Situation is dire and I hope they stand up for us & the country.

If they vote against and are defeated we have gained nothing. We won't win control of the Senate and there will be three republicans who will vote for whatever replacement nominee Trump puts up. Even worse, if we lose the opportunity to take control of the Senate because one or more of them get defeated, we can't do anything if one of the liberals leaves the court between now and 2020 (or if Thomas leaves so Trump can appoint a younger replacement). On the other hand, if they do whatever it takes to get re-elected (including voting for Kennedy's replacement), we would have a shot at capturing the Senate and then it won't matter what they think if Trump gets another opportunity to nominate someone. By having a Democrat as majority leader, we can prevent any other Trump nominee from being considered (and can slow roll his other judicial nominations as well).

But it's always the argument made and never does us much good. And today the WH Comrade is dissing Heitkamp who actually has voted with him at times so how much good has that done her. He'll work to get her defeated. I just wonder what would happen if she and the others stood up to him.

“HEITKAMP: "I don't think either party has all the right answers, that's why I voted over half the time with Trump and that made a lot of people in Washington mad."

THE FACTS: It is true that Heitkamp has voted a majority of the time with Trump since he took office on Jan. 20, 2017.

The AP reviewed Heitkamp's voting record on all bills and nominations from Trump's inauguration to June 1, 2018. During that period, the North Dakota senator supported Trump-backed nominees or legislation more than 68 percent of the time. Presidential nominations for judges, cabinet members and other Trump administration appointees make up a bulk of the voting record.

Heitkamp voted for Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo -- all unpopular choices with most of her Democratic colleagues. She was also one of only three Democrats to support a failed version of Trump's immigration reform bill in February.”

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/north-dakota/articles/2018-06-19/ap-fact-check-its-true-heitkamp-votes-often-with-trump

I would take her over any Republicans she also voted with us when it mattered.

winning their next election, what do you think the outcome will be?

If they stick with us.

Here it is the same issue back on the table.

These 3 - after the R's had secured the nomination - took this issue off the table. They don't have a record on this issue to run against. When they say they vote on the nominee, not the party, they have credibility.

This is called politics, and all politics is local.

against any Republican, Heitkamp has already been equivocating.

The alternative is an ACTUAL Republican with a big fat "R" after his/her name... which gives the GOP one more warm body that counts toward their majority.

And there we have it... the all too predictable smear and denigration of the Democratic party! How charming!

Do you? Do you, really?

Oh, please... stop. You've made your point. We get it.

All I'm saying is that you'll NEVER get "perfect" in these states (and in many others for that matter) but this is just about as good as it's going to get for the foreseeable future. No need to trash these Democrats or the Democratic party. That only causes distrust and division... it weakens the party.

It really serves no good purpose to weaken the party, so why do things (or say things, or write things) that weaken us?

this political environment will never work.. All you are doing is setting s political scenario which will end in a disaster.. The Dems have been doing it for 25 years..And folks like you are saying we need to continue down the same rd.. Look where the hell we are? See post 15.. Says it perfectly.

LOL! No, what I'm saying is that it's important for us to have as many D's as possible to bring us closer to having a majority. "Folks like you" want to destroy what we have for the sake of some unrealistic vision of what's "pure" and what's not.

Here's the thing... I live in the real world. You're never going to get a Vermont-style politician to win an statewide election in WV or any of those other states. Be thankful for what you've got. It's just stupid to try and sabotage or "punish" these Democratic senators in very red states.

Horseshit! The real "disaster" will be when the "message senders" and the "purity police" do everything possible to drive them out. When that happens those states will elect a REAL Republican (with an "R" after his/her name) who won't caucus with us, and that will put us even FURTHER behind.

Be thankful for what you've got and for the small advantage that it does give us. There's no need to embrace this idiotic "destroy to rebuild" philosophy. You can't have a "revolution" by giving away ALL the power to the GOP.

but I think when it comes to SCOTUS and other important issues they must vote w/Dems, otherwise they are Trump-lite DINOs who are a drag on the Dem party, as it forces us to dilute our message to protect their seats, which in turn prevents us from growing the Obama coalition that is the future of the party.

