Hakeem Jeffries on Rachel Maddow - Swing and Miss .

[Bread and Circuses]

I support the Democrats, they are in a difficult position.

You can listen from about 3:10 to 8:10

I believe Congressman Jeffries to be a good and decent man. It pains me to point out that he’s not the person to lead the Democratic Caucus or our citizens who are crying out for leadership on stopping the coup.

Certainly, we don’t want him to be arrested. We understand that he must choose his words wisely.
For example, Governor Pritzker delivered a strategic speech, precise and on target.

However, it seems that Jeffries continues to pivot. He can wield great power and influence, but defers.
Disappointing.

?si=pzwgzHbkJRoWpPXH

There is a strong and active democratic base who volunteered, donated, made calls and wrote letters.
We are taking to the streets on our own to protest because we may loose this Constitutional Republic by summer.

Lawsuits are good, however we know that the OrangeShitler will ignore the courts.

I’m watching and listening and hoping.

[KPN]

1. Rapid response task force and litigation working group?!!!

Really? We’re screwed.

[bigtree]

60. I don't believe you

...I don't believe you that this Democratic leader isn't effective.


February 25, 2025
Rep. Jeffries on Budget Resolution: "They will not get a single Democratic vote."

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) on budget resolution: "Let me be clear, House Democrats will not provide a single vote to this reckless Republican budget. Not one...They will not get a single Democratic vote. why? Because we are voting with the American people."

https://www.c-span.org/clip/news-conference/rep-jeffries-on-budget-resolution-they-will-not-get-a-single-democratic-vote/5154836


I don't care that he doesn't thrill you or anyone else. He likely never going to be running for YOUR vote.

[Iggo]

3. Is he mad at us again?

[radius777]

4. Hakeem and Chuck are decent and good men - the problem is

we don't live in decent and good times. They're just too nice and playing by the old standards - basically Merrick Garland types. Dems only did good when we had people like Pelosi and Reid, who were sharper and tougher when dealing with the R snakes.

[GPV]

6. Yep. We need more Bernies, more AOCs, more Crocketts.

[mucholderthandirt]

17. I just had to laugh at this. The way this site has treated Bernie Saunders...

When he was the only one talking sense. Before Crockett, before Raskin, before AOC, Bernie was telling people the truth, warning them, and he just got disrespected over and over. Now he's suddenly the golden boy.

What a hoot.

Signed,

"Bernista" from day one.

[GPV]

22. Been around since the beginning. I've been all about Bernie, and before that, Nader.

Didn't even leave the Greens til being a Dem gave me a chance to caucus for Bernie. Seen some decent things get done by some Dems, but yeah, just not as progressive or direct as I'd like. Are leadership still keeping their powder dry??

But yeah, I've slipped more than one "Bernie/Nader was right" in my posts here, and haven't gotten the raving pushback I used to.

[displacedvermoter]

34. "But there are more people in my brother's condo unit than there are in Vermont"

Or some such shit, right?

[Bread and Circuses]

24. Agree. We have the bench warmers leading the Dems now.

[krawhitham]

31. Pelosi and Reid were only "good" with a majority, Hakeem's never had a majority, & Chuck has always been useless

[KT2000]

5. First off - it's the lack of energy

He came across as a CEO addressing the stockholders. He is a policy wonk, not a leader of the Party. Rachel tried to get him enthusiastic, but he would not go for it.
He is talking about rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
It was depressing.

[GPV]

7. By and large, this party runs from a triangulating, moderate standpoint. This is where,

"our hands are tied" has gotten us. If we can't lawfully place a new justice on the supreme Court, there's no way current leadership can stand up to this.

[betsuni]

9. People know what to do: protest, town hall, volunteer, calls and letters, get active locally, etc.

Is anybody really waiting around mindlessly sitting on their hands, incapable of thinking for themselves, watching, whining, disappointed that Jeffries doesn't personally tell them what to do in a shouty passionate performance?

No grassroots movement, eh? Have to be told what to do by the establishment off in Washington? What "great power and influence"? He's one person working in government. Leadership obsession-bashing.

