Seth Moulton, head of the 16-signer-letter anti-Pelosi group, now wants to sue for terms from Leader Pelosi. But she apparently won’t take his calls. So he’s forced to go to The Washington Post’s Robert Costa to sue for terms. Actually, it’s now a 14 signer letter since two of Moulton’s fellow 16 – Reps. Higgins and Lynch – already bailed out while Moulton was still on the plane.
As his campaign crumbles, Moulton now says he wants a sit-down with Pelosi for a negotiation that would apparently involve her booting her two deputies – Hoyer and Clyburn – to the curb in exchange for younger members of the caucus.
For what it’s worth, that wouldn’t be a bad thing, at least in the abstract. All three top members of the Democratic leadership are either 78 or 79 years old. It’s time to start grooming future members of the leadership. It’s not that I necessarily think Hoyer and Clyburn should go. But Pelosi is not going and her experience and ability make it unwise to let her go. You have to start somewhere.
At the same time, repositioning toward ousting Hoyer and Clyburn looks very much like a desperate attempt on Moulton and Co’s part to win something, even if Pelosi stays, as their gambit plummets to the earth. Pelosi does not need them. And with their numbers dwindling, they have very little power to negotiate, let alone dictate.
