Washington, D.C. – Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is being squeezed like never before, and it could scuttle the entire agenda of President Joe Biden, according to Politico. The reason is a deeply fractured party, split between socialists and more moderate members interested in striking a deal with Republicans.
On Monday, we told you that potential Schumer primary challenger, socialist Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, is livid with the Senate for “blocking crucial items in a Democratic agenda.”
Yesterday, we learned that not only is AOC’s mentor, Senator Bernie Sanders, a “no” on any possible bipartisan infrastructure deal that doesn’t include liberal Green New Deal provisions, but that any attempt to push through a liberal wish-list may be blocked by Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ).
The position Chuck Schumer finds himself in, as he tries to avoid a primary, is akin to being stuck in quicksand or a Chinese finger trap. The more he struggles to make progress, the more trouble he gets himself stuck.
The big question becomes: what side are vulnerable Senators like Mark Kelly, Maggie Hassan, Catherine Cortez Masto, Raphael Warnock, and Michael Bennet on?
Statement from NRSC Spokesman T.W. Arrighi: “Chuck Schumer is stuck in quicksand and the Democrats’ liberal agenda is sinking with him. As he tries desperately to avoid a primary challenge from AOC, he must now decide if he wants to appease Bernie and the radicals or attempt to work in a bipartisan fashion as the American people want. There is no easy answer, and the vulnerable Senators who have thus far been loyal soldiers are in hiding, hoping to avoid any blowback from their party’s disarray. The clock is ticking, and the quicksand is getting harder to escape.”
###