Rep. Karen Bass called top member of Communist Party USA a ‘friend and mentor’ in eulogy: report – Fox News
Excerpt:
Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., who is reportedly on Joe Biden’s shortlist of potential running mates, eulogized one of the top members of the Communist Party USA in 2017 and called him a “friend and mentor.”
Politico reported that Bass praised Oneil Marion Cannon on Jan. 30, 2017, in remarks that were inserted into the Congressional Record. The eulogy failed to mention Cannon’s role in the Communist Party USA, the report said.
The report comes at a time when Bass has been trying to distance herself from past controversial comments on Cuba. She most recently told NBC News that she is “not a socialist. I’m not a communist. I’ve belonged to one party my entire life and that’s the Democratic Party and I’m a Christian.”
Bass praised Cannon for his service in WWII and his “fight against injustice” that spanned his entire life, from New Orleans — where he was born — to his time in Los Angeles where he “fought to become the first African American member of the Printer’s Union.” She said he was “deeply involved in politics” and belonging to the Independent Progressive Party.
Politico reported that Cannon was a top member of the Communist Party USA for decades. A spokesman from Bass’ office told the website that she has always been a Democrat.
“The Congresswoman is friends with Kevin McCarthy and is not a Republican,” the spokesman said. Bass never shared her political ideology with Cannon, the spokesman said.