I suppose we should feel grateful that at least Fettermanchin did not

[CivicGrief]

vote for the actual CR (Senator Shaheen, what is wrong with you?). But I am sick of his mocking of people who speak up. He looks childish and out of touch. Like Republicans and most of the MSM, he saves his sharpest barbs for Democrats and Democratic constituents.

[Voltaire2]

1. Its a bullshit vote.

The only meaningful vote was the cloture vote, and the ten useful idiots who voted yes included Fetterman. Those in the craven ten who switched votes for the CR did so in order to lie to their constituents that they opposed the CR. Shaheen at least was consistent. However, Shaheen, my senator, has been consistently disappointing so far this session. Her colleague Hassan, also. The good news is that Shaheen is retiring.

[CivicGrief]

2. When defending "moderate" Democrats, it is often

necessary to grasp for straws. I don't applaud consistency when it is wrong. The fact that Shaheen is retiring makes her votes more puzzling.

[Voltaire2]

3. It isn't puzzling to me.

There is this mindset in the Democratic Party that views it's role as the defenders of a bipartisan tradition that started with WWII and continued up to the election of Reagan and perhaps until the election of Clinton. That tradition insists that governance requires coalition building by constantly avoiding taking any positions that would alienate the mythical 'moderate republican voters' that are deemed essential for both coalition building and democratic party electoral victory. This faction routinely ignores the democratic party base in order to appeal to the republican party base. In effect they function as a swing block that the republican party can count on to rescue them from difficult votes in the senate.