Schumer for Majority leader? Really?

[Mass]

We have 10 Democrats in our congressional delegation. Schumer thinks that Brown got the message better than anybody else in the state? Really?

http://www.boston.com/news/politics/politicalintelligence/2010/02/post_2.html

Democrats were thrilled to have Brown on board for the package. ``I believe this is the beginning of a trend, and I hope I'm right,'' said Senator Barbara Boxer, Democrat of California.

Brown ``got the message better than anyone in Massachusetts -- it's jobs and the economy,'' said Senator Charles Schumer, Democrat of New York.

[MBS]

1. YUCK.

. . on all fronts.(and the thought of Schumer as majority leader.. . :scared:
As you said: better than anyone in Massachusetts , including the senior senator who pushed hard for this bill?
Jesus.

[fedupinBushcountry]

6. I'm with you

:scared: and just the thought :hurts:

[karynnj]

17. The media infatuation with Brown has sunk to groupie level

Someone posted this ( http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/28/magazine/28Brown-t.html?pagewanted=1&partner=rss&emc=rss ) in GD-P - it is a LONG (6 page) article in the NYT magazine that manages to mention Brown's looks or modeling in Cosmo in nearly half the pages. Utterly bizarre. Given that this man just became Senator their choice of what was important is incredibly strange.

As a resident of MA, you really need or want to know that one of your Senators once wore pink leather shorts - not in a modeling job, but in real life? (It also shows the Republican double standard.)

But, as annoying as Brown mania is, I really think it is not all a positive to him. There is nothing in the article that suggests that he won because of his intelligence, vision or leadership skills.

[Luftmensch067]

2. Unconscionable

And, in my opinion, Democrats are in deep trouble if Schumer becomes leader.

[karynnj]

10. I think so too - if only because even the NYT sees him as Senator Wall Street

Not to mention - he is truly unlikeable,

[Luftmensch067]

13. All of that plus

He seems to think that behind-the-scenes scheming is more effective than working with people across the aisle and that is not going to do our party any good.

[wisteria]

3. Smuck Schumer is the media's guy. Boy, I hope Reid wins.

If they are pushing this now, it appears he is already being lined up to take it. Schumer always attempts to ignore Senator Kerry.Actually, I think he goes out of his way to do so. Did I mention I do not like him, I don't trust him and I think he is slimy?

[ObamaKerryDem]

5. "Schumer always attempts to ignore Senator Kerry"

I've noticed this, too. Wonder what his problem is?

[blm]

7. ignores Kerry? Schumer has actively worked AGAINST Kerry, almost as hard as Rove did.

.

[MBS]

15. yup, you're absolutely right n/t

[MBS]

14. good summary : ) n/t

[ObamaKerryDem]

4. Eww!

:thumbsdown:

This better have been an unintentional oversight on Schumer's part! But still, it's SO insulting! As important as the Jobs Bill is and as glad as I am that it passed, Brown voting our way ONE time does NOT even begin to equate him with JK's record on this or any subject!

:grr:

[Luftmensch067]

8. Maybe we should all call Schumer's office and complain!

What do you think?

[karynnj]

12. I think it an excellent idea

I need to leave for a while, but I know there was a PR on the Kerry MA website on the things he got into the stimulus bill. (Might be good to site)

[karynnj]

11. In the Finance committee - that Schumer is on

Baucus's opening statement mentions one provision "similar" to Hatch's and Schumer's proposal (jobs creation) and another similar to "Kerry's and Snowe's - This was before the big jobs bill, so I don't know what got into this bill - but it may be some of it have - at any rate - many Kerry proposals were in the original stimulus - including high speed rail.

[karynnj]

9. Typical Schumer pandering for the media

The fact is that Kerry spoke incredibly often about the economy in fall 2008 - including a fantastic speech at a MA community college - Was it Lynn? Where he spoke of the fact that we were at the beginning and it was going to get much much worse - honest but then giving solutions.)

Not to mention, Kerry was fantastic making the case on money to the states for firemen, police, and teachers and the need to open lending up for small businesses when the stimulus bill and the budget were being debated in the Senate. Schumer's comment is counterproductive as it gives credibility to the Republican claim that Obama neglected Jobs - when, of course, the first things he did were the budget and the stimulus package.

