Don't say the Dems aren't doing anything! Progressive senators got right to work on Wednesday to stiffen the spines of centrists who appeared ready to fold during the shutdown fight. Via CNN:
By Wednesday morning, Sanders and his colleagues in Congress pointed to Democrats’ blow-out victories — including in Virginia, a state with thousands of furloughed federal workers — as the most powerful evidence yet they needed to keep fighting.
“It would be very strange if on the heels of the American people rewarding Democrats for standing up and fighting, we surrendered without getting anything,” Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut said. “I think we are in an enormously strong position right now.”
During a private call of House Democrats on Wednesday afternoon, lawmakers, including senior Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, urged each other to call their centrist Senate colleagues directly to make the case against the emerging deal. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries signaled on the call that he was keeping the pressure on his Senate counterpart, according to two people familiar with the discussion. Outside Democratic groups, too, have swiftly mobilized to ramp up pressure on centrists.
Emboldened Hill Democrats pointed to jitters from Trump himself, who privately told a group of Senate Republicans that their party was being “killed” politically by the shutdown. Trump said publicly that “the shutdown was a big factor, negative for the Republicans.”
Some of his GOP allies in Congress agreed. Asked if he believed the shutdown hurt Republicans in the elections, Sen. Jim Justice told CNN: “Look, if you didn’t, you’re living in a cave. That’s all there’s to it. Of course, it did.” Justice added that everyday Americans are sitting there watching the shutdown saying, “‘You people are in control. Fix it.’”
(Just a note: I get so weary of writing to alert readers about some problem with the Dems, and the response is always "THEY'RE CORRUPT AND WE'RE GOING TO LOSE EVERYTHING, I JUST KNEW IT!" Well, you were wrong. Don't moan, pick up the phone! That's how politics works. Yes, even the Republicans -- they count all the phone calls, they report them to leadership. How many times have I said it?)
