“It’s like keying your own car and slashing your own tires”

Centrist House Democrats are unloading on Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) for her plan to give a response to President Biden’s State of the Union address on Tuesday.

“It’s like keying your own car and slashing your own tires,” Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) told Axios.

Why it matters: The lawmaker’s frustration with a charter member of “The Squad” reveals a deep tactical division within the Democratic Party over midterm strategy: appeal to the party’s base, or try to capture swing voters?

The centrists think the night should belong to the president — and his priorities.