Rep. Cleaver: Dems 'Have No Plan,' Need to Get Younger to Avoid 'Demise'

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., said House Democrats currently "have no plan" and need to get younger to avoid "demise of the Democratic caucus."

Cleaver voted to re-elect Nancy Pelosi as minority leader because it was "not worth the cost we would pay to change leaders at this politically perplexing time," he told MSNBC "Live" on Thursday.

But Cleaver implied reelecting Pelosi was a stopgap, not a future.

"At the present time we have no strategy, we have no plan," Cleaver said. "But at least we have some proven leadership that can take us into what's going to be a new era."

Cleaver said Dems "need more time to consider change of leadership . . . that would come soon in terms of elections."

Cleaver also struck a chord of warning to the party.

"I do think it is time for us to bring in younger people in leadership," Cleaver said. "In fact if we don't, I think it will spell the demise of the Democratic caucus, if we're not already in a permanent state of smallness."

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