Democrats embraced pro-crime policies, and cities under their rule remain in a state of chaos and anarchy, yet the leadership wants to avoid any association with the unpopular pro-crime police defunding mantra.
That forces the likes of Speaker Pelosi into an awkward balancing act.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Sunday that the idea of defunding the police, a frequently used slogan during the 2020 elections, is not the direction that the Democratic Party is headed.
“Make no mistake, community safety is our responsibility,” Pelosi said on ABC’s “This Week.” “I quote one of my colleagues from New York, Ritchie Torres, a brand new member of Congress way on the left, saying that ‘defund the police’ is dead. That causes a concern with a few in our caucus. But public safety is our responsibility.”
Rep. Ritchie Torres is on the Left. But he’s the kind praised by Bari Weiss, who is pro-Israel, and who shows up on Bill Maher’s show. In other words, in a number of ways he’d pass for a liberal.
Host George Stephanopoulos noted that rising crime was a major concern of Americans these days and cited divisions within the party on law enforcement, referring to Missouri Rep. Cori Bush as someone backing the idea of defunding the police.
“That’s not the position of the Democratic Party, with all due respect to Cori Bush,” Pelosi said. “Community safety to protect and defend in every way is our oath of office.”
Torres probably represents the view of more average Dem voters than Cori Bush, but when it comes to the question of who has more influence in the party, on the media and social media, and with its tastemakers and elites, there’s little question that Bush has far more influence. Pelosi has to deny the influence of the Squad even while kowtowing to them. It’s an awkward balancing act and it can’t go on.
Pelosi can’t go on pandering to the Squad and then trying to hide behind Richie Torres.
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