That notion is going to keep popping up fairly regularly for the next two years. Because now the republicans are on the defensive with trying to hold seats. And its not just the typical shift; the GOP received some deeply troubling signs in 2018 when they were scrambling to hold on to “save” seats in TN, TX, AZ, and NV, and ended up losing some of them. When deeply red states get put into play, that creates a drain on limited resources. That’s not something they can deal with in 2020,with 20+ seats up to defend and a Presidential campaign draining on the coffers, too.
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There is no Democratic incumbent in Missouri. The map is wrong.
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What Murkowski remembers is how she was treated by “The Party” in 2010.
Tea Partyer Joe Miller (Senate 2010) took the nomination away from Republican incumbent Lisa Murkowski. Despite having the endorsement of former (half-term) Governor Sarah Palin, Miller lost to Murkowski’s write-in campaign. This was only the third time in US history that a write-in candidate had won a Senate seat and the first time since 1954.
There has been no love lost between “The Party” and Murkowski since then.
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Nor is Daines in Montana a Democrat.
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Missing here is two things. First a veto proof majority may be weeks or months off. Second McConnell may never put it up for a vote. The “squirming” minority of GOP Senators are fulfilling their appointed rolls.
Let’s talk about it again in March.
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That’s definitely part of it, but I don’t think its all of it. Murkowski, and now others, have been feeling their way to come to terms with the concept in a majority with a narrow edge, that by playing both sides of the aisles, they actually become very important Senators that have to be wooed by Leadership on both sides.
I don’t think she has fully grown into that role, but I think that is definitely something that is happening in the background.
Collins on the other hand, is simply just trying to posture for the media as a “moderate”. She will continue to vote how McConnell wants in any close vote. Only when there are enough people voting against McConnell that her vote won’t matter, will she break with him, in order to keep the “moderate Susan” myth alive.
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Talk is cheap.
This will end when 4 GOP Senators tell McConnell they won’t vote to confirm any additional judges until the government is reopened.
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Doesn’t matter because there are 41 hard core Republican assholes in the Senate who love seeing the government shut down. It’s what those KOCHSUCKERS were installed to do.
Meanwhile in the Kremlin, Vlad keeps yanking Mitch’s chain with all that nice juicy Kompromat he has on him!
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Out in purple flyover country, the stridently non-partisan news blurb on my radio station this morning had a wholly deadpan exchange approximately memory-quoted as
A: …the President said he understands what furloughed federal workers are going through.
B: I’m sure he does. He was born and raised in Hope, Arkansas, a place which offered plenty of challenges.
A: Mmm I’m not sure that’s the one you’re thinking of, B.
B: Perhaps not. In any case, we hope the sense of understanding the President offered these workers helps them pay their mortgages and bills. In other news…
Not sure this is playing out so hot for you, Donald.
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You’ll excuse me if I don’t put much trust in an insurrection led by Susan Collins. She can be depended upon to lead the charge, right up until the moment the troops can see the white of their enemy’s eyes. Upon which she dismounts her horse and scrambles back behind the lines.
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Not gonna happen. Their masters the Kochs, Mercers, Fries, Adelson and other rich pimps will never permit them to block packing the courts with as many Republican rubber stamps as possible!
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McConnell doesn’t seem interested in obliging. At this point, he is an immovable object. He could send a bill to the President to reopen the government without a friggin’ wall, but he won’t do that, even though he already did before the House changed leadership. Until the Dotard changes his mind about his ego wall, McConnell is as useful as a bump on a log.
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So with the NRA being fiscally unhealthy, and the Buttina thing, where are they going to get the money? With recent announcement from Trump about pulling out of Syria won’t Adelson be concerned about Israel’s security? And other donor’s have to be wary about what a desperate Trump is going pull out from under his rug.
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But what about all the other openings at all the other government agencies?
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It’s easy to “revolt” when you know you won’t have to back it up with a vote, since McConnell won’t allow a bill to be voted on.
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You got it completely on the money. Some of the seats the Rethugs were seen as being pretty failsafe. 2016 proved that Dems have made serious inroads into the Western part of the country and even some States in the South. Other States are essentially solid for them but we’ve proven that certain situations can put seats in play or, at the very least, force their billionaire donors to pony up even more money for re-elections or just walk away.
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Its not so much wary, as it is, the more Trump does, and the longer he is in office, the more he is incenting Democratic donors of all financial levels, to do more to get him gone. And, as we get deeper into the weeds with the Mueller investigation this year and the noose tightens, Trump WILL pull more shit out from under the rug.
Greg Sargent at WPO (and formally from here) has been beating a pretty regular drumbeat on this issue for a few weeks now…Trump is losing. And he has been steadying losing pretty much since he took office. Its just now its becoming very apparent, and it cost the republicans the House in a wave election. I think Greg has the right of it on this particular subject.
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Yeah, yeah… they said the same thing with the Kavanaugh confirmation.
Didn’t buy it then; don’t buy it now.
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Sorry, but I’m not in the mood to care about Republicans cracking. They’ve given $1.2 trillion to the rich, ruined the Supreme Court and general perceptions of the rule of law. Even fairness is off the table with these people. In any case, how can somebody be cracking and covering their ass at the same time?
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