#democratic senate majority

[tomorrowusa]

Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto has won re-election from Nevada. That gives Democrats at least a 50-50 tie in the Senate with Vice President Harris casting the deciding vote. Though the Georgia runoff in early December could raise the total of Democrats in the upper chamber to 51 seats.

Nevada was one of Republicans' top targets as they tried to break the Senate's 50-50 split, and Cortez Masto's reelection was a toss-up coming into the election. She was running neck and neck with Laxalt, Nevada's former attorney general who has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

Cortez Masto served two terms as Nevada's attorney general before becoming the first Latina ever elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016. She campaigned on women's reproductive rights, criticizing Laxalt for calling the Roe v Wade decision "a joke," the Nevada Independent reported, and categorizing a vote for her opponent as an "automatic vote for a federal abortion ban."

Even by GOP standards, Adam Laxalt was a snivelling hypocrite.

Less than one month before the election, 14 members of Laxalt's family wrote a three-page letter endorsing his opponent, the Nevada Independent reported. The letter praises Cortez Masto and her positions on women's issues and public land preservation, her record as attorney general and more.

At least with the US Senate, the “red wave” went down the drain.

And of course the Sore-Loser-in-Chief just had to weigh in.

Trump falsely claims cheating by Nevada, Arizona election officials

Laxalt became the latest Trump-endorsed Senate candidate to go down in flames. 🔥

[spennythespoon]

Georgia Senate race really be like

Edit 12/07/2022: Hell Yeah Warnock won

[rochenn]

absolutely devastated that there aren't any named political parties in the galactic senate besides vague concepts like "centrists", "populists" and "warhawks".

how the fuck do these people ever make any decisions??

[dreamteamemojis]

.

[william-r-melich]

Trump Gagged? No Way! - 04/03/2024

The New York supreme court judge Juan Merchan in Trump's "hush money" case has expanded on his earlier gag order which tried to restrict what Trump could publicly say about the case. The order came late yesterday which gags the former president from speaking in public about Manhattan D.A. Alvin Brag's family members and all others named including jurors, potential jurors, counsel, court staff, witnesses, and their families. The judge wrote, “This pattern of attacking family members of presiding jurists and attorneys assigned to his cases serves no legitimate purpose, it merely injects fear in those assigned or called to participate in the proceedings that not only they, but their family members as well, are ‘fair game,’ for Defendant’s vitriol.” He further wrote that courts are "understandably concerned" on restricting defendants' free speech, especially for those who are publicly notable. He further wrote, “The circumstances of the instant matter, however, are different. The conventional ‘David vs. Goliath’ roles are no longer in play as demonstrated by the singular power defendant’s words have on countless others.” In his ruling arguments he cited from the prosecution, “multiple potential witnesses have already raised grave concerns [...] about their own safety and that of their family members should they appear as witnesses against the defendant.” On those fears he wrote that they would "undoubtedly interfere" with the proceedings, and he continued. “The average observer, must now, after hearing defendant’s recent attacks, draw the conclusion that if they become involved in these proceedings, even tangentially, they should worry not only for themselves, but for their loved ones as well.” State prosecutor Matthew Colangelo wrote, “Defendant’s dangerous, violent, and reprehensible rhetoric fundamentally threatens the integrity of these proceedings and is intended to intimidate witnesses and trial participants alike—including this Court.” The state attorney's office was referencing Trump's remarks about the judge's daughter.

This judge, Juan Merchan, is compromised with a serious case of Trump Derangement Syndrome, and Trump's lawyers think he should recuse himself from the case because his daughter, Loren Merchan who owns a Democrat political consulting firm, heavily profited from her fundraisers dedicated to hurt and remove Trump from the political scene. The judge's wife, Lara Merchan, used to work for New York Attorney General Letitia James, who prosecuted Trump for a victimless crime of "over valuating" his property to get a more favorable loan, and to which he paid back fully with interest that made Duetsche Bank (no complaints) a lot of money. Another ridiculous, unconstitutionally brought case, which, like all the others, is nothing more than political persecution. Judge Juan Merchan's profile picture on X was of Donald Trump behind bars. I think it's fair to say that this judge is compromised, or as Trump would say, "by a lot!"

