The divide between centrist and far-left Democrats was on full display this last week as progressives raged over President-Elect Joe Biden’s decision to appoint Tom Vilsack to head up the United States Department of Agriculture.
The far-left camp wanted Rep. Marcia Fudge to take on the job. However, the President-Elect passed her over in favor of appointing former President Barack Obama’s USDA Secretary. The fact that Biden offered Rep. Fudge the position of HUD Secretary, and Rep. Fudge graciously accepted, hasn’t allayed the anger of those who feel that Rep. Marcia Fudge was passed over for the position.
Progressives strongly dislike Vilsack because he is seen as being “industry-friendly.” During his tenure as USDA Secretary under Obama, Vilsack allowed poultry factories to regulate themselves, sped up the approval process for GMO crops, and failed to craft new, strict regulations that would negatively impact large agricultural firms.
Race is also a big factor in the equation. Rep. Fudge is African-American while Tom Vilsack is a white man who has been accused of mistreating black farmers. In fact, the NAACP President told the President-Elect to his face that he did not want him to appoint Vilsack as USDA Secretary. Rep. Jim Clyburn, who gifted the former VP the Democrat nomination in 2019 by campaigning hard for him in South Carolina, made it clear he wanted to see Rep. Fudge receive the job.
It’s hard to say why the President-Elect chose to shaft Rep. Fudge and her many supporters. His long-standing friendship with Vilsack could be one reason — Vilsack was an early supporter of Biden’s failed 1988 Presidential run and he supported him yet again in 2000. Furthermore, the two worked together during Obama’s time in office, and the former VP seems keen to bring back many of the same people he knew during that time.
On the other hand, it could be that the VP feels that he has “paid his dues” by nominating individuals of diverse ethnic backgrounds to various positions.
In any case, Biden’s decision to snub Rep. Fudge and appoint Vilsack as USDA Secretary is sure to cost him popular support. The Democrats have a razor-thin margin in the House of Representatives and will need the votes of outspoken, left-leaning politicians such as Rep. Ocasio-Cortez and her “Squad” members.
What’s more, it lays bare a clear divide in the party as progressives fight to get their picks considered for important positions while establishment Democrats struggle to push the far-left to the fringes.
Here’s hoping that a divide in the Democrat party will lead to nothing being done. All Democrats ever do is make matters worse.
AGAIN the dems are all about race race race .They don’t care about knowledge only RACE RACE RACE !.
WHO CARES
THESE SORRY “PROGRESSIVES” are about race thereby mAking them the racists. Get rid if all of them ! As in the words of that loud mouth wench of the female species from California, ” Tell them they are not welcome anytime anywhere “and create a scene I can’t figure out for the life of me , why, as ugly as “she” or for a better word, “IT” is, why would anyone give it the time of day to listen to anything it said.?