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Remember Who Endangers Our Republic [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-03-15
Many more capable people have written about Senator Schumer’s decision to support the Republican budget bill so this isn’t going to about the pros and cons of that decision. To me, it was infuriating that Senate Democrats allowed the bill to pass. I’ve ranted about it. I wrote a long angry email to Senator Durbin about it. I personally believe it shows that Senator Schumer should resign his leadership position in the party. As much as I am still frustrated, I realize that my reaction is somewhat misplaced. After all Senator Schumer and Senate Democrats are not the danger to America.
Right now the threat is President Trump, Elon Musk, their Republican enablers, and a plutocracy seizing as much wealth as possible. It’s the law breaking, the violations of the Constitution, the corruption, and lying about what’s is happening and what is real that is undermining our democracy and our social fabric. These cause real harm right now, as well as set up the foundation for future consolidated power.
You or I might judge that Senator Schumer is doing a poor job combating President Trump. But we must retain our sense of proportion. This is challenging because Americans have become accustomed to making our politics and making political decisions mean more than they should. A Senator is a coward, an idiot, lazy, a sellout to corporate donors, a centrist (/s), or incompetent. I admit to thinking some of those thoughts and even voicing them. If I am honest though, while I find Schumer’s actions and communication over the last several weeks negligent and befuddling, he didn’t suddenly become stupid or a sellout. Failing yesterday a doesn’t mean that Schumer is a coward or that his motivations should be questioned.
Perhaps the most famous failure of political leadership is Neville Chamberlain giving into Adolf Hitler in Munich in 1938. And yet, only two years later, his greatest rival Winston Churchill eulogized Chamberlain. Chamberlain made a catastrophically bad political decision. And maybe we will look back at Schumer’s decision in a similar fashion. Regardless we should respect Schumer while we criticize his strategy or communication style. We should remember that this is the same Senator whose work during the Biden administration was instrumental in passing Build Back Better and other legislation that has made and is making a difference to tens of millions of people.
Leading the Democratic caucus isn’t a right. Being a Senator isn’t a right. Schumer has to produce results and he has to lead a coherent strategy and successfully communicate that to Democratic groups, activists, voters, and yeah, Democratic House Members. Political organizers and DailyKos writers should voice their opinion if they feel new leadership is necessary. Let’s just not cast Schumer out of the Democratic Party. We can call for a new leadership vote or support a primary challenger without demonizing Schumer’s decision-making. We are never going to grow the Party, attract allies and consistently win elections if we go crazy every time a Democrat goes outside of the party’s mainstream opinion.
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