Politico: 'Not a healthy environment': Kamala Harris' office rife with dissent

[Binkie The Clown]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/not-healthy-environment-kamala-harris-160530561.html

When Vice President Kamala Harris finally made the decision to visit the Mexico border last week, people inside her own office were blindsided by the news.

For days, aides and outside allies had been calling and texting with each other about the political fallout that a potential trip would entail. But when it became known that she was going to El Paso, it left many scrambling, including officials who were responsible for making travel arrangements and others outside the VP’s office charged with crafting the messaging across the administration.

The handling of the border visit was the latest chaotic moment for a staff that’s quickly become mired in them. Harris’ team is experiencing low morale, porous lines of communication and diminished trust among aides and senior officials. Much of the frustration internally is directed at Tina Flournoy, Harris’ chief of staff, a veteran of Democratic politics who began working for her earlier this year.

In interviews, 22 current and former vice presidential aides, administration officials and associates of Harris and Biden described a tense and at times dour office atmosphere. Aides and allies said Flournoy, in an apparent effort to protect Harris, has instead created an insular environment where ideas are ignored or met with harsh dismissals and decisions are dragged out. Often, they said, she refuses to take responsibility for delicate issues and blames staffers for the negative results that ensue.

Or should we just sweep it under the rug?

[Ocelot II]

1. It could be true, but consider the source.

Politico seems to enjoy stirring the pot.

[brooklynite]

6. The source being a newspaper for political professionals, that voters don't read?

Never understood why people imagine that Politico is trying to influence....something.

[Ocelot II]

13. Seems like a lot of people must read it, since it gets quoted in other big-name pubs

like WaPo and NYT.

[Volaris]

21. It's a nearly worthless dc gossip rag.

Olbermann used to derisively refer to it as 'tiger beat on the Potomac.'

[PortTack]

19. The minute I see Politico as the source I ignore it.

[lagomorph777]

29. Dems in disarray!

Again!

and again!

Politico specializes in this line of attack.

[DURHAM D]

2. What crap.

This does not belong on DU.

[Hoyt]

3. It's certainly possible she needs to make some staffing tweaks, but

it seems a little early to start pointing fingers and spreading rumors.

[ProfessorGAC]

24. It's Been 5 Months!

What organization ever, besides this one, wasn't running like a well-oiled machine in 155 days?

[George II]

4. Hmm, Politico.

[ismnotwasm]

5. Yup

[LonePirate]

8. Politico (aka the laundromat for Republican viewpoints) is trash.

[DURHAM D]

11. This is about 2024. nt

[WhiteTara]

25. Of course.

[Progressive Jones]

7. We'll be hearing about this from Tucker Carlson in 3...2...1... nt

[sciencescience]

9. Many sources and characterizations, but little actual evidence

The article would be much better and trustworthy if it mentioned specific actions or quotes.

[ShazamIam]

10. It is titled and reads like a very common political attack article and written by a committee of 3.

I have read that the conservative media is having a hard time attacking Biden and are focused on Harris as a more controversial and easier target.

Personally I think Harris is great.

[betsuni]

12. "We are not making rainbows and bunnies all day. What I hear is that people have hard jobs and I

say 'welcome to the club.' ... Whoever has something they would like to raise, they should raise it directly." Symone Sanders

At least they could spice up the gossip with stapler-throwing incidents and eating salad with a comb or something.

[lagomorph777]

31. So...staffers have spirited debates. That's a BAD thing?

Good point, betsuni.

[treestar]

35. Exactly

that's a bad thing only to authoritarians.

[Bev54]

14. Politico seems to be doing hit jobs on the Biden admin lately

And their sourcing for some of them is really questionable, like when they had a big story how Biden admin was holding back funds to Ukraine when all the funds were released. Don't know what is going on over there.

[Baked Potato]

15. The article reads like a totally negative hit piece.

No policy discussion, only staff intrigue. I’m not the least bit worried.

[blogslug]

16. D-d-does this mean...

Dems are in disarray?

[TomDaisy]

17. Politico is trash

[Budi]

18. They're just Mad cuz Symone Sanders won't let the starving news snoops get close to VP

Link to tweet

[Xoan]

20. Politico is a RAG.

[Klaralven]

22. CNBC ran before Politico

Several longtime Kamala Harris associates shut out as VP’s chief of staff keeps tight control over access

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/29/kamala-harris-chief-of-staff-limits-access-to-vice-president.html

It's being carried by many outlets -- just google Tina Flournoy.

[StarfishSaver]

28. And if she were letting everyone get to her at this stage

They'd be saying Harris is running a ragggedy, unprofessional operation where friends and cronies have too much access.

Bullshit.

It sounds to me like the VP and her chief of staff are running a tight ship. Good.

[Klaralven]

33. Blocking long time backers is not good for her political future

[boston bean]

23. I,would be wary about anything from politico.

[PunkinPi]

26. Politico is trashy clickbait. Charlie Pierce had it correct when he called it...

"Tiger Beat on the Potomac."

[StarfishSaver]

27. "The Vice President's office is in disarray" Uh-hunh

Because, you know, Black women can't run anything ...

I call bullshit on this.

[Deminpenn]

30. Fair enough, but there's office intrigue everywhere

from little to big. It's what made watching "The Office" fun.

[StarfishSaver]

32. But there's something particularly insidious about this

Black women are consistently looked at as less than and not competent and purveyors of drama.

It's not enough to just say all politicians are treated that way. Because we all know that white men are not characterized in that way nor assumed ipso facto to be unqualified and unfit unless proven otherwise. But when a Black woman characterized in this way, it can be very damaging in ways that don't result from white men being portrayed like this.

Seeing the first Black female vice president characterized the way she is in this article really rubs the wrong way And, under these circumstances, is particularly irresponsible. Journalists should be more aware of these dynamics because ignoring them means they're only feeding into and exacerbating them.

[Deminpenn]

36. Don't see it that way

Beltway press is always looking for gossipy stuff. Biden's admin has been a tight ship so far, so now the DC media is sniffing around the VP as the next person in the food chain, for stories.

[StarfishSaver]

40. The fact you don't see it that way doesn't mean it's not there.

[Bettie]

38. There is

It seems as if she is "controversial" simply because she's a woman and black.

Either one would be enough, but both seems to send even some liberal men over the edge.

[treestar]

34. Did she eat a salad with a comb?

What obvious BS.

And such is always going to be the case, even if so. No one checked out the Pence office, which was probably really chaotic.

[tenderfoot]

37. Fuck that bullshit source

[jalan48]

39. Didn't Harris's campaign staff also have similar problems in 2020?

[Spazito]

41. If it's Politico, I just know it is going to be a negative propaganda piece...

against the Dems. They aren't worth clicking on at any time, imo.