For the second time in a week, Senate Minority Leader and Nevada Senator Harry Reid has said something that is approved by liberals and progressives alike: he supports Bernie!
In more specific terms, on Saturday, Reid backed the candidate for the DNC chair that Senator Bernie Sanders put forth earlier this week.
Sanders’ choice of Minnesota Congressman Keith Ellison is a wonderful one, especially considering he was one of the few who predicted Trump’s success well over a year ago. One of two Muslims in Congress, Ellison has campaigned with and been supported by Senator Sanders throughout 2016.
In a statement provided to the Huffington Post, Reid said:
“My friend Keith Ellison is a terrific leader and a strong progressive who knows how to get things done. Now is the time for new thinking and a fresh start at the DNC. Now is the time for Keith.”
Reid’s support of Ellison is surprising, considering especially that some key establishment players are also in the running for the chair. Failed presidential candidates Martin O’Malley and Howard Dean have also made their interest in the position clear.
The selection of the next chair is a key test of the fading Democratic party. Will leadership recognize that the old way of doing things is dead, or will they continue to plod on toward continued losses and failures?
May this truly be a turning point in the party. If Reid can recognize his party’s massive failures, maybe there is hope still.
