Why is Schumer Senate Leader?

Good question.

It's a legislative job, not a vaudeville act.

I'm certain you know very little of the responsibilities and behind the scene actions. Almost every Democratic victory under Schumer and Harry Reid had zero votes to spare. It isn't an easy hob.

Democrats have a lack of charismatic, folksy Leaders that connect with Middle America. Jon Testor should be the face of the Party, not effete Northeast elites

Plus he's related to gross Amy Schumer. Next!

Pelosi has the same job in the House, and yet, what a world of difference.

Schumer is Senate Leader because he is hot.

I saw Schumer speak at length, at the inauguration of a local politician. I don’t recall him reading from a script. He did refer to some notes.

As much as I cannot stand the man, Al Sharpton impressed me. Now there’s a public speaker. That pompous fucker won me over.

Despite what many may think, the Senate is the more collegial and more deliberative body. The Senate is also the body to respect seniority. While Chuck is not the most senior democratic senator, he was the one who did the most work to get the job of Senate Majority Leader. I don't blame Schumer for rogues in his caucus, democrats are never going to get the disciple that republicans have.

How soon before one of DLs legion of antisemites posts that it is because Schumer is Jewish and it's part of some Q adjacent plan

FF R9.

Chris Murphy would be a great Senate Leader.

I think it has to do with fundraising- and Schumer is from NY where there is a lot of money. Usually the head keeps people in line- BUT the way they do is by holding all the money.

[quote]Pelosi has the same job in the House, and yet, what a world of difference.

Wrong. It isn't the same job at all! In the House, it's just "majority rules" for almost everything, and in the Senate that isn't the case. On many levels they simply aren't analogous at all.

If Democrats have Senators in The South, Midwest, or Rockies, they should be leaders. They can relate more to Middle America and swing states

Only hawt senators should be leaders !

Chuck is good at fundraising, but mediocre at everything else.

Anyway, better a Jewish leader than a fat Catholic Latino one.

Because he brings in the big bucks donations to the democratic party from Wall Street. It's all a big, fucking racket.

That’s why Democrats are in such dire straits

CHRISTOPHER SCOTT MURPHY for Senate Leader!!!

I preferred Harry Reid. Sen Reid may have been small in stature but he ruled with an iron fist.

And he was a fairly good public speaker. He spoke to Middle America

Klobuchar would make a good leader someday. She's smart, witty, and she knows how to separate worthy fights from wastes of time.

And she can throw a stapler like nobody's business!

Agree R22.

McConnell respected Reid and worked to emulate Reid's "iron fist" style, which he has perfected. The Democrats need another Reid now and Schumer is a far cry from that. He carries on like someone way too comfortable in his position and unwilling to fight hard.

It was telling that in the meetings between Trump and the two Democrat leaders of the House and Senate Pelosi came off much stronger. Schumer acted like someone along for ride.

Schumer lacks palatable passion and grit

If you had to have sex with one of the Senate Leaders (politics aside) who would you do ... Mitch McConnell or Chuck Schumer?

He bungled the Roe v Wade vote. Instead of putting forth legislation that can’t even get 50 votes, how about putting forth legislation Manchin, Collins, and Murkowski will support?

I third a nomination for Chris Murphy.

Not Klobuchar. Way too toxic.

[quote] He bungled the Roe v Wade vote.

He did not bungle it. The whole point was to show who is pro and who is con ahead of the mid-terms. However, the elephant in the room seems to be that even if a Roe v Wade Code were to garner the 60 Senate votes required, the attorneys-general of Texas, MS and the others would immediately scream 'unconstitutional' all the way to the SCOTUS which would be only too please to strike down any such Act.

Why can't they use the nuclear option?

Schumer is whining arrogant boring man. they should go with someone charismatic.

Correct, R27.

Schumer has always gotten by because of his looks and physique.

His looks?? He’s no fitness model

[quote]I preferred Harry Reid. Sen Reid may have been small in stature but he ruled with an iron fist.

You might have forgotten that Reid was attacked constantly for being milquetoast and ineffective by many Dems from day one of his time as Majority Leader. Of course he was neither and instead historically significant in the job.

