The GOP's Just One Heart Attack Away From Running the Senate Again

[Zorro]

Democrats control the Senate and House for now, but their fragile majorities won’t be easy to maintain.

The health scare for the Senate’s longest serving member, Democrat Patrick Leahy, just before he’s due to preside over next week’s impeachment trial was a reminder of just how fragile his party’s Senate majority is.

Leahy is just one of a half-dozen Democratic senators from states with Republican governors. One interim appointment could shift power in an instant in the 50-50 Senate, a circumstance somewhat akin to the one that Democrats dealt with after Ted Kennedy died in August 2009 and Republican Scott Brown’s surprise win in the special election to fill his seat put an abrupt end to the Democrats’ supermajority and nearly took down Obamacare with it.

Things are a little less precarious in the House, where Democrats are clinging to a 221-to-211 majority and David Wasserman with the nonpartisan Cook Political Report says the GOP could use its advantage in statehouses to retake control in 2022 by flipping six seats through redistricting alone.

All of that only increases the urgency for Democrats to act now, while they still can, on their priorities.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/fragile-majorities-show-why-democrats-need-to-go-big-now

[Irish_Dem]

1. One heart attack, Covid, cancer, you name it.

And most of these folks are not spring chickens any longer.

[True Blue American]

5. I just checked on the Governor of Vermont

A Republican but guess who he voted for!

https://www.necn.com/news/politics/decision-2020/vermont-gov-phil-scott-breaks-with-party-votes-for-biden/2343086/

[Irish_Dem]

8. He would still probably not pick a Dem senator replacement.

[TwilightZone]

11. He's already said he would appoint a Dem-affiliated I.

https://www.sevendaysvt.com/OffMessage/archives/2020/10/23/scott-says-he-would-replace-sanders-with-democrat-affiliated-independent

The special election is where the problem might be, like Scott Brown winning in MA.

""Bernie and I agreed -- matter of fact, Bernie said this -- we can't put control of the Senate at risk on the outcome of a special election in Vermont," President-elect Joe Biden said "

https://www.necn.com/news/politics/heres-why-biden-didnt-pick-sen-bernie-sanders-for-labor-secretary/2385333/

[Irish_Dem]

13. Ok good. It is all so precarious.

[True Blue American]

18. There are many old men on the Republican aside, too.

Middle 80’s, Grassley is old and feeble.

But if the Governor promised that and voted for Biden I can not see him picking a Republican. The actions of Trump and Republicans, the Trump directed riot, hard not to think twice about the party.

[regnaD kciN]

24. I doubt Vermont is the place we need to worry about...

...but there are several other Democratic senators in states with hardline Republican governors who wouldn't hesitate to disregard the will of the voters if it came to giving their party the chance to block everything Biden proposes.

[Thekaspervote]

2. True, but they have some old geezers too that could fall ill. Just sayin

[getagrip_already]

3. wtf - are you trying to draw a target on their backs?

Really?

Bury this shite.

[dem4decades]

6. Like the Republicans don't know?

[Irish_Dem]

14. It is critical to face this reality, we have no time to lose. We must act fast to pass bills.

Our senate majority is held together with spit and a prayer.

[sheshe2]

22. So is the GOPees.

Link to tweet

[Irish_Dem]

23. Good point. But with so many GOP governors, it is less of an issue?

[magicarpet]

4. Fuck bipartisanship,.... step on the gas and get lots done.

By taking that route, we will likely retain the House and Senate come 2022.

[dem4decades]

7. How do you figure the House? Gerrymandering by State Houses and

Voter suppression will give the Republicans a huge advantage.

[magicarpet]

16. I was not addressing the issue of gerrymandering.

What I was trying to convey, if we pass a lot of progressive stuff, kitchen table / bread & butter issues in Washington DC that are very helpful to the average voters. Those voters might recognize and appreciate the accomplishments and allow us to keep or increase our majorities in both the house and senate come the 2022 midterm elections.

Yes gerrymandering, voter suppression, illegal removal of names from the voter's rolls, and tampering with mail in voting are issues that we need to respond to. These fascist vote thieves need to be watched and kept at bay or they will steal the rights to vote.

[True Blue American]

19. Not in Ohio.

We voted in a committee, no Republican gerrymandering.

[liberalla]

9. The crazier and Q-ier the GQP get, maybe a few will divorce themselves from

the party and become Independents, 'I'... or dare I hope Dem?

Someone mentioned Murkowski was sending signals of her displeasure with the party. Maybe some behind the scene overtures would bear fruit.

[TwilightZone]

15. Murkowski says she wouldn't switch.

That does not, however, mean that she won't vote on some legislation with the majority. It seems she could afford to do so politically, which isn't true of most Rs. Maybe Romney, as well. Getting some bipartisan support on big-ticket items would be helpful.

[sheshe2]

10. Well Mitch is 78 years old.

Recent photos showed his hands to be blue/black with what looked like intravenous marks. Why talk about Leahy's health and not Mitchs?

[True Blue American]

20. Good point.

[TwilightZone]

12. What is this supposed to accomplish?

I'm not a big fan of fear-mongering, regardless of the source.

[True Blue American]

21. Agree!

[magicarpet]

17. It seems mostly just a statement of fact,...

.... how precarious our majority is in both the houses of Congress.

Something to ponder,...maybe an incentive to try a little sooner/harder to improve our majorities come the 2022 midterms.

[lees1975]

25. Just keep moving forward

Look, the GOP isn't going to have the wherewithal to elect a lot of its incumbents in 2022. Just a fact, especially if Trump is still lurking around to separate the sheep from the goats, so to speak. I know the media likes to put an edge on things because it keeps motivating Democrats to vote, which I don't really get, but the 2022 beatdown of the GOP is going to make lots of Democrats very happy.