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You are here: Home / 2024 Elections / Rising Democratic Stars Open Thread: Rep. Ruben Gallego

Rising Democratic Stars Open Thread: Rep. Ruben Gallego

by Anne Laurie|  March 11, 20236:41 pm| 41 Comments

This post is in: 2024 Elections, Excellent Links, Proud to Be A Democrat, Republican Stupidity, Rising Democratic Stars

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“‘I used to serve drinks at Pete Buttigieg’s little political club at the Institute of Politics,’ @RubenGallego said. ‘I hated them all.’”https://t.co/0jtraMBTrF

— Kara Voght (@karavoght) March 8, 2023

Crappy tagline, pretty good article (by Ben Terris). Don’t miss the nitwit Repub chickensh*ts posturing about their gun-cred:

… When Gallego returned home, the post-traumatic stress from his time in Iraq changed his life.

His PTSD gave him recurring nightmares, often about Marines from his company — 22 of whom had been killed during his deployment. It sometimes caused him to drink and smoke too much. It put a strain on his marriage, which ended in divorce. And it made him prone to what he called “extreme outbursts.”

It also, in a way, made him a congressman.

“I had an addiction to artificial points of success,” Gallego said during an interview in his Capitol Hill office. “Like being able to run for this or run for that.”

Gallego had been ambitious before he went to war, but after, he went into overdrive: entering politics as an operative, winning a seat in the Arizona State House and, in 2015, heading to Washington to represent the Phoenix area in the United States House of Representatives.

His successes were a shield — a way to prove to himself and others that he was doing fine, and a way to keep his mind from having time to wander. “I was always trying to keep myself busy,” he said…

Gallego’s adopted state of Arizona has recently become ground zero for some of the country’s most-crazed politics: “Cyber Ninjas” looking for election fraud where it doesn’t exist; a former dentist turned congressman who was stripped of his committee assignments for posting a cartoon that showed him murdering Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.); a MAGA celebrity, Kari Lake, who still refuses to concede her defeat in the 2022 race for governor. Gallego is the first entrant in a contest that’s almost two years away, but he could well be running against Lake, and also Sinema — the corporate Democrat turned independent who spent much of the past two years stymying her former party’s legislative agenda.

To stand out, Gallego has spent a lot of time talking about progressive politics — with hopes of raising the minimum wage and lowering the cost of prescription drugs.

But Gallego has also made mental health an important part of his campaign. Specifically, his own…

“Americans are starting to understand and trust leaders who have dealt with their stuff,” said Jason Kander. “Because everyone has their stuff.”

After four years of Donald Trump’s chaotic presidency, three years of a global pandemic, screaming matches about what books belong in libraries and an insurrection at the seat of American democracy — voters may have more “stuff” than ever…

On a recent Wednesday, Gallego power-walked down the hall of the Rayburn House Office Building to be on time for a hearing held by House Committee on Natural Resources. In normal times, this committee’s top priorities include overseeing geological surveys, international fishing agreements and historical battlefields. But, since these are not normal times, before the committee could turn its attention to, say, the Mining Law of 1872, members needed to discuss whether they would be allowed to do so while armed.

“How many members feel like they would need to carry weapons into our committee hearings?” Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) had asked, after proposing a firearm ban.

A few hands went up, including freshman Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-Fla.) who was wearing a lapel pin that resembled a semiautomatic rifle, and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) who once owned a gun-themed restaurant called Shooters Grill.

“I feel I need one everywhere here,” Boebert said.

“And would those be loaded weapons, presumably?” Huffman asked.

“Not an unloaded weapon!” Boebert scoffed.

“Do you think we’re going to hurt you?” Luna chimed in later. “We would never hurt you. I would use my firearm to defend you. Just to be clear.”…

Boebert made the point that there were “unhinged” people out there, and that there were plenty of examples of political violence to point to as cautionary tales: the time a deranged gunman shot up a baseball practice attended by congressional Republicans; the 1954 attack on the Capitol by Puerto Rican nationalists. As Boebert spoke, Gallego, rested his hand on his chin and raised his eyebrows.

“The member from Colorado forgot to mention January 6th, which was also an assault on representatives,” Gallego said.

