The New York Times‘s Jonathan Martin reports that congressman Keith Ellison is “facing increasingly vocal resistance” from influential groups within the party over the Minnesotan’s effort to become Democratic National Committee chairman. That resistance apparently includes Jewish organizations like the Anti-Defamation League, which on Thursday said Ellison’s recently discovered comments about Israel’s influence on American politics were “disqualifying”, as well as some unions.
Here’s Martin with more:
Jewish organizations are not the only ones opposing Mr. Ellison. Leading Democrats, including some of President Obama’s loyalists, want a full-time party leader and are hoping others will enter the race, which will be decided by a vote of party committee members in February. Despite quickly winning support from Mr. Schumer and other liberal titans such as Senators Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Mr. Ellison has drawn increasing skepticism. Firefighters, some building trades unions and the food and commercial workers have all used recent meetings of the A.F.L.-C.I.O. to advocate against making what they see as an overly hasty endorsement of Mr. Ellison’s D.N.C. candidacy by the labor federation, according to several Democratic officials familiar with the discussions.
