Me and Coons in the Bagel Shop

Yesterday, I had a bit of a conversation with Senator Coons about how working with Republicans, seeking “common ground” with the people out to end democracy, is not what the times call for. This is what I said about the encounter in a previous comment. I’ll expand my remarks below.

He is unmovable and utterly convinced that the only way to get the 20 or so bills they passed this year is by including and befriending Republicans. But he did allow that the GOP is an existential threat to the Republic. He said he is working hard to defeat Republicans in PA, NV and elsewhere. He also admitted that Lindsey Graham has no moral compass.

In parting I said that when reaching across the aisle, reach out to the left once in a while. He said, “I do.”

First of all h/t to Puck for the line about reaching to the left.

Now then. I have no idea what Coons was doing in the Manhattan Bagel on Main Street in Middletown. He didn’t seem to be eating, but was surrounded by a couple of staffers, and group of minor league dignitaries. The M-Town Mayor, perhaps.

Coons had the air of a very relaxed, self-confident man who has never worried about paying a mortgage. His staffers were a little more brittle. One seemed to be a big vacant (security?) guy and there was a woman who seemed to be in charge of telling Coons when to stop talking. She perked up when Coons stated that Lindsey Graham has no moral compass.

I hadn’t prepared anything but I really wanted to get Coons on the record that the democracy was in crisis and our Democratic “leadership” such as it is, does not seem to be very aware of it.

After I introduced myself and said something like “Why are you so committed to bi-partisanship and seeking friendships across the aisle, when there is no good will from the Republican side whatsoever?”

Coons started out with that old political trick of saying,”What do you mean?” I think this must be a very effective trick for politicians because now that I am aware of it, I hear it everywhere. I said “What do you mean – what do I mean? You know full well what I mean.”

We went back and forth on that for a while why his is so committed to bi-partisanship in spite of the fact that there is no good will from the Republican side. I said providing bi-partisan cover for the Republicans didn’t allow the Dems to have a united front. I would have liked to expand on that and say “You can’t campaign on “Republicans are a threat to Democracy” then say “my very good Republican friends and I just passed this great bill.”

I didn’t say that though. Like I said he was unmovable and I think he even said, “Would you prefer we do nothing in the Senate?”

I finally said, “ok, I’m persuaded. You need to be friends. But you see that Republicans, and they arent even really Republicans anymore, but Trumpers, are an existential threat to our Democracy. Particularly if Trump makes it back to the White House?” The vacant guy said, “Pfft…that’s not going to happen.”

I replied, “I’m glad you are so sanguine about it.”

Coons said he sees Republicans as a threat to our Democracy and that is why is is working so hard to elect Democrats in Nevada, Pennsylvania and elsewhere. I figured that was about as far as he was going to go. He said something else about Lindsey Graham which allowed me to ask, “What happened to Graham? You knew him before all of this, what happened to him?” Coons very candidly said, “Lindsey Graham has no moral compass. After McCain died, Graham had no moral compass.”

I guess McCain was Graham’s daddy or something. Anyway, them we took a picture and I squeezed in the “when reaching across the aisle, reach out to the left once in a while.”

I probably didn’t make a dent in Coon’s “Bipartisanship Über Alles” mindset, but I felt like I had to give it a go, so I did.