If Not Pelosi, Whom? The Question Hovers Over a Simmering Rebellion

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

WASHINGTON — What if House Democrats tried to stage a coup and nobody showed up?

That is the predicament facing Democrats as a quiet rebellion simmers in their ranks to block Representative Nancy Pelosi of California from being speaker. Inside the Capitol and at nearby watering holes and restaurants, there are hopeful whispers among a small band of Democrats that a fresh-faced new leader will come forward to challenge Ms. Pelosi, who has led House Democrats for 15 years.

But so far, no one has emerged to take her on. As much as some House Democrats, including several among the wave of newcomers elected this month, say they want to shake up a calcified party leadership, would-be challengers are keenly aware of the immense power Ms. Pelosi wields, and fearful of institutional retribution and reputational damage if they step forward to test the status quo.

Democrats who had hoped to release a letter clearly demonstrating that Ms. Pelosi did not have the votes to become speaker pulled back on Friday, hoping to garner more than the 17 signatures that they said they had collected. Representative Marcia L. Fudge of Ohio, who is considering a run against Ms. Pelosi, said she was still undecided.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/if-not-pelosi-whom-the-question-hovers-over-a-simmering-rebellion/ar-BBPQJ1l?li=BBnb7Kz

I think this is what bugs me most about the anti-Pelosi faction. They act that if Pelosi is denied a younger and more charismatic person will step out of somewhere (who knows where) and lead them to the promise land.

That's a very naïve way of doing things.

[msongs]

1. despite his posturing, trump would celebrate dems who dump nancy nt

[SimpleC]

2. My only problem wth her...

When the democrats took the house,,, she expected the mantle of speaker... like it was owed to her...

I don't even really know her... but I was not a fan of that attitude...

[brush]

4. She was already the Dem leader. Why wouldn't she expect to continue to be...

the leader after raising 49m herself for the party? Money that was distributed to many winning races in the blue wave.

Some to some of those who now want to take her place.

When you win like that seems silly to replace the one who led the party to the win.

[rurallib]

9. And the one who in a previous stint as Speaker

was probably one of the most effective speakers ever.

[brush]

10. Yes. Some of these detractors don't seem to know what historic legislation...

she got passed.

[unc70]

8. Hang around DU a while and learn about Pelosi and Dems

If you don't know Pelosi, maybe you aren't ready to start judging her attitude, or even the attitude of Democrats.

[Stinky The Clown]

21. How is it even POSSIBLE to be a Democrat and not know Nancy Pelosi???

That was a serious question, not snark.

[dweller]

3. what if "fake news"

wasn't anti-Orangeutang?

but anti Dem?

eh?

✌🏼️

[FreepFryer]

5. The attack upon Pelosi by blue dog Democrats (some former Repubs) is nothing new.

This was an attack of opportunity, meant to capitalize on a sensibility that the midterms actually did not represent - and so it was both strategically and tactically quite poorly considered, given that their primary justification had been Democratic losses in 2016. That argument had no strength given the strong showing by Democrats, and it left them exposed. Hopefully Moulton, Fudge, Rice and Ryan will be primaried out during their next cycles.

(former Republican and since 2005 Democratic) Representative Kathleen Rice is tired of her party getting its butt kicked. “Since 2010, we’ve been losing, losing, losing, losing. There are big issues that we need to address for the country, and we’re not even at the table—which is a problem!”

As Rice sees it, Democrats need to come up with a new message, a fresh brand, an easy-to-explain economic plan that resonates with the masses. But for that to happen, she says, the caucus first must do some housecleaning. Specifically, Nancy Pelosi has got to go. “We have a failure of leadership at the top,” says Rice. And until that leadership changes, she tells me, “I don’t think we can move forward.”

https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/07/the-plot-against-pelosi/532428/

[brush]

11. Screw her. We just won in a fabulous blue wave and she says she's tired of losing.

Some of these people are so transparent. They are jealous and want the Speakership for themselves.

[FreepFryer]

17. To be fair, she said that in July, 2017. But it goes to show that her rationale is secondary. (n/t)

[Me.]

14. I Knew Krystal Ball Was In This Mix Somewhere

"The group’s founder, former MSNBC contributor Krystal Ball, has suggested that running under the banner (and with the backing) of the People’s House will give candidates a way to distinguish themselves from (i.e., run screaming from the out-of-touch, culturally elite image of) the national party establishment. The hope is that these folks will be much harder for Republicans to lash to Pelosi"

She's made quite a bundle off the so-called "People's House" so far. And just to be clear It's all about money, their message and everything else involved with this. She was on MSNBC last year, touting her new book which pushed their idea and saying too much emphasis was on 'identity politics'. It all fits as Ryan is an avowed corporatist. So it would be correct to call the THird Way Dems.

[Iggo]

6. So far, "Not Pelosi" is all they've got.

And they all have "nothing against Pelosi."

So...yeah.

[oberliner]

7. Marcia Fudge

[brush]

12. Another one without the cohones to actually come out and challenge Pelosi.

[oberliner]

20. Perhaps she will end up doing so

[Me.]

13. What's Rep. Fudge Waiting For?

A deal?

[Iggo]

16. Yes.

[stopbush]

15. Bullshit article using loaded terms to whip up a nonstarter of a story.

[DFW]

18. Norm Ornstein, as usual, gets it in the briefest of comments

From the article:

Norman J. Ornstein, a scholar on Congress at the American Enterprise Institute, said the spectacle of a floor fight over the speakership would do lasting damage to the Democratic majority, setting a narrative that any leader would be powerless to counter.

“It’s going to be about Democratic disarray,” Mr. Ornstein said. “This is almost the definition of a circular firing squad, and the impact that that could have on 2020 is quite significant.”


i.e., this is not just about 2019. It is also about the election in 2020. Norm is the token sane person at the AEI, an otherwise right wing think tank. They keep Norm (I presume) to show that their rightward slant is not monolithic, but also because he is smarter than the rest of them combined. A circular firing squad is an apt analogy in this case. We could do worse than to ask ourselves who benefits when there is no one left standing? That is who will ultimately be found to be backing this move.

[JHan]

22. This exactly ++

[TheBlackAdder]

19. Apparently, the ant-Pelosi crowd wants Dr. Vinny Boombatz--Rodney Dangerfield's protologist!

.

.