Joe Crowley advises Dem House candidates to focus on local politics, not Russia

Rep. Joe Crowley said Thursday the Russia investigation is a “Washington issue,” and Democratic candidates should not focus on it in 2018.

“I think the focus for the DNC has to be, not what happened in the last election, but about the election now, and that’s individual congressional districts. It’s hand-to-hand combat,” Mr. Crowley, New York Democrat, said on MSNBC.

“Putting aside the Russian issue, that’s a Washington issue. What we’ve been focusing on and telling our folks and candidates to do is focus on your local issues and leave the Washington stuff to Washington,” he said.

Mr. Crowley said he’s been advising congressional candidates to focus on local politics and economics, which he said is what Democrats should have done in 2016.

“I think the Russia issue is an important issue for the American people, they are focused on it, but they’re more concerned about the economy, whether they can put food on the table, can they afford college, when they graduate from college can they afford the student loan, can they have a job,” he explained.

“And most importantly, when you have a job, is it near where you grew up, are your parents able to connect with their grandchildren. That’s real happiness. And I don’t think we focused enough on those issues, and that’s what we have to get back to,” Mr. Crowley said.