Moderate Dems 'managed to annoy' their entire party during infrastructure fight -- in exchange for nothing: analysis

The small band of conservative Democrats who threatened to tank the party's agenda over the infrastructure bill managed to irritate their entire caucus in exchange for almost nothing.

House Democrats set a two-track strategy in motion Tuesday to write up the framework for a $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill, while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) committed to a Sept. 27 deadline to vote on the $550 billion infrastructure bill passed by the Senate -- which nine moderates had demanded be voted on first, reported NBC News.

"But as the dust settles on the recent Capitol Hill drama, it's worth appreciating the damage [Rep. Josh] Gottheimer (D-N.J.) and his cohorts have done to themselves -- in exchange for very little," wrote MSNBC contributor Steve Benen. "These nine members made a conscious choice to climb out onto a limb in a very public way -- complete with a Washington Postop-ed and a great many television appearances -- while putting their own president's legislative priorities in jeopardy."

The moderates, who represent only 4 percent of their party's caucus, had hoped to gain special leverage by threatening to hold up the agenda, but all they did was aggravate party leaders and rank-and-file alike while delighting Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

"So what are we left with?" Benen wrote. "A small group of House Democrats -- none of whom are in the party leadership, none of whom chair any congressional committees -- who managed to annoy the White House, their own party's leadership, progressives, and even other centrists, all over the course of about a week."

"That's not an easy feat to pull off so quickly," he added.