R27, The legislation that Manchin and Collins would support includes protection of states' rights, which would, in effect, make the protection of women's rights toothless.

Why is Schumer Senate Leader?

Because outgoing Senator Harry Reid anointed Schumer to become (then) minority democrat leader in senate. When democrats became majority in senate, Schumer became majority leader.

Yes, there is more to it than that, but pretty much sums things up.

TL,DR. Schumer is a dual-citizen Jew. He accomplishes nothing but to extend the status quo (his REAL purpose!), and vehemently forces all weekends/holidays and planned recesses( *see #2 purpose).

I think Klobuchar is a capable leader now. We need to stop thinking that one must pay dues and be of retirement age to lead.

Democrats need some Heartland leadership, not more Northeast and California politicians that can’t connect with Middle America

One reason why Democratic leadership tends to be from the Northeast and California is because the Democratic brand is so toxic in the rest of the country that Democrats from the south and heartland have to be careful not to be so closely associated with the national brand. Additionally, Democrats from the South and Midwest outside of black urban congressional districts have to be moderate in order to get re-elected. They have to keep some distance between themselves, the Party, and progressives.

According to GovTrack, Klobuchar passed more legislation than any other senator by the end of the 114th Congress in late 2016.

According to Congress.gov, as of December 16, 2018, she had sponsored or co-sponsored 111 pieces of legislation that became law.

[quote]Schumer is a dual-citizen Jew.

Nope, r39. He's a U.S. citizen.

Senators like Durbin, Coons , Warner and Klobuchar are at least able to talk to the other side in a reasonable manner. Schumer, Warren and Sanders are just talking to themselves.

Chuck Schumer (D. Senator, N.Y.): Well, we don’t do heavy legislating on Fridays because it’s practically the weekend already and I leave my office by noon. Also, we don’t do much on Mondays either because we just finished the weekend, right? And no, we go not delay ANY congressional recesses to force a favorable vote on the Senate floor because I’m not obliged to work during recess.

That leaves only 3 working days a week and DUMMY DEMS wonder why they can’t get jack shit done!

Nothing will change until these old fossils give off - on both sides of the aisle.

Sorry, meant die off.

I think Schumer is just tired. He's in his 70s now.

I also get the same vibe from McConnell too and he's in his 80s. He's had a good run the last 10 years where he was making moves and pushing his insane agenda but I wonder how long he intends to keep going.

So young.

As stated, it’s unfortunate that we’ll have to wait until these walking dead actually drop fucking dead to gat something else. I’m not contending that their demise will guarantee something better, just simply different. These dinosaur fossil legislators can explain why we had the ridiculous HIPPA medical law installed. It’s because all of these old as fuck legislators were getting free medicine from the congressional pharmacy….you know, those meds that treat Alzheimer’s, dementia, etc. it’s because the likes of Feinstein and Grassley (et. al) didn’t want the public to know that they they were fucking demented and a heartbeat away to stroking out!

Wake the fuck up!

Because he’s not running for President.

[quote] You might have forgotten that Reid was attacked constantly for being milquetoast and ineffective by many Dems

Those were the far leftists--some of the same types who are now cheering on Russia. Harry Reid got the ACA passed, which was no easy task. Reid whipped the votes and got that shit done.

Schumer, while being a master of the arcane Senate rules, doesn't seem to be able to keep his caucus in line. My vote for leader would be Klobuchar, who is known to be a hard riding bitch to her staff. That's what you need in a leader right now.

Schumer is an ineffectual dolt.

As another poster mentioned, when he and Pelosi met with Trump, he came off as a wet rag.

The fact that the Dems keep him around - when he does NOTHING - and the fossil, Feinstein, demonstrates how far behind the Dems have become.

With Republicans threatening to drag the USA back to the Medieval Period, the Dems can’t be saddled with the dead weight of Schumer and Feinstein.

They need to both go. Immediately.

Schumer lacks the zeal of a leader

Have there ever been nude photos of Chuck Schumer?

Yuck, R55!

