Minn Post: D.C. Memo: Blowback for Dean Phillips

[geardaddy]

https://www.minnpost.com/dc-memo/2023/08/d-c-memo-blowback-for-dean-phillips-schultz-preparing-to-take-on-stauber-again-gop-continues-to-defend-trump/

WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips is facing a blowback for his very public campaign to prod other Democrats to challenge President Biden in next year’s primary election, a move that has angered DFLers in Minnesota and fellow Democrats in Washington, D.C.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., planned to speak to Phillips this week, the Democratic leader’s office said.

And it issued a statement hinting that Phillips, D-3rd District, may face more trouble when his House Democratic colleagues return from recess in early September.

“Joe Biden has been a transformational president. Leader Jeffries strongly supports his candidacy and intends to do everything in his power to make sure that President Biden is reelected to a second term,” Jeffries spokeswoman Christiana Stephenson said in a statement. “Dean Phillips was independently elected to a leadership position in the House Democratic Caucus. He is ultimately accountable to his House colleagues, who have not been bashful in sharing their views.”

Glad to see Jeffries and others supporting Joe. Ken Martin is also disagreeing with Phillips' foray into the presidential race.

Meanwhile, DFL Chairman Ken Martin told MinnPost on Wednesday he is a “big fan of Dean Phillips, and he is a very principled person” but that he disagrees with him. “The only thing this conversation does is I think potentially create
distraction and divide our party at a time when we need to unify.”

Martin went even further in a Washington Post piece published Thursday, saying “I find it really disappointing on a number of levels that he has continued to repeat baseless Republican talking points.”