Of course, the mainstream media's talking point's echoe-chamber put out that Trump made threatening remarks about the judge's daughter, when in fact he did no such thing. One of his Truth Social posts reads, “Judge Juan Merchan, a very distinguished looking man, is nevertheless a true and certified Trump Hater who suffers from a very serious case of Trump Derangement Syndrome. In other words, he hates me! His daughter is a senior executive at a Super Liberal Democrat firm that works for Adam ‘Shifty’ Schiff, the Democrat National Committee, Senate Majority PAC, and even Crooked Joe Biden.”

As I have said before, I think all of these cases against Trump should be dismissed and thrown out, as they are obviously political witch hunts directed by Biden's crooked administration and their weaponized justice department. So, Trump appropriately calls them the "Biden trials." The left thinks they can stop him from coming back to DC, and this judge thinks he can silence him, to keep him from pointing out all of the obvious corruption in that's clearly in plain sight for anyone with a functioning brain to see; --No Way! No Way! - will they ever silence or stop him, and No Way! - will they ever silence or stop us, we the people. Trump is right when he declares these trials as being "election interference," and that they should never, ever take place in the United States of America: abso-futting-lutely; -- No Way!

[ksuew]

Work in progress 11/12/22. I was so nervous waiting for election results that I (finally) pulled this project out again and finished it off! There were 2 or 3 sessions I never got around to posting over the last few months, but I don’t know if it’s worth digging them up. Drying tonight, hope to frame tomorrow and send it off to it’s home soon.

So thrilled about Democrats holding the Senate majority that I might be up half the night!

[ridenwithbiden]

"Senate confirms 425 military nominees after Sen. Tommy Tuberville drops his hold. Tuberville "has nothing to show for his 10 months of delay" Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a scathing speech after confirming the nominees. Tuberville has retained his hold on roughly 11 other promotions." Including 4 Star Generals.

During this one man crusade, 1 military leader had a heart attack, from holding multiple jobs. And put National Security at risk.

Thank You, Democrat Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, for exposing Tuberville to Republican pressure, to stop his one man obstruction. Fuck this Anti-Choice Fascist.

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is leaving the Democratic Party and registering as a political independent, she told CNN’s Jake Tapper in an exclusive TV interview.

“I’ve registered as an Arizona independent. I know some people might be a little bit surprised by this, but actually, I think it makes a lot of sense,” Sinema said in a Thursday interview with Tapper in her Senate office.

“I’ve never fit neatly into any party box. I’ve never really tried. I don’t want to,” she added. “Removing myself from the partisan structure – not only is it true to who I am and how I operate, I also think it’ll provide a place of belonging for many folks across the state and the country, who also are tired of the partisanship.”

Sinema’s move away from the Democratic Party is unlikely to change the power balance in the next Senate. Democrats will have a narrow 51-49 majority that includes two independents who caucus with them: Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine.

While Sanders and King formally caucus with Democrats, Sinema declined to explicitly say that she would do the same. She did note, however, that she expects to keep her committee assignments – a signal that she doesn’t plan to upend the Senate composition, since Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer controls committee rosters for Democrats.

“When I come to work each day, it’ll be the same,” Sinema said. “I’m going to still come to work and hopefully serve on the same committees I’ve been serving on and continue to work well with my colleagues at both political parties.”

But Sinema’s decision to become a political independent makes official what’s long been an independent streak for the Arizona Senator, who began her political career as a member of the Green Party before being elected as a Democrat to the US House in 2012 and US Senate in 2018. Sinema has prided herself on being a thorn in the side of Democratic leaders, and her new nonpartisan affiliation will further free her to embrace an against-the-grain status in the Senate, though it raises new questions about how she – and Senate Democrats – will approach her reelection in 2024 with liberals already mulling a challenge.

Sinema wrote an op-ed in the Arizona Republic released Friday explaining her decision, noting that her approach in the Senate has “upset partisans in both parties.”

“When politicians are more focused on denying the opposition party a victory than they are on improving Americans’ lives, the people who lose are everyday Americans,” Sinema wrote.

“That’s why I have joined the growing numbers of Arizonans who reject party politics by declaring my independence from the broken partisan system in Washington.”

Sinema is up for reelection in 2024 and liberals in Arizona are already floating potential challengers, including Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego, who said earlier this year that some Democratic Senators have urged him to run against Sinema.

“Unfortunately, Senator Sinema is once again putting her own interests ahead of getting things done for Arizonans,” Gallego said in a statement following Sinema’s announcement.

