Democrats concede: No shutdown over coal miner health benefits

[NeoConsSuck]

Source: CNN

A threat of a government shutdown ended Friday evening, according to top Democratic senators, who conceded they lacked the support to block a funding bill that must pass by midnight to avert a potential crisis.

The development came after a day of back-channel negotiations aimed at alleviating concerns from coal-state Democrats who wanted a longer extension of expiring health benefits for retired coal miners. Democrats failed to secure enough votes to that extension.

The Senate will soon vote to pass the funding bill on the eve of the shutdown deadline and adjourn the 114th Congress.

"I think we made our point," said Sen. Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat and incoming Senate minority leader.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/09/politics/government-shutdown/index.html

[benld74]

1. BS Shumer

[PoliticAverse]

2. "I think we made our point" - yeah the point was Democrats were bluffing. n/t

[Feeling the Bern]

3. Your point? And what was your point, Chuckie?

[Ilsa]

30. I hope the point is that the miners realize they screwed themselves

by supporting trump.

[Feeling the Bern]

31. I grew up around shitkickers. As long as gays can't marry, immigrants are kept out

abortion is ended, guns are expanded, God is obeyed (their version of it), and minorities kept in their place, you can hand them a knife and they will gladly slit their own wrists and throats.

[LenaBaby61]

39. And what was your point, Chuckie?

To show how spineless Dems are.

But then again, most of the folks whose health benefits they were trying to extend voted FOR tRump AND are ignorant fools who'll probably believe when tRump tells them that it was Pres. Obama's fault that they didn't have their health benefits extended.

MOVE on Dems. Pick your battles wisely IF you can.

To THOSE gumpuses who voted for tRump & the GOP and who will be angry that their benefits won't be extended:

To those who didn't vote for tRump and voted Dem and their benefits are done away with: , and they have my sympathies.

[Missn-Hitch]

49. I like the way you think.

[rurallib]

4. that is a really bad sign - oh crap

[lastlib]

5. You make your point when you WIN!

At the very least, put up a friggin' FIGHT!

[still_one]

6. If I understand this correctly they failed to get the healthcare extension for the coal

miners, so what was the point?

[christx30]

11. .... that senate dems will roll over on important issues?

I expect this post is going to get hidden. I'm just not looking forward to republican and trump victories for the next 2 years. Hopefully this will wake up people that felt they were too good to vote for Hillary.

[still_one]

15. No reason for a hide, and it is as depressing as anything

[awoke_in_2003]

33. We see how they have handled

PBO's SC nomination. They took the "HRC will just pick when she gets in" attitude and barely brought up the GOP obstructionism.

[True_Blue]

37. Yep that's the point they made

[bucolic_frolic]

7. This showcases the benefits of a Republican Congress

to coal mining states and coal mining families

They'd better get used to it

[dhill926]

8. yep...

[LenaBaby61]

41. They'd better get used to it.

Well see, they'll probably fall for the "The reason you lost your health benefits package was because of Obama's bad economy and Obamacare."

Interloper-in-chief Donald J. Trump.


Many of the coal mining families who voted for tRump and who hated Pres. Obama, his family and Dems:

"That damn Kenyan, Marxist, Muslim N-word, his ape in heels wearing wife, and those damn Liberals."

[doc03]

9. Every f---g coal miner's yard

in WV had a Trump sign in it and the state of WV is totally controlled by Republicans. Elections have consequences, sorry.
Well at least all the coal miners will be working starting Jan 20th.

[DBoon]

21. and with no pension, they will be working until they die

nt

[awoke_in_2003]

34. That's the plan for all of us...

especially once they gut Social Security.

[Ilsa]

27. I hope they realize that they fucked each

other and themselves by supporting the fascist.

[cstanleytech]

38. Odds are if they are one of the ones that voted for Trump that they will

find some delusional way to blame the Democrats.

[Missn-Hitch]

50. Ha ha! Good one.

[elmac]

10. Roll over, play dead

guess we better start kissing sniffles ass.

