The week began with a nasty food fight between White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. While on Meet the Press with David Gregory on Sunday, Gibbs made the mistake of conceding that Dems could lose the House in November.
GREGORY: Back on the political debate. Is the house in jeopardy? The majority for the Democrats in the house in jeopardy?
GIBBS: I think there is no doubt there are a lot of seats that will be up, a lot of contested seats. I think people are going to have a choice to make in the fall, but I think there’s no doubt there are enough seats in play that could cause Republicans to gain control. There’s no doubt about that. This will depend on strong campaigns by Democrats and again, I think, we have to take the issues to them.
House Democrats were very annoyed, but assumed Gibbs would correct the mistake. Instead – from the White House podium – Gibbs doubled down on Monday.
Q One last question. You were talking about politics equities a second ago. You said yesterday on Meet the Press that enough seats are in play that Republicans could take control of the House. Some of the people who have equities in that work at the DCCC and they were not so happy to hear you so declare. Do you really believe Republicans are — could take control of the House?
MR. GIBBS: I think I did what is maybe uncommon in this town and yesterday I opened my mouth and stated the obvious. (Laughter.) I do not believe that you all are now scurrying around to cover this election markedly different based on my having said that there are a number of seats that are in play.
The Speaker was furious and allowed her anger to show at a Tuesday evening meeting with her caucus. “I don’t appreciate it. I don’t know who this guy is. I’ve never met him before. And he’s saying that we’re going to lose the House,” Pelosi said, according to a CQ report. For anyone who knows Pelosi — how she so carefully she tends relationships — saying she doesn’t know you is probably one of her gravest insults.
Gibbs got the message and by Wednesday evening when House Democratic leaders went to the White House for a meeting with President Obama, the issue wasn’t even mentioned. Of course, it helped that Gibbs backed down and backtracked. Still, in a week that should have otherwise been good for the Democrats – the Senate passed financial regulatory reform, BP capped the well gushing oil into the Gulf, and Goldman Sachs paid a record fine to settle SEC charges – the episode lingers like a bad hangover.
Perhaps part of it is that Dems truly are worried about losing the House and giving the GOP video footage of their weakness from the White House podium really smarted. Part of it, too, though is a simmering rawness beneath the big tent as legislation gets bogged down and polls slump with three months to go till the elections; people often take out their frustrations on those closest to them. Everyone keeps poking their heads out, hoping the rain has stopped and it’s starting to get rather warm under there.
This isn’t Pelosi’s first spat with the White House, nor is it likely to be the last. But it was the most visible. Notably, Pelosi won this round: not only did Gibbs change his tune but she gained pledges from the White House to fight to retain the House. All siblings squabble: It’s mine! She hit me! I’m telling! Just doing it on the national stage right at the hour everyone’s expecting you to clasp hands and sing kumbaya risks putting off donors and depressing the base.