Sinema declined to address questions about her reelection bid in the interview with Tapper, saying that simply isn’t her focus right now.

She also brushed aside criticism she may face for the decision to leave the Democratic Party.

“I’m just not worried about folks who may not like this approach,” Sinema said. “What I am worried about is continuing to do what’s right for my state. And there are folks who certainly don’t like my approach, we hear about it a lot. But the proof is in the pudding.”

MANY DEMOCRATS SHRUG OFF NEWS OF SINEMA’S ANNOUNCEMENT

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called Sinema a “key partner” following her decision and said the White House has “every reason to expect that we will continue to work successfully with her.”

Sources familiar with the matter tell CNN that Sinema gave the White House a heads up that she was leaving the Democratic Party. Schumer said in a statement he also was aware of Sinema’s bombshell announcement ahead of Friday morning.

“She asked me to keep her committee assignments and I agreed,” Schumer said. “Kyrsten is independent; that’s how she’s always been. I believe she’s a good and effective Senator and am looking forward to a productive session in the new Democratic majority Senate.”

Schumer also outlined how he did not expect Sinema’s decision to impact Democrats’ plans for next year, saying in his statement, “We will maintain our new majority on committees, exercise our subpoena power, and be able to clear nominees without discharge votes.”

The Biden White House is offering a muted reaction Friday morning and insisting that they expect to continue having a productive working relationship with the senator.

One White House official tells CNN that the move “doesn’t change much” other than Sinema’s own reelection calculations.

“We’ve worked with her effectively on a lot of major legislation from CHIPS to the bipartisan infrastructure law,” the official said. The White House, for now, has “every reason to expect that will continue,” they added.

Sinema has long been the source of a complex convergence of possibility, frustration and confusion inside the White House.

“Rubik’s cube, I guess?” was how one former senior White House official described the Arizona Senator who has played a central role in President Joe Biden’s largest legislative wins and also some of his biggest agenda disappointments.

There was no major push to get Sinema to change her mind, a White House official said, noting that it wouldn’t have made a difference.

“Nothing about the last two years indicates a major effort would’ve made helped – the exact opposite actually,” a White House official said.

The most urgent near-term effort was to quietly find out what it meant for their newly expanded Senate majority, officials said.

While there were still clear details to figure out about process, “I think people exhaled when we had a better understanding of what she meant,” one source familiar with the discussion said.

Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota told “CNN This Morning” that “Senator Sinema has always had an independent streak,” adding that “I don’t believe this is going to shake things up quite like everyone thinks.”

She added, “Senator Sinema has been an independent in all intents and purposes.”

‘IT’S OK IF SOME PEOPLE AREN’T COMFORTABLE WITH THAT APPROACH’

Sinema and West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin have infuriated liberals at various points over the past two years, standing in the way of Biden’s agenda at a time when Democrats controlled the House, Senate and White House.

Sinema and Manchin used their sway in the current 50-50 Senate – where any single Democrat could derail a bill – to influence a host of legislation, especially the massive $3.5 trillion Build Back Better bill that Biden proposed last year. Sinema’s objections to increasing the corporate tax rate during the initial round of negotiations over the legislation last year particularly rankled liberals.

While Sinema was blindsided by the surprise deal that Manchin cut with Schumer in July on major health care and energy legislation, she ultimately backed the smaller spending package that Biden signed into law before the election.

Both Manchin and Sinema also opposed changes to the Senate’s filibuster rules despite pressure from their Senate colleagues and Biden to change them. After a vote against filibuster changes in January, the Arizona Democratic Party’s executive board censured Sinema.

Sinema has been in the middle of several significant bipartisan bills that were passed since Biden took office. She pointed to that record as evidence that her approach has been an effective one.

“I’ve been honored to lead historic efforts, from infrastructure, to gun violence prevention, to protecting religious liberty and helping LGBT families feel secure, to the CHIPs and science bill to the work we’ve done on veterans’ issues,” she told CNN. “The list is really long. And so I think that the results speak for themselves. It’s OK if some people aren’t comfortable with that approach.”

Sinema’s announcement comes just days after Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock won reelection in Georgia, securing Democrats a 51st Senate seat that frees them from reliance on Vice President Kamala Harris’ tiebreaking vote.

Sinema declined to address questions about whether she would support Biden for president in 2024, and she also said she’s not thinking about whether a strong third party should emerge in the US.

