THEY'VE HIT AN ICEBERG; LOWER THE BOATS – OVERNIGHT:  The stories keep pouring in about Kamala Harris, and they're not the kind of thing she'll want in her obit.  From The Daily Mail: 

Kamala Harris could lose even more staffers, a Saturday report revealed, after four of her aides departed in the matter for just two weeks amid rumors of turmoil in the West Wing.

People familiar with the conversations told Politico that even more ‘key members of Harris’s orbit’ are ‘eyeing the exits’ and have expressed interest in leaving less than a year into her vice presidency.

Among the four staffers departing Harris’ office are Symone Sanders, who as senior adviser and chief spokesperson is one of the vice president’s closest aides. Ashley Etienne, the office’s communications director, is also leaving.

Officials maintain Sanders and Etienne’s departures were long-planned and not evidence of the reported turmoil.

Peter Velz, director of press operations, and Vince Evans, deputy director of the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs, have both told others in the vice president's office that they are also leaving, administration officials told the Washington Post.

Both are expected to remain in the administration or take jobs in close coordination with the White House.

Some Democratic allies have urged Harris to embrace the concept of a reset after a rocky first year as vice president, which has been riddled with project failures – like addressing the southern border crisis – and reports of tensions between her team and the president’s.

Harris’ staff are leaving because they're burned out, there are better opportunities elsewhere and they don't want to be permanently branded a 'Harris person,' according to Axios.

After the already announced departure of Harris' communications director Ashley Etienne, Politico reported Wednesday that chief spokesperson Symone Sanders is expected to leave by the end of the year.

COMMENT:  And Harris does not have the cushion of good poll numbers to fall back on.  She's polling at about 28% approval in most polls.  There's nothing on the horizon that would seem to offer her the chance of improving her standing with the public.

Already Washington is talking about ways to force her out of the vice presidency, or at least bar her from the Democratic Party's 2024 ticket. 

December 5, 2021