In a move that is sure to infuriate far-left progressives, House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi publicly and enthusiastically endorsed incumbent Democrat Rep. Henry Cuellar, who is currently facing a progressive primary challenger backed by the Justice Democrats and Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
It’s not hard to see why the far-left hates Rep. Cuellar, even though he is a member of the Democratic Party. Rep. Cuellar is pro-life, has voted with President Trump more than 70% of the time, and has earned an “A” rating from the NRA. Furthermore, he supports lowering corporate taxes to promote economic growth, and does not support federal regulation of greenhouse gas emissions. These positions undoubtedly make Rep. Cuellar a moderate Democrat, considering how far left the party has veered in the last few years.
It is clear that House Speaker Rep. Pelosi’s priority is retaining Democrat control over the House of Representatives, not turning the Democratic Party into an acolyte of the Democrat Socialists of America and Justice Democrats. Unlike many of her progressive fellow politicians, Rep. Pelosi knows that the Democrats only regained control of the House of Representatives due to running moderate candidates in conservative areas, and she clearly isn’t keen on risking the loss of what should be an easily winnable seat.
Rep. Pelosi isn’t the only powerful voice in the DNC to back Rep. Cuellar. Rep. Cheri Bustos, head of the powerful House Democrats’ campaign arm, lent her full support to Rep. Cuellar as well, noting that he knows his district like the back of his hand and should do fine in the upcoming primary election.
Rep. Cuellar has been labeled as “vulnerable” by progressive activists who are eager to see him replaced with a socialist. However, the odds of his challenger winning the primary, let alone the general election, aren’t as high as some would believe. Texas isn’t a liberal state like New York, and there are plenty of people in Rep. Cuellar’s district who aren’t eager to implement a radical agenda that include abortion on demand, $15 minimum wage, the Green New Deal, Medicare for All and gun control. What is more, there are still a few level-headed, fairly powerful Democrats in the party who know that tilting as far to the left as possible is a recipe for disaster. Even so, House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s enthusiastic endorsement of Rep. Cuellar is sure to ruffle feathers.
At the end of the day, it’s fun to see them fight each other.