Lawrence O'Donnell mentioned a Civil Rights activist from the North who went South and was murdered -- didn't need a leader to tell him what to do. Everybody can do something. Weak and whiny and blaming Democratic leadership for not changing one's diapers is a choice.

[Autumn]

20. I would be happy if he just did something, other than trust in his imaginary friend

sitting on a throne.

[betsuni]

45. Mocking religion. Is it all religion, just Christianity, just Baptists, or just something about Jeffries

people need to hate?

[Autumn]

46. I'm very fair. I mock all religions and their so called leaders equally.

I find politicians who lean on their religion to be very much the problem with the world.

[Bread and Circuses]

25. Yes and

We are doing the work, as citizens.

The political leadership is neither supporting us or providing strategic advice.

We will continue to Resist!

[betsuni]

44. Continue to Resist the Democratic Party and it's leadership?

[Scrivener7]

52. Yes. Everybody can do something. But it would be a lot

more effective if those efforts were coordinated.

That's the purpose of a political party.

[ihaveaquestion]

10. Where is the passion?

I think he's trying to project confidence, competence, and a "we got this" attitude. Unfortunately it's not coming across that way because it doesn't fit our mood... we are SCARED and we are ANGRY and we want someone to fight for us and to fight with us . We need our leaders to be fighters right now.

[elocs]

43. Yes! No passion! I want to see fire in the belly, kick ass & take names! n/t

[MotownPgh]

54. January 6th was the turning point for me

Not interested in debating this but when there was no quick action holding EVERYONE accountable, the country and Constitution was lost.

[GreenWave]

11. The angry masses want fire and brimstone from them. Instead we get thoughtful analytics.

[displacedvermoter]

15. You can combine fire and brimstone

with thoughtful analytics. See Katie Porter, Elizabeth Warren, AOC, Adam Schiff, Maxwell Frost, etc. Jeffries apparently can't.

[BlueKota]

51. I agree there needs to be more Democrats doing exactly what

the ones you mention in this post are doing.

[mucholderthandirt]

18. Thoughtful analytics is the Democratic way. Always has been. Where have you guys been, under a rock?

There's a reason for all those spineless Democrats jokes, you know.

I love the Democrat's liberal ideals, when they have them, but in action they're basically a bunch of "can't we all just get along?", "let's put our hand out to the opposition, they're really good people in the end" weaklings when the going gets tough.

And look where that's got us. Let's stop aiming for the center and go full on liberal, progressive, chew their fingers off for once fighters. Oh, but, that's not what the people want, they don't like us fighting, oh my gosh, it's not our way.

And now America is dead, we're going to have to fight our own damned neighbors to get this shit to stop, and still the Dems are going to moan about why we gotta be so mean!?!1!?1

[BlueKota]

53. You can't win against people who ignore all the rules,

if you are so naive, to believe the rules are still in play, and everything will just miraculously turn out okay in the end, if only you keep following them. Life isn't fair and doesn't work that way.

[Autumn]

21. Which part is thoughtful analytics? God is still on his throne?

Last edited Tue Feb 25, 2025, 08:14 PM - Edit history (1)

[tishaLA]

12. Kudos to Rachel for asking though questions

And keeping the pressure on, politely, throughout the interview. This is the kind of thing we need now to hold our reps and leaders accountable and responsive to us.

[displacedvermoter]

13. Frankly, I wouldn't want him as Speaker at this point

should a miracle happen and Dems win all of the upcoming special House races. Probably a very good policy creator, Pelosi saw that I guess. But not especially inspiring and doesn't seem to have a sense of how dangerous the times are.

Miracle unlikely to happen though, and he isn't a very inspiring Minority Leader, especially paired with Schumer. Schumer needs to be paired with a Raskin, or a Goldman, or an AOC (dare I say?) to counter his pretty blah mien.

Or how about balancing Jefferies and his over calm demeanor and message of acceptance and patience, with someone like Whitehouse, or Warren, or Tammy Baldwin.

