Senator Warren Says NO To Presidential Run (Again)

We progressives are a hard-headed lot, and most of the time that's a good trait. It allows us to continue the good fight even when the odds are against us and victory seems a long way off. But we still need to choose our battles wisely.

A small portion of the millions of American progressives have been trying to convince Senator Elizabeth Warren to run for president in the 2016 Democratic primaries. And some progressive organizations, like Move On and Democracy for America, have joined that effort -- putting a million dollars into the effort to get progressives to sign on to the movement. So far, they have not been hugely successful.

That may be because Senator Warren has repeatedly denied that will will be a candidate for president in 2016. And anyone who knows much about Senator Warren should know that she is not a liar, or a weak-minded person who can be pressured into changing her mind once she has made a decision.

Now she has once again emphatically denied that she will run for president in 2016, and hopefully, those pressuring her to run, will believe her this time. This latest denial came in a interview Warren did with Selma Blair for Fortune magazine. It's an excellent interview, and I urge everyone to read the whole thing. But here I bring you just the end of that interview -- where she denies she will run, offers a little advice to the Democratic nominee, and suggests an agenda for President Obama in his last two years.

So are you going to run for President?

No.

What does the Democratic nominee need to do to win in 2016?

They need to speak to America’s families about the economic crisis in this country. It starts with the recognition that Washington works for the rich and powerful and not for America’s families. From there, it has to go into what changes we need to make, and that gets back to education, infrastructure, and research.

Do you think anyone on the Republican side will sound that theme as well?

I think they might. But for both sides, the proof will be in the pudding. Who is willing to stand up for Wall Street accountability? Who is willing to take on the powerful by closing tax loopholes so that we have the money to invest in education, infrastructure, and research. Who’s willing to make the hard choices? The candidates need to say something concrete. This can’t be a silent game, with a lot of nice platitudes. There needs to be something real.

Obama’s core constituency has lost ground during his Administration. That’s not all on him. This has been a longstanding trend. But things have gotten worse.

The middle class has been under assault for 35 years — the combination of stagnant wages and rising core expenses have squeezed families beyond endurance.

But he hasn’t been able to reverse that trend. What advice do you have for him for his last two years?

Get out and fight for America’s families and be clear what you are fighting for. Don’t just say it once. Give one speech, and then another, and then another. Talk to the Democrats on the Hill to propose the legislation that you want and invite the Republicans in. And ask if there is a way to do it together. But get out there and fight for our families, they need it.