Ex-Dem strategist unloads on Cory Booker over ‘absurd rant’

Former Democratic strategist Dan Turrentine criticized Democratic New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker on “The Morning Meeting” Wednesday after he delivered a blistering speech on Tuesday.

Booker’s speech occurred on the Senate floor, where he excoriated his Democratic colleagues for not taking sufficient action to oppose President Donald Trump due to their bipartisan police funding bills, which unanimously passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Turrentine said on the 2WAY show that Booker’s spat was “absolutely horrific” for the Democratic Party.

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Host Mark Halperin followed up by asking Turrentine if the spat benefited any other Democrats besides Booker.

“Nope,” Turrentine answered.

“I keep saying this: fight is not a strategy, right? That’s the problem with Booker … Booker … keeps giving angry speeches, right? He doesn’t do anything,” he added. “He doesn’t offer anything. He just screams ‘fight.’ So; he’s the hysteria caucus right now.”

The police funding bills were offered by Democratic Sens. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Catherine Cortez-Mastro of Nevada, and Republican Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley.

Booker argued the Democratic senators’ bipartisan legislation was tantamount to complicity with the Trump administration’s policy agenda.

“To me, what was so illuminating about Booker’s, like, just absurd rant was: Trump is violating ‘norms and traditions.’ For the last ten years, the number one thing the electorate has wanted is change,” Turrentine said. “Booker, like, seems offended at change. He’s like, ‘God, we got to go back to the way things used to be, the way the Senate used to be run, the way kind of nothing to a lot of people ever happened.’ And that’s the insanity of — again, there’s no strategy.”

“It’s just his sensibilities are offended. Therefore, scream as loud and be as hysterical as possible,” he continued. “When Cortez-Mastro just barely got elected in Nevada — Trump won Nevada — we have huge problems with Latinos, huge problems on security and crime and safety, which is what the bill—was about to some extent. And that’s where he picks a fight.”

Booker is rumored to have 2028 presidential ambitions. Turrentine said earlier in the segment that Booker’s rant would benefit him if he runs for president in 2028.

“What I am tired of is when the president of the United States of America violates the Constitution, crashes our norms and traditions, and what does the Democratic Party do?” Booker said on the Senate floor. “Comply? Allow him? Beg for justice?”

“No, I demand justice,” Booker continued. “The Democratic Party needs to wake up.”

Recent polling by CNN and The Wall Street Journal found that Democratic Party favorability ratings have sunk to 28% and 33%, respectively.

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