Former "Heartland" Senate Majority leaders Harry Reid of Nevada and Tom Daschle of South Dakota were hardly "East Coast Elites" and had serious competition at election time from moronic Republicans, devoting millions to barely prevail like Reid, or get tossed out of office while he was Majority Leader like Daschle!

That’s the danger of having Heartland Democratic leaders. Unless they don’t care about being re-elected, they will be constrained by the reality of the composition of their constituents.

I turn the channel when he is on

David Atkins: Newsom & Pritzker talk like they understand what the moment requires.

Biden, Pelosi & Schumer do not. Our national leaders act like there is still bipartisanship to be had, some way to get back to the "good old days."

There is not. Those days are over, and they were never good.

Why is my ass gaping?

Sheldon Whitehouse is the smartest person in the Senate.

He gets my vote for knowing where we need to go, and how to get us there.

Brilliant.

Why isn't Dianne Feinstein Senate leader?

Why isn’t madea speaker of the house?

Some people seem to think the Senate Leader's job is to rant in a way that pleases them or to smooth-talk "Middle America;" First of all those two are inconsistent. So you guys go fight that one out.

But secondly, esp. when there is a President and a Speaker from that party, the Senate Leader gets less attention. He is not elected as a spokesman. He's a manager and the Senators want someone who helps them get elected -which he did very successful as DSCC Chair for several years- and makes their life easy. They do not care about pleasing clueless MSNBC viewers who want a spirit animal in the job.

Yeah, no one considered Reid a dynamic, charismatic leader in real time. Go back and look at what was said. Terms like "mousy" were thrown around. He was no orator and hardly telegenic. This was mostly unfair. He was a ruthless operator. The difference between him and Schumer- he had more votes. 60 for a time in 2009-2010 and enough to go nuclear in 2013. If Schumer had a few more votes, he'd seem a bit different.

R64 ya’ll come to order up in here.

So many Schumer apologists. Many replies that support that he brings Wall Street dollars into the Dem party. That’s the main reason he is Speaker.

Schumer never met a recess he didn’t like!

[quote]R9: How soon before one of DLs legion of antisemites posts that it is because Schumer is Jewish and it's part of some Q adjacent plan

They're already here, attacking Schumer. They're just hiding the real reason for it.

They pull much the same evasion when they're attacking minority actors on series and films like Star Wars and Star Trek: "so-and-so can't act."

^^Yes, right. And Schumer is all ACTION and no talk. He’s working his ass off to bring it to Manchin and Sinenema. They never took money from the coal industry and they never flip-flopped on their pro-choice stance. Schumer’s job is insurmountable! He works 365/24/7!! Hats off to him!

That better fer ya!

GFYS!

R70, your comment at R39 tells me everything I need to know about you. Go back to Stormfront.

🤔 🤔 🤔

One of the worst features of the US system is probably how heavily it relies on seniority. Voters get a material incentive to keep sending the same old ineffectual people back to Washington before someone like Trump comes along as a kind of circuit breaker to capitalise on the frustrations people understandably have with gridlock and nothing getting done.

When was the last time Congressional Democrats managed to pull off an unlikely victory? When John McCain saved Obamacare? That was back in 2017.

Atkins: Newsom & Pritzker talk like they understand what the moment requires.

Biden, Pelosi & Schumer do not. Our national leaders act like there is still bipartisanship to be had, some way to get back to the "good old days."

There is not. Those days are over, and they were never good.

Most democrats are useless. Or we would not be in the state were in. Schumer is just one of them.

▲ Trololol.

Still gonna act like we have a functioning government eh?

This hasn't gone on long enough for you idiots to realize that the Dems are meant to be ineffective, they are playing their part in handing the government over to the will of Oligarchs and their corporations.

Either these are trolls posting this shit or far too many of you are complete blind idiots and if that is the case no wonder we are in the mess we are in.

It's a vast kleptocracy. The two parties are hand in glove with the corporations.

Some dragon got blocked just now.

Very delightful now to read. I don’t understand the defensiveness of some posters. It’s like they are personally affronted on an anonymous message board. I wonder what it would-be like to meet them in a casual place. Say, a restaurant or store?

No, I don’t want to wonder after all.

Therefore, effectively no one is representing us. I mean, your average Joe. We’re all beholden to them. They are all bought and paid for.

