Wasserman Schultz rallies women voters

Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Fla.) rallied support among women voters on Friday just days after reports that she’s fallen out of favor with many prominent Democrats. 

The Florida lawmaker didn’t address the alleged turmoil and instead kept her remarks focused on lauding the party’s progress with women’s issues and encouraging female Democrats to head to the polls in November.

Wasserman Schultz’s address came at the DNC’s Women’s Leadership Forum in Washington, where donors paid $1,000 and more for tickets to the two-day event.

“The stakes are too high for us to sit on the sidelines,” she said. “We will lose elections if women don’t show up to vote.”

{mosads}Wasserman Schultz called women a “key constituency” in the Democratic Party, noting that the Democrats have won their vote in each presidential election since 1992. One of the highest-ranking women in U.S. politics, she spent much of her speech bashing Republican candidates and party organizations for a perceived failure to connect with women.

“GOP candidates Terri Lynn Land [Mich.] and Jodi Ernst [Iowa] think that being a woman is enough to win over women voters,” she said. “Republican candidates still don’t know how to communicate with women on the issues that are important to them.”

Democratic Majority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), first lady Michelle Obama, and Dr. Jill Biden spoke during Thursday’s reception. Vice President Biden, former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and President Obama are slated to speak Friday.   

But the Politico story on the party’s souring with Wasserman Schultz hung over her appearance.

The article suggested Wednesday that the White House had looked into replacing her as DNC chairwoman and that she has rarely met with the president since 2011.

The White House pushed back against the story Thursday, as press secretary Josh Earnest said that Obama has “strong confidence” in Wasserman Schultz and expected her to remain the chairwoman through 2016. 

And key Democrats praised her throughout the two-day Women’s Leadership Forum. The first lady called her “fabulous” and “extraordinary” during her remarks Thursday. DNC CEO Amy Dacey said in Wasserman Schultz’s introduction that she is “tireless and dedicated” and added that, “under the leadership of Chairwoman Wasserman Schultz, there is no question that women’s priorities are the DNC’s priorities.”