The fifth highest-ranking Democrat in the House made headlines when she called for Nancy Pelosi to step aside as House Democratic Leader but lost in Rep. Linda Sanchez’s statement is the fact that she wants Pelosi’s job, which makes the Democratic grumbling about Pelosi totally different from the Republican dysfunction.
Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) said, “Our leadership does a tremendous job, but we do have this real breadth and depth of talent within our caucus and I do think it’s time to pass the torch to a new generation of leaders. I want to be a part of that transition, I want to see that happen.”
Here’s the problem with Sanchez’s statement. If the House leadership is doing such a great job, and they are, then why does the party need new leadership? The answer is that Sanchez is ambitious, decades younger than Pelosi, and wants her job. Sanchez undercut her own argument for change by laying her ambitions on the table.
The media has seized on this story and immediately drawn a false equivalency between a generational struggle within the Democratic Party and the total dysfunction of the Republican Party. Republicans in Congress are locked in an ideological war with each other that has been raging on since the GOP took back the House in the 2010 midterms.
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Republicans are so paralyzed by their own dysfunction that they can’t govern even when they control the entire federal government. Democrats should be making room for younger leaders, and the time will come soon for those ambitious people like Sanchez. Once Democrats take back the House and the White House, Pelosi and her leadership team will likely retire.
The younger Democrats are worried that they’ll be out of Congress before Pelosi ever retires.
Anyone who believes what is happening in the two parties is the same needs to have their head examined because even though Republicans have the majority, Democrats are more unified in the House and better positioned for the future.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
