Sen. Schumer squandered all the positive support and energy from last Tuesday's Democratic Party election victories across American by allowing the eight members of "Team Cave" (Sen. King, Shaheen, Hassan, Fetterman, Kaine, Durbin, Rosen, and Cortez-Masto) to vote for cloture on the Republican budget last evening without securing restoration of ACA subsidies or a guarantee that Trump must spend all monies appropriated by Congress.
Further, he has not stated he will whip these 8 Senators to vote No on the actual budget bill later this week. We had Schumer Surrender 1 early this year related to the Continuing Resolution, now we have Schumer Surrender 2 on the 2026 budget.
This is failed leadership. I urged my Senators to strongly to speak up in favor of replacing Sen. Schumer now with a stronger, tougher leader, such as Sen. Chris Murphy or another Democratic Senator with the courage, conviction, and the ability to lead the caucus.
This is what happens when the base essentially bullies leadership into making a bad decision (not pass the CR). They failed to see they were not in a position of strength, either politically or morally. It was the "Kobayashi Maru" scenario for Schumer from Day One of the shutdown.
This WAS what we do: civil servants suck it up and take the hit to build leverage for our reps to negotiate; poor people take the hit to create the optics of cruelty to add to that; those in the airline industry sound the alarm that they don't want to pilot planes and serve travelers while in grave danger. We did all that, we arrived just two weeks away from the pain point of disrupted holiday travel finally being felt by all Americans, Rs and Ds. That seems to be the only pressure that works--something that wrecks expensive plans.
Well it did work, only it worked on 8 Democratic senators who must have had somewhere terrific to go for Thanksgiving. That's all I can think of. They sold us out so they didn't have to cancel THEIR flights. We federal workers were going to be staying home anyway.
As Ezra Levin said, unfortunately it's not just those eight. It's a lot more of Democratic senators and their "leader" Schumer. They just took those who are retiring or who are not up for reelection anytime soon, because we all know, voters have a short memory.
Starting today, I will make donation to any organization/person who is willing to primary these suckers. I will start with Indivisible and David Hoggs' organization. Actually, I've already made donations to them, I'm just going to increase them.
Remember how I called a lot of them lazy some time back and you strongly disagreed with me? Well, here I go again. All too many of them have become too comfortable in their cushy taxpayer and lobbyist funded seats. I have had it with them.
Yup, gutted is right. And that after last Tuesday!!! All those poor people who suffered for 40 days, suffered for nothing. It is gut wrenching. I am so mad, I could scream. These traitors all, not just to their voters, but to the entire country.
You're so right, KnockKnock. Poor people and many working class people don't have the privilege of worrying about delayed flights. That's in the realm of our esteemed members of Congress and their donors.
If they were going to give in then at least take a day or two beforehand and make it clear to the public what awful things Republicans have in their bill that they’re trying so hard to get passed. Get out in the halls of the Senate, as they should have been doing on an almost daily basis beforehand, to hammer home how the safety net for Americans was being torn apart and that the rule of law was being laughed at.
It was so abrupt! Monday morning, not even a week after such positive election results for us, and suddenly you’re giving in. No preparation. What is the good of millions spent on political ads when you fail to explain how Americans are being left in the dust with no health care and instead billions going to ICE to kidnap children and their parents.
Virginia checking in: I left a salty voicemail for Kaine this morning. I will absolutely support any primary challenger. But I think his next run is 2030. Warner is running next year and he almost certainly supported Kaine, but knew that a yes vote would likely motivate a primary challenge.
Actually, far from making Democrats tune out because nothing works, all the evidence points to Dems enraged and digging in to make sure these traitors and any others not yet identified pay the price of election defeat.
Well, at least now we’re very clear that the Democratic senators who betrayed the American people just want the shutdown to end so they can fly home for T-giving. What a bunch of venal cowards. Primaries, anyone??