....when they don’t know who it even is?

The political climate there is so awful that its amazing we have any Democratic Senators from that state at all. It use to be better when we had people like Jay Rockefeller and (in his later, post racism years), Robert Byrd. I don't think you could even elect those guys there now.

Until West Virginia can get itself out from under the grip of the coal industry, this is the way its gonna be.

We NEED each of them for any hope of gaining a majority in the Senate and quite frankly, that is more important than Kennedy's replacement. This is for the most part replacing a conservative with a conservative. It sucks bad because he leaned our way on Roe but it would be a LOT worse if Trump gets to replace one of the liberal justices with a Republican majority.

their not going to vote for Trumps nominee if he gets to replace a liberal justice?

we would still have Pence nominees. We have a very narrow path to take the Senate and we need every Dem incumbent to win their elections. They have to do what they have to do in the next four months. Once they win, they have six years before they are up for another election.

We need Schumer controlling he confirmations and not McConnell.

is going way beyond being a moderate it is in fact being hard line conservative. I doubt their going to win their reelection if they vote for Trumps nominee anyway. Rather their in conservative states or not there is no way they get reelected with just republican voters and right leaning Democrats. If we allow republicans to pack the courts having the majority will not do to much for us, because republicans will just run to the supreme court to undermine any policy we try to implement.

They are doing internal poling right now. My wish is that they vote no on his nominee and win reelection. However, I also understand that they have to do what they have to do to win. We shouldn't attack them for it. We need to support them for the next 4 months. Once we get past the election, we can put more pressure on them.

The SC has been 5-4 majority conservative for many years. If Hillary had won and we had a Dem Senate, we would have a 5-4 majority liberal. They stole it, we lost, elections have consequences. If we don't win the Senate, we are really screwed if a liberal seat comes up. We need to win elections. We need the House and Senate and we need the Executive in 2020.

If Trump gets his guy nominated Roe V Wade is gone and preexisting conditions protections will soon follow and we will not to be able to fix them for at least 30 years. I wouldn't be so sure politicians know their constituents better than you or I. Like when Alison Lundergan Grimes refused to say rather or not she voted for Obama and then lost badly.

If a liberal seat comes up between 2018 and 2020 if these same senators are willing to knife us now you can be sure they will do it then too. I really don't see the logic in trying to say we need them to protect the supreme court for us if they are showing us their not willing to protect it for us.

being bigoted.

there is no use in us having Democrats in office who are going to allow republicans to destroy Democratic policies. Why do we need to convince the majority of West Virginia voters to support the right policies? You do not see Trump going out of his way to convince California to around to him. We should secure our base first even in republican states the base of elected Democrats are Democrats pandering to the right is a suicidal political calculation.

the bigoted ones i'm talking about are the voters in those states represented by conservative democrats.

convince the people in those states to stop being bigoted.

but still I think even in a republican state the floor of support is progressive to moderate Democrats for elected Democrats. I think trying to appease the right now is a suicidal political calculation. Going to be hard for them either way, but if they vote to confirm Trumps nomination I'm certain they will lose.

Yes, its WV, but he is considerably more popular in his state than Heitkamp (who is *serious* trouble) or Donnelly (also in trouble).

Manchin, on the other hand, will likely win his race and currently enjoys a +6 point spread against his opponent. He should be forced to vote with the party unless something drastically changes.

that's a 'primaryable' offense. And dt threw her under the bus today. That's gotta hurt.
Same w the other two I despise that 2-face manchin. If it's being a Democrat that wins it for him in WV...why not replace him w something more reliable? "Dougie" I don't know enough about.

making sure democrats lose in some solid red states ?

why not focus on helping other democrats who are running and better on issues ?

elections will come down to the people in each state anyways. it's not like most people get fully involved in every fucking state and all the elections going on.

why not just ignore those 3 states unless you are from there ?

the Special Counsels investigations.

Then I MIGHT entertain the idea.

Gosuck should probably also be required to recuse as well.

Otherwise, not a chance in Hell.

because 'red state'


Fuck every bit of that. It's not okay at all under any circumstances.