I’m...someone who works across the aisle to get done what we can in this environment to make our state and our community stronger.He didn't bother speaking to anyone at either outlet, because why bother? As far as Coons is concerned this primary rates lower on his list of things to think about than if his 7:15 train running behind schedule. And that's a good thing for everyone. Let's hope Coons is like Mike Castle. Castle's denial phase lasted up until about a week before he was beaten. By the time Castle woke up and scheduled his trip to the firing rage, it was too late. It would be awesome for Coons to maintain a similarly languid approach. What is more likely however is that Coons copies Tom Carper. Navy Veteran, Carper was ever the cagey observer who noted Castle's screw up. Carper moved to the left quickly (if only temporarily). SImilarly, I expect we'll see lots of awesome progressiveness from Coons over the next few months. As with Carper, it will be a sham of course, but it will be nice to get a break from all the nonsensical "work across the aisle to get things done" blather.
It could also mean major consequences for the party, (Vander Wielen) pointed out. When the district or state isn't uniformly left-leaning, a progressive primary win could backfire, he said, especially if the winner doesn't have the networking and fundraising advantages of an incumbent. “In a place like Delaware, if you had a situation like that, it’s very realistic that that hands the victory to the Republican," Vander Wielen said. "Going from Democrat to Republican means that there could be seismic shifts in the ideological representation of the state."Very realistic? It is not even a little bit realistic. During a presidential year, the Dem primary is the general in Delaware. Why is that so hard to grasp? This guy is stealing money from Temple University.
Though Coons is an obscure member of the Democratic caucus relative to somebody like the famously recalcitrant Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., Coons is no less a threat to the progressive agenda. He is an ardent supporter of the Senate tradition of bipartisan comity, and insists on only co-sponsoring legislation that is also backed by at least one Republican. His respect for bipartisanship is undiminished by the fact that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has not reciprocated. After holding open a Supreme Court seat for a year in order to swipe it for his party, McConnell eliminated the filibuster for Supreme Court nominees and has been rubber-stamping a record-breaking number of judicial appointments. He used the process known as budget reconciliation, which gets around the legislative filibuster, to attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act and to pass the GOP’s tax cut. Yet even as Republicans implement their agenda with a 50-vote threshold, Coons is committed to requiring 60 votes for any Democratic agenda item. Coons was easily reelected in 2014 and is popular throughout Delaware. But if he wins reelection a second time, it is virtually impossible to envision him supporting the enactment of Medicare for All using a 50-vote threshold, as Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has pledged to attempt.
“Delaware deserves better, and that’s why I’m running,” Scarane said. “We need to hold true to our values as Democrats.” She pointed to Coons’ votes confirming President Trump’s cabinet and judicial nominees as signs he’s too chummy with Republicans. “He has repeatedly made compromises with Republicans at the expense of Delawareans,” she said. She adds it was Coons’ support for Alex Azar as Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services as a key moment in her decision to mount her primary challenge. “This is a man who has lobbied for Big Pharma and who is opposed to abortion rights,” she said. “That’s just unacceptable to me, and it made me realize that we have to be the leaders we’re looking for to change this power structure ourselves.”Contrast with...
