“We really are poised to beat history in this election, but I do get nervous when people start talking about big numbers, because if you look historically after every wave election, the party that rode the wave actually loses seats,” Van Hollen said, invoking a historical lesson that he has repeated frequently this year.
But all things said, Van Hollen likes where he’s at with the electoral map and says, with an aggressive reverse recruiting strategy, he is prepared to remake that history.
“Some people would have thought it would be crazy to take this [job] on, given the historical math,” he said. “But so far it has turned out.”
Excerpts of interview with Rep. Van Hollen Q: Is it hard to compete with the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee for money, given that the House hasn’t had trouble passing a lot of bills and the Senate has?
A: To the extent that we pick up in the House, it sends a signal to the Republicans that if they keep up their obstructionist tactics, whether it’s in the House or the Senate … they’re going to pay a political price.
Q: Is it helpful when bloggers raise issues like DCCC Red to Blue Co-Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s (Fla.) refusal to campaign against Florida Republican colleagues Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Mario Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen?
A: We have made it clear to all our members that we want their support for all our candidates, and as you probably know, the House Democratic leadership sent a strong letter just to make it absolutely clear that we fully support all those Democratic candidates in the Miami area. … So I think that’s blown over. In fact, I think since then you’ve seen Congressman Wasserman Schultz do some very helpful things for those candidates.
Q: What did you think of the letter from Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s (D-N.Y.) fundraisers criticizing Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for taking the position that superdelegates shouldn’t reverse the outcome of pledged delegates?
A:I think the letter was counterproductive; it was probably counterproductive from the point of view of the Clinton campaign. I think we’re beyond that. … I’ve taken that position, I think even before the Speaker articulated that position.
Q: What is the status of the changing dues system?
A:Right now the staff of the DCCC is working with some of the staff from [Majority Whip James] Clyburn’s [D-S.C.] office and trying to work out details. … I think it was a good suggestion that we should also acknowledge other kinds of support including political support, so it is not a substitute for people’s help on the financial side, it’s rather a supplement to and a way to recognize some of those other efforts.
Q: Do you want a lot of freshmen to speak at the Democratic National Convention? (Note: Freshman Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-Fla.), who represents a conservative district, has said he will avoid going to the convention if possible.)
A:I think that we are going to be talking to [Democratic National Committee Chairman] Howard Dean about ways to sort of showcase our new members. But again, that is really in the planning stages.
Q: Do you think Sen. Barack Obama’s (D-Ill.) “bitter” comments and his relationship with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright are overblown, or will they hurt him in battleground states?
A:I think it is overblown. I have no doubt that the Republicans will try and use sort of Karl Rove tactics to make it an issue. … I think people are really fed up with what they perceive — and I think correctly — as people trying to use these kinds of issues and comments to blow them up in a way that sort of distracts people’s attention from the real issues.
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