Originally published at: Chuck Schumer Gets a Challenge For Majority Leader - TPM – Talking Points Memo
Van Hollen is Officially Running After several days of saying he was considering it, Sen. Chris Van Hollen, a Democrat from Maryland, officially announced last night that he would challenge Chuck Schumer (D-NY) for majority leader. The activist wing of the Democratic base has been calling for Democrats to replace Schumer since before the election.…
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Karp may be repositioning himself as progressive, but his braggadocio is still very trumpian
ETA: huh, first? Here’s my cat pic:
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Trump would like to “get Cuba done” before the end of his term, he told radio host Hugh Hewitt.
“I’d love to be able to do it for to the people, for to the Cubans*,** that came and were treated really badly, and they came to America,” he said.*
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I grew up in a far left environment. I know more about being a progressive than almost anybody on the planet, and I absolutely believe Palantir — all of our products are essentially progressive.
There’s a world of difference between “knowing about being” and “being.” Anyone who conflates the two will never truly be.
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Chuck Schumer is a milquetoast and he needs to go. He is also older than dirt and out of touch.
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Schumer is a spry 75.
Van Hollen is 67.
They’re essentially the same age.
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Completely agree that it is time for Schumer to go. I’m not sure Van Hollen is the best choice. I would like to see a younger senator from a different part of the country, maybe someone pragmatic like Slotkin who has expressed some interest in the job.
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Being 64 myself, I don’t wish to think I’m essentially the same age as a 72-year-old. Put another way, I hope I’m as spry at 72 as I am now.
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Just don’t lose sight of the role of the Majority Leader, which is to keep the Democratic Senators in line to pass legislation (or not), confirm appointments (or not), impeach some deserving miscreants, negotiate (
) with Republicans to achieve same. Investigating and ‘fighting’ are the job of the committee chairs. Two different skillsets, with some overlap.
ETA: Folks below have commented on the very important role of the Senate (and House) leaders in fundraising. In a world where getting rid of Citizen’s United is a decades long Constitutional project, Democrats would be fools to ignore the importance of playing this particular game, and related skills, perhaps while attempting a semblance of ethical behaviour in the process.
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FWIW, Schumer seems MUCH older than 75. I’d have guessed mid to upper 80s.
Regardless of his age, I don’t think Schumer is the leader the Democrats need for these times. I am not sure that Van Hollen is the leader Democrats need either, but he is at least different and he would come in with a clear mandate to fight. Schumer doesn’t seem to know how to really fight.
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Nice try but NO! Nothing spry about Chuckster. Did you notice, he’s put on about 50 lbs. Need a new face for New Blue. I like it … New Blue.
Good news: Blabbermouth Chip Roy is gone.
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That is a very nice cat. I like that breed a lot.
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Here’s the thing about ageism. It’s an overgeneralization and a trap and it interferes with critical thinking. It’s true in general that a person wears out as they age… like a car, or a piece of equipment. But the precise nature and pace of the ‘failures’, mental or physical or both, varies from one individual to the next, and are unpredictable. The precise nature and pace of the ‘failures’ is also independent of how well, how carefully and conscientiously, the physical plant is maintained. We can look to our families for genetic clues, but that only gets you so far. Age is a fact, mathematically determined the day you’re born. Capacity, capability, energy and competence vary. This was very evident watching, listening and marvelling at the WWII veterans at the various Remembrance Day 
and Veterans’ Day 
commemorations on Wednesday.
Schumer (and possibly Jeffries) may be the wrong person for the job. But he’s the wrong person for the job because he’s the wrong person for the job, not because he’s 75.
ETA: Read that, in his new book, Joe Biden said that if he had known he had metastatic prostate cancer, he would not have run for a second term.
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67 = 75
New Math
I get what you’re saying though, and it would be nice if there was a good candidate in their mid 40s, but it would be really good to get someone like Van Hollen, more aggressive than Schumer, as long as they have the skills to carry out the leadership role.
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Looks like Fox would prefer Chuck.
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Schumer will be 76 on Nov 23 - in 10 days.
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Be careful, or there could be an extremely sternly worded letter in your future.
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There are many ways to “fight” as an elected politician.
Schumer doesn’t usually do the dramatic political shit, but he’s very effective behind the scenes.
He’s also a very skilled fund-raiser, which is one of the most important jobs the Majority Leader has.
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The best argument for booting Chuck Schumer is precisely that dreamy reverie he described about the possibilities of getting to 60 Senate seats in 2028. That’s the old thinking, the “non-urgency of the moment” thinking that stands in the way of progress.
This.
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