Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is feeling the pressure these days. Back in April, Politico reported “Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is leading Chuck Schumer by double digits in a new head-to-head poll of the 2028 New York primary.”
A survey by the liberal firm Data for Progress found that “55% of Democratic likely voters said they supported or leaned toward supporting Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, while 36% backed or leaned toward backing Sen. Schumer. Nine percent were undecided.”
If he wins next November, Schumer would be 82 years old when his term ends. Why do these guys hang on like grim death?
Republican Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa hasn’t ruled out a run for a ninth term in the Senate. Nine terms in the Senate is 54 years. The man is 92 years old today. He would be 101 years old at the end of a ninth term.
Closer to home, Maryland Democrat Congressman Steny Hoyer is 86 years old. He’s been in the House of Representatives for 44 years.
All I can say is, serving in Congress must really be a great job.
Schumer is scared to death he will be voted out of office and will have to spend his golden years in retirement like most people. You would think his $7 million net worth, as estimated by Forbes, would cushion his transition into a post-political life, but it’s not about money for these guys. It’s about power.
With AOC nipping at his heels, Schumer is doing everything he can to placate the radical left, which is demanding Democratic politicians oppose Trump at every turn. It really doesn’t matter what Trump is doing, and it really doesn’t matter if what Trump is doing is good or bad for the country. That’s irrelevant. If Trump is for it, the left is against it, and if that means the federal government needs to shut down, then that’s what is going to have to happen.
Back in March, a less partisan Schumer provided Democratic votes to break a filibuster to avoid a government shutdown, saying shutting the government down would have devastating impacts that must be avoided.
The left excoriated him for “caving” to President Donald Trump, so this time around he was ready to let the government close. Sure, the same problems are likely to result, but he has an election to win, and nothing is more important to Schumer than his re-election.
Honestly, should I ever reach my 80s, I hope I’m inclined to do the right thing without worrying about being pressured to do what I know to be wrong.
According to Reuters, House Republicans passed legislation to keep the government running through Nov. 21, “mostly at current levels, giving lawmakers more time to craft detailed spending legislation that would cover the rest of the fiscal year beginning on October 1.”
Unfortunately, when the legislation reached the Senate, Democrats used the filibuster to kill it. Yet, these same Democrats are working overtime, tying themselves in knots trying to convince the American people that Republicans are to blame for the shutdown. Their position seems to be, “Either you do what we tell you to do, or it’s your fault the government closes.”
That’s a tough argument to make, but Schumer and his loyal myrmidons are convinced the left wing of their party will be only too willing to believe it. In fact, it’s the radical left that is forcing Democratic elected officials to adopt their intractable, combative stance relative to the budget.
“Hold the American people hostage if you have to,” they say, “but whatever you do, oppose Trump, or else.”
So what does the radical left want? They want changes to the Affordable Care Act that, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, would increase government health care spending by $662 billion over 10 years. They also demand funding for public broadcasting be restored.
In return, Democrats would agree to continue government spending until Oct. 31.
I don’t know about you, but threatening to shut down the government unless PBS gets its taxpayer money seems about as dumb as it gets.
But again, for Schumer, it’s not about intelligence anymore. It’s about getting re-elected.
Schumer long ago sold his soul to the radical left. Now he is beholden to them, and they are turning on him.
At this point, Schumer should accept his fate. His time as a senator has passed, but instead of retiring, in a desperate attempt to cling to power for another six years he has decided his only shot at re-election is to become as radical as the radical left.
The problem is, he’s not good at it. He’s just unconvincing as a radical.
If I were Chuck Schumer, and I was closing in on 80 years old, I would hope I would choose to go out doing what I knew was right rather than adopting positions the most radical elements of my party were forcing me to champion for the chance of remaining in power just a little while longer.
The truth is, today’s Democratic Party is not the party veteran politicians like Schumer spent decades shaping, and watching these old-timers trying to out-radical their younger, misguided brethren is not easy. They coddled the radical left for years, and now the radicals have taken over.
It would be better for all concerned if they just retired while they still have a shred of dignity left intact.
Chris Roemer resides in Finksburg. He can be contacted at chrisroemer1960@gmail.com.
