This was certainly centrally planned. There’s no way they would be able to coordinate having it be 8 that are not up for re-election without that.
Here’s what occurred. It has been widely assumed that the group of eight mostly centrist Senate Democrats, who have been looking to broker a hollow deal on Republican terms, were freelancing. In fact, they were acting with the express approval of Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and were reporting to him daily.
At Thursday’s meeting, they told their caucus colleagues that they now had ten votes to reopen the government in exchange for no real Republican concessions. At that, much of the rest of the caucus went ballistic, and some of the supposed ten said that, in fact, they were not willing to vote for any such deal.
The leaders of the proposed Democratic cave-in, Sens. Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen, both of New Hampshire, and Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada, then backed down. Only after that did Schumer go public with his proposal to reopen the government in exchange for a one-year extension of the ACA subsidies, along with a bipartisan commission to figure out a long-term solution.
Informed observers tell me that the obvious compromise deal, which would allow each side to claim a partial victory, is either a shorter extension of the ACA subsidies for less than a year, or an extention with a partial cut at higher incomes. It remains to be seen whether both sides can get to yes.
The mystery is why Schumer keeps flirting with capitulation in exchange for nothing. Democrats have the political momentum, Republicans are divided, and a majority of voters blame Republicans for the shutdown. Schumer himself faces a likely primary challenge for his own Senate seat. He is even more vulnerable if he presides over a Democratic capitulation.
This was reporting from last Thursday. Of course today after following through with the capitulation we find they secured no concessions, just a promise of a vote on the issue on December.
Seems the Dems establishment is pissed the old guard is dying out and are willing to bring the entire country down with them. Very Trumpian of them.
This wasn’t “the establishment.” This was 8 senators, including one independent, who got cold feet and caved like cowards.
Hell, even Chuck Schumer held his ground.
Here’s the list:
No, schumer planned this. Why do you think all Dem defectors are not up during 2026? Very much planned that way so they can’t be punished
This was certainly centrally planned. There’s no way they would be able to coordinate having it be 8 that are not up for re-election without that.
https://prospect.org/2025/11/08/why-does-schumer-keep-trying-to-cave-government-shutdown/
This was reporting from last Thursday. Of course today after following through with the capitulation we find they secured no concessions, just a promise of a vote on the issue on December.
Chuck Schumer is either a moron who can’t keep his senators together, or a traitor who planned a scheme that he knew you would fall for.
The rot goes a lot deeper than those 8.
You’re probably right. I’m just so fucking tired.