I'm waiting for people like Bernie Sanders, AOC and Liz Warren to speak their minds on this. And wondering if they're disgusted enough yet to call for a complete new crop of people (with a new platform) to challenge the status quo. Don't worry about hanging out dirty laundry for all to see; it's visible from Mars at this point. Don't worry about Republicans taking advantage of the Party's disarray (sorry Jen but you were right for a few minutes); the Dems gave their advantage away without a fight. It's time to take a chance on disrupting the Democratic Party and the status quo, even if it takes a few electoral cycles for boldness to show results. We're like abused spouses who hang in there saying "Next time will be different."
Thank you, both Jen and Ezra, for helping us to channel our collective anger at this massive capitulation, into a more constructive and positive approach.
I feel betrayed. I guess it doesn’t matter which political party you belong to. Politicians betray their constituents while they collect their salaries and benefits and they cave when the pressure is strong. None of them deserve reelection. Vote them out!
No, that's too far in the future. Right now, TODAY, do what Ezra said: call up your senators and demand they call for leadership change - Schumer out - or you'll support the primary against them. Call your House rep and tell them not to vote for the shutdown end.
And THEN set a reminder to watch the next several week's indivisible meetings about next steps on primarying.
Ezra Levin is great and Indivisible is a wonderful grassroots organization! I just received an email about their 2026 primary program. Check out the website at https://www.indivisible2026.org/. There will be lots of ways to help.
Good question. I stopped contributing to the Democratic Party after their earlier surrender but after the shutdown I was considering donating again. With this latest betrayal, contributions to the national party are off the table. Perhaps I shall contribute directly to individual candidates who show some sort of spine.
Sen. Schumer squandered all the positive support and energy from last Tuesday's Democratic Party election victories across American by allowing the eight members of "Team Cave" (Sen. King, Shaheen, Hassan, Fetterman, Kaine, Durbin, Rosen, and Cortez-Masto) to vote for cloture on the Republican budget last evening without securing restoration of ACA subsidies or a guarantee that Trump must spend all monies appropriated by Congress.
Further, he has not stated he will whip these 8 Senators to vote No on the actual budget bill later this week. We had Schumer Surrender 1 early this year related to the Continuing Resolution, now we have Schumer Surrender 2 on the 2026 budget.
This is failed leadership. I urged my Senators to strongly to speak up in favor of replacing Sen. Schumer now with a stronger, tougher leader, such as Sen. Chris Murphy or another Democratic Senator with the courage, conviction, and the ability to lead the caucus.
"This is failed leadership."
This is what happens when the base essentially bullies leadership into making a bad decision (not pass the CR). They failed to see they were not in a position of strength, either politically or morally. It was the "Kobayashi Maru" scenario for Schumer from Day One of the shutdown.
Nope. It’s what happens when dems are paid off by their billionaire donors. This is so obvious. You’re a bit aren’t you?
"You’re a bit aren’t you?"
OK, I'll play your silly game...am I?
This WAS what we do: civil servants suck it up and take the hit to build leverage for our reps to negotiate; poor people take the hit to create the optics of cruelty to add to that; those in the airline industry sound the alarm that they don't want to pilot planes and serve travelers while in grave danger. We did all that, we arrived just two weeks away from the pain point of disrupted holiday travel finally being felt by all Americans, Rs and Ds. That seems to be the only pressure that works--something that wrecks expensive plans.
Well it did work, only it worked on 8 Democratic senators who must have had somewhere terrific to go for Thanksgiving. That's all I can think of. They sold us out so they didn't have to cancel THEIR flights. We federal workers were going to be staying home anyway.
As Ezra Levin said, unfortunately it's not just those eight. It's a lot more of Democratic senators and their "leader" Schumer. They just took those who are retiring or who are not up for reelection anytime soon, because we all know, voters have a short memory.
Starting today, I will make donation to any organization/person who is willing to primary these suckers. I will start with Indivisible and David Hoggs' organization. Actually, I've already made donations to them, I'm just going to increase them.
Remember how I called a lot of them lazy some time back and you strongly disagreed with me? Well, here I go again. All too many of them have become too comfortable in their cushy taxpayer and lobbyist funded seats. I have had it with them.
I’m just about to watch his chat. I am just gutted today, jees. All that for nuthin. Had to put off car repairs. At least I have food on my table.
Yup, gutted is right. And that after last Tuesday!!! All those poor people who suffered for 40 days, suffered for nothing. It is gut wrenching. I am so mad, I could scream. These traitors all, not just to their voters, but to the entire country.