“Yes, it was awful when Ashli Babbitt was murdered,” Boebert interrupted, referring to the woman who was shot and killed by Capitol Police while attempting to climb through a shattered window into the Speaker’s Lobby.

Gallego had been on the House floor that day, had stood on a chair and helped his fellow members put on their gas masks. In problem-solver mode, he made a plan to use the pen in his jacket pocket as a shiv if he had to fight. (“If it got to it, I would stab someone in the eye and take whatever weapon they had,” he said.) Later, he counseled fellow members of Congress about how to deal with their insurrection-related PTSD…

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    41Comments

    1. 1.

      Alison Rose

      March 11, 2023 at 6:55 pm

      Boebert made the point that there were “unhinged” people out there

      Takes one to know one, Bobo. These fucking people and their gun humping. They’re like Linus with his blankie, except their comfort items kill people.

      Reply
    2. 2.

      Betty

      March 11, 2023 at 6:58 pm

      I see some are speculating that Sinema will team up with No Labels for a run in Arizona.  It would be so like her and members of that group to just be spoilers.

      Reply
    3. 3.

      Dan B

      March 11, 2023 at 7:00 pm

      @Alison Rose: There are many paranoid right wingers.  And many who believe that minorities are deranged criminals.

      Reply
    4. 4.

      Josie

      March 11, 2023 at 7:01 pm

      When I read the casual conversations of many of the Republican representatives, I am constantly struck by how stupid they sound. It must be really difficult for others to try to work with them on a daily basis.

      Reply
    5. 5.

      Baud

      March 11, 2023 at 7:02 pm

      Bailon’s first impressions of Gallego: he was short, and he was a passionate, vocal Democrat.

      “That ruffled some feathers,” he said. “It was fun to watch.”

      I like him already.

      Reply
    6. 6.

      delphinium

      March 11, 2023 at 7:07 pm

      @Alison Rose: It’s also beyond ridiculous that so many of them think they will be John Wick and gun down the baddies; rather than have the natural instinct to run/hide to protect themselves. Or never consider that someone will be able to attack them and grab their gun away.

      Reply
    7. 7.

      Suzanne

      March 11, 2023 at 7:09 pm

      A Democratic congresswoman from Arizona was shot. Remind Grandma Boebert of that.

      Reply
    8. 8.

      Amir Khalid

      March 11, 2023 at 7:14 pm

      Boebert made the point that there were “unhinged” people out there

      Mainly by being one of them.

      Reply
    9. 9.

      Geminid

      March 11, 2023 at 7:17 pm

      @Josie: I think that gerrymandering has contributed to a race to the bottom among Republican Representatives. Or in Boebert’s case, a race through the bottom. They seem to be getting dumber and dumber, with narrower gauge minds.

      I haven’t seen this problem on our side. If anything, quality is up.

      Reply
    10. 10.

      kindness

      March 11, 2023 at 7:18 pm

      My peeps in AZ who are middle of the road Democrats tell me Sinema wouldn’t take many Democrats votes away. They say she’d take more moderate Republican votes from Republicans. I don’t live in AZ so I can’t say myself. It just seems Kyrsten has burned every bridge she once had. So I’m not all that concerned about her spoiler abilities.

      Reply
    11. 11.

      MagdaInBlack

      March 11, 2023 at 7:22 pm

      @Amir Khalid: Congratulations on your new room-mate, Scully ❤️

      Reply
    12. 12.

      Baud

      March 11, 2023 at 7:23 pm

      @Suzanne:

      She could be a great great grandma by 72!

      Reply
    13. 13.

      delphinium

      March 11, 2023 at 7:27 pm

      @Amir Khalid: Congrats on your new kitty-glad Scully found a home with you!

      Reply
    14. 14.

      Baud

      March 11, 2023 at 7:29 pm

      @Amir Khalid:

      🐈👍

      Reply
    15. 15.

      Amir Khalid

      March 11, 2023 at 7:30 pm

      @MagdaInBlack:

      Thank you. I think Scully’s just wonderful.

      Reply
    16. 16.

      Omnes Omnibus

      March 11, 2023 at 7:36 pm

      That tagline is asinine and trying to provoke “Dems in disarray.”  Annoying.

      Reply
    17. 17.

