Progressive groups — many of them backers of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders — are emailing petitions aimed to disqualify Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro from consideration to be Hillary Clinton's running mate, reports
Politico.
The petition is set to be emailed to several million people attacking Castro on his handling of mortgage sales, according to Politico. The group also launched the website:
DontSellOurHomestoWallStreet.org.
Castro, a 41year-old Latino, has a history as mayor of San Antonio and has been in the Obama administration for two years. He's considered the Democratic Party's rising star.
And, Politico notes, people close to him say he's a proven progressive across the board and may be the perfect balance to Clinton.
The groups are focusing on HUD's Distressed Asset Stabilization Program, which allows mortgages headed for foreclosure to be sold to, "qualified bidders and encourages them to work with borrowers to bring loans out of default," according to HUD, reports Politico.
They believe those mortgages should be sold to nonprofits and institutions that have vested interests in the communities where the properties are located.
"Unless he changes his position related to foreclosures and loans, he'll be a toxic asset to the Clinton campaign," said Matt Nelson, managing director of Presente.org, a Latino group that focuses on social justice, reports Politico.
"There's a lot of hope around him," said Brandi Collins, campaign director of Color of Change. "If he's not showing up for our communities while the cameras aren't there, we don't know that he'll show up when he's on his way to the White House."
"All year, we've seen the candidates tripping over themselves to show how tough they'll be on Wall Street," said Root Progress campaign manager Kurt Walters, reports Politico.
"Then to turn around and take a step backwards on that exact question — I think it would be tough for a lot of people who care about Wall Street accountability to get excited about that pick," said Walters.
A HUD spokesperson said they're implementing some changes, including foreclosure delays and a focus on nonprofits.
Big banks are the only ones capable of taking on distressed mortgages in such large amounts, said Laurie Goodman of the Housing Finance Policy Center at the Urban Institute. "Even if you wanted to do something different, you couldn't," she said.
A Clinton-Castro ticket could mean that a Democratic candidate could carry Texas, which hasn't happened since the 1970s, according to
Houston Chronicle columnist Gilbert Garcia.
Texas Democratic Party Chairman Manny Garcia said Castro is "incredibly prepared" and "wildly beloved."
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