D.C. Democrats are discussing Debbie Wasserman Shultz’s fate as DNC Chairwoman.
The Hill reported Tuesday that Wasserman Schultz may be fired as DNC Chair before the national convention in July.
Democrats backing likely presidential nominee Hillary Clinton worry Wasserman Schultz has become too divisive a figure to unify the party in 2016, which they say is crucial to defeating presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump in November.
Wasserman Schultz has struggled to get along with Bernie Sanders and has been accused on multiple occasions of favoring the Democrat’s other presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton.
“There have been a lot of meetings over the past 48 hours about what color plate do we deliver Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s head on,” said one pro-Clinton Democratic senator.The lawmaker said senators huddled on the chamber floor last week to talk about Wasserman Schultz’s future and estimated that about a dozen have weighed in during private conversations.“I don’t see how she can continue to the election. How can she open the convention? Sanders supporters would go nuts,” said the lawmaker, who requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the discussions.There is no indication Wasserman Schultz, who is also a Florida congresswoman, has any plans to leave her post. And Senate sources stress that a final decision won’t be made until Clinton and Sanders negotiate some type of deal aimed at healing the party. President Obama, who selected Wasserman Schultz as chairwoman in 2011, is expected to play a major role in any such talks.The Clinton and Sanders campaigns have already struck a deal with Wasserman Schultz to limit her role in the convention’s platform committee.Under DNC rules, she could have appointed all 15 members of the platform committee but instead picked only four. Clinton got to fill six positions, and Sanders chose five.The concession, however, may not be enough to keep her in the job through the Democratic National Convention.A senior Senate Democratic aide said, “There’s a strong sentiment that the current situation is untenable and can only be fixed by her leaving. There’s too much water under the bridge for her to be a neutral arbiter.”
So contentious has Wasserman Schultz become, that Bernie Sanders endorsed her Congressional primary opponent.
Sen. Bill Nelson, Sen. Tim Kaine, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Nancy Pelosi and others have vocalized support for Wasserman Schultz.
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