Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz slammed Republican party leaders on Monday for putting forth South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley to deliver the GOP's response to President Barack Obama's final State of the Union address on Tuesday, saying she was the party's choice because of its "diversity problem."
"It's pretty clear that Nikki Haley is being chosen because the Republican Party has a diversity problem," Wasserman Schultz said on a conference call, Politico reported. "Haley's failed record gives her no credibility whatsoever. In fact it exemplifies exactly why the last thing we need is a Republican to make the same mistakes at the national level."
Republican National Committee spokesman Michael Short shot back: "Like most things Debbie Wasserman Schultz says, that's just ridiculous. No one disputes the fact Republicans have the most diverse presidential field in the history of either party, though the Democrats do have us beat when it comes to fielding self-described socialists and candidates under FBI investigation," The Hill reported.
Haley, who was elected in 2010, has developed a national profile in serving as the youngest governor in the country and the first woman in South Carolina's history elected to the post. She was boosted in the national spotlight in July for successfully removing the Confederate flag from the grounds of the South Carolina statehouse. That, along with her strong approval ratings and staunch conservatism, have all earned her a spot on the short list for potential vice president candidates in Republican circles, according to National Review.
"I'm really excited about this," Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan said of Haley's response in an interview on Monday, CNN reported. "If you want to hear an inclusive leader who's visionary, who's got a path for the future, who's brought people together, who's unified, it's Nikki Haley."
Last week, when Ryan announced Haley would deliver the party's response, he lauded her record as a leader for South Carolina and the Republican party.
"Nikki Haley has led an economic turnaround and set a bold agenda for her state, getting things done and becoming one of the most popular governors in America," Ryan said in a statement, according to USA Today. "In a year when the country is crying out for a positive vision and alternative to the status quo, Governor Haley is the exact right choice to deliver the Republican Address to the Nation."
