Examining Elizabeth Warren’s Political Identity: Is She Really a Rose? — An Appendix
I have been feeling compelled, while resisting the compulsion to write an appendix to my articles on Elizabeth Warren —“Examining Elizabeth Warren’s Political Identity: Is She Really a Rose?” and “Can the Mainstream Media See Elizabeth Warren Clearly?” Although there has been an uptick in skepticism from the left media, many continue to promote the idea that it’s unhinged to compare her to Hillary Clinton, her advisor, and Bernie is clearly better; and the idea that they are different by degree. The two articles are deliberately limited in their scope in terms of their examination of Warren’s record. In response a number of supporters defend her record by attempting to undermine the limited complaints laid out, as if doing so erases all of her negative history. There remain several aspects of her biography, which seriously contradict her portrayal and make fully clear that Warren and Bernie have completely separate political projects.
- Made almost a quarter of a million dollars flipping foreclosed homes and making high interest loans to family
- When asked about gender confirmation surgery for a prisoner, responded, “I have to say, I don’t think it’s a good use of taxpayer dollars.”
- Wouldn’t disclose the names of campaign bundlers.
Foreign Policy
- Voted in favor of funding Israeli military during Operation Protective Edge, endorsed attacks on Palestinian hospitals and schools, citing Israel’s right to defend itself.
- When asked about the Israeli bombardment of Palestine Warren was caught on camera running away.
- “America has a very special relationship with Israel. Israel lives in a very dangerous part of the world, and a part of the world where there aren’t many liberal democracies and democracies that are controlled by the rule of law.”
- Called Palestinians a demographic threat to Israel
- Signed 2016 letter asking President Obama to veto any UN Resolution to condemn Israel’s settlement expansion
- Made public statements recommending sanctions on Iran because she said they were pursuing nuclear weapons contradicting intelligence reports and the position of Defense Secretary, Leon Panetta.
Much of Warren’s legal work was for large corporations against consumers or individuals
- She helped Southwestern Electric Power Company liquidate Louisian’s The Cajun Electric Power Cooperative.
- She helped Traveller’s Insurance relieve itself of a large settlement for asbestos workers
- Helped Dow Chemical escape liability for faulty breast implants.
- Tried to prevent 4 families from continuing their suit against an airplane manufacturer of a crashed plane.
Education
- In Two Income Trap advocated school vouchers.
- Her education advisor is a Teach for America alum and education entrepreneur
- At her rally in Oakland she was introduced by a charter school lobbyist
- At meeting with American Federation of Teachers members in Philadelphia, “When asked about the role the federal government should play in charter school policy, Warren said that families need to ‘support our public schools, ‘ adding that ‘no child should be left behind in a school that’s not functional.’“
Has been supported by at least 30 billionaires in her political career. Among them:
- Marc & Lynne Benioff
- Amy Goldman
- Amos & Barbara Hostetter
- Laurene Powell Jobs
- Henry & Marsha Laufer
- Phillip Ragon
- Haim & Cheryl Saban
- Sheryl Sandberg
- David & Beth Shaw
- Steven Spielberg
- Tom Steyer
- George Soros
- Chris & Crystal Sacca
- Vin Ryan
CEOs and Executives from these companies have donated to Warren, or she received significant contributions from employees:
- Alphabet Inc. — Google parent company, includes
-Fiber — cable alternative
-Verily — healthcare research
-Calico — healthcare research
-GV — venture capital
-Google Capital — equity investment firm
-DeepMind — AI research
-Titan Aerospace — solar powered drones
- AT&T — telecommunications conglomerate
- Bain Capital — investment firm
- Barclay’s Capital — investment bank
- Beacon Health Options — behavioral health company
- Berkshire Group — real estate investment
- BlackRock — investment management
- Blue Haven Management — investment firm
- Brown Rudnick — corporate law firm
- Capital Group — financial services
- Comcast — telecommunications conglomerate
- Global Petroleum
- Goldman Sachs -investment bank
- InterSystems Corp — health care IT systems
- Lowercase Capital — venture capital firm
- MOF Capital — investment management
- NASDAQ
- NBCUniversal
- Nuance Communications — software company that grew by purchasing competitors
- Partner’s HealthCare — hospital and physicians network
- Perspective Capital — investment management
- Schooner Capital — investment management
- Social Capital — investment management
- Raytheon — defense contractor
- Rockefeller Family Fund
- Royalty Pharma
- Rustic Canyon — venture capital firm
- Saban Capital — investment firm
- Soros Fund — investment management
- Verizon — telecommunications conglomerate
- Walton Enterprises
- Walt Disney
- Warner Bros
High dollar fundraisers held to fund her presidential run by
- Meyer S. Frucher — vice chairman at NASDAQ
- Damon & Heidi Lindelof
- John W. Connors Jr. — Boston “power broker”
- Gov. Ed Rendell
Healthcare
- Lobbied to repeal a tax on medical devices used to pay for the ACA
- Her daughter co-founded Health Allies, a venture capital backed health benefits firm later acquired by United Health Group.
- Made clear in 2012 interview that her healthcare philosophy didn’t include single payer.
Talking about the middle class vs the working class
“America was once a world of three economic groups that shaded each unto the other — a bottom, a middle, and a top — and economic security was the birthright of all those who could make it to the middle. Today the lines dividing America are changing. No longer is the division on economic security between the poor and everyone else. The division is between those who are prospering and those who are struggling, and now much of the middle class is on the struggling side.”
“The people who are filing for bankruptcy in increasing numbers every year, it’s not the poorest. It’s not the people at the economic fringes. It’s people who worked hard and played by the rules.”
H/t to Aimee Terese and @philosorob
