Kaine looks like a vote swap by Schumer to take the heat off of a senator with an election sooner than his in 2030, like Warner

Primary every senator

Josh makes this point that I think is the core of what we need to concentrate on strategically: We need a Democratic Party that is both comfortable using power and knows how to do it. Full column here: talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/a-qui...

I do not feel even remotely as optimistic as Josh, but I need to give myself a chance to feel more hopeful right now (still angry, but hopeful). This strikes me as hopeful in a way that's not naive (or surrendering), and, like TPM always is, worth your time reading it.

These Senators need to hear from voters struggling through furloughs etc during the shutdown that this was not what we wanted you to hold out for. They genuinely need the adjustment in attitude that can come form hearing from their own core supporters who are telling them how badly they screwed up.

I too, need answers to these questions… for they have been on my mind, also.

To me among the most infuriating parts about the healthcare debate and ACA credits is this would not be an issue if we were like every developed country on Earth and GUARANTEED HEALTHCARE AS A HUMAN RIGHT. We'd pay half per capita what we're paying now, have more coverage, & longer life expectancy.

Schumer & Jeffries should have the integrity to resign from their positions in leadership. They've failed, badly. Either they cannot control their caucuses or they're lying & secretly pushed this vote through behind the scenes. Either way, their betrayal of the American people is indefensible.

100%. This is his handy work.

AOC needs to primary Schumer.

These 8 Senators sold us out to Trump: Hassan King Cortez-Masto Shaheen Kaine Fetterman Durbin Rosen Understand This Fact: Chuck Schumer is behind this. None of these 8 are up for reelection in 2026. Schumer asked them vote yes—they agreed. He's such a coward that he folded and won't even own it.

The value proposition is rapidly approaching zero. PRIMARY EVERYONE

Every single person in Little Village fighting ICE/BP this week, each one of those people had more courage than the entire party leadership put together. Every single person in the street resisting in LA, Portland, Chicago, they're ALL showing more backbone than useless top tiers of Dem apparatus

100% People are literally risking everything to stand up to oppression, and see this. I cannot accurately describe the amount of anger I have at this moment.

I keep seeing regular Americans taking more risks every day to fight tyranny, want, and cynicism than I see from the opposition party, and I imagine many of those regular Americans are asking themselves what the value proposition of such an opposition party is, really

I am working on a story that involves some of the ways people really are standing up in this moment. There really is a groundswell and it's not coming from DC.

Trump just celebrated Schumer's cave by pardoning 75+ co-conspirators including Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, and Sidney Powell, for their efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Congratulations to @durbin.senate.gov for finally and irrevocably removing the remaining iota of respect I had for him,

The coordinated nature of this—none are facing voters in 2026—means that either Schumer approved it or failed in his job as Senate Majority Leader to stop it. Dems voting "no" get zero credit until they demand a change in leadership. Schumer out as Leader, Durbin out as Whip.

Want a party that actually fights back? Run for office. We’ll help you. runforwhat.net

The answer Sen, Shaheen is that since America elected the Black man to be president, the official position of the Republican Party is “not to work together with Democrats to address the problems that are facing this country.”

Let me return to the feel good moment of the night.

That’s why I say keep calling.

I'd like for someone in the dem caucus to tell us which senators were real no votes and which ones voted no because they were allowed to.

Tuesday’s elections were NOT about the Democratic Party. They were about candidates focusing on the wants and needs of their constituents; about new leaders prepared to fight; about representation in every sense of the word. Party leaders haven’t absorbed this yet.

I don’t care if Schumer voted no. If he’s unable to wrangle the caucus, he’s not an effective leader. I’ll continue to push for the caucus to elect a new one.

Same.

Jesus Christ, @kaine.senate.gov, getting a pinky promise to hold one single vote on ACA funding is not "a path toward fixing the health care mess" anymore than a lottery ticket is a "path toward fixing my personal finances"

There’s no way those 8 Dem senators voted for this bill without Schumer giving them his blessing.

Yep just like with the March vote he found Senators who aren’t facing re-election next year do to the dirty work. It’s all a show. They think we’re that stupid

100%. We need to primary as many senate Dems as we possibly can. Even if we don’t get all of them out, we need to remind them who the fuck sent them to Washington.

I know some folks like to show respect for veteran politicians, but I’m done with that. Dick Durbin has been useless in a job that could’ve been held by someone who actually understood the fascist threat. If you’re not built for the fight, get out of the fight. But don’t throw us to the dogs.

“They aren’t as bad as republicans but…” It’s November of 2025. You should be embarrassed to broadcast such ignorance and privilege on the internet.

If we ever take power back from the fascists how can we trust those who allegedly oppose them to do the right thing? After tonight, I don’t think we can.

Can't be overstated what a disaster this is going to be. They'll be blamed for everything and achieved nothing.

The centrists in the Senate Democratic caucus saw that the country was rallying to the party in the 2025 elections and resolved that they would do anything they could to kill that momentum.

My rage tonight could easily power the entire west coast

Didn't Tuesday's election results show that it actually WAS working???

So the Dem #CaveCaucus aren't even getting a real vote out of their surrender: ♦️Without a House vote, any Senate vote is meaningless. ♦️And without at least 4 GOP crossovers, a Senate vote is meaningless too.

Sure we were all willing to put up with pain to get ACA extensions or make the Rs own this completely but then the issue of ending the gentleman’s agreement came up, you understand.

It was totally working. They were going to have to blow up the damned filibuster.

This is not what they actually say. This is what they used to say, in the long ago before times when Shaheen learned to do politics. There is no kumbaya median voter anymore. The question you get knocking doors is not "why can't you all just work together?" it's "why didn't / will you fight harder?

thinking back to when eric cantor got knocked out in a primary in 2014

i suspect there’s some truth to this and also why we should be EXTREMELY skeptical that senate dems as currently constituted would ditch the filibuster should they ever have a trifecta again

They had flights to catch and didn’t want to be inconvenienced I guess

I cannot believe they couldn't wait for the first circuit to rule on SNAP

It took a courageous Republican bucking his party to give America affordable healthcare and eight cowardous Democrats bucking their party to take it away.

PRIMARY. THEM. ALL.

agreeing to make a terrible deal while your main opponent is quite literally being boo'd on live tv by an entire stadium of people is the kind of political instinct you'd normally only find in a 3 week old dead goldfish