Kshama Sawant is building quite a following in Seattle—people we like to call Sawanticrats. In the process, she has managed to blur the lines between Seattle’s socialists and Democrats. And, by doing so, Sawant achieved what is perhaps her greatest success to date—she ushered in a citywide $15 minimum wage with the active participation and support of Democrats, including the mayor and City Council.
Somewhere between her election to the Seattle City Council and her “greatest success,” Sawant’s leadership began taking on cult of personality-type qualities. The far left’s praise and defense of Sawant appears more and more as unabashed and unapologetic as Sawant’s praise of herself. Under these circumstances, we felt obligated to document the most extreme examples of brazen praise Sawant has awarded herself.
- Sawant on Mayor Ed Murray’s decision not to give City Light CEO Jorge Carrasco a pay raise,
“This reversal is also a direct result of having a socialist elected representative, without which this issue would have been business-as-usual in City Hall. I first brought this issue to attention in committee, and I thank Councilmember Nick Licata for joining me to vote No in Full Council.”
Apparently, if you were under the impression that the Seattle Times’ investigative (and extensive) reporting on Jorge Carrasco’s many recent controversies and pay raise brought public attention to the subject and forced Murray’s hand, you were wrong. If Sawant is to be believed, it is all her doing.
- Sawant on how her election to the Seattle City Council inspired people around the world to embrace socialism,
“I wear the badge of socialist with honor. To the nearly hundred thousand who voted for me, and to the hundreds of you who worked tirelessly on our campaign, I thank you. Let us continue.
“The election of a socialist to the Council of a major city in the heartland of global capitalism has made waves around the world. We know because we have received messages of support from Europe, Latin America, Africa and from Asia. Those struggling for change have told us they have been inspired by our victory.”
An important fact you should know: Sawant beat out incumbent Democrat Richard Conlin by 3,151 votes out of 184,213 votes cast.
- Sawant on why she, and her movement, is receiving national media attention,
“I think we’re doing a fantastic job here. I think these are the beginnings of a movement that you haven’t seen in decades, and if it weren’t energetic, if it wasn’t passionate, we wouldn’t be in a position where all the eyes of the nation are in Seattle.
“Why is Bloomberg writing about me? Obviously we are having an impact. We’re having an impact, deep enough that the right wing and conservative business publications are starting to talk about it. That’s an indication…
“People everywhere are questioning the capitalist system. The Occupy movement was a sign of that anger. So while the Cold War propagandized against Communism, a lot of people are rational today, especially the ones who weren’t around in the Cold War.”
Sawant believes that she is receiving media attention not because of the economic absurdity that is a $15 minimum wage, but because of the energy and passion exhibited by the movement she helped start…. And because “people everywhere are questioning the capitalist system.” We wonder if Sawant considers $15 minimum wage supporters targeting and actively disturbing small businesses who would rather not question the capitalist system just another sign of that energy and passion.
