'Never Nancy': Democrats ramp up efforts to sideline Pelosi, without offering an alternative

[workinclasszero]

By BENJAMIN SIEGEL Nov 14, 2018, 4:32 AM ET

A band of House Democrats determined to oppose House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's speaker bid are planning to release a signed letter as soon as this week indicating that they have gathered enough support to deny her the 218 votes needed to win the gavel on the House floor in January, a move they say would complicate her path to a second term as speaker and force renewed discussion about her stepping aside.

"This is a simple letter saying we want new leadership, which is what a vast majority of Democrats and the American people want," Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., a member of the group, told reporters Tuesday.

Pelosi, who has said she's "100 percent confident" that she will be the next House speaker, has been working since last week on her bid, meeting and talking with new members and incumbent Democrats, to shore up support.

Prominent Democrats off Capitol Hill -- from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and former Sen. John Kerry, to former Vice President Al Gore -- have been making calls on her behalf, and influential House Democrats and activists have provided a steady drumbeat of public endorsements.

But Pelosi's critics argue that she has an increasingly apparent math problem. While she's expected to lock up the caucus speaker vote with a majority of members on Nov. 28, they're hoping to publicly release their letter before that vote to hammer their point home.

"It's time for a change," Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Texas, who is opposed to Pelosi, told ABC News. "It's time for new blood."

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/nancy-democrats-ramp-efforts-sideline-pelosi-offering-alternative/story?id=59180391

[MrsCoffee]

1. Blah, blah, scary scary.

Nancy will be speaker.

This daily fucking game is getting annoying.

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

4. +1

[workinclasszero]

6. No doubt

Those who oppose her don't even put up an alternative because they are cowards!

Boy there's leadership the GOP could really get behind huh?

[Hortensis]

18. Moulton claims to have the votes to "block" her.

Republicans and Democrats will all vote on who will be our Democratic speaker. Usually, the vote is party line so that the majority party's choice wins. But how about if some dissidents in one party block that party's main choice?

We'll see. And this will tell us something about some of the new people. I really don't like the sound of "never Nancy." Way too much like the "never Hillary" left wing populists and other leftists. Some of them really meant it when they said "never Hillary." It wasn't just that they'd have the nation pay any cost in order to defeat her but that some of them genuinely preferred Trump and a Republican congress to Hillary as our first woman president. And no doubt many of the same people are engaged in the extreme demonizing of our first woman speaker.

Here's a Roll Cal article describing the situation now. Note the end. Most have no viable and proven replacement for her in mind, the most important thing is to take Pelosi out. Moulton doesn't fit that bill, but it's obvious he hopes to ride the vacuum in.

https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/anti-pelosi-contingent-claims-they-have-numbers-to-block-her-in-speaker-floor-vote

[grantcart]

25. He is fantasizing that Dems will break and join Republicans for a speaker vote

Pelosi will carry the caucus and the caucus will carry the House.

[Hortensis]

31. I seriously don't believe they have

the sense, and I'm afraid the concern for their nation, to worry about what kind of leader the Republicans would be willing to support. Like the tea party, the Never Nancys' agenda is displacing mainstream voters. Sanders promised them he would, but he failed.

It's shocking, but there's a type on the farther left who despise Democrats so much they have a little left over for thinking about Republicans. Something in the Never Nancy types just doesn't let them worry about Republicans.

[grantcart]

32. People are still wound up about the election.

When she walks out with Schiff, Clayborn, Lewis at al, all the people she has helped and 44 Dems from CA they will rush to her side

Caucus solidarity is our only weapon

Internecine fighting among Republicans crippled them

[ck4829]

2. "Destroying the idea without suggesting an alternative" is a common, but never successful, tactic

This is why they won't win.

I don't deal with anyone who says that an idea is bad and not to do it WITHOUT suggesting an alternative. I find these people are just too negative, we don't need them sabotaging us and they are sabotaging themselves as well, and I don't want to enable that.

[Crutchez_CuiBono]

3. New blood? Like who?

Better figure it out before we shoot ourselves in the foot....yet again. HRC would be ok. Other than that "dance w the one who brung ya' imo.

[workinclasszero]

7. The "new blood" is too chicken to identify itself LOL

What a joke...

