Asshole of the Month: Chuck Schumer
Time seems to be moving at a snail’s pace as Democrats seethe under the GOP’s domination in Washington, D.C. How in the hell did we get here? Part of the answer is that Trump has perpetrated one of history’s most masterful con jobs, masquerading as a populist hero as his policies continue expanding the historic wealth gap between the haves and have-nots. During the recent record-setting government shutdown (43 days!), the masses received another slap in the face: As millions of Americans edged closer to starvation with the disruption of SNAP benefits, Trump publicized his remodel of the bathroom in the Lincoln Bedroom, complete with gold-plated fixtures—a pisser fit for a Roman emperor.
“Donald Trump actually cares more about his toilet than he does about fixing your healthcare,” said Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer. That is certainly true. But it is also true that Chuck Schumer himself—along with other incompetent, compromised Democrats— failed to save what little publicly subsidized healthcare we do have and are, in no small part, responsible for the prolonged GOP nightmare we’re in now.
After sticking to their guns for 43 days, refusing any deal to reopen the federal government that did not include a renewal of Obamacare subsidies, eight Senate Democrats cravenly defected, voting with Republicans to end the impasse. Now healthcare premiums for many of the 24 million Americans who purchase their insurance through the Affordable Care Act have more than doubled, at a time when the cost of living is rising out of sight! Chuck Schumer did not vote with the traitors, but he failed to exercise the party discipline expected of a Minority Leader, especially since he was holding good cards. Polls showed that more of the public was blaming Republicans for the shutdown and Trump’s approval rating had fallen to a second-term low of 37%. Had a hard-nosed leader like LBJ been in charge, this loss would never have happened. “This was a very weird time to cave…the party is coming off a great election night less than a week ago…Democrats won in Georgia and Mississippi; there literally wasn’t a single bad result. Why kill that momentum cold? It’s really politically tone deaf,” wrote Michael Tomasky in The New Republic.
