legislative agenda make no secret of the reason for releasing it now. They are fed up with former Vice-President Joe Biden and Sen. Kamala Harris disavowing the progressive programs both formerly endorsed when running for the Democratic nomination.
The radical Left in the Democrat Party reluctantly adopted Biden as the nominee. Their favorites — Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) — failed in their bids for the nomination. The Left even viewed the selection of Sen. Harris, according to Newsweek the most progressive member of the Senate, as a concession to their movement.
In the Wednesday vice-presidential debate, however, Harris abandoned those previous positions in sparring with Vice-President Mike Pence. Moreover, she performed poorly against Pence and is generally considered to have been decisively defeated in the encounter.
Since winning the nomination, Biden and running mate Harris have moved back toward the center, angering their progressive base, prompting the release of the Working Families Party "manifesto." (Photo: Carolyn Kaster/AP)
Harris seemed disconcerted throughout much of the debate, angering progressives particularly when she pledged fracking would not be banned. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) even took to Twitter during the debate to say, “Fracking is bad, actually.”
According to Working Families Party National Director Maurice Mitchell, in addition to fighting systemic racism, the manifesto — our words, not his — calls for Biden and Harris to work to eliminate housing and zoning regulations “that enable segregation,” put 1.6 million people to work in the public sector and taxing billionaires and corporation heavily.
Further, the party demands investment to fight climate change. Their plan is to give the pubic an ownership stake in in corporations that receive financial bailouts during economic difficulties. It would also force oil and gas companies to by bought out, the proceeds going to the climate change agenda.
Mitchell claims this is “really good police — this is what people actually want.”
Thus far, neither the Trump campaign nor the Republican Party and its Senate and House campaign arms have commented on the Working Families Party or its apparent platform.
Perhaps they just want to let it speak for itself and let the voters take their course.
Democrat National Communications Director Brandon Gassaway expressed annoyance with the new group Thursday morning, saying their publishing of the People's Charter this close to the election hurts the party's message.
One might speculate that, given the group has called itself a "party," they don't really care if it hurts the Democrat's message. One might surmise they intend to replace the Democrat Party.
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