[mdbl]

12. And who expected anything less from Chuck Schumer?

There's a lot more where that came from!

[ananda]

14. Yeah, Schumer was not the best choice for minority leader.

But we all knew that going in, so we shouldn't be surprised
really.

[Equinox Moon]

13. I am not a fan of the caving-in Dems do.

[democrank]

16. "I think we made our point," said Sen. Chuck Schumer.

Actually, his newest point is exactly like most of the old points.

* Give up early
* Don't back up what you say
* Run, don't fight
* Never make a promise you can't break
* Never hold principled positions that are difficult to abandon

[awoke_in_2003]

35. +1000. nt

[dhol82]

17. Why do the dems roll over like this?

Bunch of freaking shits.

Sad that we don't have dem candidates that give a fuck!

[awoke_in_2003]

36. Because DC

is Kabuki theater.
“The illusion of freedom will continue as long as it's profitable to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they will just take down the scenery, they will pull back the curtains, they will move the tables and chairs out of the way and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theater.” Frank Zappa

[dhol82]

53. That is such a great quote!

[0rganism]

18. "I think we made our point" that we don't want working people's votes

thanks Chuck, you're doing a heckuva job already

[TonyPDX]

23. Exactly.

I think there was a Buy American provision, too, but we didn't learn enough from the last election to support it, either.

[Ilsa]

28. And maybe a sliver of that point was directed at the

Damn coal miners who supported trump and the team who want them to work until they drop dead or are killed in a mining accident due to poor regulation enforcement.

[0rganism]

45. then the Democratic leadership missed the message through a lens of resentment

a lot of the working stiffs across the midwest voted for Trump because they believed he'd fight for them, when Democrats just give up on them

so now we can give up on them all over again. i don't know if our leadership gets the message, but i'm pretty sure those Trump voters who voted for Obama got a message loud and clear

[sarcasmo]

19. In four years this country will be a shell. Medicare vouchers, Social Security gutted.

Highway system privatized. Schools privatized, watch how fast Betsy Devos destroys the school system.
Back to drinking.

[CrispyQ]

57. Love your screen name!

Wish you were being sarcastic with this post, but I suspect you're not, & I also fear the things you wrote will come to pass. I'm trying not to feel alarmed, but I really do think we passed a tipping point with this election.

[sarcasmo]

62. That's why it's a glass of moonshine to help me sleep @ night. Sorry, it wasn't sarcastic :(.

[humbled_opinion]

20. Memo To Democtratic Politicians:

Trump did not win a mandate, Hillary and Democratic ideals won the popular vote by over 2%. If you fold we look weak, if you fight we have your back. If this is any indication of how the next 4 years will go we can say goodbye to ever having the Presidency again.

[cstanleytech]

42. No he didnt but a portion of the miners did vote for Trump and because of that the Democrats did not

make the gains they would have needed to help the miners so if those miners want help then they need to help the Democrats win elections.

[hibbing]

22. Democrats concede

Unfortunately, I have a feeling we'll be hearing a lot of that.


Peace

[angrychair]

24. Let us not forget

Democrats did not cut coal miner's health benefits [/b

Republicans cut their benefits.

Elections have consequences.

Democrats tried to protect them but Democrats did not cut their benefits

When they lose these coal miner's health benefits, SNAP, ACA, Medicare and Medicaid it will not be Democrats fault.

[atreides1]

26. It won't matter

But it won't matter, because the Republicans will not extend those benefits to miners or their families...and the only thing that will be remembered by those miners is that the Democrats didn't put up much of a fight!

By not fighting, the Republicans will claim that the Democrats were just showboating, and did not have any intention to extend benefits!

And guess who those miners are going to believe, and instead of going to work for Trump, Manchin will probably become a Republican!

[atreides1]

25. Democrats in Congress need a dress code

They all should have to carry a large white handkerchief, and every time they are on the floor of the House or the Senate, the backs of their coats should have a large yellow stripe...

And each time they "make their point" or "keep their powder dry", they have to wave their handkerchiefs and walk out of the chambers wearing their yellow backed coats!!!