And come the midterms, should they be allowed to happen and should they be fair and peaceful, regaining the House is very possible. And I again say Jeffries is not the man to be speaker, given how nasty the lead up to 2028 is going to be.

[Bread and Circuses]

26. Yes and...that's my concern.

[yellow dahlia]

42. I agree. Jeffries has not risen to the occasion.

And things are not going to be better. We need the leaders that match the moment.

Raskin brings an incredible intellect and love of the Consitution, and fight. I think Dan Goldman has a similar legal background and strong fighter style, but he is still one of the newer members. Keep him and Crockett, and Maxwell Frost, and AOC doing the communicating and standing up to the BS from the other side.

I would love to see Sheldon Whitehouse leading the way in the Senate - he is smart and intellectually organized and reasoned. He has had the idea of a "War Room" to address the current state of things. He wanted to do it before, but Biden discouraged it. It would have been great if it had been in place on inauguration day, with the ability to hit the ground running.

Chris Murphy is bringing energy and voice to the fight - that is where he belongs. Elizabeth Warren, Chris Van Hollen, Cory Booker bring a strong voice.

[Vinca]

14. I'm afraid I have the opinion many of the rest of you have. He's a very good man, but this nightmare calls for

someone more from the Bernie Sanders mold who will forcefully call things out and won't mince words. We're so far past bipartisanship the train has dropped off the edge of the earth.

[Loryn]

16. He is not getting it done.

Give me Jasmine Crockett

[Bread and Circuses]

27. Jasmine is awesome

[bigtree]

32. Jasmine hasn't stopped any republican action, no matter how eloquent

...and she's not the majority leader, and has a fraction of the responsibilities and has accomplished a fraction of the ACTION the Dem leader has accomplished in this short time in this term.

It's a specious comparison, and it doesn't represent any material blocking of republican abuses at all.

[the_liberal_grandpa]

19. Jefferies means well but

he talks too much like a politician and not a normal guy so he always seems like he's trying to dodge serious questions.

I understood him to say that there is a lot on his plate with the budget fight right now and that that is a fight that Dems in the house can actually do somehting whereas all the other voter demands, while important, may not affect things as fast.

When the government shuts down in March there will be plenty of time to go out and protest by dem house members.

Taken along with Carvilles strategy to play "rope a dope" it makes some sense and I am willing to give them more rope right now.

I think we need to allow the maga repubs to shut the goverment down then we can demand more from dems who will not be stuck in Washington.

The Senate has more tools and Schumer is the real problem there. I think that is where we should focus our anger.

[elocs]

23. We need Democratic leaders with fire in their bellies, mad as hell,

and will not take it anymore--taking names and kissing ass.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

28. I only half watched the interview.

But i agree with the assessment. Trying to "project calm in the storm" when the storm is destroying everything we've fought for is bad optics.

I don't know what else we can do to sway him. Protest him directly?

[EarthAbides]

29. Relying way too myuch on the courts

At some point, probably sooner then later, Krasnov, the orange magat, will not obey court orders. We need leaders that are willing to get arrested!!

[bigtree]

30. this isn't advocacy, it's opposition to Democrats, our Democratic leader

...nothing he said was wrong, nothing he said was unimportant.

But posts like this which do nothing to even mention the advocacy are actually diverting from it, for whatever reason.

That contradicts all of the concern about messaging when all you've managed to do here is to try and turn folks away from the Democrats and our leaders.

They aren't in a campaign this week, they are the ONLY people in the rooms when the budgets are being cut by republicans who represent the people's interests.

The Dem leader talked about that, while trying to fend off Rachel's navalgazing, and frankly opposition parroting, whinging about a party out of power stopping republicans - and MESSAGING?

What the fuck the point in her spending ten goddamn minutes questioning the Dem leader about things he's completely unable to control; abuses that are completely in the hands of the republicans who hold EVERY branch of government right now, not even bothering ONCE to show ANY of his protests, House speeches or remarks, or ANY of his other actions. Not one, just the dragging shit.

