Senator Chuck Schumer of New York’s recent efforts to make himself look good by making the administration look bad hasn’t been universally well-received.
Former Obama aides dismissed Schumer’s comments as playing politics.
“Funny, I don’t remember Chuck Schumer giving that advice when he was privately and publicly championing the Affordable Care Act in 2010,” said Jon Favreau, a former White House speechwriter, on Twitter.
“So what exactly does Chuck Schumer believe was the error? Does he believe that the goal of winning office is winning office?” said Jon Lovett, another former Obama aide.
Top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi also rebuked Schumer, saying in a statement, “We come here to do a job, not keep a job.”
Obviously, it’s preferable to do a good job and then keep your job as a reward. But if you have to choose between giving millions of people access to health care and keeping your job, it’s better to give millions of people access to health care.
Also, you should take credit for the good things you do rather than make excuses for doing good things.
Top House Democrat Nancy Pelosi also rebuked Schumer, saying in a statement, “We come here to do a job, not keep a job.”
Except Schumer is there to do a job. To carry Wall Street’s water.
My senior senator seems to be losing more of his mental filter as time goes by. He apparently has no sense of optics.
” Does he believe that the goal of winning office is winning office?”
Exactly!
The difference between the nihilism of the Republicans and the Democrats is:
Democrats prove Will Rogers right every day that ends in a ‘y’.
“I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat.”
Schumer is garbage. If the Democratic party had anything even remotely resembling a tea-party faction, Schumer would be long gone.
You know, it’s fair enough to reassess, in hindsight, what was the best choice at the time. The only thing galling about Schumer’s observation is that he seems to erase himself from the historical picture. He was there. Did he recommend a different approach? Based on the articles linked here, it doesn’t look like it.
Monday morning quarterbacks are a dime a dozen. Except those in Congress cost a millions. As we seem to be satisfied with a Congress filled with thoughtless and/or stupid people with zero vision, might as well hold a lottery for those jobs. Won’t result in a better Congress; only a cheaper one.
As Schumer’s constituent, I quoted his praise for the ACA (just after it passed) back to him in a recent communication expressing my extreme displeasure with this pathetic attempt to, as you say, write himself out of the history.
I also made reference to Elizabeth Warren, a proven champion of the middle class, who in a 2012 interview with E.J. Dionne, wholeheartedly praised the ACA and strongly advised Democratic candidates not to hide from it but embrace it.
I am encouraged to see that so many Democrats feel the same way. I hope Schumer gets his ass handed to him for this sufficiently that he and others will see that this is NOT the way to go from here to 2016.
Reality itself kicks Schumer in the butt with the news that over one million people applied for ACA in the first week of open enrollment :
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/27/us/politics/obamacare-aca-1-million-sign-ups.html?_r=0
All of these people are potential voters. Are you listening, Democratic candidates?
It will be interesting to see whether Hillary and/or her rivals get the message. If not, good luck. Hillary Clinton is, as a general rule, even more tone-deaf than Schumer. Can you see her campaigning on Obama’s achievements? No, I can’t either — but let’s see where she goes with this.