Democrat infighting

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This will grow as the National Dem party tries to shove Biden down the States Throats for nomination but it looks like the Florida Dem party is lock step with the National Dem Party.



The Florida Democratic Party is facing blowback over its decision to submit a single candidate for the state's Democratic presidential nominee.

Democratic candidates running for 2024 are expressing their outrage over the state party's decision to only put President Joe Biden on Florida's primary ballot. The three Democrats running against Biden for the party's nomination have criticized the decision, calling it "undemocratic manipulation," comparing it to the political struggle in the Islamic Republic of Iran and threatening lawsuits.

"Americans would expect the absence of democracy in Tehran, not Tallahassee," Representative Dean Phillips said in a Thursday statement. "The intentional disenfranchisement of voters runs counter to everything for which our Democratic Party and country stand. Our mission as Democrats is to defeat authoritarians, not become them."

Newsweek reached out to the Florida Democratic Party via inquiry form for comment.

Author Marianne Williamson and The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur, who are also running to replace Biden as the Democratic nominee, will hold a joint press conference on the news from Florida, which they labeled an "attempt to circumvent democracy," on Friday afternoon. Uygur, who is ineligible for the presidency because he is a naturalized citizen who immigrated from Turkey in 1978, has raised more than $250,000 since launching his campaign in October.

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Jayapal

 

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Jayapal

House Democrats Blast Progressive Chairwoman For ‘Outrageous’ Comments On Hamas’s Sexual Violence On Oct 7th​

The backlash continued against Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) who, on Sunday, made equivocating comments about the condemnation of sexual violence committed by Hamas during the October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel. And it’s not only coming from her own party, it’s coming from the House Progressive Caucus.

During her Sunday appearance on CNN’s State of the Union with anchor Dana Bash, Jayapal was asked why there was a hesitation to condemn the reported rapes and sexual violence against women that took place on October 7. But rather than condemn the horrific acts outright, Jayapal kept pivoting to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, saying “we cannot say that one war crime deserves another” and “we have to be balanced about bringing in the outrages against Palestinians.”

It did not take long for critics to jump, but some of the loudest voices against Jayapal’s comments came from House Democrats in the Progressive Caucus that Jayapal chairs. On CNN Max on Monday, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D- MI) got visibly emotional while talking to CNN’s Kasie Hunt about how hard she has worked to prove the veracity of the reports, and was clearly frustrated when the subject of Jayapal was raised:

The very first week of this attack after Hamas, I condemned the raping of women and said that no one could condone it. And Palestinian men went after me, called me a liar, demanded I retracted it. I got doxxed over the subject. I have spent the last seven weeks researching the raping of women that has occurred in the Mid East. It is outrageous. I condemn it.
Women become… Rape is a tool of war. It is violence that should be exercised against no woman, any woman, a Jewish woman, an Arab woman, a white woman, a black woman. And I unequivocally stand against it. And men who deny it and then demand retractions and then keep trying to do it and then try to embarrass you or shame you will not embarrass me or shame me. I will speak up against rape everywhere and anywhere. And as women, we must do so. It is an act of violence against a woman. …
I’m going to talk to Pramila, I have a call in to her. I think… I’m going to just speak for myself on this subject, and I’m raw on this subject because of the hate that I have had directed at me for speaking the truth. I will speak the truth. And I don’t care who it is. Rape is an act of violence and it becomes too often a tool in any act of war.

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) called Jayapal’s comments “outrageous” on Twitter/X on Sunday:

Bash had Rep. Richie Torres (D-NY) on Monday’s Inside Politics to ask about why there was hesitancy to condemn the rapes committed by Hamas:

Bash: Why do you think it’s difficult for some members of your party to unequivocally call out the barbaric sexual violence against Israeli women?
Torres: Look, there’s often been a double standard against Israel when it comes to condemning the sheer butchery and barbarism of Hamas. Public officials have a moral obligation to speak with clarity rather than caveats. And I found it deeply troubling, for example, that the UN Women, the so-called women’s rights arm of the United Nations, went 50 days without commenting on or condemning the sexual atrocities that Hamas perpetrated against Israeli women. For me, this is not about politics. This is about decency. It is indecent to deny or downplay or “both sides” the rape and sexual violence against Israeli women on October 7th.

But when it came to the caucus being divided, Torres pushed back, insisting that while there was a “fringe” faction of House Democrats who used inflammatory language to describe Israel’s retaliation for October 7th, they didn’t not represent Democrats or progressives:

[T]he word “division” gives the impression that it’s evenly split. I mean, almost every member of the Democratic caucus has been unequivocal in condemning the sheer savagery of Hamas. There is a fringe that uses provocative language, dishonest language, like “ethnic cleansing” or “genocide,” but that is fundamentally unrepresentative of the mainstream of not only the Democratic caucus, but also the Progressive caucus.

