A group pushing for ballot access across the country for a third party presidential candidate is punching back at former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after she branded it ‘perilous to our democracy.’
On a call with reporters Friday, the group said its polling conveyed a public yearning for a third party alternative,
The pushback comes from former Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, who is heading up the group’s effort to get on the ballot in all 50 states – with access achieved in a dozen states already.
That comes after the California Republican tore into the group, saying: ‘I hesitate to say No Labels because they do have labels. They’re called no taxes for the rich. No child tax credit for children. They’re called let’s undo the Affordable Care Act,’ she fumed.
‘When they jeopardize the reelection of Joe Biden as president of the United States, I can no longer remain silent on that,’ the longtime Democrat said at an event organized by Third Way, which is itself warning that the group could be a threat to President Biden’s reelection.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the group No Labels a ‘perilous to our democracy,’ drawing pushback on Friday. ‘They need to be truthful when a when they critique us,’ shot back former Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, who is heading the group’s ballot access efforts
‘I say that completely without hesitation. This is about an illusion being created, that it’s about non partisanship and bringing people together,’ said Pelosi.
‘We have a substantial, real opportunity to field a respected bipartisan third party ticket,’ Nixon told .com on a press call Friday when asked about Pelosi’s comments.
‘You got a whole lot of people they’re gonna say a lot of things that have been part of the system as it exists. And I expect those types of comments to come from a number of elected officials over the next weeks, months and perhaps even years. But we’re answering a call here and we’re answering it in a very professional way. And they’re certainly entitled to say what they want, but they need to be truthful when a when they critique us. But but saying that going out and gathering signatures and getting someone to ballot and having candidates to run for president and vice president is a threat to democracy, it’s not it’s not something that I feel it’s necessary to. It’s a response to the fact that we’re doing well.’
President Biden already suffers low polling nationally and is in tight races with Trump in early polls in swing states
Former Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon hit back at Pelosi after she called the No Labels group ‘perilous’ for democracy
Democrats fear the third party bid could divide Democrats and allow former President Joe Biden return to the White House
That came after the group’s co-chair, former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, said it was ‘disheartening to see Nancy Pelosi literally make things up about No Labels to score political points. She ascribes positions to No Labels that they never took.’
The group does not yet have a candidate, but it has produced a ‘common sense’ policy booklet and is undertaking the large-scale ballot access initiative.
‘Do we expect to put up a ticket? The answer to that is yes,’ said No Labels chief strategist Ryan Clancy on the call.
That has some Democrats concerned about a race where former President Donald Trump is leading Biden in some head-to-head polls.
Biden is already facing a Democratic challenge in New Hampshire, where Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips filed to challenge him in the primary. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is now running as an independent, and Cornel West is also waging a run for president from the left, with the prospect of peeling away some African American and left wing voters.
But Clancy said there is no guarantee the still-undetermined party candidate would pull more from Democrats than from Republicans.
‘The flavor of the independent matters. Who they draw from will be determined by what kind of candidate they are,’ he said.