The Schumer Strategy: Disengage progressive voters with betrayal after betrayal
I’ve read enough of the posts from people telling us to ignore the fact that Chuck Schumer caved on the now infamous fast track of 7 judges last week. Life time appointments. And we’re all going to get the privilege of another back stabbing when Chuck helps this administration get 8 more judges fast tracked as this new week opens. I mean hell, if he were a woman you’d be hearing from every outlet about this bullshit. Amanda Marcotte, I love you.
Schumer caved. We get it there are hard decisions to be made. Don’t patronize us. In this toxic climate though, it’s become clear Chuck has forgotten the decisions to be made are how to find the ways to stop this corrupt, vile, destructive administration from wreaking decades of damage on us citizens through these appointments. Schumer looked past that fact and stuck us with judges who now have the freedom to flex in any direction they like. Calling them uncontroversial is Schumer’s and his aide’s lazy way of telling us to not worry our pretty little heads. We’ve seen how deal making works with the current admin. McConnell is a snake. Jodi Jacobson writes in ReWire: “He blocked hearings on and confirmation of many Obama nominees, keeping seats open at the lower court level as well as the Supreme Court. Now, with Trump in the White House, McConnell is using his power to confirm as many appointees as possible, using the GOP’s majority party status, in the words of Rewire.News‘ Jessica Mason Pieklo, “to pack the federal courts full of radical ideologues.” Deals made with him don’t sway in progressive’s favor. And the deals of trump are rotten ones to say the very least.”
“Schumer’s willingness to give Republicans what some see as a free hall pass was downright confusing to many activists, especially given McConnell’s no-holds-barred approach to stalling Obama administration picks. Schumer seems to be thinking about protecting his red-state Democrat colleagues — but it’s a complete mismatch with the party’s base, which is frustrated over Republicans’ ability to remake the courts in recent years and wants Democrats to fight back.” ~ Li Zhou, Vox
Surely Chuck had to have gotten something from his fast tracking savvy negotiations. What is it you ask? Schumer got a democrat’s seat on NRLB extended, what seems like 2 Obama lingering judge appointees and some Kavanaugh papers. Thanks Chuck. That means the Democratic Senate Leader Chuck Schumer snagged a short term pawn move (less than 5 years I believe), two judgeships and paperwork he was already entitled to. But Chuck’s just fine saddling us with decades of repressive legislation that will target women specifically. Chuck Schumer is responsible for this insanity. I mean colluding with the party willing to decimate women’s rights is not too strong a statement. He could have had a spine and delayed, stalled, used floor time to even the playing field. Yes, even though the appointments would eventually be made, Schumer has a responsibility to us to do everything, use every trick he has at his disposal to make that painful for the republican majority. Adam Jentleson lays out how.
Jennifer Bendery writes “A senior Senate Democratic aide pushed back on the idea that they caved “These judges would be confirmed eventually,” said this aide, who requested anonymity to speak freely. “It could happen while members were in D.C., or back home trying to win a majority in the Senate. And yes, mostly noncontroversial judges with lots of [Democratic] support.”
He’s right that most of these district court nominees are uncontroversial. But one of them, Charles Goodwin, was rated “not qualified” to be a judge by the American Bar Association. Six Democrats joined Republicans to confirm him anyway.”
Chuck, if you were aiming to disengage voters; congrats. Standing ovation. You’re making it hard for progressive’s to stick around.
Why is Schumer doing this? Paul Butler of the Guardian suggests of this administration’s “nearly 60 judges he has nominated, only one is black, one is Hispanic and three are women. The rest are white men. All of these people are conservatives who will be interpreting and helping (re)write the law for decades…[and] has nominated judges who will cut back the civil rights of racial minorities and LGBT people, expand the power of police and prosecutors, restrict the ability of women to obtain abortions and favor big corporations over consumers.”
So hey, let’s sit back and watch the Democratic leadership cave this coming week on Kavanaugh and the 8 judges slated too. Fuck us right Chuck et all? It’s not worth the time to put in on behalf of us on the floor, so fuck us.
I’m a nobody who’s spent the last 21 years shifting from stay at home mom to working single mom who raised 3 kids through college, and got my own degree somehow during all the chaos. Then I tucked in and worked in the soul crushing for women corporate world. Now I’m an elder woman no less angry that our culture is exactly as it was 40 years ago when I naively expected so much more from it.
There are thousands of nobodies just like me who see this as one more political betrayal, only from someone we expected not to betray us.
As has Chuck Schumer.
Originally published at It’s Grave.
