The gloves have to come off when it comes to individual members of Congress who vote for "fast track" and the Trans Pacific Partnership. I'm talking seriously funded primaries in 2016. I'm going to start laying out the case for specific challenges (and a little plan is percolating in my brain) and I know there will be a debate about this.
BUT...a no-brainer has to be this: Debbie Wasserman Schultz cannot vote in favor of "fast track"--which she has declared her support for--and remain head of the Democratic National Committee. Impossible.
This is pretty simple. Yes, when Democrats control the White House, the president is usually the person who decides who the head of the DNC is. And, of course, the president is pushing for "fast track".
BUT: the head of the DNC is supposed to represent all members of the party and its interests. Not just the president:
As chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, she strongly backs Obama but faces intense pressure from fellow Democrats who fear the results of behind-the-scenes trade negotiations.
Members of the Communications Workers of America made it clear to Wasserman Schultz that her position on fast track was unacceptable during this demonstration at her office:
A majority of Democratic Party elected members of Congress in the House and Senate OPPOSE "fast track".
We know that from the most recent cloture vote in the Senate in which 31 out of the 44 Democrats voted NO (for the purposes of the discussion of the DNC chair, I am omitting the two independents--Bernie Sanders and Angus King--who caucus with the Democrats and also were NO votes).
In the House, it's pretty clear that only a handful--right now probably no more than 20 or so--of the 188 Democrats support "fast track". Most leading Democrats in the House oppose "fast track", including senior Democratic leaders like Rosa DeLauro and virtually all the other House Florida Democrats (Lois Frankel, Alcee Hastings, Alan Grayson, Kathy Castor, Corrine Brown and Patrick Murphy have all declared opposition).
The entire labor movement is opposed to "fast track"--and the labor movement supplies tens of millions of dollars to the party, in hard cash and resources (boots on the ground). AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka has already made it clear, along with other unions, that no money is coming to candidates and the partyuntil it's clear where members of Congress end up on fast track and TPP. Trumka would be entirely correct to write to Wasserman Schultz, if she votes for "Fast track" to express no-confidence in her leadership and ask for her resignation and refuse to give money to the party until she does.
This is simple: the chair of the party cannot continue to serve when s/he cannot, and does not, represent the majority of the interests of its members. And, especially, when s/he is in direct opposition to the vast majority of its members on a crucial, defining issue.
Vote for fast track, Rep. Wasserman Schultz. That's your right. But the next day you need to resign as chair of the DNC.