Do we need a fucking history lesson about majority control of the House, the Senate, the White House, and the Supreme Court? Not to mention the military?

Dem legislators 'stop him' with what, goddamn it? Their fucking magic wands? The can't schedule hearings, can't schedule votes, can even occupy Capitol hearing rooms on their own, can't subpoena.

So what the fuck more do they have to say to YOU to get up off of this fantasy of Democrats having the power to stop republicans, when it is the AMERICAN PEOPLE THEY RESPOND TO, not their political opposition in Congress.

Ffs, the shit that passes for advocacy these days is crap. People fucking FAILED to elect enough Democrats to control ANYTHING in either House of Congress with their own votes or their own action.

Then they want to spend the next two years crying about why Dems aren't stopping republicans? It's the stupidest shit. It's so dirt-dumb you just have to wonder about everything other bit of foot-shooting, responsibility avoiding advice from the same sources.

YOU call the fucking republicans. That's OUR job after OUR election travesty. We don't accomplish shit dragging on the ONLY people representing us as republicans cut the budget, dragging on them to do what?

To do more to get the American people more involved? What a fucking canard. Just do that. Call republicans. Advocate against republicans.

Don't spend space or time dragging on a party we haven't yet bothered to equip to stop Trump and his republican cabal.

Call republicans. Advocate against republicans.

[displacedvermoter]

35. Donate money to a DNC PAC!

Repeatedly

[bigtree]

37. if we don't elect enough Democrats we will never stop Trump

...or his republicans.

That's the math. Anyone talking around that is diverting from that vital reality, for whatever reason.

When Dems in control we progress. EVERY TIME.

So, yes, donate to the DNC or to a Democratic candidate or officeholder to maintain their seat.

Repeatedly.

[displacedvermoter]

40. Believe me, I know how important

fundraising is, as my wife and I are reminded daily via emails.

One billion dollars raised was not enough to put Harris/Walz over the top, just saying.

[Bread and Circuses]

47. You are inappropriate

You have no idea what I’ve been doing .

I have organized a group of local people to organize, vote, lobby, call voters and write letters.
We aligned with national public advocacy groups.

And this is not my first time.
We continue the work.

[bigtree]

48. the sophistry in this post

..representing this couple of minutes as the entirety of the Democratic Leaders' response to the Trump abuses is dishonest. It just is.

And you'll have to remind me of the posts of the Dem leader speaking and acting in other circumstances that you've provided here at DU, along with these specious criticisms.

They'd likely duplicate the dozens of my own of the Dem leader since the swearing in.

I'm going to hold my breath now and wait.

[Mysterian]

59. Leadership matters

If we don't think we have the right leaders to get us out of peril, we have a right to demand change. That seems to bother you.

[markpkessinger]

33. I was just about to post this clip with a nearly identical comment!

As I watched it last night, I found myself shaking my head and thinking, "He's just not getting it." And Rachel did everything she possibly could to try to draw him out, but he just droned on dispassionately about lawsuits and improving messaging. Voters in the present moment want -- and I believe very much need -- to see some real fight, some real passion, as well as a concrete plan of action to confront this mess from Democratic leaders, and Jeffries simply wasn't bringing it.

And look, I get that displaying that sort of thing outwardly doesn't come easily to everyone. For someone like Jeffries, it would probably feel somewhat performative. But when you are in a leadership role in politics, sometimes being a little performative is necessary in order to meet the moment!

And I agree 100% that Jeffries is a good and honest man. But he is not meeting the moment.

[Bread and Circuses]

41. Thanks, we support the Dems...

And that’s why we are pointing out what needs to be communicated to the citizens.

We hear our neighbors and people talk all around us. Voters are frustrated and I’ve contacted by representatives.

[bigtree]

49. you do realize this is a just few minutes of the Dem leader

...responding to bullshit expectations that Maddow should know better tthan to whine and ask, like, 'what are you going to do to stop Trump and the republicans' paraphrasing here.

What goddamn bullshit to ask the leader of the party out of power, the most ineffectual body for a minority party because of all of the privileges afforded the majority, what he's going to do with the zero authority he has to do nothing more than cast a vote to stop Trump?