      Amir Khalid

      March 11, 2023 at 7:37 pm

      Deleted.

      Reply
    18. 18.

      piratedan

      March 11, 2023 at 7:38 pm

      @kindness: that’s the feeling I get on the local feeds that I follow.  KS burned many bridges on her way to Independence Iconoclasty.  Outside of Doug Doucy (stealth MAGA) the GOP bench is flawed, with maybe the only one who could perhaps draw some cred for the squishy middle would be Juan Ciscomani (freshman R congresscritter) who used to be in Doucy’s inner circle, but there’s probably a modest list of hopefuls to climb over to get there with Masters, Lake, Gosar, Lesko and Biggs who are higher on the name recognition chain.

       

      there are a fair number of GOP folks who feel disenfranchised by the MAGA group who could throw some votes to Sinema, but honestly, they would have stayed home otherwise rather than vote Dem.

      Reply
    19. 19.

      rikyrah

      March 11, 2023 at 7:39 pm

       

      He is hilarious😂
      He has a trunk full of costumes😂😂

      https://vm.tiktok.com/ZTR7dCBws/

      Reply
    20. 20.

      Baud

      March 11, 2023 at 7:43 pm

      @rikyrah:

      He is limber.

      Reply
    21. 21.

      piratedan

      March 11, 2023 at 7:43 pm

      @Suzanne: what bothers me the most post that tragic incident that the GOP essentially didn’t even apologize, the state lege pressed to have an immediate election before anyone even knew if she would live, much less recover and when it was announced, the fuckers held a gun raffle to raise campaign funds.

      Not saying that AZ MAGA’s are the worst, but they certainly still have to be considered contenders for the crown.

      Reply
    22. 22.

      eclare

      March 11, 2023 at 7:46 pm

      @rikyrah:   How fun!

      Reply
    23. 23.

      Doc Sardonic

      March 11, 2023 at 7:52 pm

      @Baud: She’ll be a great grandma by 50-53. Great great grandma by 72.

      Reply
    24. 24.

      Suzanne

      March 11, 2023 at 7:58 pm

      @piratedan: I’m also just fucken sick of their victim complex. There’s a lot more right-wing violence than left-wing violence.

      Reply
    25. 25.

      Citizen Alan

      March 11, 2023 at 7:58 pm

      Am I a bad person because every time i see or hear the name Ashli Babbitt, i break out in a broad shit eating grin?

      Reply
    26. 26.

      Suzanne

      March 11, 2023 at 8:04 pm

      @Baud: It really seems to be hereditary, doesn’t it? Lord.

      Reply
    27. 27.

      Jay

      March 11, 2023 at 8:09 pm

      @Amir Khalid:

      congrats on your new overlord,

      Reply
    28. 28.

      Raoul Paste

      March 11, 2023 at 8:11 pm

      @Baud: it’s the plot of  Idiocracy come to life.

      Reply
    29. 29.

      Suzanne

      March 11, 2023 at 8:31 pm

      Frequently, I see people say that, in the post-pandemic, we need to convert offices into apartments. And I keep saying that it’s hard and expensive, and the projects rarely pencil out, and therefore few are attempted. I know it’s the FTFNYT, but here is a great explainer about why it’s so hard. With pictures.

      Developers and architects who’ve been doing this niche work for years say that few conversions are physically impossible if you’re creative enough. But the economics and the regulations aren’t as malleable.

      Reply
    30. 30.

      Jay

      March 11, 2023 at 8:43 pm

      @Suzanne:

      back in the early 90’s, “we” “converted” a 3 story Woodward’s building into “apartments”, with cables, concrete anchors and tarps. Yeah, it was living rough, but it beat being huddled in a doorway in the rain, or living in your car. And the rent was free, the kitchens were communal, and the buckets were emptied regularly.

      Reply
    31. 31.

      sab

      March 11, 2023 at 8:48 pm

      It doesn’t matter because I don’t live there, but linking to blocked newspaper isn’t a good idea. They tantslize you then cut you off.

      What I got from this is that he is an asshole. I am sure something was lost in translation or blocking. But this is what I saw.  A paragraph  leading to the on the other hand parts that was blocked.