[In It to Win It]

5. That's cute.

[pamdb]

8. Nancy

Nancy Pelosi should be allowed to be speaker for at least 2 years, until the 2020 election. I agree we should have someone new and younger, just not right away. The woman knows what she’s doing. Let her do it, let her establish the agenda, she’s a pro. She deserves this win.

[Tom Rinaldo]

9. No, it is not time for a change

It is time to start preparing for a change, but now is the time for skilled seasoned leadership and later an orderly transition of leadership. Nancy should lead us through the first year of Democratic control of the House, when we have to be fully up to speed confronting Trump. Perhaps she should step aside for the second year when our freshmen have gained their sea legs and we are more clearly in the aftermath of Mueller's findings, not anticipating them.

The next national elections are two years away. Pragmatically speaking it doesn't matter now how much Republicans continue to use Nancy as their target now. Let her draw their fire. If we install new leadership in a year, before the next congressional election, it will all be moot how much they demonized Pelosi in the past.

I know I speak for many self identified Democratic progressives. When Moulton said "we want new leadership, which is what a vast majority of Democrats and the American people want," he is full of you know what.

[octoberlib]

10. You can always count on Seth Moulton to be involved in a Pelosi leadership challenge.

It's all about Moulton's ambition.

[Blue_true]

14. He is ambitious. But he is also a loyal democrat.

My guess is Pelosi become speaker and all democrats fall in line on votes. The conflict is only about who the speaker should be.

[phleshdef]

11. I have no problem with new blood once we are actually a functional governing party again.

That is not the case at the moment. And there ain't a single god damn person more ready to start putting our pieces back together than Nancy Pelosi. And she was our minority leader this whole time. Its ridiculous to think we would elect any other person as speaker at this moment in our history. I believe Pelosi recognizes that there should be new leadership in the near future, from things she has said in some interviews. But she also recognizes that someone who knows how the house works and knows how to keep her or his caucus together should be leading the proverbial charge again this strange fucking monster we call Donald Trump.

[Demsrule86]

12. Nancy will win as there is no other credible candidate...and those who do this will be sorry.

[Stinky The Clown]

15. The Democrat's version of the Tea Party.

Hey kids, how about you figure out where your office is, where to go for lunch, and where your seat on the floor is.

[Wintryjade]

21. This.

[all american girl]

16. Showing one more time that misogyny is not only on the right.

[Takket]

17. Don't tell me why I shouldn't support Pelosi

Tell me why I should vote for someone else. Denying Pelosi 218 is not a move towards new leadership. It is a move to chaos that makes up look ineffective in the minds of voters.

Put forward a challenger with a resume, or get in line behind Pelosi.

[FSogol]

19. Subtle! Does Seth Moulton keep clearing his throat and pointing at himself?

[Atticus]

20. Who is it again that benefits from this? nt

[Bfd]

27. Apparantly " a vast majority of Democrats and the American people

Shut up Seth. I believe that's a flat out lie you just made up.
"That lie is not helping you Seth." says the Vast majority of Democrats & America

[bigtree]

22. Filemon Vela is a Moderate Libertarian Liberal

...a member of the 'moderate' Blue Dog Coalition.

But we've been hearing there's some kind of challenge from the left.

[JCanete]

30. Yeah, it seems like while the left has had its beefs, it hasn't put up a specific challenge that

I've seen, but the more blue-dog forces appear to be using that sense of discontent as a reason to challenge Pelosi from the right, as was the case when Tim Ryan was making a bid.

[eleny]

23. That's a big mistake

In these perilous days we need an experienced hand to guide the House and teach the new blood how to do it when she leaves.

[spanone]

24. Has our astute media asked any republicans for whom they are voting for minority leader?

this is noise to fill in for trump when he's not tweeting

[Bfd]

26. Stole it from Boehner: "what a vast majority of Democrats and the American people want"

He SO fking stole that overused lie of a line from John Boehner!!



"This is a simple letter saying we want new leadership, which is what a vast majority of Democrats and the American people want," Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., a member of the group, told reporters Tuesday.

[DeminPennswoods]

28. Moulton, Republican lite

that is all.

[DeminPennswoods]

29. I will be calling my representative-elect who

said he did not support Pelosi to let him know that if he decides not to vote for her, he can kiss my 2020 vote goodbye.