Rachel Schilke writes for the Washington Examiner about the latest developments in Democrats’ debate about their leader.
Congressional Democrats appear to still be moving full steam ahead with their calls for President Joe Biden to stand aside and allow a new leader to step up.
While most attention has been fixated on former President Donald Trump getting shot at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday, followed by his selection of Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) as his running mate on Monday, calls from Democrats for Biden to withdraw from the presidential race appeared to stall.
The pause in calls for Biden to exit the race was likely a reprieve for the president, who has been under scrutiny since his poor debate performance on June 27.
However, of the 19 Democrats who had previously called for Biden to step aside, it appears that none of them are looking to walk back their desire for a new nominee. Spokespeople for Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY), the last vulnerable New York Democrat, and Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) told the Washington Examiner that their position on Biden’s candidacy has not changed.
Four days since the latest Democrat, Rep. Mike Levin (D-CA), called on Biden to withdraw, the president’s political future was once again thrust under a microscope on Tuesday when news broke that congressional Democrats are circulating a letter that calls on the Democratic National Committee not to conduct a virtual roll call to nominate Biden weeks ahead of the convention.
“Proceeding with the ‘virtual roll call’ in the absence of a valid legal rationale will be rightly perceived as a purely political maneuver, which we believe would be counterproductive and undermine party unity and cohesion,” the letter stated. “Moreover, it would contradict what President Biden himself has repeatedly said to members of Congress in recent days, telling us that anyone who wants to challenge his nomination should do so ‘at the convention.’”
