In a recent development, MSNBC host Chris Hayes has criticized former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her instrumental role in thwarting the leadership bid of 35-year-old Rep.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
Pelosi, aged 84, was reportedly rallying votes behind the scenes for 74-year-old Rep. Gerry Connolly to secure the position of the next ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, a role for which Ocasio-Cortez was also contending.
According to the Daily Mail, Pelosi's efforts bore fruit on Tuesday when Connolly emerged victorious over Ocasio-Cortez with a vote count of 131 to 84. Hayes, commenting on this outcome, expressed his dismay, describing the situation as a "moment of genuine madness."
Hayes acknowledged that Connolly, who is battling esophageal cancer, would "do a fine job" as the ranking member of Oversight. However, he expressed disappointment at the party's decision to overlook Ocasio-Cortez. "I understand his colleagues who respect him. I understand the way seniority works in Congress, which has been there forever," Hayes said. "But in light of everything that has happened over the past decade, it does feel like Democrats still have not learned a pretty important lesson."
The MSNBC host drew parallels with the situation in 2013 when some Democrats urged liberal Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to retire, allowing Democratic President Barack Obama to appoint another liberal before the 2014 midterms. However, Ginsburg chose not to step aside, and the Democrats lost control of the Senate that year.
Hayes recalled how, following the death of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in 2015, Obama's attempt to appoint his choice to the court was thwarted by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. The seat eventually went to conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch after President Donald Trump took office. Ginsburg's seat was later filled by conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett just weeks before the 2020 election, following Ginsburg's death at the age of 87.
"Donald Trump and the Republican Senate just a few months before the election replaced her with conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett further cementing conservative control of the court for generations to come and facilitating the end of Roe v. Wade," Hayes said. The conservative-leaning court abolished the federal right to an abortion with the Dobbs case in June 2022.
Hayes expressed his frustration at the Democrats' apparent disregard for the age issue, even after these events. He pointed to President Joe Biden's announcement in April 2023 of his intention to run for a second term, despite being the oldest man to ever serve as president and showing signs of struggling with communication.
Hayes continued, "It wasn't until over a year later, when Biden gave a cataclysmic performance in his first debate with Donald Trump that the Democrats changed course after a wrenching, excruciating process." Party leaders, including Pelosi, persuaded the now 82-year-old Biden to step down, leaving Vice President Kamala Harris with just over three months to mount a challenge against Trump.
Hayes then turned his attention back to the recent Capitol Hill drama. "Gerry Connolly won that vote today, and he did so thanks in part to former Speaker Nancy Pelosi rallying votes for him," Hayes said. He acknowledged Pelosi's decision to step aside and relinquish her role as House minority leader to a new generation of leadership, now filled by 54-year-old Rep. Hakeem Jeffries.
Despite her commendable actions, Hayes pointed out Pelosi's role in ensuring Connolly's victory over Ocasio-Cortez for the Oversight role, even as she recovers from hip surgery following a fall. This, Hayes concluded, was indicative of the "genuine madness" within the party's decision-making process.
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