The majority of a Senate leader's work is done behind the scenes making deals, motivating his party, and creating coalitions. Very little is done in front of the camera. I would speculate that he excels at the most important--yet unseen to the public--parts of his job.

I beg to differ, There is nothing good or beneficial happening at all. So far as I can tell.

Dems need someone to be at the mic pounding out the message. Repubs have countless voices broadcasting their latest messaging

Ben Sasse is sorta nerd hawt. Maybe he'll be leader after the midterms.

Pukes at least have a loud and single voice. Dems murmur and mumble….and still often attack one another.

Precisely. Americans are swayed by a loud and repeated message. Dems either are quiet or have no unified message

I say this every time I think of Schumer: The stupidest thing he does is he will put things to a vote knowing they will fail because he thinks it matters that "history will remember" how the Republicans voted. Like they're capable of shame or that history matters or gives a shit if the Republicans have already destroyed everything between now and then.

Hey Kiddos! After Trump you need a decisive and energetic leader who is not afraid to throw a stapler when it's needed.

[quote]The majority of a Senate leader's work is done behind the scenes making deals, motivating his party, and creating coalitions. Very little is done in front of the camera. I would speculate that he excels at the most important--yet unseen to the public--parts of his job.

If this is true, then he's even more feckless. You fucking announce everything you do and constantly talk about how Republicans stop everything. But here's the problem: He simply doesn't have the gravitas to be a leader. He's not the kind of NYer who should be representing us. I want a NYer who puts a leeching state like KY and it's leadership in its place reminding them who is the provider and who is the taker. We need someone like Cuomo representing us who called out that hick fuck when he told NY to go bankrupt during the pandemic.

Schumer is too much of a nebbish - it's the only way to describe him. He's smart but not cutthroat.

When Cuomo dismantled McConnell, it was at hing of beauty (2:00 mark):

So many people think Schumer's job is to be a spokesman or that he can boss Manchin and Sinema around. Both of these are very misguided views.

He brings up doomed bills now and again for a vote to get everyone on the record when: A. Democrats sincerely think maybe this will help weaken some of the Republicans who cast unpopular votes on this or that.

B. People on the left are screaming that he should DO SOMETHING, so he brings the bill he knew was doomed up to show them it was doomed and get off my back already etc. Then they're still mad because he couldn't magically make the bill pass.

Schumer is not beholden to the American populace. Perhaps to Wall Street and Israel, but not the average US citizen. Full. Stop. His priorities lie elsewhere. He has NOT led the Democratic agenda in the Senate. He’s not a Leader.

Even when he met with Nancy and Trump, he came off as weak and feckless. An odd and unnecessary third wheel.

And Poisonous Dragon has been around trolling for some time now...

Amy Schumer bought a BEAUTIFUL home in Brooklyn.

R91- Was your goal in life to be an anonymous bigot? Is this really your best self?

^Cease the trolling, PoisonedDragon.

You are blocked and F&Fed, R93.

Stop 🛑

[quote]Amy Schumer bought a BEAUTIFUL home in Brooklyn.

Ugh.

She bought the Moonstruck home!

Love the kitchen

I used to really dig Schumer, but he does seem boring now. (Maybe it was easier to dig him because I'm from NJ, so he's my type.) It may be that he's older now, or it may be that Biden is president, who knows. But I will concede that maybe we could use someone else in his position. The guy from Connecticut does seem really nice, and Klobuchar (sp?) seems really on top of things.

Why do people have such a problem with Jews? I just don't get it.

Your last sentence is absolute bullshit. It has nothing to do with him being Jewish. Hell, I'd prefer a fire-breather like Sanders to Schumer.

When people say he's a dual citizen with Israe (huh?) and represents Israel and Wall Street, that's not subtle. Any Senator from New York is going to be pro-Israel and Wall Street is a major industry, but most people don't talk about Kirsten Gillibrand (or Kathy Hochul) that way.

It's not the case that all criticism of a politician who happens to be Jewish is anti-Semitic. Saying Dianne Feinstein is too old and no longer up to the job is not that, for ex. (Nor is it sexist.) If you think Schumer is doing a bad job for X reason, OK. But one or two people here are talking about Schumer in a very specific Protocols of the Elders of Zion way, I'm sorry.

