On Saturday's edition of MSNBC's The Weekend, co-host Symone Sanders-Townsend repeatedly called the 35 congressional Democrats on a list of those who have publicly called upon Biden to step aside "despicable" and "treacherous."
Nancy Pelosi's name was not on that list. But it is no secret that, behind the scenes, Pelosi has led the effort to force Biden out. As the New York Times has reported [emphasis added[:
"In private conversations with Mr. Biden, colleagues and allies, Ms. Pelosi, the Californian who still wields tremendous influence in her party and is seen by many as key to resolving the status of Mr. Biden’s candidacy, has let it be known in the days since his disastrous debate performance that she is skeptical that the president can win. And his loss, she fears, could cost her party its chance to win back the House, potentially its only firewall against a second Donald J. Trump presidency."
"Ms. Pelosi, according to those who have talked with her, conveyed those sentiments in phone calls with the president and with alarmed colleagues who have reached out to her for guidance on what to do."
So Democrats are getting guidance from Pelosi "on what to do." Fair to assume that many of the names on that list are there because Pelosi encouraged them to be there.
Indeed, as liberal outlets like Vox have indicated, after Biden rejected their counsel that he should step aside, Pelosi, Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries deliberately "let word of their views leak."
Sanders-Townsend also said:
"It is despicable, despicable how President Biden is being treated by people he has known most of, if not his entire political life."
Hmm, and who might be at the top of that list? Yup: Nancy Pelosi, whose D.C. career is almost as long as Biden's.
The irony is that Sanders-Townsend, and Jim Clyburn who had just appeared on the show, stressed the importance of Democrats being "unified" going into their convention next month.
Pro Political Tip For Symone:
Going on national TV to call a good chunk of the Democrat caucus, and by extension the most influential congressional Democrat of all, Nancy Pelosi, "despicable" and "treacherous," just might not be the best way to unify the party! Just hours later, it looks like futile spin.
Note: Co-host Michael Steele, a member of the disgraced Lincoln Project, seemed to suggest that Obama is among those who are "eviscerating" Biden. Steele said that among the eviscerators were "those that had been working with him in the past, who never wanted him to have that opportunity after the Biden-Obama years." Given that Obama discouraged Biden from running in both 2016 and 2020, the implication seemed clear. The ever-animated Sanders certainly got Steele's accusation, emitting a loud, long, "Ooooh! Come on, Michael!"
Here's the transcript.
MSNBC
The Weekend
7/20/24
8:31 am EDTSYMONE SANDERS-TOWNSEND: I heard Jim Clyburn say, and he is the statesman of the caucus, but he says that they are not unanimous, but they are unified. But there are 35 House Democrats, that in my opinion, have just --
MICHAEL STEELE: -- Are neither.
SANDERS-TOWNSEND: Are neither!
And frankly, it is despicable, despicable how President Biden is being treated by people he has known most of, if not his entire political life. People he has helped elect. It is just -- I just don't think that, like, God bless Jim Clyburn and, frankly, the Vice President. Because, let other people have their way, they're trying to bury, politically bury the president alive and force him out.
And I just, it is, it is treacherous. Look at, look at this! [Screen displays list of Dem House and Senate members calling on Biden to step aside.] This is treacherous. It's treacherous. I understand the Senate, I understand some of the senators, I understand that there are some tough races this cycle. I also Iunderstand it is not all the frontline members, but there is just a way to go about things, and this is not the way. This is embarrassing.
STEELE And I think to that point, broadly speaking, the way you don't go about it is a public evisceration of your nominee. And the fact that, I suspect a lot of this was two-pronged. One, folks who approached him and he told them to stand down, he's staying in the race. So they got mad and they started leaking and speaking and doing what they typically do in Washington.
And two, those who have just been at political odds with him forever. Who were not part of the Biden bandwagon, or were ticked off that he actually turned that 2020 campaign around to the point that he got the nomination from some folks who thought they deserved it more than him. Or those that had been working with him in the past, who never wanted him to have that opportunity after the Biden-Obama years.
SANDERS-TOWNSEND: Ooooh!! Come on, Michael.
STEELE: So, we get all of that. But this public evisceration is what I think Democrats fail to understand, why you may feel good and think you are smart and cute with your quips to the press, the back channel noise, what you're doing to the electorate is what's going to kill you in the end.
It's not -- Biden, Biden is the least of your problems, when you weaken the entire opportunity. When the public loses faith in whomever you put up. Because they see you yourselves do not have the vote of confidence in them.
