De Blasio will create liberal 'contract' to influence 2016

[brooklynite]

Source: Crain's New York Business

Mayor Bill de Blasio is turning into a Newt.

The mayor said Thursday he wants to emulate Newt Gingrich's 1994 "Contract With America," but geared toward liberal causes such as income equality. Mr. de Blasio, who has sought to capture the mantle of the nation's leading progressive voice in advance of the 2016 presidential election, stood with a clutch of liberal elected officials and advocates at Gracie Mansion Thursday to announce plans to create a left-leaning version of the contract and convene a presidential forum on income inequality in Washington, D.C. He plans to do both sometime in May, he said.

"The country's heading in a very dangerous direction," he said. "We now have worse income inequality than after the stock market crash of 1929."

Standing alongside Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy and former Obama adviser Van Jones, as well as a handful of others, Mr. de Blasio said he and his group will seek the signatures of as many progressives as they can on their contract before submitting the document in May.

Read more: http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20150403/BLOGS04/150409967/de-blasio-will-create-liberal-contract-to-influence-2016#utm_medium=email&utm_source=cnyb-dailyalert&utm_campaign=cnyb-dailyalert-20150403

[NYC Liberal]

12. TR never served as mayor of New York City (he lost), but he did serve as Governor of New York.

No president has served as mayor of New York, but it's certainly a fairly high-profile position and it's not inconceivable that he would run.

[Jim Lane]

13. No, Roosevelt was never Mayor of New York.

He ran and lost in 1886 (finishing third, in fact).

He later served as NYC Police Commissioner but AFAIK that was his only municipal office in New York City.

As for the mayoralty being a stepping stone to the White House -- it's been a stepping stone to being mentioned for the White House (e.g., Bloomberg and de Blasio) and even launching a campaign (Lindsay, Giuliani, maybe others I've forgotten), but I don't think any NYC Mayor has actually become President.

[JDPriestly]

14. Thanks. I wrote governor and then changed it to mayor. Thanks. I stand corrected.

[salib]

2. Yeah, but let's drop the "contract" and "covenant" meme

And return to the real "deal".

[bvar22]

9. Do you mean the "New Deal"?

If so, I'm signing up.

[rurallib]

10. Agree - the word "contract" bothers me

and anything emulating that sleazebag Gingrich bothers me

[freshwest]

3. Van Jones will help fashion it. No yeah, but's there. He's the real deal. Thanks for the post!

[ananda]

4. Thank you, Mayor!

It's time for progressives to step up and just be
as liberal as they are.

[SoapBox]

5. I'll just bet the impotent media of ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, NPR, PBS...

Won't even mention it. But if it was Pukes and Bagger doing more hits on the 99% they would be all over it.

I am confident that the Hate crowd will vomit up their usual on Van Jones.

[libdem4life]

7. I'm seeing just a wee bit of the 100th Monkey here...the tipping point...their crap

is stinking a bit more than usual. Van Jones is so classy. I'm calling for a "Slippery Slope" watch...we're getting some unbelievable wins on LGBT issues, potential Hispanic as Democratic VP, Warren stirring up JPMorgan financial hexes and lots of other really good things.

Notice how certain Governors had to eat their legislative babies recently. More of those to come, I predict. Lots of WTFs from good ol' (boys, girls, straights, whites) folks.

Think Progressive and Strong.

[Gloria]

15. Well, MANY years ago I wrote an essay when I thought we

were at a "100th Monkey" moment....It was on the old Buzzflash and on my own little site.

The problem is....gerrymandering. How many million votes did the Dems over the GOP and STILL they won and even gained
in the House??

And women are sure suffering at the hands of the bastards...losing all our gains re: our own bodies!

[libdem4life]

16. Yes, we are in many ways. One thing I left out but I think is also crucial

to the LGBT cause, is that they aren't or haven't been "easily definable" like women and minorities, so, as long as closeted for the most part, have had economic opportunity they would not have had by being conspicuous, or coming out. And, who knows how many are still closeted.

The corporations know this because it means money to them. Suddenly, shocked family members, many of whom probably already knew to some extent (Arkansas Governor Hutchinson) now have to deal with the issue of not only their vile bigotry, but the pain of their gay family members.

I have two gay nieces whose mothers, my older sisters, are rabid Right Wingers. One buckled almost immediately at the coming out, and realized she was wrong and how her daughter had suffered and she's been trying ever since to make it up to her. (20 years ago) She now has her PhD and works in DC.

The other, didn't give in so easily. It was a long process, but she lost her relationship with her daughter, and is just barely tolerant. She is now a college administrator at Colorado State and is in a long-term relationship. (around 20 years ago, as well)

Also, social media...things happen faster, for good or for ill, so I'll take progress for now and wait for success.

PS...did you Have to say MANY years ago? LOL

[valerief]

6. Wow. The Contract ON America years really fucked us up big time.

Just imagine what a liberal version of that would be like. The reverse of "fucked us up."

[libdem4life]

8. So after getting "fucked up", we "give birth to" a beautiful, bouncing baby of

Liberal Joy. I'll take my turn babysitting. LOL

[eomer]

11. A newt?

... I got better.

[BrotherIvan]

17. I would like to follow this story

Guardedly hopeful.