Your Schumer Feedback March 15, 2025 Murph L. “Thought he had done the wrong thing. But you convinced me!” → It was really Chuck who convinced you; I just relayed his message. Please help amplify it! Harold Z.: “I disagree. The public-polled perception of the Democrats is one of embarrassing weakness. Holding back their votes would have ultimately caused the GOP to include various guard rails etc. and showed the American people Dems are fighting for them. This is a very sad, historical moment.” → Maybe (and thanks for your feedback) but it’s not clear to me the Trump team would have been in any hurry to relinquish the extra power a shutdown would have given them. Or to take the spotlight off our side for refusing to re-open the government. Michael K.: “This one stumped me. Why did he do it? I wish I had a nickel for every person who has said ‘Chuck Schumer is dead to me.’ The only good thing I can say about it is that he’s bringing unity to the Democratic Party…in opposition to him. If it’s the right thing to do, why didn’t it get 40+ Dem Senators supporting it? They make the House Dems, who almost all stood strong, look like idiots.” → If Schumer had sought to make it unanimous, it would’ve sent the message that we think it’s a good bill. Instead, the message he sent with this bare-minimum approval, was: “We hate the bill and we hate what you’re doing. But shutting down the government would give you yet more power and hurt the American people even worse. We’re doing this — but only kicking and screaming.” And as I argued yesterday, the House sent the right message also: “It’s a horrible bill.” They could vote for a shutdown without shutting anything down — so did. Hats off to Hakeem Jeffries for his leadership. Our Senators were the ones who had to choose the less awful of two terrible options, and did, even though they knew it would expose them to the real anger they are now receiving. To me, that is a profile in courage. Hats off to Chuck Schumer. I think that by speaking out on lots of TV and writing that op-ed, Senator Schumer’s hope was that people like you and me, Michael, will amplify his message. That’s kind of our job today. Freda S.: “Yes, I reluctantly agree even though I initially felt angry and betrayed by Schumer. Check out Tim Walz in his first town hall in a red district, in Iowa — a great Dem strategy, spreading from Rep. Mark Pocan’s town hall in Wisconsin.” → I think “reluctantly” is exactly the right way to agree . . . and echoes Schumer’s own reluctance. He didn’t vote for the bill with enthusiasm — but rather, as I say, kicking and screaming. And thanks for those links. The Walz line I most want to highlight: The road to authoritarianism is littered with people telling you you’re overreacting. You’re not, you’re not. You’re not. Mike McG.: “Imagine the Dems had voted down the CR and the government shut down, and then a week or two later the DOGE boys accidentally collapsed the Social Security payment system. Trump would have blamed it on the shutdown, thus on the Dems. We need to keep the focus on the disastrous actions of Trump and Musk.” Carole S.: “Civics class was a long time ago, but if Trump doesn’t sign the bill, is that a pocket veto? Does he then create the shutdown he and Musk, et al, may actually be hoping for?” → Yikes! Hadn’t thought of that! But he’ll surely sign it [UPDATE: he just did] because at this stage, at least, he wants to pretend he doesn’t aim to rule America as Putin rules Russia, Kim rules North Korea, or Xi rules China. Geoff M.: “I found Schumer’s argument surprisingly compelling. I say ‘surprisingly’ because my inclination was very much the opposite. In fact, on Thursday, I called the DC offices for each of my two senators and asked them in no uncertain terms to respect their oath of office and defend the Constitution by voting against the CR. Then I read Schumer’s piece. Sad to say, I found nobody actually engaging with Schumer’s argument from a critical perspective. All the arguments I saw were just that Schumer was a coward or <fill in the blank with your preferred imprecation and name-calling>.” Kathy McL.: “Sen. Schumer made the right decision. Shutting down the government would give extraordinary legal power to Trump (and Musk). Yes, both will continue to push illegal measures to take power, but the Dems can continue to fight those in court.” Glenn P.: “It was A Hobson’s choice. Regrettably, Schumer made the only decision he really could.”