The stress is mounting as nervous Democrats approach the midterm elections, and it’s taking a toll on the relationship between House speaker Nancy Pelosi and the White House, as evidenced by the scene at the House Democratic Caucus meeting last night.
Things heated up as Pelosi jumped in and blasted [White House Press Secretary Robert] Gibbs for making “politically inept” comments, according to one source.
“It was bad,” another source said. “She was like: ‘I don’t appreciate it. I don’t know who this guy is. I’ve never met him before. And he’s saying that we’re going to lose the House.’”
Nancy Pelosi and Robert Gibbs have never met? That’s weird. But Pelosi’s accusation doesn’t entirely hold up to scrutiny, if she was being quoted accurately by this “source.” Gibbs never predicted that the Democrats would lose the House, only that there were “enough seats in play” for it to be a possibility. Which is obviously true, and everyone knows it. Whether it was “politically inept” is another question, though. Some speculated that Gibbs was trying to “light a fire” under unenthusiastic Democratic supporters. To be sure, it’s a much different approach from the one taken by John Boehner, who recently said that the Republicans could win up to 100 seats this November.
Pelosi Slams Gibbs for ‘Politically Inept’ House Forecast [CQ Politics]
