A leading Dem, Rep. Jamie Raskin, went on CNN with Jake Tapper and refused to endorse Kamala Harris as Joe Biden’s VP at one time saying he didn’t know if Biden has named a running mate. Rumors are swirling around DC that Biden will dump Kamala because everyone thinks he is too old and she is a terrible candidate.
TAPPER: Do you think Vice President Kamala Harris is the best running mate for President Biden? And what do you make a Speaker Pelosi’s answer there?
RASKIN: I mean, there didn’t seem to be anything wrong with that answer.
Obviously, President Biden, Vice President Harris, Speaker Pelosi, for that matter, all of us have been laboring under just a deluge of propaganda, disinformation and criticism by the MAGA right. This is a rule-or-ruin faction which takes the position that, if they’re not going to be able to control the direction of government, they are going to throw grease in the gears to try to shut everything down.
And what we’re all dealing with right now is this impending September 30 deadline, because the MAGA right wants to shut down the government…
TAPPER: Congressman, you are doing what Speaker Pelosi did, which is not answering the question.
Do you think Kamala Harris is the best running mate for President Biden?
RASKIN: Is it — well, obviously, she gave the right answer. That’s President Biden’s choice. And I think she’s an excellent running mate for President Biden.
I don’t know what more needs to be said about that. Obviously, people are still trying to throw presidential politics into turmoil. But President Biden and Vice President Harris are running on an excellent record, $1.2 trillion investment in infrastructure, the Inflation Reduction Act, record investment in climate action. We have reduced prescription drug prices.
And so there’s a very strong policy record to run on there. And I want to resist the tendency to try to trivialize all politics by making it just about personalities.
TAPPER: It’s not a — no one’s making it about personalities. I mean, like, it’s just a simple question. Do you think Kamala Harris is the best running mate for President Biden? You have said she’s excellent. That’s farther than Speaker Pelosi went, but do you think she’s the — I’m not trying to throw anything into turmoil.
I actually think it’s a pretty simple question. Do you think Kamala Harris is the best running mate for President Biden, yes or no?
RASKIN: I mean, I don’t know what else I can say, other than she would be an excellent running mate and an excellent vice president.
TAPPER: You could say yes.
“It’s a pretty simple question — do you think Kamala Harris is the best running mate for Pres. Biden? Yes or no?”
DEMOCRAT REP. JAMIE RASKIN: “I don’t know whether Pres. Biden has named his running mate”
“You could say yes?”
RASKIN: “I’ve not seen any public opinion polling.” pic.twitter.com/OXiDr5B5mo
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) September 14, 2023
RASKIN: I don’t know whether President Biden has named his running mate. We’re going to a convention next summer. It’s a year away from now.
And we’re going to go through that process. So, I mean…
TAPPER: You say, I don’t know what I can say.
The answer is, you could say yes. You could say, yes, I think Kamala Harris is the best vice president and the best running mate for President Biden. That’s the answer you could be giving right now. Yes, she is.
RASKIN: So, I have not seen any public opinion polling.
You might be a stronger vice presidential running mate than her or me or anybody else. I don’t know who else, if you’re talking about the polling. But I will tell you, as a matter of substance and public policy, she’d be an excellent choice. And she and the president have done an excellent job.
TAPPER: I’m only running as a member of the Bull Moose Party, but I appreciate your vote.
