🔥 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.
😽 Keepin’ It Simple Summary for Younger Readers
👧🏾✊🏾👦🏾
🌵 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.
#NoMamesGallego: How Arizona's "Progressive Champion" Speedran the Sinema Sellout
Remember when we thought we'd finally freed ourselves from Kyrsten Sinema's corporate-friendly politics? Qué inocentes fuimos. Not even a month into his Senate tenure, Ruben Gallego is already showing us that the only thing he learned from Sinema's playbook was how to follow it más rápido.
Let's break down this speedrun, shall we? Ay, que vergüenza...
Week One: While our immigrant communities are fighting deportations and family separations, Gallego throws his support behind the Laken Riley Act faster than a tumbleweed crossing I-10. Suddenly, the progressive warrior who once championed immigrant rights is cool with ICE detaining folks without conviction. Órale, what happened to "standing with the community"?
Week Two: Our boy decides to host a luxury donor retreat at L'Auberge de Sedona - you know, that modest little spot where rooms start at $1,809 per night. The special guest? Crypto billionaire Marc Andreessen, who's been hanging out at Mar-a-Lago "helping" Trump. Normal progressive behavior, verdad?
The invite suggests donations of $5,000 to attend the retreat, which is set to take place over three days at the luxury oasis L’Auberge de Sedona… Donations will benefit Gallego’s leadership PAC, called Juntos PAC.
The cherry on top? Gallego's doing this while serving as the ranking Democrat overseeing cryptocurrency regulation. (internal screaming intensifies) Even Sinema waited a decent interval before joining Coinbase's advisory board. At least she had the courtesy to pretend there wasn't a revolving door.
But wait, there's more!
Remember that sweet $10 million that mysteriously appeared to boost Gallego's campaign through "Protect Progress"? Turns out it came from Andreessen's firm, which dumped $138 million into crypto-friendly super PACs last cycle. Qué casualidad!
The absolute audacity of hosting this retreat on stolen O'odham and Yavapai Apache lands while our communities are battling water scarcity, unaffordable housing, and environmental destruction from unchecked development... I mean, #NoMamesGallego, for real.
You'd think after watching Sinema torch her political career by betraying her base, Gallego might have learned a different lesson. But nah - my man saw her trajectory and thought, "I can do that faster."
To all the grassroots organizers who knocked on doors in 115-degree heat to elect this "progressive champion," I feel your pain. We traded Sinema for Sinema 2.0: Desert Thunder edition.
Meanwhile, in actual Arizona news, people are still struggling to pay rent, the water crisis deepens, and developers keep paving paradise to put up another luxury development. But I'm sure Gallego will get right on that after his poolside strategy session with the crypto bros. Claro que sí...
At this rate, he might even beat Sinema's record for the fastest transformation from progressive fighter to corporate-friendly moderate. Achievement unlocked, I guess?
Mientras tanto, those of us actually living in the communities he claimed to represent are left wondering: was this always the plan, or did the DC water hit differently?
One thing's for sure - the only thing more reliable than Arizona sunshine is watching our "progressive" politicians sell out faster than parking spots at First Friday.
So ¿qué hacemos? Here's how we keep the pressure on:
Join LUCHA Arizona's weekly organizing calls - they're tracking Gallego's votes and coordinating community response. La lucha sigue.
Support Indigenous water protectors fighting resort developments like L'Auberge on ancestral lands. Oak Flat Defenders and O'odham Anti Border Collective are doing crucial work.
Call Gallego's office daily at (202) 224-4521. Remind his staff that we're watching these votes and luxury retreats. No se hagan.
Follow @AZWaterDefenders and @AZPeoplesPower for direct actions and mutual aid opportunities. Show up when they put out the call.
Document and report on every corporate meeting, every developer-friendly vote, every betrayal of progressive values. Ya basta with the backroom deals.
Two questions for the comments, mi gente:
What other "moderate evolution" moves should we expect from Gallego? Another border wall vote? Maybe some private prison funding?
How do we build real progressive power in Arizona that doesn't sell out the minute it reaches DC?
Drop your thoughts in the comments below. And remember - Sinema didn't build that revolving door alone, and neither will Gallego. Time to organize. ¡Hasta la victoria!
#NoMamesGallego #AZPolitics #SinemaWithABeard #CryptoBros #VendePatrias #LaLuchaSigue
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David you have OUTDONE yourself! This article is right on the money! I was pretty happy with the chant i tried to start at his office the other day” gallego gallego no sea tan pendejo” but you’ve got me beat. I was JUST recently making the argument that when Dems say “ we will support incumbents” we really ought to say “ we will defend democratic seats” because here in our blue red paisley state the two are often not the same. I always appreciate your tone, but here it so mirrors my own cynicism about this particular situation that i have to really hand it to you! Thanks!
Ruben Gallego is a symptom and prime example of why the DemocRats have lost everything. There have LONG been too many "moderates" and people who cannot be trusted to oppose the Right (read: Trump). One case in point is the odious Joseph Lieberman of CT, who was the first DemocRat to cross lines and approve the nomination of Clarence Thomas. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema were two other undesirables. And, of course, Nancy Pelosi insisted on supporting anti-choice Rep. Henry Cuellar over progressive Jessica Cisneros, who lost by only 289 votes: think how that result might have changed with Party support and funding to the progressive challenger! The results? Trump, GOP control of both houses, ReThuglican control of the Extreme Court, and Musk's seizures of so many agencies. Shameful!