BREAKING NEWS – Washington, D.C. – 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.”
“Simply because in the past I have praised Fidel Castro, Joseph Stalin, Vladimir Lenin, and Mao Zedon, doesn’t mean I agree with all of their policies,” explained Bass. “I just admire the way they dealt with people that had opposing opinions. People have the tendency to look at the negative side of a historical leader’s past, but I focus on the positive. And as a Christian, I also believe that Satan has often gotten a bad rap, and occasion, I vigorously defend him, and if the situation calls for it, I’ll proudly do it again!”