Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) waved aside Rep. Jeff Van Drew’s (D-NJ) planned switch to the Republican Party on Sunday, asserting that the lawmaker is merely trying to get reelected.
Van Drews, the only Democrat who has openly spoken out against impeaching President Donald Trump, is planning to switch party affiliation to the GOP next week ahead of the House’s historic vote on its two articles of impeachment.
Good riddance to bad rubbish I say. I hope he loses his seat to a REAL Democrat.
What is it with politicians and their unwillingness to find different employment when their current one requires them to lie, cheat, and sell out their country?
Even if he gets reelected for the rest of his sorry life I doubt he’ll ever be faced with a more consequential vote than the impeachment of the Orange Menace. So if he’s not going to use that vote to protect our democracy, he should by all means align himself with the party that isn’t troubled by trifles like the selling out of the Constitution.
Sad to say, he’s my congressman and I voted for him.
In Van Drew’s case, he likely didn’t think that he would switch sides.
I get why Peterson is going to vote no, there won’t be a Democrat succeeding him, after he retires.
Van Drew though…
The combination of being both a coward and disloyal is not a good look to either party. Rep. Van Drew’s panic move has, effectively, ended his political career. In trying to find a safe haven, he pissed off everyone. There’s no recovering from this.
Seeing as Cook rates this district as R+1, that very well might happen. Even if the margin for error in rating is +/- 3, it’s still not a long shot for us.
Per the New York Times and Politico, Van Drews’ campaign poll showed 71 percent of Democratic primary voters in his district would be less likely to reelect him if he voted against impeachment.
If this is true, then something else is going on. He loses either way. Is Rump bribing him with ? in order to try to make it seem as if Dems are getting weak in the knees re: impeachment? If Van Drews thinks Rump will keep ANY promise at “quid pro quo” he’s too stupid to keep his seat.
Sure. He’ll campaign heavily for him. DC is about 100 miles away form NJ 2.
“Although Van Drews declared last week that he is “absolutely not changing” parties, the New Jersey lawmaker ultimately decided to switch after all because he fears a potential primary challenge from a progressive Democrat in his swing district, according to the Times”
" Confusion is always the most honest response.
Marty Indik"I recall the previous congressman LoBiondo ® won 9 consecutive terms. Hopefully backlash from the Dems will finish Van Drew for good.
“Well, first of all, what he’s reacting to is public polling that shows he can’t get renominated,” Nadler told ABC News
The argument House Dems are making to the American public is that every Congressperson has a positive Constitutional obligation to impeach any president who does what Trump is doing. That’s why we believe Senate Republicans must “defect” and vote to convict on the evidence.
The argument we should be making to the public is that this trial demands that our leaders set aside politics and fulfill their duties.
It undermines that argument when prominent pro-impeachment leaders turn around and let their allies shirk that obligation for political expediency.
Nadler is 1000% wrong about this. Nobody has the power to release any Congressperson from this responsibility: not Pelosi, not Schiff, not Nadler.
This is a huge self-own, and the Right will seize upon it.
If that’s the “payoff” then that’s a hell of a gamble to take. Yes, I understand NJ-2 is predominately White but to have Rump’s endorsement AND to campaign with him could easily blow up in Van Drews’ face.
Obviously, Van Drew is a Trump University graduate…
And he changed his mind on this after meeting with Trump.
“Well, first of all, what he’s reacting to is public polling that shows he can’t get renominated,” Nadler told ABC News
Does Nadler express approval (here or elsewhere)?
The part that came right after the “First of all” was
“But more to that point, this is not political,” the Democratic lawmaker continued. “We should not be looking at those things. This is the defense of our democracy.”
The sound bite Republicans pull out from that will undoubtedly be the first part, though.
NJ 2 from Wikipedia
Ethnicity * 75.3% white
= 113.7%
???
I am so old that I remember when absolutely had much much more meaning than emphatically. People who use the word absolutely to make themselves look strong & definitive end up making themselves look stupid. Just so this spineless and ambitious NJ Nobody.