[Nwgirl503]

29. And it starts

Roll over. Play nice. Go high when they go low. Let's see where that gets us.

Oh ya....it gets us with this POS POTUS. SMH. Is turtling a hashtag? It should be. Welcome to the next four, if not eight years. And that's if we make it that long.

[MFM008]

40. Democrats concede...France surrenders...

Porcupines have sharp thingies, dogs bark, Popes are catholic the list of stuff we know goes on and on............

[Lifelong Protester]

43. You are so right.

[elleng]

44. "I think we made our point,"

How, exactly?

[Jeroen]

46. Playing politics with the health benefits of vulnerable people, nice!

[Vinca]

47. Do coal miners have a clue it's Democrats fighting for them??????

[Paladin]

48. This is just the sort of chicken-shit Democrat inaction we don't need, right now.

Get your shit together, Schumer. Either stand up to this evil new regime in the Senate, or watch people dying in the streets because of what you and other Senate Democrats failed to accomplish.

[Missn-Hitch]

51. NO! Elections have consequences. It's time for those consequences to manifest.

[putitinD]

52. the coal miners weren't worried about their healthcare when they voted for tRump.

[olddad56]

59. if a person is worried about their health, mining coal is probably not the best occupation to be in.

[putitinD]

60. not many other job opportunities in WV. But they shouldn't vote agains their interests.

[Else You Are Mad]

54. You made your point?!?

Yeah, you did Chuck. You have shown the GOP you will not fight them on anything. You have shown the working class that you will not fight for them if it is going to be a tough battle.

This is why Democrats are losing in Congress and in all the states -- because they just roll over when the GOP puts up a fight.

We need to get all of these weak Democrats and elect those that will stand up for the average person.

[CrispyQ]

55. "I think we made our point," said Sen. Chuck Schumer...

Yes, Senator, you did. It's the same point you've made for the past 35 years - that the dems are weak. They don't have a spine & they don't know how to fight. The dems aren't going to save the country from the ravages of Trump. The repubs are going to act fast & bold to dismantle all the progress of last century & the dems will be lucky if they ever see power again. Perhaps if the dems had been a true opposition party over the past 35 years we wouldn't be in this mess.

[Docreed2003]

56. And some here want to blame the coal miners for voting for Trump!

I could give a rats ass who any of these coal miners voted for. At the end of the day, curbing their benefits is wrong! Schuer says that Sen Dems "made their point", and I ask, What point is that exactly?? When standing for what is right for a group of Americans and then caving to the demands of the opposition is making a point, I shudder to think what type of opposition these Senators will have to a full on Trump administration. Standing up for what is right and representing people who are about to be stripped of what is rightfullly theirs, no matter how the hell they voted in the election, used to be a democratic value. When was the last time you saw a Democratic Party leader get their hands dirty in the way RFK did in the late 60's. RFK went to Appalachia and witnessed the poverty first hand, he went to the poverty stricken inner cities across the US at the time and saw the devestation that had riddled that community, and when migrant workers were being mistreated in California, even though the issue wasn't on his radar prior to Sen hearings, he went to California and stood up for the workers hand in hand with Caesar Chavez against the bully corporations. We need leaders in the party who aren't afraid of a fight, who will not cave to opposition, and will stand for what is right in the face of "bullies", no matter the cost...even if the people they are fighting for may not vote for them. They do it because it is right. If the Dems cant find that type of leadership and courage, then the next four/eight years will be very long indeed.

[CBHagman]

58. You need the votes to effect change.

The Democrats picked up a couple of seats in the election but are still in the minority. It's a waste of everyone's time here to fume and call names as though you could personally do better. It's circular firing squad time on DU, and it better end pretty soon or there will just be a lot of impotent whining.

[ananda]

61. We just want to see some real fight!

And stick-to-it-iveness

[Grins]

63. There is only one reply to give as you vote WITH the Republicans...

"Tough. You voted Republican; this is what you get. Now lie back and enjoy your Freedumb™!"