The chief target of Democratic infighting this month is reportedly Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, whose party has failed to pass key aspects of President Biden’s agenda in the Senate. Worse still, in attempting to force through the divisive legislation anyway, Democrats on Capitol Hill feel that Schumer has damaged the party by exposing a major rift and alienating the remaining moderates, rather than doing anything to approach reconciliation.
Dems not impressed by Schumer’s leadership
High-ranking Democrat aides on Capitol Hill spoke anonymously to Politico about widespread frustration with Schumer’s recent performance as the majority leader.
Leader may be his title, but the aides feel that he needs a lesson on “leadership 101” after his inability to cope with disagreement within party ranks.
Senators Manchin and Sinema, who make up the party’s moderate wing in the Senate, have if anything been further alienated by Schumer’s handling of their concerns.
Manchin and Sinema have previously indicated a willingness to negotiate and find a compromise that would allow them to approve of Biden’s voting and infrastructure bills.
Most Senate leaders would have engaged with them at this point and settled on something agreeable to both wings of the party. Schumer did the exact opposite and the aides think it’s going to haunt him.
The majority leader made a risky move and chose to ignore Manchin and Sinema with an attempt to force through the voting legislation without their approval.
Moderates thoroughly alienated
Schumer doubled down on alienating the two moderates after his attempts failed, effectively giving his support to an attempt to unseat the two in primary races.
Schumer’s actions have been intended to draw a line in the sand which would force Manchin and Sinema into abandoning their opposition and coming back into the fold.
The gamble hasn’t paid off, and now the Democrats have only alienated two of their number in a Senate which leaves no room for a single lost vote.
Democrats nationwide despise Manchin and Sinema for their opposition to the legislation and the party can certainly appeal to them by condemning the moderates.
For now, however, their presence in the Senate is something which Schumer has to live with as majority leader. The aides think he’s just made it much harder for his party to accomplish what little it might have done with its paper thin Congressional majorities.
Bypassing pesky moderates within the party might seem like a good idea in the moment, but it’s voters in West Virginia and Arizona who will decide the fates of Manchin and Sinema, not the left-wing radicals from elsewhere who are demanding that they be ousted.