[kalikoke]

"Oh, what political event just transpired?" I ask as I see Supernatural trending on tumblr.

[softpastelqueer]

I hope the Wisconsinites who voted for the Dem in the Governor election but voted for the GOP in the senate election choke

[tomorrowusa]

It’s more than just a number. 51 Democratic seats in the US Senate would be disproportionately better than 50 seats.

David Nir describes why we need to help re-elect Sen. Raphael Warnock in the Georgia US Senate runoff...

A Warnock win sidelines Manchin and Sinema, but that's not the only reason to bust ass for him

Having 51 seats is a million times better than 50. First off, a larger majority reduces the influence that Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema have over the Democratic caucus. That alone is a showstopper. But it also means that Democrats would have more flexibility in the event of any absences—a real concern, given the age of many senators. On top of that, Kamala Harris would no longer have to be on standby to break ties.

Judicial nominations would move much faster. Under the deal reached between Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell last year—which McConnell dragged his feet on agreeing to—both parties were given equal numbers of seats on Senate committees. As a result, committee votes can end in ties. Most crucially, this has allowed Republicans on the Judiciary Committee to slow down judicial nominations because moving a tied nomination to the Senate floor requires the entire Senate to vote on a so-called “discharge motion.” With 51 seats, however, Democrats would have a majority on every committee. They’d be able to skip the discharge step, meaning Joe Biden’s nominees can receive confirmation votes before the full Senate much more rapidly.

Raphael Warnock is an amazing senator. The fact that Warnock was able to turn Georgia blue and, along with Jon Ossoff, secure the most unlikely of majorities for us in the 2021 runoffs is a testament to his remarkable connection with Georgia voters. In office, Warnock’s priorities have always been in the right place. It would be easy for a freshman senator in a swing state to want to “distance” himself from his party, but Warnock has been with us on everything. He’s also been Democrats’ foremost leader in the fight to cap the price of insulin.

Black representation matters, period. Warnock is one of just two Black Democrats in the Senate, but this is about so much more. Do Democrats really want to tell Black Americans—the party’s most loyal constituency—that we didn’t give it our all to re-elect Warnock? And it’s not simply a matter of electing a Black candidate, as Republicans reductively want to believe, but about electing the candidate who’s the choice of Black voters. That choice couldn’t be clearer: According to exit polls, 90% of Black Georgians cast ballots for Warnock.

Herschel Walker is unfit to serve in the Senate. Walker is a dangerous serial liar who has been accused of abusive, violent behavior by those closest to him. He belongs nowhere near Congress.

The 2024 Senate map is very tough for Democrats. We need to pad our majority right now because in two years, we’re going to be defending 23 seats while Republicans will only have to protect 10. What’s more, our list includes three red states—Montana, Ohio, and West Virginia—and 10 more potential swing states. To ensure our party’s long-term prospects, we’ve got to focus on the present.

With just 50 Democrats, we’re never more than one bad heart attack or car crash from losing the Senate majority; there are a number of Democratic senators from states with GOP governors.

Also, this is the first Senate election since Trump’s announcement that he’s running in 2024. Here’s a chance to deliver a high profile defeat to his handpicked stooge Herschel Walker.

With the House of Representatives about to come under narrow GOP control, it’s vital to shore up the Democratic majority in the Senate.

You don’t have to live in Georgia to help Raphael Warnock defeat Trump’s  puppet Herschel Walker...

Runoff - Warnock for Georgia

[neonpigeons]

watching the midterm coverage as election results come in and they keep mentioning how, historically speaking, under a democratic president usually more republicans come into power in congress and they're happily surprised that a lot of democrats are winning. ofc a lot of republicans are also being elected but I'm so thankful to the activists and the people making it easier for everyone to vote. I know a lot of young people are trying to make a difference, and this is an important election as things like abortion rights and protections for trans people are on the line. anyways I know we're probably not getting an overwhelming win and all the votes haven't been counted yet, but it does give me some hope

[britneyshakespeare]

new hampshire hotties if maggie hassan wins the senate race tomorrow we are poppin biggest bottles

[destinyandcoins]

bro not to be political on my lalala-what-real-world escapism blog but i just checked in on the midterm results and why are we all waiting for nevada to finish counting its fucking ballots again

[cultofcreatures]

Huzzah!!

[anders-hawke]

usamerican holding hands in the midst of fascism slowly but surely taking over the government circle