Seems like the stimulus deadlock should be a perfect opportunity for Democrats to speak clearly to voters about the stakes of the election. We want to give you a stimulus check. We want you to have full unemployment benefits. We want to rescue your states and cities. Elect us so we can tell Mitch McConnell to fuck off and do these things for you.
Is that their message, though? It doesn't seem that way.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi was highly pessimistic Thursday about the chances of clinching a coronavirus relief deal with the White House, leaving House Democrats on a path to approve their own stimulus package and head home to run for reelection.
Pelosi cast serious doubt on the likelihood of an agreement during a private call with House Democrats Thursday, stressing multiple times that Republicans don’t “share our values” on the need to provide trillions of dollars in health and economic relief to Americans impacted by the pandemic.
"Republicans don't share our values" sounds like a good start to what they could be saying. But, next, comes the pitch. Tell voters to get them out of the way so we can help you. But that's not the pitch at all. Instead, it is this.
Moderate Democrats had been pushing Pelosi for months to put another bill on the floor — one that could be used to further pressure the GOP into negotiations, while also demonstrating to voters back home that they were still seeking compromise with Republicans.
Some members of the caucus grumbled about the end result, arguing that Democrats were simply negotiating against themselves, and that there was no point in approving a bill that included even less funds than the May version. But centrist Democrats argued that it was crucial to demonstrate that their party was still negotiating, while the White House and Senate Republicans were in no rush for a deal.
Voters! We are trying very hard to work with Republicans so we can give you less help! Not sure what that asks voters to do, exactly. I guess... be less mad about the impotence?
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