Schumer and McConnell reportedly negotiating a power-sharing agreement in the Senate

[True Dough]

This is according to Politico:

"Schumer (D-N.Y.) and McConnell (R-Ky.) are largely expected to run the Senate in a similar fashion to how former Senate leaders Trent Lott and Tom Daschle devised the last 50-50 blueprint in 2001. That allowed for committee memberships to be evenly split, with bills that receive tied votes advancing to the floor; the party controlling the White House would still set the Senate schedule and determine which legislation would get taken up"...

Rank-and-file senators were largely in the dark on how close — or far — the two leaders are from cutting a deal on all those critical items. Schumer said bluntly: “We’ve got three things we’ve got to do quickly, impeachment, nomination, Covid.”

In a Senate speech on Tuesday afternoon, McConnell said the "marching orders from the American people are clear. We're to have a robust discussion and seek common ground"...

In a letter to colleagues, McConnell indicated he wants a commitment from Schumer (D-N.Y.) to preserve the legislative filibuster as part of their agreement governing the rules of the 50-50 Senate. He said while he is taking his cues from the last split Senate in 2001, he also believes "we need to also address the threats to the legislative filibuster."

https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/19/schumer-mcconnell-senate-deal-460367

[True Dough]

1. Can you believe that???

Mitch Fuckin' McConnell spends years and years obstructing EVERYTHING Democrats propose and now he gets to share power in the Senate. Because compromise was always his nature, right?

It makes my blood boil.

[StarfishSaver]

10. People don't understand how much trouble McConnell can be as leader of a minority-by-one-vote caucus

Schumer's not stupid and he knows the Senate and the cards he has to play better than just about anyone.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

15. Yup. And perhaps this was part of a deal for a vote to convict.

If so, well done. Plus it stops Mitch from being a complete pain in the ass for 4 years. Or 2--hopefully not.

[DLCWIdem]

21. I was just going to post the same thing.

I left for 5 minutes to tell someone about this and it was already posted.

[True Dough]

16. And Mitch won't be any trouble as an equal power-broker? Uh huh.

He'll be appreciative and forever indebted. A model politician.

[StarfishSaver]

17. Of course not

But this may be a way for Schumer to ensure many of the things we want get done instead of spending the next two years battling non-stop obstruction and getting nothing done at all.

[True Dough]

22. Mitch will take all that he can get, but he won't give anything in return

It goes against the essence of who he is.


From the article:

"Given what we've been through as a country: a pandemic, and an attempted coup, this relationship simply has to work," added Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), who helps run the party's whip operation. "The normal political calculus about maximizing advantage in the next election has to be set aside."


That's wishful thinking. It might work if we had good will on both sides. But we're dealing with snakes (and a miserable snapping turtle).

[Progressive Jones]

28. If the Senate can be kept in motion, a lot will get done. This would benefit the Dems

in the Mid-terms. Progress would be noticed by the voters. More Dems in the Senate, more progress.

The Democratic Party needs to take advantage of the leverage they have now.

Get legislation moving, and it will be rewarded.

[StarfishSaver]

29. Some people don't seem nterested in getting anything done. They just want the Dems to own the GOP

[Progressive Jones]

30. No different than if the shoe was on the other foot. I seek progress, not endless gridlock. nt

[intrepidity]

2. FUUUUUUUUUCK NO!!!!!!! nt

[Pachamama]

3. Schumer will make a huge mistake if he agrees to "share" Power

Democracy and Fascism are not Compatible

[Hotler]

36. I agree. The repug party is now the fascist party.

Which means it time to kneecap Mitch and stop playing nice.

[PA_jen]

4. WHY?!

[kwolf68]

5. Typical

Imagine if the tables were turned. And it's crap like this that gives people on the left (of which I am) the ammunition to question the potency of the national Democratic Party and its leadership. Does Chuck think a single stupid ass Republicant is going to praise him for this? McConnell literally STOLE a fucking Supreme Court seat and now its time to play footsy with him. Outrageous.

[True Dough]

7. I'm guessing Biden would have had to agree to this, right?

Biden is preaching unity so perhaps he gave Schumer his marching orders to get a deal done. Regardless, I don't like it.

