'A complete break from reality': Old-school Republican says his party has gone deranged over Pelosi

Kurt Bardella, a former press secretary for Republican Olympia Snowe, told MSNBC on Friday that when it came to Nancy Pelosi, the Republican Party had had "a complete break from reality."

"The GOP talking point this morning is that Nancy Pelosi is peacocking for her colleagues, blocking negotiations to look strong, shore up support for her speakership," said Ayman Mohyeldin, noting that Republicans have historically strongly disliked the incoming House Speaker. "Is that a smart strategic move to say that the left, or the Democrats have a left wing within their party that is making Nancy Pelosi take this hardened position?"

"They can try to say that, but it's a complete break from what's actually happening in reality, and I just don't think anybody's going to buy that anyway," replied Bardella. "Nancy Pelosi's position since the election has been strong. There is not a real severe legitimate challenger to her speakership." He added that the Republicans were deluding themselves about her position on the budget as well.

"The reality is that something that the Republicans can not escape from: they had a deal. The Senate passed it unanimously," he pointed out. "This is all on the House Republicans." He slammed Speaker Paul Ryan by name for refusing to bring the Senate bill to the floor, and said the party's refusal to work with Pelosi put the president in an even more precarious position.

"When the Democrats take back the majority in six days, they're going to put up a bill, they're going to pass it, and once again Donald Trump is going to be in a position wheres he's going have to veto a bill that could end the shutdown. He'll own it twice," Bardella said, scoffing at his own party. "It's not going to work. the American people are not going to buy that it is some how all Nancy Pelosi's fight, because the reality is this started before she was speaker.

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