What the heck happened to Debbie Wasserman Schultz? I usually like her, but in an unprecedented move, Debbie will not support Democratic candidates over Republicans because they might get elected---Huh?
They're fuming at U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston, because she won't publicly join Democratic Party efforts to unseat the three Cuban-American congressional Republicans from Miami-Dade County. That's treason to some activists.
"I almost think it's a slap in the face. She needs to be held accountable," said Percy Johnson, a Democratic committeeman and president of the Fort Lauderdale Democratic Club. "Our thing as the Democratic Party is to elect Democrats. It's not to elect some Democrats, it's to elect Democrats at all levels: local, state and federal."
Wasserman Schultz is a co-chairwoman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Red-to-Blue program, whose sole purpose is to replace Republican members of Congress with Democrats. But she has said she can't risk the consequences if she publicly works against U.S. Reps. Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Mario Diaz-Balart, and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen — and they end up getting re-elected.
It's an election, Debbie. They expect you to work against them. That is politics. Your job as co-chair in the Red-to-Blue program is to help elect Dems instead of Republicans. That's not rocket science. What consequences could befall you? My god, wake up. If she doesn't change her tune, she should be removed from her position. And the DCCC should stand with us on this issue. It's really outrageous behavior on her part. And I'm seeing other bad behavior from her too...David has a great group of diaries that explain everthing you need to know...So does brownsox.
Action alert below with other bloggers joining in.
"It's too sensitive for me," she said on the WPLG-Ch. 10 program This Week in South Florida with Michael Putney. A member of Congress assigned to help South Florida's Democratic challengers "just can't be me, because if I have to continue to serve with my colleagues after the election, I think I'll have done damage to our ability to work together."
This is in keeping with Wolff's prior comments on how importantly he views this issue:
Brian Wolff, executive director of the DCCC, says the bloggers are making "much ado about nothing," noting that it's "customary" for members to remain neutral in races involving GOP members of their respective congressional delegations.
If you, however, take a different view of things, I encourage you to call or write the relevant parties and let them know:
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (campaign office):
E-mail: AskDebbie@DWSforCongress.com
Phone: 202-741-7154DCCC Chair Chris Van Hollen (campaign office):
E-mail: chris@vanhollen.org
Phone: 301-942-3768DCCC Headquarters:
Contact form
Phone: 202-863-1500
Jason Rosenbaum says: Some Democrats Have Forgotten How To Oppose Republicans
By and large, the DCCC has been very good this cycle; I'm particularly impressed by Chris Van Hollen's choice to stay out of the Maryland fourth primary. But what Debbie Wasserman Schultz is doing in not supporting Democrats against three extreme right-wing Florida Republicans is not just bad politics and disloyal to the Democratic Party, it is also enabling the worst instincts of the hardline conservative movement within both parties. Wasserman Schultz is purely doing this to sustain the embargo against Cuba, and she's reaping donations from sugar interests as a result.
