Moderate Senate Democrats

Eight Senate Democrats Under Fire For Joining Republicans In Agreeing To Reopen The Federal Government!

Ronald 17 Comments

Seven Senate Democrats and Independent Angus King of Maine have come under fire for joining Republicans to pass the Budget bill to reopen the Federal Government, and end the Government Shutdown of 42 days.

Two of these eight Senators—Minority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois and New Hampshire Senator Jeanne Shaheen—are retiring at the end of 2026.

Durbin will be 82 at the end of his term, having served 30 years in the Senate, including times as Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, and an additional 14 years in the House of Representatives.

Shaheen will be 80 shortly after leaving office after 18 years in the Senate, and an earlier six years as Governor of New Hampshire.

Three of these eight Senators—John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada—face election in 2028.

Fetterman is 56, earlier was Lieutenant Governor of his state, and is in his first term in the Senate, with a reputation of being an outlier, unpredictable and controversial in his utterances and actions.

Hassan is 67, in second term in the Senate, and former governor of her state.

Cortez Masto is 61, in her second term in the Senate, and former Attorney General of her state.

The remaining three Senators—Jacky Rosen of Nevada, Tim Kaine of Virginia, and Angus King of Maine—do not face voters again until 2030.

Rosen is 68, in her second term in the Senate, and served one term in the House of Representatives.

Kaine is 67, in his third term in the US Senate, after having served earlier as Governor and Lieutenant Governor of his state, and also, Mayor of Richmond. Most notably, he also was the Vice Presidential nominee for Hillary Clinton in the Presidential Election of 2016.

King is 81, in his third term in the Senate, and former governor of Maine. He is a political Independent, who caucuses with the Democrats.

This group of Senators is generally termed as “moderate”, and they are gaining a lot of criticism, for what is seen as “caving in” to the Republicans, with no certainty that any action will be taken regarding health care coverage for millions of Americans.

It is clear that a new generation of leadership is needed, as by the time the term ends for six of these eight Senators, they will be in their 70s and 80s, with the only exceptions being Fetterman and Cortez Masto.

Eight Democratic Senators Caving In To End Government Shutdown, But Will Health Care Be Sacrificed By That Action?

Ronald 6 Comments

The Democratic Party is at a crossroads, now that 8 Democratic Senators caved in, and agreed to open up the government, due to the deleterious effects of the 42 day Government Shutdown over the issue of the Affordable Care Act subsidies.

With government workers not being paid, and SNAP (Food Stamp) benefits not being available, and the aviation system in chaos, and so much else, these eight Senators, including two who are retiring in 2026, and the other six not coming up for election again until 2028 and 2030, chose to gamble on a promised vote on continuing the Affordable Care Act, but without a certainty that it will be restored for 2026.

This author and blogger realizes how difficult this situation is, and disagrees vehemently with this group of Senators, but it is a reality that the Democrats, being the party of the minority, has little control over what the federal government does.

So sadly, we may see the demise of health care for 24 million Americans, insuring more deaths and human suffering, with the issue one that should insure a Democratic takeover in the midterm elections of 2026, particularly after the amazing triumph of Democrats in the recent elections in several states and cities.

It is clear, that these 8 Senators will be condemned in history, and that will be their legacy long term. And Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has lost the ability to control his caucus, a tragic circumstance.

But beyond that reality, if Donald Trump is able to rig the elections through his promotion of gerrymandering seats in the House of Representatives, or utilizes ICE and the National Guard and other law enforcement agencies to police election sites, nothing may save the American Republic, just as we celebrate the 250th Anniversary of the United States next July!

The nation is in a major crisis with no optimism left that it will work out in a positive manner!

The Trump Juggernaut Overrunning Moderate Democrats: Between A Rock And A Hard Place!

Ronald 1 Comment

The Democratic Party is at a crossroads, and moderate Senate Democrats are “between a rock and a hard place”, with the Trump juggernaut about to run them down!

There are 10 Democratic moderates who are running for reelection in states won by Donald Trump.

If they all remained loyal to their party, and IF Susan Collins or Lisa Murkowski joined them, a Supreme Court pick could be stopped, but that is asking for too much to be assured.

And if they do not support the Trump nominee, it could kill their chances of reelection.

But of course, if they vote for the Trump nominee, many Democrats and moderates might decide it is not worth voting, and they will lose their elections anyway.

So what to do?

Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Joe Donnelly of Indiana, and Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota voted for Neil Gorsuch, Trump’s first Supreme Court nominee, last year.

All three are in great danger of losing their seats, with or without the Supreme Court nominee controversy they now face.

Then we have Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Jon Tester of Montana, also in great danger of losing their seats.

The other five “Red State” Democrats are probably safer, and unlikely to lose their seats—Bob Casey Jr of Pennsylvania (who however is anti abortion in his background); Sherrod Brown of Ohio; Debbie Stebanow of Michigan; Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin; and Bill Nelson of Florida (but his seat will be the most expensive race ever, with opponent Rick Scott spending tens of millions to defeat Nelson).

So if one is to promote the left wing Democratic view, we would say to hell with these Senators, whose voting record is far from ideal, but the alternative to staying united no matter what these ten Senators decide to do on the Supreme Court nominee of Trump, is to see the Republicans gain more seats and lock up the Senate for the long haul.

That is why it seems to this blogger that to promote or expect a left wing Democrat as the Presidential nominee, while ideal in theory, is likely to kill off any chance of the Democrats winning the Presidency in 2020, after what could be a Democratic debacle in the Senate races this year.

What seems likely to happen is that the three Democrats who voted for Gorsuch will vote for the Trump Supreme Court choice and will survive, and the other seven Democrats—particularly the three women—McCaskill, Stabenow and Baldwin—will vote against and yet survive as well. Casey will be conflicted but probably vote NO and survive, as well as Brown. And Tester should still be able to win another term as well.

The toughest seat to keep will be Bill Nelson in Florida, but it seems likely he will vote NO on the nominee.

So at the end, the likely vote will be 53-46, all 50 GOP Senators, including Collins and Murkowski, with the exception of the absent John McCain, and Manchin, Donnelly, and Heitkamp, with anger and disgust by Democrats, but the only likely road to those seats being saved.

So IF all seats are saved, except possibly Florida, and then IF Arizona, Nevada, Tennessee, and maybe Texas are gained, the Democrats MIGHT have a 51-49 or 52-48 Democratic Senate, and the battle against Trump will have another day and more to fight, the best possible under present circumstances.

Of course, all progressives have to pray for the good health and continued life of Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer, to serve until 2021, a tall order, as if that does not happen, the Supreme Court is lost with a certainty until close to 2045-2050, past the lifetime of this blogger and probably all of my readers.

This is a gloomy reality, but we have to do whatever we can do to promote a Democratic majority in both houses, and accept that not all Democrats will be progressives, but will at least be of the party persuasion!