Wasserman Schultz in Obama's foxhole

When Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama held a "women's rally for change" at the University of Miami's BankUnited Center last month, there were two people on stage with him: Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill and U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Weston.

"Nobody is more powerful that the two women behind me,'' he told the crowd. "These are two people that if I'm in a foxhole, if I'm an a fight, I would want them to have my back."

Wasserman Schultz lived up to her pugnacious reputation today when she mixed it up with U.S. Rep. Heather Wilson of New Mexico on CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer." Here are excerpts:

Wasserman Schultz: Wolf, I'm not going to let Congresswoman Wilson just make up facts as she goes along. The bottom line is Barack Obama has proposed a 50 percent tax cut for small businesses, and just announced a small-business rescue package a couple of days ago that would allow small businesses in this country to get access to...

Wilson: Barack Obama and you.

Wasserman Schultz: Excuse me. I didn't interrupt you.

Blitzer: One at a time, one at a time... 

Wilson: Well, let's talk about some facts. Barack Obama and you, Debbie, voted for the largest national tax increase in American history not once, but twice.

Wasserman Schultz: Really?  When did we do that?

Wilson: Debbie, if you'd like me to be patient with you, please be patient with me...

Blitzer:  All right, Congresswomen...

Wilson: You're good at comedy, Debbie.

Wasserman Schultz: And you're good at making things up. So it's great to see you.

Wilson: Thank you.

Blitzer: We will leave it on that note. All right. Congresswomen Debbie Wasserman-Schultz and Heather Wilson, thanks to both of you for joining us for a rather lively discussion.

Comments

[Cynical Idealist]

When will the media stop being lazy and research what these people are saying?

Virtually everything the candidates and their surrogates say about one another is taken out of context.

And, when they start arguing amongst themselves, then the media really plays it up because as we all know, conflict sells.

Lazy media + out of context quotes = uninformed electorate

[Andrea]

Shame on you women:

What do you call it when a well qualified woman gets passed over for a job in favor of a far less qualified man?

A - The DNC Convention in Denver.

[FPToledo]

I still like Hillary; She was my candidate. I don't know who I am voting for. I don't trust the $$$ really driving the Obama camp! And I can't stand the ultra-right Pailing either; GOD HELP ME!

[Mike L]

Firstly, kudos to the previous commenters for one of the most thoroughly irrelevant sets of comments I've ever seen attached to a decent political blog post. I applaud you for that.

But back to the topic at hand:

Debbie Wasserman Schultz kicked some major a** today on CNN. I was watching live and was truly blown away by the way she was able to win a debate with an incredibly smug Heather Wilson.

This blockquote barely does it justice, but I do (seriously) applaud Beth Reinhard at the Miami Herlad for this post. Very few political commentators have zeroed in on this truly impressive, unusual moment in cable news punditry.

If it's posted on CNN.com or Youtube, I will return here with a link. (I hope everyone else will do the same, if you find it first.)

Regards,

ML