As to majority leader, I wonder if his constant dishonesty will catch up to him. This is a small group - just 59 people. They have to see that he stabs people in the back for political gain. I still believe that Schumer was behind the "Dear John" stuff - when in fact, he was sitting on millions himself that he did not donate to others. I also was rather unimpressed that he said recently that it was a mistake that he did not LEAD a filibuster against Alito - when it might have sufficed to just not fight the one Kerry and Kennedy led while being smeared by people like Schumer. But, there was also the claim that he backed Reid in pushing Obama to run - while publicly being 100% behind Clinton. I hope that things like this add up.

[Island Blue]

16. Ick.

:puke:

[JI7]

18. how about Durbin ?

or would they pass him over because the President is from the same state ?

i hope Reid wins.

[Luftmensch067]

19. JK and THK are doing a fundraiser for Harry Reid

I know JK is a loyal, nice guy, but I suddenly wonder whether he really hopes Reid wins for the same reason you do!

[karynnj]

21. I assume that it would be more both for Reid and to preserve as much

of a majority as possible - or even the majority itself.

I do wonder how much of the anti-Kerry stuff in 2005 was really Schumer. Contrast the way he was treated to the immediate CW that Hillary had earned a position of power. Kerry got much closer than she did and he did it with a dignified, high minded campaign - something that can not be said of Mrs 3 am.

It was clear that he was angry that Kerry would not give him his email list. This was appropriate because the names were given to Kerry, not the Democratic party. No one could get angry if JK used that list to send outreach messages, but they could really object if suddenly the DNC, the DSCC, and the DCCC all had their emails. (Any reason he should give the emails to DSCC is just as true for the others. That anger would diminish Kerry's ability to use the list.) It was interesting that the Politico Schumer/Kerry article said Kerry gave in - because he didn't. (We all remember the anger of especially the Edwards people when some thought he gave the list to Obama - which he didn't. He did send a message endorsing Obama and giving the link to join Obama's list and he did the same with Gore.)

It really does hurt in some way when you see JK always acting as a loyal party member, knowing how when he earned the nomination, so many dragged their collective feet.

[Mass]

20. Not sure where this story about states comes from.

It seems another of Schumer's stories to me.

I am ambivalent about Reid winning. I would hate losing his seat, but he is a lousy majority leader.

But, more than anything else, I am tired by the fawning over Brown. The guy is an useless jerk who is only interested in his own promotion. It is bad enough that the media are all over him (and spend time reporting his every actions while totally ignoring Kerry), but do we need Democratic leader to fall for his crap.

[karynnj]

22. Could it be that the Democratic leadership is playing to his very obvious vanity?

I was rethinking the NYT magazine article on him. Yesterday, I was disgusted because it is a big thing to get a NYT magazine story. Although most given that coverage do not live up to expectations, it does mean they are taken seriously. The first major coverage I read on Bill Clinton was a long NYT magazine story. More recently they profiled Mark Warner when he was being hyped and they profiled Hagel, as a potential Republican dark horse. (Kerry, of course, never was covered until September or October 2004 when he couldn't be ignored.) So, it was irritating that someone, who did little other than be photogenic, pleasant and in the right place at the right time is being given that much coverage.

But, when you look at the article, there is nothing like there was in the three I mentioned, all of which made decent cases why the subject should be taken seriously. Here, he comes across as weird and very shallow. Even suggesting posters from his modelling career as gifts from his daughters is strange and implies he kept them!

[JI7]

23. if Brown had got a full 6 year term he would have sided with the right wing

and only moved to voting with Dems until the last year or 2 .

hopefully the teabaggers will get rid of him in a primary but even mass republicans tend to support those seen as more moderate like McCain over those seen as more conservative.

[Mass]

24. Saw Durbin and Schumer speaking at the healthcare summit. How can there be photo?

We need Durbin to lead this caucus. I wanted for a while for any of them to tell GOPers to drop of the Federal Healthcare system, not some vague discourse on how close we are. Nobody except a few very stupid people like Barrasso are going to disagree with the goals of everybody having healthcare. They differ on how the say they achieve that. Stating it clear and loud is the way to go. Otherwise, you end up with bills that do nothing (the current bill still will leave many middle income people strapped because they can either use the waiver or pay way too much for a decent insurance).