Like most Democrats this year, Tennessee congressional candidate Brett Carter would like to distance himself as much as possible from the party leadership. But Carter is taking that sentiment to a whole new level, saying it is “incumbent” on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to step down:
In an interview with POLITICO Thursday evening, Carter slammed Pelosi as a polarizing figure whose leadership of the Democratic Caucus imperiled the party’s House majority and said it was time for someone else to take her place.
“She has become a lightning rod who is keeping us from getting our message out,” said Carter, who also criticized Pelosi for her support of the financial bailout package. “This takes away a baseball bat that Republicans are using to beat us over the heads incessantly.”
“We’re going to lose control with the position we’re in now,” he said. “This is something that a lot of Democrats aren’t saying but are thinking.”
Carter is running against Republican state Sen. Diane Black for the seat held by Rep. Bart Bordon (D., TN-6), who is retiring. Carter faces an uphill challenge in a district that voted 62 percent for McCain in 2008, but for Democrats looking for a way to appeal to voters this fall, he may be onto something.