Do people really think we're this stupid to believe that a minority of Democrats in the House are responsible for stopping the majority of votes in the republican majority?

How the fuck... never mind. maddow knew the answer. She just wanted to set the Dem leader up for that.

I liked how he bristled at the end. These teevee news actors think too much of their performance.

They want to reduce the work of the Democratic leader of the House of Representatives to a narrative they invent for their show, and some people look at that believeing it's the real thing.

It's not. It's not even accurate. Maddow showed a clip of somone saying something factually ignorant about what they expect from Democrats, and instead of correct it, she threw it in the face of Jeffries like Barbara Walters trying to make her guests cry for the camera.

And the audience went wild.

[alarimer]

36. They are not meeting the moment.

I think someone's idea of a shadow government is a good one. Or at least, everytime Trumps' spokes shill holds a presser, there should be a Democratic reponse, with AP reporters, dissecting every single lie and telling the truth. Put it on Youtube or whatever, if the media won't air it. Or whatever.

[bigtree]

50. I missed the alarimer posts of a Dem saying something

...anything at anytime.

I doubt if one of these Dem leaders said something that folks are claiming they're not, right in front of them, they wouldn't bother to post it or say a word about it.

Dems have been speaking out everyday, and almost all of the people criticizing them have never bothered to post a thing from them.

So why should anyone give credence to uninformed, misinforming complaining about Democrats that never comes with any visible support here for anything the Dem leaders do?

[alarimer]

56. If they are not getting in front of the public, they might as well not be saying anything at all.

Some are, of course, about some things. Jeffries in particular is way too mealy-mouthed to be useful.

And then of course, plenty are voting for the Mango Mussolini's nominees, when they should vote against all of them.

[bigtree]

57. but they are getting out in front of the public, dear alarimer

...it's you who is lacking in awareness of that absolute fact.

It's all around you, but you're selling this Orwellian mindtrick that they're not in a place where there's myriad evidence they certainly are.

It's not working, alarimer. Truth outs.

The Dem you derided as mealy-mouthed just engineered a unanimous opposition vote against the republican budget using his words.

Something about the way he speaks bothers you, but his voice inspired 214 Democrats - the Dem legislators in the House who voted for him to be their leader - to stand together when it counted.

The very same people who voted for him to do the JOB HE JUST DID.

Is that articulate enough for you?

[awesomerwb1]

38. So disappointing. If you suffer from insomnia, listen to Jeffries speak

The dude doesn't get it. He's a bad minor league pitcher when times require a hard thrower with a nasty curveball.

[bigtree]

58. he was voted in to do the job he just accomplished

...organizing 214 Democrats to stand together against the republican budget resolution.

In fact, there isn't ONE of these important votes, or any other than he hasn't organized a majority or a unanimous vote from the people who chose him to lead.

What ever problem you have with the way he speaks isn't reflected in his performance.

And if you're looking for him to provide inspiration against what republicans are doing, then he can't help you or anyone else expecting him to communicate that extremely evident obviousness.

He's not there to entertain you or anyone else.

[awesomerwb1]

61. We can disagree.

It's not "how he speaks". It's the things he has said, his lackadaisical attitude to the current times.

You're a big fan, good for you. I find it hilarious how "insulted" you are by my comment.

We need fighters like AOC, Bernie, Murphy, Crockett who understand the gravity of the situation. Mr "Presidents come and Presidents go" ain't it.

No reply necessary. bye.

[SocialDemocrat61]

39. I thought he did fine

I want leaders who are thoughtful and are not demagogues. MAGAts like demagogues. We should be better. There are plenty of democrats operating as attack dogs, such as AOC, but we need wise leaders too.

[LudwigPastorius]

55. "It pains me to point out that he's not the person to lead the Democratic Caucus..."

The Democrats in that caucus think he is. That's why they elected him Minority Leader.

He's the leader of our party in the House at least until the mid-terms, at which point, if the Democratic Reps think he's not doing his job, they'll elect somebody different.