chuck schumer is hitting the road on a book tour to make money for himself. meanwhile, Bernie

[Celerity]

37. Chuck Schumer postpones book tour amid liberal criticism over spending vote

https://apnews.com/article/trump-schumer-senate-democrat-book-tour-spending-vote-afbfed35d906f9ad6c8e6e9114f8a431

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer is postponing several planned events this week to promote his new book, “ Antisemitism in America: A Warning,” after some liberal groups had planned to stage protests. The cancellations of events in Baltimore, Washington, D.C. and other cities came amid widespread criticism from the party’s liberal base over Schumer’s vote to move forward with Republican spending legislation last week. Risa Heller, a representative for Schumer’s book, said that the tour would be rescheduled “due to security concerns.”

Schumer said the spending bill was “terrible” but that a shutdown would have been far worse, and difficult to end, as President Donald Trump has already slashed jobs and funding for agencies across the government. A shutdown would have given Trump even more power to make cuts, Schumer said, “and so many programs would be lost.”

House Democrats strongly disagreed with Schumer’s decision and criticized him directly: “We will not be complicit,” Democratic leaders said in a joint statement. The public rift among Democrats, and the onslaught of criticism toward Schumer, came after years of relative unity during Trump’s first term and during President Joe Biden’s time in the White House. It’s a reflection of how Democrats have become increasingly frustrated with their inability to stop Trump’s Cabinet confirmations and mass firings of federal workers.

At a news conference on Friday, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries repeatedly refused to say whether he has confidence in Schumer — a rare break for the two longtime New York colleagues. “We do not want to shut down the government. But we are not afraid of a government funding showdown,” Jeffries said. Schumer and Jeffries met in Brooklyn on Sunday, according to two people familiar with the meeting. But the discontent with Schumer went far beyond House leadership, and some of the nation’s most influential progressive groups warned of serious political consequences.

snip