Speaker Nancy Pelosi is very sensitive about the Democrats’ inability to reach a deal with Republicans on a coronavirus relief bill. When PBS anchor Judy Woodruff interviewed Pelosi, the speaker showed just how much of a sore subject it is for her.
Woodruff is an old media hand who knows how the game is played. The reporter tried to rile up Pelosi and get her to emote on camera and her strategy worked perfectly.
At one point in their interview, Woodruff asked Pelosi about the “flexibility” GOP lawmakers are showing in terms of allocating more money for state and local governments, as well as Republican arguments that “much of the money” allocated in the CARES Act “has not even been spent yet.”
That didn’t sit well with Pelosi.
“Well, if you want to be an advocate for them, Judy, if you want to be an advocate for them, listen to what the facts are,” the speaker scolded the veteran anchor.
Accusing Woodruff of being a Republican advocate is like accusing Karl Marx of being a capitalist. But Pelosi has no answer for the question of why states need more money when they have not yet allocated all the money from the first stimulus bill.
Woodruff was slightly taken aback and tried to soothe Pelosi’s hurt feelings.
“I’m playing devil’s advocate here,” Woodruff responded.
“No, you aren’t,” Pelosi shot back. “The point is we have a bill that meets the needs of the American people. It’s called the HEROES Act. They [Republicans] don’t even want to do state and local and when they do, it’s very meager and they want to revert money from before.”
We’ve reached the day when the GOP proposal to give state and local governments $200 billion has become “meager.”
Daily Caller writer Eddie Zipperer:
Pelosi flips out at Judy Woodruff here because Woodruff isn't trying to bury the evidence that Democrats are purposely obstructing the stimulus bill because they'd rather see Republicans take a loss than see people receive relief: pic.twitter.com/vUmAedWKCO
— Eddie Zipperer (@EddieZipperer) August 6, 2020
“Watch what happens when the media actually asks a real question from @SpeakerPelosi,” Reagan Battalion reacted.
“This is an outrageous attack on the free press in America by a politician, I await the strong condemnation from the usual corners of the media,” Fourth Watch media analyst Steve Krakauer wrote.
“Wow. Pelosi is so worked up about not being tossed softballs here,” RedState senior editor Brandon Morse tweeted. “It’s pathetic that she’s so indignant about being asked a simple question. If Democrats can’t respond to simple Republican points then they’re in big trouble,”
Pelosi is only reinforcing the belief that Democrats are not interested in passing any kind of pandemic relief bill unless they can portray the Republicans as heartless obstructionists standing in the way of courageous Democrats who only want to spend a few trillion dollars on non-virus related things, including bailing out Democratic governors who have spent years being fiscally irresponsible.
Donald Trump will issue executive orders in the next few days that will give payroll tax cuts to workers and extend unemployment benefits for those who aren’t. The Democrats are threatening to sue to stop them.
Let them. Then we’ll see who the heartless obstructionists are.
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