 

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Democrats working on resolution condemning Hamas’ use of sexual violence​

Two House Democrats are planning on introducing a resolution this week condemning Hamas’ use of sexual violence and rape against Israeli women in the wake of Progressive Caucus Chairwoman Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s comments to CNN’s Dana Bash that upset a number of her Democratic colleagues.


While Jayapal condemned the rape of Israeli women by Hamas and called it “horrific” on CNN’s “State of the Union,” she pointed out that over 15,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza since the start of the war and said, “I think we have to be balanced about bringing in the outrages against Palestinians.”

Jayapal’s comments have set off a firestorm within the Congressional Progressive Caucus and speak to the broader divisions within the Democratic Party over how to address the war between Israel and Hamas. Her remarks come as Democrats have struggled to reconcile support for Israel’s right to defend itself in the wake of the October 7 attacks and rising protests, especially on the left, over the devastation in Gaza.

Democratic Rep. Lois Frankel of Florida, who left the Progressive Caucus last month due to divisions within the group over the war, has begun drafting the resolution, a Democratic lawmaker familiar with the plans told CNN.

A source familiar with Frankel’s thinking told CNN combating rape as a weapon of war is a long-standing priority for the congresswoman and the resolution was not drafted as a response to any comments made by other members.

Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell of Michigan, a member of the progressive group, told CNN’s Kasie Hunt on Monday she plans to introduce the resolution with Frankel this week and is going to talk to Jayapal about her comments.

“I’m going to talk to Pramila,” Dingell said on “State of the Race” on Monday. “I’m just going to speak for myself on this subject. And I’m raw on this subject because of the hate that I have had directed at me for speaking the truth. I will speak the truth.”

A number of progressives in the caucus have raised concerns that Jayapal is speaking publicly in her capacity as chair when the group, which represents a broad spectrum of opinions, has not taken an official position on any of these complicated issues pertaining to the war, another Democratic lawmaker familiar with the conversations told CNN.

In response, CPC spokeswoman Mia Jacobs told CNN, “The CPC’s policy is that the Caucus does not take positions on Israel and Palestine. Every member speaks for themselves, and any actions are in their personal capacity.”

Jewish Democrats specifically have been voicing their frustrations with Jayapal’s recent comments both publicly and with their colleagues, accusing Jayapal of being tone deaf for not unequivocally condemn Hamas’ use of rape against Israeli women, according to lawmakers familiar with the conversations.

Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida, an outspoken Jewish member of Congress, said on X following Jayapal’s interview, “Hamas terrorists raped Israeli women and girls. The only ‘balanced’ approach is to condemn sexual violence loudly, forcefully and without exceptions. Outrageous for anyone to ‘both sides’ sexual violence.”

Democratic Rep. Ritchie Torres, a strong supporter of Israel, told Bash on CNN on Monday that Democrats are not divided over whether to condemn Hamas, but rather there is a “fringe” group that uses “provocative language” and is “fundamentally unrepresentative of the mainstream.”

The White House on Monday condemned Hamas and the use of rape as a weapon in war when asked about Jayapal’s comments.

“I can only speak for the president – that’s who I can speak for,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday. “And we’ve been clear what Hamas did is absolutely reprehensible and full stop. We’re going to continue to be clear about that. And we think about … the use of rape as being used as a weapon; That is also reprehensible, and that’s full stop but I’ll just leave it there.”

 

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White House says rape as a weapon is ‘reprehensible’ in response to Jayapal CNN exchange​

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Monday said President Biden finds the use of rape as a weapon of war “reprehensible,” when she was asked about Rep. Pramila Jayapal’s (D-Wash.) recent comments on rapes being committed by Hamas fighters.

CNN anchor Dana Bash on Sunday pressed Jayapal on the silence from some fellow progressive leaders on Hamas’ use of rape as a weapon of war against Israeli women, but Jayapal pivoted her answer to focus on Israel. Bash noted that diversion and Jayapal responded, “I think that rape is horrific,” adding that the U.S. has to be balanced because of the amount of Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes.


Bash responded directly: “And it’s horrible, but you don’t see Israeli soldiers raping Palestinian women.” Jayapal replied, “Well, Dana, I think we’re not — we’re not — I don’t want this to be the hierarchy of oppressions.”

Jean-Pierre on Monday said that the White House has been clear in its stance on the rapes that occurred on Oct. 7, when the U.S.-designated terrorist organization Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel’s southern border, killing 1,200 Israelis and taking more than 240 hostages.

“What Hamas did is absolutely reprehensible. And, full stop. We’re going to continue to be clear about that. When we think about rape and the use of rape as being used as a weapon, that is also reprehensible, and that’s full stop,” she said. “And that’s speaking for the president of the United States, I think I’ve been very clear on that.”

When pressed if she has a comment on Jayapal’s comments specifically, Jean-Pierre added, “I just commented on it. I just laid out what we believe is unacceptable.”


The exchange between Jayapal and Bash has received attention and criticism over the last day. Jayapal’s colleague in the House, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), said she plans to discuss the matter with Jayapal after she said she was doxed because of her condemnation of Hamas’s use of rape against Israeli women.