Can Stealth Socialist Cathy Glasson Still Win The Iowa Gubernatorial Race?

Cathy Glasson’s secret ally, America’s largest Marxist organization, the 37,000-strong Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), may be the deciding factor.

Iowa Democratic gubernatorial candidate Cathy Glasson

Currently polling second in Iowa’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, Iowa City nurse Cathy Glasson may do better than expected in the June 5 primary. If she can hold her main opponent, Des Moines businessman Fred Hubbell to less than 35% on Tuesday, the nominee will be decided in a party convention.

If that happens, Cathy Glasson’s secret ally, America’s largest Marxist organization, the 37,000-strong Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), could be the deciding factor.

Despite the word “Democratic” in its name, DSA is anything but. DSA wants to close all prisons, abolish the police, completely socialize all healthcare and nationalize all but the smallest of private businesses and farms.

DSA is more extreme than the Communist Party.

DSA has so infiltrated the Iowa Democratic Party that they would control around 20% of the delegates to such a convention. In several counties across Iowa (including Glasson’s home base Johnson County) the local Democratic committee is DSA-led. The Iowa Democratic Progressive Caucus is completely controlled by DSA supporters such as Ryan Rogers, Eva McBride, Holly Herbert, Abshir Omar, Amanda Malaski and Brian Josephson.

Glasson’s campaign is also top-to-bottom infiltrated by DSA members, including:

  • Michael Fasullo, an organizer at Cathy Glasson for Governor, a DSA supporter
  • Jason Frerichs, a leader of Iowa’s Progressive Leaders for Cathy Glasson. DSA supporter
  • Chris Laursen, a leader of Iowa’s Progressive Leaders for Cathy Glasson. Iowa City DSA executive committee member
  • Margo Rose O’Neill, Cathy Glasson for Governor “Coffee Getter”,and DSA supporter
  • Misty Rebik, Cathy Glasson surrogate, Iowa City, DSA supporter
  • Kate Revaux, Political Director of Cathy Glasson for Governor, leader of of Iowa’s Progressive Leaders for Cathy Glasson. DSA supporter.
Facebook November 26, 2017
  • Brian Shepherd, Glasson’s campaign manager, DSA supporter.
  • Norra Taft, Glasson’s special assistant for communications, DSA supporter.

All of Iowa’s DSA main locals (Cedar Rapids DSA, Central Iowa DSA [Des Moines], Dubuque County Democratic Socialists, Heart of Iowa DSA [Ames], Iowa City DSA and Quad Cities DSA) are supporting Cathy Glasson’s campaign.

Dubuque County Democratic Socialists Steering Committee members Nicks Agan, Christine Darr and Christoffer Lammer-Heindel penned this resolution:

Whereas we are committed to pursuing “transformative reforms,” which substantially shift power away from private corporations and capitalists, including by strengthening labor unions, taking steps toward the decommodification of healthcare, holding corporations responsible for their environmental and social harms, and requiring a liveable minimum wage;

Whereas we recognize that the pursuit of such reforms requires the election of legislators and executives to our government, which are committed to bold, progressive change and democratic co-governance;

Whereas Cathy Glasson is committed to using the governorship of the state to ensure universal health coverage for all Iowans;

Whereas she promises to immediately, upon taking office, demand legislation instituting a statewide minimum wage of $15 per hour;

Whereas she promises to hold agriculture corporations, especially hog confinement operations, accountable for water quality and water restoration, and refuses to allow further permits for confinements until X waterways are restored;

Whereas she opposes DAPL and environmentally disastrous efforts to expand fossil fuel extraction and consumption;

Whereas she does not accept corporate campaign donations;

Whereas she is committed to proactively entering into democratic co-governance relationships with grassroots activist organizations;

Whereas we seek to amplify our legislative and electoral goals and build momentum by joining with other organizations and mass movements; and

Whereas Cathy Glasson is endorsed by National Nurses United and Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI);

Therefore be it resolved that the Dubuque Democratic Socialists (DDS) enthusiastically endorses Iowa Democratic Party gubernatorial candidate Cathy Glasson.

Be it further resolved that DDS encourages all members to financially support Glasson’s campaign to the extent that they are able; to register and caucus in the February 5 Democratic Party precinct caucuses; and to vote for Glasson in the June 5 Democratic Party primary.

The multi-state National Nurses United, mentioned above, is DSA-controlled. For example, Michael Lighty, the union’s current director of public policy, is the former Democratic Socialists of America national organizational director.

Cathy Glasson with CCI activists

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI) has more than 4,000 members statewide. It is an influential “Get Out The Vote” operation. CCI has several DSA-aligned staffers, including Senior Organizer Evan Burger and junior organizers Emily Schott and Jess Mazour.

Then there are the Young Democratic Socialists of America groups at UNI, Loras College, Iowa State University, Grinnell and the University of Iowa – they’re all backing Cathy Glasson too.

It’s possible that Cathy Glasson doesn’t know that her whole campaign is run by Marxists. Or that her platform is identical to that of Democratic Socialists of America. Maybe she is just a really, really, really naive liberal?

If so, its not the first time she’s fallen for a socialist. Cathy Glasson’s husband Matt, a Labor Educator at the University of Iowa Labor Center, was at least a Communist Party sympathizer.

In the June 14, 1997 edition of the Communist Party USA’s People’s Weekly World, Matt Glasson – Iowa, was listed among those who sent their support to the 4500 members of the United Steelworkers of America who have been on strike against the Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corporation since October 1, 1996.

Matt Glasson also sent his greetings to the Special May Day 1999 Supplement of the People’s Weekly World, a Communist Party USA publication.

Cathy Glasson will likely come in second in Tuesday’s ballot. If she can go to the convention, however, with a stronger than expected showing in the primary, she will have lots of fired-up delegates – maybe enough to pull off an upset.

If Cathy Glasson can secure the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, all bets are off. Several hundred Iowa DSA comrades will be doorknocking and phonebanking for her. So will thousands of Citizens for Community Improvement volunteers, union members and Democratic Party activists. Democratic Socialists of America’s 37,000 members nationwide will join the fray. Every “progressive” group in the country will bail in. This will become one of the most important races of 2018.

It’s very important that Iowa’s conservatives and Democrats make sure that Cathy Glasson’s campaign ends at Tuesday’s primary.

Iowa does not need a stealth Marxist in the Governor’s mansion.

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Author: Trevor

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3 thoughts on “Can Stealth Socialist Cathy Glasson Still Win The Iowa Gubernatorial Race?

  1. Trevor,

    I’m the leader of the Iowa Democratic Party Progressive Caucus. Your need better spies so you can get more accurate information. Solidarity comrade. The union makes us strong. Si se puede!!!!!!

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