Senator Jeanne Shaheen just threw the minority leader under the bus.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen revealed that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer knew the entire time about the plan for a few Democrats to capitulate to Republicans on the government shutdown.
Shaheen, one of the seven Democrats (and one independent) who dropped their demand for a guaranteed extension of Obamacare subsidies, spoke to Fox News’s Brian Kilmeade on Monday morning.
Aside from serving as further proof that the Democrats are failing to act as an opposition party in any meaningful way, Shaheen’s comments also reveal one of two possible scenarios. Either Schumer was scheming to end the shutdown behind the scenes, only pretending to be against it while pinning the blame on the eight people who aren’t up for reelection anytime soon, or he has no control over his party. Either way, it proves the need for Democrats to jettison the minority leader.
I generally agree, but part of the reason Schumer can’t whip votes is that he no longer controls the DNC.
He can’t direct DNC money towards the candidates that vote the way he wants, and he can’t direct money to their opponents to punish them when they break ranks.
I think this would be good for democracy, in the same way that anti-gerrymandering laws are good for democracy. … You know, except when.