Most people are NOT anti-Semitic, but the anonymity online encourages these cranks.

The Senate Leader's job is NOT fan service for people who watch MSNBC. It just isn't. Do you think Republican voters consider McConnell charismatic and inspiring? He has terrible approval ratings and a lot of that is Republicans. Was Tom Daschle charismatic? Bill Frist? Trent Lott?

The senators elect these guys and that's not what they want. People just hate Congress as an institution, because Congress is politics in all its flawed humanity, whereas a President is a person you can have a silly parasocial relationship with based on a lot of wishful thinking. It's hard to do that with Congressional leaders, who are much less romantic.

They could do better than Schumer but not with presidential hopefuls. Leading the House and Senate is muddy, difficult and likely to chip away at crucial popularity because you're the face of the failures. Better a workhorse who doesn't have aspirations beyond that seat, someone younger for sure.

R102, I'm not looking to LIKE Schumer, I'm looking to see him have the balls to hold up Trump's SC choice because it's "too close to the election"

R102, when did Schumer have the power to do that, yet fail to? He could not stop Amy Coney Barrett's nomination. Democrats were in the minority. The majority sets the schedule. In some cases the minority can filibuster, but the Senate rules were changed so the minority could not filibuster Supreme Court nominations in 2017.

So that's not about Schumer. Maybe give an example of something he really could have done but did not, and I'll believe you aren't just venting, scapegoating and in general not getting how the Senate works.

R105, let me ask you a question: The GOP is currently in the minority, Why did Biden give into McConnell on an anti-abortion judge in KY to get what he needed from McConnell? How did that happen if it comes down to simply being in the minority or majority?

Why does it seem like McConnell can block this or block that while being in the minority?

R106: OK, at the District Court level, the Senate uses the "Blue Slip" procedure. So senators from a given state can veto nominations by failing to return their blue slips to the Judiciary Committee. It's just custom and it can change, but it's in effect now. If you look at Biden's many judicial appointments, they are almost all in blue states with Democratic senators. He also made some deal with Portman in Ohio. However the blue slip procedure does NOT apply to the Supreme Court, so Schumer could not use it to block Amy Coney Barrett. (It's not how McConnell blocked Garland either. At that time Republicans were in the majority, so they simply refused to act on the nomination.)

If Rand Paul and McConnell want to block a Biden nominee for the District Court in Kentucky, they still can, by refusing to return the blue slip. A district court judge doesn't make policy anyway. Any really major ruling he makes will be reviewed at a higher level. So if Biden gave McConnell a judge in Kentucky and got something for it in terms of legislation or other judges, that might be a good deal.

R107, I actually appreciate you explaining it to me. I never knew the details of how it worked.

R106. Can you elaborate on that “deal”? Once again, the wheels of power operate outside of any public awareness. That’s not an accident. Its done specifically to keep us in the dark and MSM (even MSNBC) made no commentary on it. If youre saying this is how the Senate leader should work, than that is secretive and plain wrong. Chuck Schumer works for US and not to support the quiet, quaint and ineffective Senate protocols. Your argument is prosaic and only works to further promote a dysfunctional government.

Seems there are some sick Schumer supporters here, R109. Behind the scene deals, allegiances to other countries (other than the one they are elected to support) and shady $$$$ dealings with billionaires on Wall Street are considered acceptable. Not only acceptable, but when such issues are addressed, the sick posters attack those who bring such concerns to the fore.

Schumer has been so ineffectual for most Americans (but not his favoured causes:billionaires and issues abroad) that he must have some attraction based on identity politics?

R110 Pathetic, clownish and cowardly bigot. Why not sign your post? Afraid the Rothschild Space Laser will zap you?

WTF? Change the issue much? Thats what the weak-minded do when they have nothing to offer in exchange. Petty and childish. Did you throw your burger at the wall too? No one is authenticating on this thread. Ive gotten tired of trying to single myself out. Just read the reply! It shouldn't matter who, what, when or how its made.

p.s. Not afraid of ancient, crooked German jewish nazi sympathizers.

