White House Defends President's Defense of Shadowing Sinema
Psaki on Biden saying following Sinema is "part of the process": "Maybe he shorthanded it"
It appears to becoming the Where's Waldo? of our time: shadowing Sen Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona in attempts to persuade the freshman Democrat to begin actually supporting her party’s domestic agenda and vote for a $3.5 trillion spending package.
Most recently, Sinema was confronted at a Washington DC region airport — and even aboard her flight.
Protesters are following Sinema, hoping for her to decide to support the $3.5 trillion Build Back Better Act which she and Sen Joe Manchin of West Virginia both are holding up.
The legislation would enact much of Biden's and the Democrats' agenda, including expanded access to childcare, tax credits for working- and middle-class families, the largest federal investment in the battle against global climate change — and more.
The phenomenon of pursuing Sinema began over the weekend when members of the Arizona organization LUCHA followed their senior senator into a public ladies room on the campus of Arizona State University (ASU).
The matter has made national headlines and risen to attention of President Biden, who defended these mobile protests against Sinema as “part of the process.”
Peter Doocy, the White House correspondent for Fox News, used the issue as his latest attempt at daily, on-camera rhetorical combat with White House press secretary Jen Psaki — going so far as to ask whether Biden's ever been “chased into a restroom.”
“Well, let me be clear here because I think the context of what happened here is very important, and Senator Sinema put out a statement this morning. So, as she said, and I would reiterate from here, the protection of the freedom to protest, to speak out and to criticize is fundamental to our democracy,” Psaki said. “The president believes that. Maybe he shorthanded it, but he wanted to make that clear this morning. What happened this weekend was that her classroom, her students, and the safe and intellectually stimulating environment she’s worked to create during the year of teaching at ASU was breached.
“That’s inappropriate and unacceptable, and I think the context of what happened here is important despite the fact that, of course, we stand for the president, stand for the fundamental right of people to protest, to object, to criticize, as they often do outside of the gates of the White House,” Psaki added.
Doocy, as he is wont to do, pressed further, asking if the White House would “condemn these protestors who chased her into the restroom?”
“I just said it was inappropriate and unacceptable. I think that pretty much — “ Psaki responded.
“Will you ask them not to do that again?” Doocy pressed.
“I think that’s pretty clear that they shouldn’t breach the classroom and make the students feel like their privacy, their intellectually stimulating classroom and their time as students in college is being broached upon,” she said.
Do you find this post of value?
Please share it…