Clyburn: White House needs to help Dems more in midterms

Assistant Democratic House Leader James Clyburn (D-S.C.) said Monday the White House needs to do more to help House Democrats in this year’s midterm elections. 

In an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” Clyburn was asked whether he thinks the president and White House are fully committed to helping the Democrats win back the majority. 

“No, that’s not my view. I don’t know whether or not I would go as far as saying he’s not doing everything. No, they aren’t doing everything. There’s some things that I would like to see done,” Clyburn said.

{mosads}The Democrat, who’s running for his 12th term in Congress, said he believes the organizational strategy would be more crucial in the elections than fundraising.

Organizing for Action, President Obama’s political fundraising arm, should step in and give a boost to Democrats, Clyburn added. 

“And if we can get the White House to come in, or at least the president’s political operations to help us at the state and local levels the way they did in Ohio and Florida, the mechanisms they put in place were just great,” he said.

Since last year, Obama and the first lady have both gone on trips around the country to headline 2014 fundraisers hosted by both the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee or the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. 

Clyburn said he feels “pretty good” about the Democrats’ chances in gubernatorial and Senate races. Democrats are concerned, however, about some incumbent senators’ competitive races that could lead to the GOP taking back the majority. Republicans only need six seats to take control.

Host Joe Scarborough, a former GOP congressman, told Clyburn to look in the camera and ask the president for help.

“Well, no, I’m gonna get on the phone and ask him,” Clyburn replied.