      You are not doing your candidate any favors by linking to semi-blocked articles. Y’all say he is a good guy, but I would not know that from these snippets of articles. They start out by saying rumors say he is an asshole.. then the site blinks out.

      ETA says he is a good good guy but here is the other stuff. … Then they block all of the other stuff and then his defense.

      I keep seeing this over and over and over. How stupid are we?

      ETA I do not think he is an asshole. But you linked me to a paper that made me think he was an asshole before the paper cut me off from the good stuff about him.

      The paper seems fair when it is not.

      This goes on every day. How stupid are we? Our papers don’t just suck. They are actively misleading us.

      We are being stupid. They are not.!

      ETA Even if they are not our protective software ( you can read thirty seconds or twelve lines but no more)  they have the same effects.

      Reply
    32. 32.

      Geminid

      March 11, 2023 at 9:21 pm

      @sab: If you are interested in a candidate like say, Ruben Gallego, you can find a lot of material about him if you look him up.

      Reply
    33. 33.

      Percysowner

      March 11, 2023 at 9:30 pm

      Right wing judges can’t even take the thought of being criticized for their actions. Judge in abortion-pill lawsuit schedules hearing but delays announcing it

      What a coward. One who intends to smash women’s lives and then want to walk away with NO consequences to himself.

      Reply
    34. 34.

      sab

      March 11, 2023 at 9:30 pm

      @sab: Just saying. Jackals like this but ( briefly link to an article thay says he is an asshole. One paragraph in yes he is. Then the article blinks away. And does not give the rst of the story. In my non journalistic weeked hyperpolite worlda……

      It os so phucked up but I think good for us but I am tired.

      Also too we in Ohiodcare a lot about Jayland Walker. Supposed to think professionally  adequate.. forgot my training of thought because big thinkers.

      Reply
    35. 35.

      eclare

      March 11, 2023 at 9:52 pm

      @Percysowner:   Infuriating.

      Reply
    36. 36.

      James E Powell

      March 11, 2023 at 10:13 pm

      @Citizen Alan:

      I have never been able to decide whether Ashlii Babbitt was a MAGA or mentally ill. While I cannot take pleasure in her demise, I do enjoy the fact that the attempts by MAGAs to make her a martyr have failed.

      Reply
    37. 37.

      Jackie

      March 11, 2023 at 10:21 pm

      @James E Powell: It is possible to be both.

      Reply
    38. 38.

      Geminid

      March 11, 2023 at 10:57 pm

      I am hoping that Ruben Gallego will attract new voters from among Arizona’s Hispanic citizens. They constitute around 32% of that state’s population I think.

      Historically, this group has lagged behind their Anglo counterparts in political participation, but they have been catching up in recent years. A young, dynamic politician like Rep. Gallego could help close the gap even further.

      Reply
    39. 39.

      prostratedragon

      March 11, 2023 at 11:15 pm

      Testing

      Reply
    40. 40.

      Mai Naem mobile

      March 12, 2023 at 12:33 am

      @Geminid: he might but the AZ GOP have unfortunately done a good job recruiting Hispanic candidates. The congressman who won Ann Kirkpatrick’s seat is a Hispanic. I don’t know how well it would go over for him to run for the Senate while he’s in his first term as a congressman. There’s a few GOP Hispanics who won seats in the state legislature.  As far as Sinema, I was listening to a news show where they were discussing her situation in AZ. She doesn’t pull that many votes from Dems. Doug Ducey is the only GOP mainline candidate who did well. I hope Peter Thiel gives Blake Masters lots more money to burn in AZ in ’24.

      Reply
    41. 41.

      Geminid

      March 12, 2023 at 9:08 am

      @Mai Naem mobile: Rep. Ciscomani was definitely a good recruit for Arizona Republicans, and he won his House race in a fairly purple district which counts for something. Ciscomani is fairly young, and seems to be on the Ducey side of the Arizona party, conservative but not feral. I wonder if the Republican primary electorate is ready to nominate a Hispanic politician for Senator, though.

      One reason I am hopeful that Ruben Gallego could boost participation on the part of Hispanic Arizonans is that this Senate race will get a lot of attention, both statewide and nationally. It already is. Another reason is Gallego is a young and dynamic candidate, and well qualified for the office.

      Reply

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