When he was first elected in 2012, he played really coy about which party he would caucus with. Even into 2013 he still wouldn't rule out caucasing with the Republicans.

I can forgive a lot, but flirting with voting for Mitch McConnell as Majority Leader is too much for me.

on some issues he is very good. Others not so much from what I have seen.

although he has occasionally joined the moderate/conservative Democrats on some things.

Is there some standard he is not reaching?

from a number of iterations of legislation that have come through since he has been in office, he has generally been to the left of the "vocal" conservative Democrats - McCaskill & Manchin, and somewhat to the left of some of the others like Heitkamp, Tester, Donnelly, etc. He is the flip side of Collins who is his colleague from Maine.

He has definitely been a firebrand when it comes to the Russia meddling/collusion/hacking issue and ALL of the Democrats and Indies have held fast when it came to all those efforts to repeal the ACA and much of Obama's legacy. However he will sometimes vote for cloture to let something proceed for a vote (joining some of the conservative Dems).

There's an interesting website with all sorts of topics and ratings for Congress when it comes to progressive issues that you can play around with here (the below is for Senators) -

http://progressivepunch.org/scores.htm?house=senate&sort=crucial-lifetime&order=down

You can look at "progressive ratings" ("lifetime" in Congress or current session) and select sub-topics to see how their votes on those subjects were rated. He is listed as ~69% for "crucial progressive issues" and ~84% for an "overall progressive" score.

He gives the Democrats credibility whenever they are called "far-left socialists".

That's the only way he can win. We could run a more progressive Democrat there and lose, but what would that accomplish?

Point stands when it comes to what you had mentioned.

My post wasn't an attack or promotion of replacement.

I was attempting to supplement your point.

But the fact that he even entertained the idea of supporting Mitch is scary.

I do not recall reading about that? But, I miss a lot.

I think he pulled the same thing the next year, when it became likely that the GOP would take the Senate in 2014.

He's been a lot better ever since Trump car in, which isn't much of a surprise.

I’ve supported him since his first run for Maine governor. He’s the real deal, not a far lefty but a more moderate liberal. The trouble is, an Independent won’t be chosen to be VP by the Democratic Party.

(I once told him I wished he could be President, but he knows it’s impossible in our 2 party system.)

From someone who actually knows him.

Yes - moderate liberal.
Smart guy.
Not a machine Dem.
Rides a Harley - loves to travel cross country in his large mobile home with family.

Collected signatures in the Topsham/Brunswick area for a ballot referendum. King is from the area he is real popular in his home town.

Dem. I like him mighty fine as well and have liked everything he has said.

Anybody can call themselves a "Democrat"....


Even Gary Cohn...

If King wanted to be a Democrat, he could. Thus it is a deliberate choice. I want a Democratic President and a Democratic Vice President. period. I think picking King would in the end cost us the general.