I'd much prefer that someone like Elizabeth Warren be installed as Senate Majority Leader and she dances circles around Moscow Mitch, hemming him in at every opportunity.

[StarfishSaver]

12. You think Democrats should emulate McConnell and the Republicans?

We're not them.

[Demonaut]

6. Schumer, say yes to everything and fuck him over in the end

fuck this turtle

[Bleacher Creature]

8. This isn't as bad as it seems.

The key is that Democrats will control the committees and that ties in committees (which will be split 50/50) mean that the nomination or bill advances to the floor.

The real problem is that this agreement is premised on the idea that the organizing vote requires 60 votes. That's not a great sign of Schumer's views on repealing the filibuster.

[BlueIdaho]

9. Shouldn't someone talk to the new Vice President?

Seems like she is the one to give the marching orders since she can cast the tie breaking vote in the Senate.

[BGBD]

11. Stop overreacting

This is what happens in a 50/50 senate. It is the same agreement we had in 2001.

[Johnny2X2X]

14. Dems control everything!

Power sharing is a misnomer. Reps control nothing. This gives them a few more token committee members. That’s it.

They aren’t sharing any power.

[StarfishSaver]

18. But overreaction is stock in trade for some here

After all, we all know better than Schumer and Pelosi how to run their houses.

[True Dough]

24. I guess we can add Elizabeth Warren to the "overreaction" list

Posted five hours ago:

Link to tweet

[StarfishSaver]

25. Huh? Where does it say Warren criticized Schumer or tried to second-guess what he's doing?

Nice try, though.

[True Dough]

26. Oh, come on. Of course they're not going to call out Schumer by name

But they're making it clear that a backbone is needed and the person in question is none other than Schumer.


Beto O'Rourke too:

Link to tweet

[StarfishSaver]

27. Oh, now they're talking to Schumer in code on Twitter?

Because how else can they talk to the guy they see every day.

OK. Whatever.

[True Dough]

31. There's no code involved

Their message is as plain as day.

[StarfishSaver]

32. Something here is plain as day

Last edited Fri Jan 22, 2021, 09:47 AM - Edit history (1)

Perhaps the folks here who really believe that Elizabeth Warren is sending her colleague messages through Twitter should follow her lead and simply reiterate Democratic principles and goals instead of throwing fits and insulting and castigating Democratic leadership and calling them cowards and wimps.

[True Dough]

35. I'm not naive enough to believe the Democratic party

is one big harmonious group. I'm not naive enough to believe that many politicians don't occasionally position themselves in a public fashion.

You have heard of AOC, I imagine. Do you need to review her tweets to refresh your memory on how Dems can use social media to send messages to their colleagues in hopes of pushing the agenda in their direction?

And it's not just AOC who does such things. Other more experienced politicians have been getting on board with the medium. To think otherwise is to bury one's head in the sand.

[True Dough]

37. More proof

Link to tweet

[Billytee]

19. Moscow Mitch can go to hell.

We, the people voted in the democrats' agenda.
I don't give a rat's ass what Moscow Mitch wants! The self apointed "grim reaper" is the loser.
He has stood by when Trump put kids in cages with no plans of re-uniting them with their families.
He has stood by when the incompetency in defeating Covid was an obvious failure.
He stood by as the Iran treaty was eliminated.
He stood by when Trump insulted our black and brown citizens.
He welcomed the Trump tax break the was another nail in the "middle class" coffin.
Too angry to list any more.
Democrats won the House, Senate and now the Presidency....they need to act and GOVERN like it!
The RepubliCONS can go to hell and need to lose absolutely EVERYTHING they propose.
We earned this moment in history; they didn't.

[True Dough]

23. Amen!

Every word, Billytee, to a tee!

[BainsBane]

20. Fuck that

We need to call Schumer's office NOW.

[Johnny2X2X]

33. Don't they always share power?

Even if it were a 65-35 advantage they'd negotiate a power sharing deal. Dems will control everything, but Reps still get committee members and what not.

[StarfishSaver]

34. Yes. And right now, they share power 50-50 with a tiebreaker on floor votes

They have to work out how things will get done.