And so it begins….

The News Journal has an article titled “Republicans Seek Out Carper for Help.” Hahahaha. They won’t have to go far to find to him, for Carper sleeps on the welcome mat outside the Republican front door. And they won’t have to beg for something. Carper will offer it all.

Progressives fear that, even in smaller numbers, moderate Democrats can do big damage to the advancement of a populist economic agenda by voting to help cut entitlement benefits, pass trade deals that move jobs overseas or cut taxes for corporations.

“The worst possible thing for Democrats going into 2016 would be if we paper over the differences with Republicans by only focusing on small-bore, lowest common denominator ideas, or even worse, if Democrats help pass unpopular right-wing ideas into law, hiding what Democrats really stand for,” said Adam Green, co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee.

Moderate Democrats may be willing to work on trade deals, tax reform or budget deals, said Matt Bennett, spokesman for the centrist think tank Third Way. But they’re not going to vote for “veto bait,” such as a repeal of the Affordable Care Act or sanctioning President Barack Obama for his executive order on immigration, he said.

“There are places where you could see Democratic moderates really trying to find ways to say yes, but they’re not going to compromise their principles to do it,” Bennett said.

I believe that to be true in Senator Coons’ case. But Tom Carper? Carper is already on the record as disagreeing with the timing of the President’s immigration orders. He has already voted for the now unnecessary Keystone pipeline, and I expect him to betray us all again by voting for it in January to give Senator McConnell some much need bipartisan cover. I expect Carper to betray us fully on the budget. Carper will go along with whatever horrible tax cut idea the GOP has.

Here is a rule for the next two years: Expect from Tom Carper what you would expect from Senator Mike Lee of Utah. That way, you will not be disappointed, and you will be pleasantly surprised when Carper actually acts and votes like a Democrat.