PrintOctober 24, 2014
Wasserman-Schultz: Can't name a single Senate race where Obama is campaigning
This is illustrative of why DNC chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz will be fired after the election.
The head of the Democrats' campaign arm is insisting this week that President Obama is campaigning for threatened Senate Democrats in purple districts.But Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), who heads the Democratic National Committee (DNC), couldn't come up with even one example to back her claim.In an interview with Bloomberg's "All Due Respect" program, the Florida Democrat was asked why former President Clinton is on the stump for Senate Democrats in competitive contests but President Obama is not."The president is campaigning in competitive races," Wasserman Schultz responded.But pressed to name an example, she deflected the question."There are races that the president is campaigning in around the country, and he's also governing," she said. "He's doing his job, and he's also spending time recording robo-calls and doing radio spots."With Obama facing the lowest approval ratings of his six-year tenure, a long list of Democrats have distanced themselves from the unpopular president for fear of alienating voters.In the most recent example, Sen. Kay Hagan (D), who's facing a tough reelection contest in North Carolina, said Thursday that Obama has failed to show strong leadership on certain issues — a clear rebuke.Wasserman Schultz, for her part, is predicting the Democrats will defy the forecasts of election handicappers, who increasingly think Republicans will take over the Senate and make gains in the House."At worst we're going to be in single digits, and I think we can even ... pick up a few seats in the House," she told Bloomberg. "And I think we hold the Senate."
Democrats are used to making statements to the media that are totally false and not being challenged on them. No doubt the reporter took her by surprise when he asked for an example. But Wasserman-Schultz has been making these unforced errors throughout the campaign season and Democrats are recognizing her as a liability.
As for her predictions? Here, she;s on a little firmer ground. The GOP could be held to a high single digit win in the House and the Senate is still a tossup with some critical races - Georgia, Kansas, and Kentucky - too close to call. Republicans absolutely need to win at least 2 of those races in order to take the Senate, and at the moment, Democrats appear to be at worst, holding their own, and at best, gaining some momentum - especially in Georgia and Kentucky.
