The freshman Arizona senator defended hosting a ritzy fundraiser with an uber-rich Trump ally by saying the Democratic Party has become too “pure.”
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.msnbc.com/msnbc/amp/shows/top-stories/blog/rcna206308
Depending on whom you ask, Sen. Ruben Gallego of Arizona is either the future of the Democratic movement or
Kyrsten Sinema 2.0, a self-serving climber willing to abandon his party, and his stated principles, for personal gain.
The first-term senator has been trying to establish his identity as a straight-talking, MAGA-friendly liberal for several months now. During last year’s campaign, he aligned himself with the Phoenix Police Department by
supporting its opposition to a federal consent decree after the Justice Department found that the police force had discriminated against racial minorities for years and violated the rights of homeless people. Earlier this year, he co-sponsored the Laken Riley Act, a MAGA-fueled anti-immigration bill that some of his colleagues
denounced for its potential civil rights infringements — a seeming
about-face for a lawmaker who once vocally opposed racial profiling.
And he drew backlash earlier this year when
he co-hosted a ritzy fundraiser with Trump-supporting venture capitalist Marc Andreessen, whose technocratic “manifesto” in 2023 was derided in
The New York Times as “
A Tech Overlord’s Horrifying, Silly Vision for Who Should Rule the World.” But to hear Gallego tell it, he’s giving Democrats a model to follow.
At a town hall Saturday in Pennsylvania, he defended his fundraiser with Andreessen, arguing that Democrats have become too “pure.” As
Rolling Stone reported:
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The Sinema Playbook 2.0: Ruben Gallego's Rapid Rebranding
Why the people of Arizona are questioning Ruben Gallego’s commitment to progressive values in his early Senate days.
https://threesonorans.substack.com/p/the-sinema-playbook-20-ruben-gallegos
🌵 Ruben Gallego, once hailed as a champion for progressive values, has quickly transformed his Senate image, aligning himself with corporate interests similar to those of Kyrsten Sinema. 💼 Within weeks of taking office, he has supported legislation that empowers ICE 🚓, hosted a lavish donor retreat with high entry fees 💰, and received significant funding from crypto billionaires 🌐. This swift shift raises serious questions about his commitment to the communities that supported him 🤔 and whether he is prioritizing personal gain over the needs of the people he represents. 🏘️
🗝️
Takeaways
🌪️ Gallego's quick support of the Laken Riley Act raises concerns about his dedication to immigrant rights.
🏖️ Hosting a luxury donor retreat with a $5,000 entry fee shows a troubling disconnect from grassroots needs.
💰 A $10 million influx from crypto billionaire Marc Andreessen has serious implications for Gallego’s campaign integrity.
🏞️ The retreat's location on stolen Indigenous lands highlights ongoing social and environmental injustices in Arizona.
🤔 Many wonder if Gallego's rapid shift to corporate alliances was the plan all along.
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