You're so right, KnockKnock. Poor people and many working class people don't have the privilege of worrying about delayed flights. That's in the realm of our esteemed members of Congress and their donors.
True. I hope the dems can use the repubs. failure to negotiate as a hammer for the midterms.
If they were going to give in then at least take a day or two beforehand and make it clear to the public what awful things Republicans have in their bill that they’re trying so hard to get passed. Get out in the halls of the Senate, as they should have been doing on an almost daily basis beforehand, to hammer home how the safety net for Americans was being torn apart and that the rule of law was being laughed at.
It was so abrupt! Monday morning, not even a week after such positive election results for us, and suddenly you’re giving in. No preparation. What is the good of millions spent on political ads when you fail to explain how Americans are being left in the dust with no health care and instead billions going to ICE to kidnap children and their parents.
It was obviously planned. This is why Schumer must go.
Virginia checking in: I left a salty voicemail for Kaine this morning. I will absolutely support any primary challenger. But I think his next run is 2030. Warner is running next year and he almost certainly supported Kaine, but knew that a yes vote would likely motivate a primary challenge.
So we should primary Warner as well.
"Capitulation caucus" is catchy.
Warner needs to be asked outright and often just where he stands.
Actually, far from making Democrats tune out because nothing works, all the evidence points to Dems enraged and digging in to make sure these traitors and any others not yet identified pay the price of election defeat.
Well, at least now we’re very clear that the Democratic senators who betrayed the American people just want the shutdown to end so they can fly home for T-giving. What a bunch of venal cowards. Primaries, anyone??
I'm waiting for people like Bernie Sanders, AOC and Liz Warren to speak their minds on this. And wondering if they're disgusted enough yet to call for a complete new crop of people (with a new platform) to challenge the status quo. Don't worry about hanging out dirty laundry for all to see; it's visible from Mars at this point. Don't worry about Republicans taking advantage of the Party's disarray (sorry Jen but you were right for a few minutes); the Dems gave their advantage away without a fight. It's time to take a chance on disrupting the Democratic Party and the status quo, even if it takes a few electoral cycles for boldness to show results. We're like abused spouses who hang in there saying "Next time will be different."
Bernie has already posted twice on it. https://bsky.app/profile/sanders.senate.gov/post/3m5aniowhts2q
Elizabeth Warren and AOC I don't yet see anything on, but I'm not on TikTok.
Thanks for this.
Thank you, both Jen and Ezra, for helping us to channel our collective anger at this massive capitulation, into a more constructive and positive approach.
I feel betrayed. I guess it doesn’t matter which political party you belong to. Politicians betray their constituents while they collect their salaries and benefits and they cave when the pressure is strong. None of them deserve reelection. Vote them out!
No, that's too far in the future. Right now, TODAY, do what Ezra said: call up your senators and demand they call for leadership change - Schumer out - or you'll support the primary against them. Call your House rep and tell them not to vote for the shutdown end.
And THEN set a reminder to watch the next several week's indivisible meetings about next steps on primarying.
Neither of you are as angry as I am at this moment. 😡🤬🤯
Karen Breslin is primarying John Hickenlooper in 2026. She is a fighter and reports she is aligned with the views of Chris Murphy and AOC.
Love her but sadly I don’t think she has a chance of winning against Hick unfortunately.
Shameful. An absolute failure of leadership.
I was so upset. I can't believe these 8 caved. They will pay the price. Americans will pay the price.
Ezra Levin is great and Indivisible is a wonderful grassroots organization! I just received an email about their 2026 primary program. Check out the website at https://www.indivisible2026.org/. There will be lots of ways to help.
What will this do for fund-raising?? Did they even consider this?
Good question. I stopped contributing to the Democratic Party after their earlier surrender but after the shutdown I was considering donating again. With this latest betrayal, contributions to the national party are off the table. Perhaps I shall contribute directly to individual candidates who show some sort of spine.
Our incandescent rage runs parallel, I fear, to the smug, self-satisfied glee the president, Johnson and the Project 25 folks are reveling in tonight.