There was much consternation yesterday about a letter signed by 30 members of the Progressive Caucus that was released yesterday urging Biden to negotiate with Vladimir Putin to try to reach a peace agreement in Ukraine.
The letter unleashed a positive firestorm of criticism, from it’s tone deafness regarding negotiating with a war criminal, to its timing just a couple of weeks before midterms, to it’s assumption that somehow Biden and the US should have more authority to negotiate a peace than Ukraine, to giving Putin fodder for Russian propaganda.
Today, Rep. Pramila Jayapal, leader of the House Progressive Caucus, formally withdrew the letter and took responsibility for its release, although she also threw staff under bus, saying that it was released by Congressional staffers without proper vetting first.
Curiously, the letter was drafted and signed in June, which makes it’s release in late October, four months later, rather puzzling and at least several signers have come forward to comment that while they signed the letter in June, given the change in the war and information about Russian war crimes and attacks on civilians they would have withdrawn their signatures had they been contacted about it before its release.
“People are furious – especially front-liners,” said one senior House Democrat ahead of the letter being withdrawn, referring to the most vulnerable members at risk of losing their seats in the November 8 midterms.
Democrats argue that the ill-timed letter undercut their party’s position showing resolute support for Ukraine – at a time when it’s Republicans who are sparring about whether to approve more U.S. aid to Ukraine. Moreover, several Democratic members said they signed onto this letter months ago and were caught off-guard when Jayapal’s office sent the letter out on Monday with their names on it. Some said they wouldn’t sign it again.
“Timing in diplomacy is everything,” said California Rep. Sara Jacobs, a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus that Jayapal leads. “I signed this letter on June 30, but a lot has changed since then. I wouldn’t sign it today.”
Wisconsin Rep. Mark Pocan, a former leader of the progressive caucus who signed the letter in July, told CNN he found it “puzzling” it was sent out this week after he signed it this summer and added:” “I would not support it being released now.” Releasing it now, he said, “didn’t make much sense.”
I know here on Dkos there was a lot of puzzlement about the timing of the letter. If it was indeed a staffer error, it leaves the question open as to why staffers thought it should be released NOW when it’s been sitting in a file somewhere for four months. Did they think it would help? Why? Did someone think the Tankie contingent was a good demographic to woo? It leaves one shaking one’s head.
