Harry Reid is leaving, but should Nancy Pelosi follow him out the door?
In an appearance on WGBH News “Greater Boston” Tuesday, Massachusetts Democratic Reps. Stephen Lynch and Michael Capuano both suggested that Pelosi should relinquish her position in leadership following the 2014 midterm losses in the House.
“I have said from day one that when you do something, no matter how good I may think it is, if it’s not working you should change what you are doing,” Capuano said. And, right now, we continue to do the same thing. We’ve lost more seats since then, and I’ve thought for a while — I don’t blame one person. That would be incredibly stupid.”
“But she should go?” asked host Jim Braude.
“I think we need leadership that understands if something you’re doing is not working, change what you’re doing,” Capuano continued. “She should change, one way or the other. And, thus far, we’ve lost more seats in the last cycle.”
“Nancy Pelosi will not lead us back into the majority,” Lynch said point blank of the House Minority Leader.
On Wednesday, Capuano issued a lighter statement, saying that Pelosi should be given the chance to lead their way out of the minority, even though changes are indeed needed.
“Since 2010, something hasn’t been resonating at the polls. I believe that when something’s not working, changes should be made,” he said. “Any leader who refuses to change in the face of failure should step aside. I believe, however, that Nancy Pelosi is making the changes necessary to lead House Democrats back to electoral success, and I still believe she will do so.”
WATCH (starts at 9:41):