June 10, 2011

Wasserman Schultz is a Tremendous Asset to the Democratic Party

Listed in: Other Domestic Policy, NJDC News, Opinions

Originally Published in Politico’s Arena

By David A. Harris, President and CEO of the National Jewish Democratic Council 

Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz is a tremendous asset and an outstanding, outspoken leader for the Democratic Party. From speaking the truth about the looming disaster for seniors that is the Republican plan for Medicare to inspiring a new generation of Democrats, Debbie’s energy and passion are infectious—and her skills when it comes to fundraising, organizing and communicating are second to none. She is precisely what the Democratic Party needs right now.

What we’re seeing in this manufactured brouhaha about the Democratic Party chair is a standard play from the GOP playbook; take a newly-elevated Democratic voice and work to discredit and vilify as quickly as possibly. The reactions in some quarters to her statements frankly remind me of the time Harry Truman famously replied to a supporter, “I don’t give them Hell. I just tell the truth about them and they think it’s Hell.” The truth may sting, and it may be hard for others to take—especially Republicans. But it’s the truth all the same.