Sinema drops the Democrat label
Yesterday, Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema was an independent DEMOCRAT. Today she is an INDEPENDENT Democrat. As do the Senate’s other two independent senators — Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine — Sinema will caucus with the Democrats. That means there is no change in the 51 to 49 majority in the next Congress.
Legislative Implications
It does not mean that Sinema’s label change is insignificant. Unlike Sanders and King – who are independent in name only – Sinema has demonstrated her willingness to take positions contrary to the wishes of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.
She and West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin proved to be thumbtacks on Schumer’s legislative seat. Their opposition was key in preventing President Biden’s humongous inflationary spending program from being far worse that it is.
Once Democrats succeeded in gaining a one-seat majority, most pundits suggested that Schumer had a clear path to passing any legislation on the far-left agenda. But wait! Democrats have only a one-seat advantage. If Sinema and Manchin were to team up again, the Biden program would be one vote shy of passage in the Senate.
Looking at it from a different angle … as a declared Independent, Sinema is under even less pressure to go along with Democratic leadership. That is likely to be the case since one of her stated reasons for dropping out of the Democrat Party was to get away from being a loyal team player no matter how she felt about the issues.
All that may be moot in terms of the next Congress since Republicans will control the House. There is no chance that Biden’s grandiose agenda will get passed by Congress. He can put all those fancy bill-signing pens back on the shelf.
Sinema’s departure from the Democratic Party is not happy news for Biden or Schumer, but they have to grin and bear it because they desperately need her vote on the legislation that will be coming from the House. That is why they are praising her “independence” – reserving the pejorative cuss words for private conversations.
Political Implications
Apart from the legislative implications, there are some significant political implications. Sinema will be up for re-election in 2024. At this point, she has not indicated if she intends to run again – as an Independent.
Some say the shift to Independent status was to avoid a tough primary. She is the number one senator the progressives would like to take out in a Democratic Primary – and there is a good possibility that they could. Congressman Ruben Gallego has already signaled his intention to run in the 2024 Democrat primary.
What happens if she runs as an Independent – opposing Democrat Gallego and the GOP candidate in the General Election. The knee-jerk reaction is that she would divide Democrats and progressives – and the Republican candidate would glide to victory.
Realizing that likelihood, Sinema could force Democrats to skip floating an official Democrat and support Sinema to hold the seat. Arizona – and national Democrats – would face a choice between Sinema or a Republican.
That is if she does not decide to become a Republican. Nothing seems to be too crazy to consider. But if she could be enticed to caucus with the Republicans in the near future, the Senate would again be equally divided … the committees would be equally divided with rotating chairs … and Vice President Harris would be stuck in Washington.
With all the moving parts, it is much too early to prognosticate – but it can be safely said that Sinema is going to be an interesting person to keep an eye on.
So, there ‘tis.
Good for Sinema. Manchin will have a tough fight on his hand as he caved to Biden’s expensive build back America plan only to get thrown under the bus by Biden on oil, gas, and coal production in West Virginia. WV folks are not happy with him right now. I think it will be a very interesting 2024.
I’m hoping that a democrat senator from a state with a Republican governor will leave office for whatever reason and get a replacement from the GOP to finish the terms. And I would like ANY reason to get rid of the communist. If they grab their chest and keep over , oh well But I don’t want anyone to harm them.
It’s not that expensive and the payback looks pretty good, WV gets some perks out of it too. Gotta love conservatives against infrastructure. Most Dems and Indy’s are all for it.
Now, the IRA, you might have a better story…….
Good God Tom!!!!!!! You are brilliant. Are you from WV? You know the state. Where men go to family gatherings to meet women. The three common lies told in WV are I didn’t know she was my sister. I was helping the sheep over the fence. My truck”s paid for.
LOL Good ones Clifford! Yeah I have heard that everybody is kind of related in WV. It’s a family affair I guess. I did have a step son who went to Marshall which is about my only experience with WV except to drive through it on my way to PA.
I lived near wv, still have a sister right next door at the eastern divide.
I stopped telling those jokes since it’s a little more modern today. Plus, it’s kind of a regional racism which, living in NJ now, I better understand. So, I stopped a couple decades now. I sort if cringe. Being more woke can be tough. But I will always remember that concert at Aunt Millies Farm in Stumptown. Got 45-min away Charlestown mixed up with 4 hour Charles Town or vice versa,and drank accordingly for a 45 minute drive. Six hours and a few sixers later…..
All we had was beer and cases of pork chops liberated from the Holiday Inn freezer. We traded pork bellies for everything! And fucking Jerry Garcia did not turn up. But the two bored WV biker boys ditched the wives, loved the ludes, and we partied WV mile high! Monday we found out Woodstock 2 happened and was less than six hours away…..
Ah, the best memories I have no reelection of.
(I don’t lude, they did after almost running over us at the back of the event field. But they were away from the wives, really blotto, and really funny. But NORMAL. We thiught the ludes were actually pretty urbane for WV.
Nonetheless, I’ve attended many a party at my sisters, with many a person from West Virginia, all of which have four year degrees or better, and seem pretty normal. Like I said, I think those days are pretty much done. Morgantown, for example, is pretty hopping and pretty modern. I think once they put in the federal building south of the city, there was a great immigration of federal workers, and all of that brings. It’s a pretty cool place now..
I’ve also gone to two world kayaking, championships up there, although, technically, it may be Maryland, realistically, it was West Virginia. They were both really excellent. It’s a great place to vacation. I would tell you where, but we don’t like your type down there.
Just kidding.
Frank Stetson … And what does you personal history have to do with Sinema? Were you on the road with her mother? You seem to think your biographical ramblings are more important and interesting than the subject at hand. You should thank Joe for allowing you to use the platform as your own personal publicity platform. Ok … so you were a dude in the 1960s. That can be the subject of another of your trading cards — taking the place of any military hero card.
Talk about being obsessed……Tom, Clifford and I rambled into a conversation on WV, Tom told an off-color joke, and I was remarking on all. It has nothing to do with Cinema, you are correct. It is off-topic, you are correct. Yes, Joe is unique in his approach to the first while running a right-wing conservative website, it’s both a delight and a tragedy at the same time, IMO.
Oh, brother, you’ve guessed, I’m a dude, dad.
I think you are right and we should all stay on point. However, given that we are stuck together in this soup, it is nice to hear personal stories from time to time too. It’s just your obsessive rants about your perceived notions on my personality, family, and friends get a bit tiresome. So repetitive with the same old whining.
But then again, I am not alone. Your articles are scant on facts, heavy on hyperbole, and you responses are mostly just meaningless personal tirades. Keep on point yourself old man. Get out of the gutter and step onto the curb, with me.
Frank Setson … If I am in the gutter in your view, a step in your direction would put me in the sewer. I love your approach — attack and insult — and them claim the intellectual high ground. LOL If you want a rhetoric food fight, next time bring your lunch. I am out of here …. so have fun feuding with the Larry Horist that is addling your brain.
With more like her we might actually have a government that works.
Did you actually see her votes? She votes with Biden 93% of the time. Even Sanders gets a 91%.
“Nothing will change about my values or my behavior,” said Cinema as she tipped her hat to cmw for thanking her making government work, for the Democrats!
good job. way to research. throttle back on the blogosphere rhetoric, the airwaves do not stop hot air.
Yes I did she where Sinema votes 93% of the time with Democrats. We will see if that stays the same.
She is on record to say nothing is changing. I agree, we will see, but if cinema is cinema, there will be no change.
actually it was clifford’s joke, my bad.