Bump

Schumer is still painting by the numbers. It's not business as usual time, however horrible that is too. We need a take no prisoners kind of guy.

Everyone wants this to be about Biden not being a dynamic enough speaker or too old, or Chuck not doing this or that.

THEY DON"T HAVE THE VOTES. That's it. That's the whole story. People don't understand math or they get frustrated and think there must be some magic solution.. But this is it.

[quote]According to GovTrack, Klobuchar passed more legislation than any other senator by the end of the 114th Congress in late 2016. According to Congress.gov, as of December 16, 2018, she had sponsored or co-sponsored 111 pieces of legislation that became law.

This was pointed out multiple times when she was running for President. She is in fact the most effective Senator, having passed more of her own bills into law than anyone else. And the way she got that done was by working in a bipartisan manner with Republicans, and sometimes that means voting in favor of a Trump judge or something else that normally doesn’t pass a Progressive “litmus test”, but might be worth the end of result of getting favorable legislation passed.

But we were also told that she seemed “mean”, so she was a no-go for President.

Do you really prefer Moscow Mitch?

Ah that lesser evil ^^ bogeyman from the 20th century!

Look. I love scary bedtime stories but the problem with this is that it is reactive. It allows the republicans to set the agenda of political discourse and the terms of the political narrative.

What the DP needs is to take charge. It is imperative now.

R115

Sara Gideon choked, and that pearl-clutching cunt Susan Collins got re-elected.

Cal Cunningham's affair dropped weeks before an election he was expected to win, and Thom Tillis got re-elected.

Alabama trash rejected brilliant attorney Doug Jones, and replaced him with a famous football coach who is quite likely illiterate.

We get the government we deserve, and this stupid country deserves a whole lot of trash.

Bump

Make me Democratic Leader. I’ll staple that bitch Sinema to the floor by her hair.

How did Gideon choke?

I have wondered how Amy K would be as AG. Then in a dream world Al Franken could try to regain a MN Senate seat.

We need any type of pure or mixed breed pit bull as US Attorney General in place of “methodical/i’s and t’s” Garland, FPS! Anyone with fire in their loins and a law degree will do at this point. We need Amy where she is now.

Schumer is so meh

Make Dianne Feinstein majority leader, she certainly has enough seniority in more ways than one.

So now do we think Schumer is a super-genius leader after all?

Dianne Feinstein is so beyond anything at this point I can't even think of something snarky to mock the notion of her as majority leader. Clinging on after her 100th birthday was bad enough but now being too addled to figure out how to resign if she could retain the idea... pathetic.

Mark my words, some day Miz Lindsay will sidle up to Dianne just before a vote and the old gal will vote no when they need a yes from her.

The Reconciliation bill just passed. Big win for Schumer.

Dianne who? Miz Lindsay is a Senator.

You mean, big win for Manchin. This breakthrough has nothing to do with Schumer. Manchin has somehow seen the light and has had a change of heart. Nothing to do with Schumer.

Who did you think changed Manchin's mind?

Gad, you are a cunt.

So when it wasn't working out, that was Schumer's fault, but when it did work out that had nothing to do with him?

Manchin is THE MAN of the hour, not Schumer. Had Manchin thumbs-down the bill, Schumer would have to accept defeat with tail tucked.

The pivotal Senator, whoever he or she is, will always be the pivotal Senator. The issue is people were blaming Schumer before. If he doesn't matter either way, just say that.

Lieberman was a cunt during the ACA.

R136. That’s just it - what you’ve just now said: it isn’t/wasn’t Schumer that mattered, it was Manchin. Manchin got on board to pass the anti-inflation bill. Praise be, Manchin.

p.s. still a mystery why Manchin caved. Last heard, he had to stay home after contracting COVID. No one knows if COVID can change an asshole’s persuasion. TBD.

The members choose their own leader and charisma is rarely the criteria. They know Schumer better than we do. He must be effective behind the scenes.

No Warren.

He just got the biggest win for Biden closed this week. Anti-inflation bill.

These old coots have the role for a good reason. They know where the bodies are buried and can move the votes.