Six Senate Democrats Likely To Vote With Republicans
[su_right_ad]If the Senate winds up with 54 Republicans, all they’ll need is six Democrats to vote with them, and it will be a nightmare for Democrats.
There are six Democrats who are most likely to, in the interest of bipartisanship, join Republicans on some key issues and make life miserable for Democratic leaders and President Barack Obama. Think of them as the Ben Nelsons of the next Congress.
To quote the Dating Game’s late Jim Lange, “And heeere, they are…”
Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri
…this second-term Missourian recognizes that she can’t vote in lock-step with her party if she wants to stay in the good graces of her conservative-leaning state. Look for her to side with Republicans from time to time to appease her right flank, on issues such as the Keystone pipeline….
Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia
This conservative Democrat has always looked for ways to make himself attractive to West Virginians, from literally shooting the cap-and-trade bill in a campaign ad to voting against Reid on filibuster reform…
Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota
Heitkamp won her first Senate election in 2012 by a razor-thin 1 percent margin in deep-red North Dakota. Not shy about breaking with her party, she was one of just four Democrats who voted to block the popular gun background checks legislation in 2013…
Sen. Joe Donnelly of Indiana
One of the more conservative Democrats, he’ll likely be willing to partner with McConnell’s Republicans in some cases, such as reversing the 30-hour work week definition under Obamacare.
Sen. Angus King of Maine
In two years as a senator, King has tried to play deal-maker and split with Democrats on issues like gun control and student loans.
Sen. Jon Tester of Montana
Tester has been willing to buck Democratic leaders at times, most notably when he helped kill the DREAM Act by filibuster in 2010.[su_csky_ad]
Mark Bye November 11th, 2014 at 1:47 pm
Why we can’t have nice things. Again.
EstebanCafe November 11th, 2014 at 6:33 pm
Because they were destroyed these last 6 years…
tracey marie November 11th, 2014 at 10:12 pm
lol, teabaggs make me laugh
edmeyer_able November 11th, 2014 at 1:54 pm
At the risk of repeating myself, all they need to do is throw some pork their way. The promise of a new bridge or just a playground at a local park to be named in their honor.
EstebanCafe November 11th, 2014 at 6:33 pm
The 1% have been doing VERY well for the last 6 years, thank you very much. Maybe the conservatives will expand on Obama’s purportedly errant policies just like he did with Bush’s ?
mea_mark November 11th, 2014 at 2:00 pm
Now I am feeling really good about the next two years. No pain no gain right.
Suzanne McFly November 11th, 2014 at 2:03 pm
If these people worried less about re-election and more about properly governing their citizens, we would have a much better society.
EstebanCafe November 11th, 2014 at 6:31 pm
Damn straight and well said. Applies to both sides of the aisle.
fahvel November 11th, 2014 at 2:12 pm
if they do, hopefully it will be their last term in any kind of public office.
EstebanCafe November 11th, 2014 at 6:31 pm
Kind of like the libs, eh ?
tracey marie November 11th, 2014 at 10:11 pm
go troll someplace else
fahvel November 12th, 2014 at 4:17 am
creepslike you give the creeps to others – go graze in a junk yard.
eyelashviper November 11th, 2014 at 2:17 pm
Don’t think this is going to happen. Some of these voted against Dem legislation before, but the situation is quite different now.
Angus King just laid into Fox news for more hysteria about Obamacare, and I do not see him voting with Gopers on much of anything.
lynchie November 11th, 2014 at 3:58 pm
Dollars to donuts they vote to repeal the ACA. Another good vetting job by Debbie does everybody. Ask them to leave the Dem caucus so they don’t give Dem strategy to the Repubs. Oh wait…….the Dems don’t have a strategy. Like Joe Lieberman he was wined and dined and even when he ran as an independent he got the support from the Clintons and the DCC
R.J. Carter November 11th, 2014 at 2:31 pm
You can definitely count on Claire for another Republican vote.
tiredoftea November 11th, 2014 at 3:41 pm
I doubt all six would vote the same on every piece of legislation from the Senate. OTOH, there might only be six total pieces of legislation for them to vote on from the next Senate!
mea_mark November 11th, 2014 at 5:19 pm
Your so optimistic.
