House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had her time in the spotlight. Amid another NFL Wild Card triple-header on Sunday, she sat down with CBS News’ Lesley Stahl for her 60 Minutes interview after the chaotic mess that erupted on Capitol Hill.
This week Congress was set to certify the 2020 Electoral College results. That happened. Joe Biden was declared the winner, but not after pro-Trump supporters who descended into Washington DC for the Save America rally stormed the Capitol Building. Five people died. The incident caused a media meltdown. Shock and disgust rained down upon President Trump and his supporters. This caused another impeachment push on the Hill, one that will not feature a robust Republican opposition. Before, when Democrats ran with this to satisfy their own Trump deranged urges and a 2018 midterm campaign promise, the GOP held firm. It’s no longer the case now.
Yet, there was one part of the interview where Stahl wouldn’t let Pelosi off the hook for why there wasn’t a relief bill sooner. The good news is that there will be some sort of aid package soon. The bad news is that Americans pinched by the COVID pandemic have been left in utter economic purgatory due to Congress’ dithering. Pelosi admitted the torpedoed COVID relief to better Democratic chances in the 2020 election. Sen. Chuck Schumer also knew of the political dividends this bill yields. He didn’t want one prior to the election as it would have helped the GOP keep the Senate. It was the right thing to do, to help Americans in desperate need—and Democrats gummed up the works. It became a bipartisan affair when Sen. Mitch McConnell then decided to die on the hill of ‘the relief checks are too big,’ further hindering a relief bill prior to the key Georgia runoffs, which Republicans lost.
This is a major event, but one of many that could explain why protesters lashed out this week. And people wonder why populism, both left, and right, is rising here. They see through the games and corruption. Stahl noted Pelosi’s complicity in the COVID relief debacle, noting that Congress had eight months to get something done (via Daily Caller):
Before bringing up the topic of COVID relief, Stahl told Pelosi that she is “not known as a person who compromises.”
No, I am,” Pelosi insisted. “I’ll compromise. We wanna get the job done. I’m not– I’m– mischaracterized by the Republicans that way. But that’s a tactic that they use. But we know we want results for the American people.”
“What about the COVID relief package?” Stahl asked. “That was held up for eight months.”
After Pelosi blamed the delay on GOP “obstruction,” Stahl asserted that it was “yours too.”
“No, it wasn’t obstruction,” said Pelosi.
“You held out for eight months,” Stahl responded.
CBS's Lesley Stahl calls out Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi on 60 Minutes for refusing to compromise with Republicans on coronavirus relief:
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) January 11, 2021
"You, yourself are not known as a person who compromises. ... You held out for EIGHT months!" pic.twitter.com/712cUvBQH7
Democrats control the House. The then-GOP Senate was ready to pass something as well. Pelosi and Schumer decided to play games. Republicans were very clear that the price tag was flexible. Stahl isn’t the only person who can see right through Pelosi’s weak sauce narrative here. In August, PBS Newshour’s Judy Woodruff tore apart Pelosi’s talking points, which resulted in a meltdown from the California liberal. Woodruff noted that the GOP said they had funds for schools and food programs, while also noting that money from previous relief packages passed earlier in 2020 hasn’t been allocated yet. Pelosi blew a fuse [the fireworks begin around the 6:30-minute mark]:
Sadly, this point will be suffocated with a pillow by the liberal media.