Now that Swalwell is out of the governor’s race, I’m splitting this off of that thread so as not to turn it into a hijack.
I disagree. In order for Democrats to demonstrate that they actually care about protecting the vulnerable and that they have the moral integrity Republicans lack, Swalwell needs to go now.
The picture that’s been painted over the past few days is pretty damning - it was clearly an open secret among CA Democrats for years that Swalwell was an adulterous, degenerate skirt-chaser fond of sending out unsolicited dick pics, and that young female staffers and interns had to be kept away from him for their own good. The higher-ups looked the other way because he won elections and looked good on TV, the rank and file didn’t bother speaking up because they knew they’d be ignored. The only thing that made this untenable was the rape allegation coming out, which emboldened others to tell their stories. The entire machine turned on Swalwell so quickly not because they were shocked by his behavior, but because it was no longer possible to ignore.
The Democrats CANNOT be yet another institution that tolerates sexual predators in its ranks. The Epstein files have made it clear just how many rich and powerful men in this country think their position gives them the right to use women and girls (and sometimes boys) as mere playthings, because the system will insulate them from the consequences of their actions. If we want that to change we need to hold our own accountable as well. I want to send a message to every politician or billionaire or captain of industry - it doesn’t matter who you are or what you’ve achieved, you had better keep your dick in your pants or we will end your career, destroy your legacy, and turn your name into a curse.
Losing a seat for the next 7 months while we don’t have a majority anyway is a small price to pay towards that goal.
Do you have a link to the fact this was an open secret among CA Dems for years? I’m not doubting his accusers but none of the reporting I’ve read has said anything like that.
The letter from his former staffers which I posted in the prior thread alludes to it, and I’ve also seen social media posts from former staff saying the same, eg;
Well that is well and truly disgusting if it proves to be the case. And I’m not talking about the women he abused but the assertion senior staff members and California Hill members knew and nothing was done. There has to be a way people who know these things can feel safe speaking up or being whistleblowers so this is stopped at the outset.
So in the other thread I agreed it wasn’t an emergency, because eh I’m okay with letting an inquiry play itself out even though I was fairly sure (but not certain) he is guilty. I’m still largely of that opinion, however I wasn’t aware this was a widely known pattern among the cognoscenti. That does put a whole different level of stink on all of this and I’m more interested in seeing him turfed out as quickly as possible.
However since he can’t be forced to resign, it doesn’t really change much in practical terms. An inquiry should be called with all due speed and urgency and he should then be expelled by vote if they can get enough of them. There is nothing else that can be done.
I’m curious if Swalwell was in a critical seat if the Democrats would be so quick to kick him out and push him to drop his campaign. And if they should be?
It’s a pity that this plays into the hands of the Republicans so well. If it was one anonymous accusation I might doubt it, but there seems to be more to it than that now.
Dropping a campaign is different because he currently has a legal right to be a member of congress, but no right to be governor. It’s true that he has a right to run for governor. AFAIK, his name will remain on the ballot even if he pleads guilty next week.
As for the critical seat question, every one of these situations is at least a little different. Maybe the next one will be in a swing district. Maybe the accusers will all be Republicans, Maybe the next one will be some combination of sexual harassment and insider trading. Maybe the supposed many years of social media rumors will turn out to be half AI generated.
Then the Republicans will rightly ask why all of a sudden the Democrats care about due process.
Everyone this side of the Green Party knows that Democrats care about the vulnerable. It’s the Republicans who have a caring problem. The Democrats have a due process problem. (Yes, so do the Republicans in different ways.)
In America there is a presumption of innocence. While Swalwell was right to withdraw from the Governors race, he has every right to demand a full investigation.
As I mentioned in the other thread, there was apparently much chatter for a while about “members” with these sorts of issues who turned out to be Gonzales in TX and Swalwell in CA. Gonzales’ reelection primary was in March and the allegations about him went public shortly before (victims setting themselves on fire tend to call attention to things); upon being forced into a runoff he dropped his bid but did not quit the House.
Swalwell’s primary was still a month and a half away, but in his case he may have caught strays from the whole Cesar Chavez scandal and people deeming it timely to step forward.
At this point, House Ethics Committee has had an inquiry going on Gonzales for a month and just announced one on Swalwell. Gonzales had been keeping his head down “letting the process take its course” , but it is now expected that both will be subjected to expulsion motions in the coming days coming from the Floor, one from each party caucus, maybe as soon as tomorrow given there’s now a “one from each side” scenario. It will be ultimately up to the Speaker, the parties’ leadership, and the voting members whether full process takes precedence in either or both cases.
As to the vacancy if it happens, with date and deadline and nomination process variations in each state, in both cases the vote on the special election to finish the current term is distinct from the election of the member to be sworn in on 3 Jan 2027, and the same people need not run in both. It has happened before that the special election happens on the date of the general election, and you wind up with someone serving 50-something days then being replaced by the different winner of the general.
I’m glad he finally did the right thing. If there was only one accuser, he might have plausible deniability but that ship has sailed. As a side benefit, one less Democrat running in the CA jungle primary lessens the odds of two Republicans facing off in November.
I am conflicted about how when Democrats are likely to be skeevy bastards, they still are willing to respect the office/their constituents and step aside when the shit hits the fan. An odd place to find a small measure of… honor?
Also, bye, bye, douchebag.