Tommy6860 November 11th, 2014 at 6:07 pm
Let’m side if it happens. They can introduce all these anti-enviromental bills in favor of big business, I hope the dems insert a rider in them that will not hold the tax payer responsible for fixing the disasters that happen because of them. Then we’ll see corporate lobbying in full gear trying to change it and the wing-nuts who vote for these stone age science fundamentalists, will hopefully see who the people are really about when their backyards are worthless.
edmeyer_able November 11th, 2014 at 6:11 pm
Still have your rose colored glasses huh?
Tommy6860 November 11th, 2014 at 6:11 pm
I’m trying 😛
Cosmic_Surfer November 11th, 2014 at 6:55 pm
Sorry, Alan – the only way to correctly govern is to do exactly as constituents want. Each of these Democrats and the one Independent (Angus is an independent now so the article is incorrect here) are from states that are notoriously Republican in nature.
One of the biggest complaints I have with the government is that, rarely, do the elected “representatives” (both House and Senate) vote in a manner that reflects their constituency. It is not for a representative to vote any other way…That’s why they are called “representatives”
tracey marie November 11th, 2014 at 10:10 pm
they should vote in a manner that benefits the COUNTRY not party
Cosmic_Surfer November 14th, 2014 at 3:07 pm
They should vote only according to constituency – They are representatives of a specific district representing the people of said district and only said people. Or maybe that pesky ol’ Constitution really isn’t a “Thang”
tracey marie November 14th, 2014 at 4:14 pm
They are representatives of the country
Judgeforyourself37 November 11th, 2014 at 7:16 pm
Shortly prior to the 2016 election someone must clone FDR. OMG, we need him back, and stronger, so that congress won’t ride rough shod over him as they did in 1939. Obama has tried, despite what some say, and he accomplished quite a lot, considering the blockades put in his path. Now we need someone who will be an even stronger advocate for the poor and middle class.
Paula Garfield November 11th, 2014 at 8:46 pm
Turncoats….shameful
GreatLakeSailor November 11th, 2014 at 9:38 pm
The Oligarchs said, “Give us six!”
This has to be giving Obama a chubby. Keystone, TPP, TISA, TAFTA, MIC, war, Empire. It’s his wet dream.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/11/11/1341417/-Obama-s-Bipartisan-Achievements
tracey marie November 11th, 2014 at 10:09 pm
I think you give yourself a chubby posting garbage
GreatLakeSailor November 11th, 2014 at 10:23 pm
right, because the record documented in the dkos article is just made up outta thin air. Or are those things really benefiting working people and I’m just too much a Lefty to realize it?
What’s next – you’re going to accuse me of…let’s see what’s the new Right Wing Dem partisan meme…wanting a “pony” or some such nonsense?
liberalMD November 11th, 2014 at 11:38 pm
With the possible exception of Angus King, none of the people on this list are really leaders and all would be extremely vulnerable if they decided to run for another six year term in the Senate. I would hope that their voting records over the next 2-4 years would be taken into account when the Democratic Party made decisions about funding Senate candidates in 2016 and 2018.
Chris Jonsson November 13th, 2014 at 12:01 am
Alan Colmes is the FOX News version of a liberal, which he is not. The Keystone Pipeline is not a done deal.
Keystone XL Dies Quietly As Canada Approves Alternate Proposal
Author: Nathaniel Downes October 14, 2014 12:14 pmhttp://www.addictinginfo.org/2014/10/14/keystone-xl-dead/
voice_reason November 13th, 2014 at 8:17 am
national democratic party leadership is sad and morally bankrupt; the party is slowing going into a death spiral….another nail in the coffin of democracy as we know it.
Ed Snowed Us November 13th, 2014 at 10:47 am
TESTER did that simply because the DREAM Act was about to be shot down anyways, considered a “free vote”.
That idiot Martha Coakley lost to Scott Brown, losing Obama’s filibuster proof majority, after leading by 35 points out of the primary in Massachusetts in 2009 to fill Edward Kennedy’s seat.
BLAME her.
mmaynard119 November 13th, 2014 at 10:06 pm
Most Senators think that they should be President in the world’s most exclusive club. Some are less obvious than others. Manchin is more obvious and odious than most. Tester was just given one of the Dem. Senate leadership positions so he’s out. And other than King, look at what states they represent and their state’s racial diversity.