In contentious VP sweepstakes, contender Rep. Bass says, 'I’m not a communist'

Democratic vice presidential contender Rep. Karen Bass is again defending herself against accusations that she’s a communist or socialist, as party presidential nominee Joe Biden nears his decision on a running mate amid criticism of his likely finalists. 

“I’m 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, a California Democrat and chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said Monday on NBC News.

Bass has had to defend against reports of her visits to Cuba and her sympathetic works about former Cuba leader Fidel Castro after his 2016 death. 

Democrats have raised concerns that Bass’ words and actions regarding Cuba and Castro could hurt their efforts to win the Cuban-American vote in November, especially in swing state Florida.

Bass also addressed the issues on Sunday, suggesting on NBC that she regrets the Castro remarks four years ago, and saying on “Fox News Sunday” that she understands “an awful lot more now” than she did in the 1970s, and that “the Castro regime did not have the same freedoms we do,” according to The Hill.

California Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris and former national security advisor Susan Rice are among those also considered top vice presidential contenders. Biden is expected to make a decision within the next two weeks.