Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) speaks on stage during the Protecting Working Families Rally to stand up against the GOP tax cuts at Santander Performing Arts Center in Reading, Pennsylvania. (Photo: Lisa Lake/Getty Images for MoveOn.org)
Jun 06, 2018
Responding to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) abrupt decision on Tuesday to cancel most of the Senate's August recess, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said in an interview with the Washington Post on Wednesday that the move clearly shows McConnell is "scared to death" that the GOP might lose control of the Senate in November.
"McConnell doesn't want the PR nightmare of dozens of negative town halls in August."
--Sam Quigley, Patriotic Millionaires
"It's very clear, I think everybody knows why he's doing it. He is scared to death... that Republicans might lose control over the Senate," Sanders said. "Given the fact that there are a lot more Democratic incumbents [up for reelection] in the Senate than Republicans... he wants to keep Democrats in Washington rather than campaigning. I think, you know, that's pretty petty. But that's the way it is."
Watch:
\u201c.@jameshohmann asks @SenSanders about Mitch McConnell\u2019s decision to cancel August recess for Senate. Sanders: \u201cHe is scared to death\u201d that Republicans \u201cmight lose control over the Senate\u201d #202Live\u201d— Washington Post Live (@Washington Post Live) 1528293376
In order to take back the Senate from the deeply unpopular Republican Party--which is headed by the "least popular first-year president on record"--Democrats must both defend all 26 of their current seats and flip two Republican seats.
While analysts have argued the Democrats are less likely to take back the Senate than the House, recent polls have indicated that their chances of retaking the Senate "are looking stronger" as the November midterms approach.
Echoing Sanders' assessment of McConnell's apparent hardball political maneuver in a statement on Tuesday, Sam Quigley of Patriotic Millionaires argued that "McConnell doesn't want the PR nightmare of dozens of negative town halls in August."
"Senate Republicans are running scared," Quigley concluded. "Mitch McConnell's decision to cancel the August recess doesn't come from a full legislative agenda and a busy schedule, it comes from a place of fear. Fear of Democrats reclaiming the Senate in November, and fear of him and his colleagues being held accountable by their constituents in August town halls."
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Responding to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) abrupt decision on Tuesday to cancel most of the Senate's August recess, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said in an interview with the Washington Post on Wednesday that the move clearly shows McConnell is "scared to death" that the GOP might lose control of the Senate in November.
"McConnell doesn't want the PR nightmare of dozens of negative town halls in August."
--Sam Quigley, Patriotic Millionaires
"It's very clear, I think everybody knows why he's doing it. He is scared to death... that Republicans might lose control over the Senate," Sanders said. "Given the fact that there are a lot more Democratic incumbents [up for reelection] in the Senate than Republicans... he wants to keep Democrats in Washington rather than campaigning. I think, you know, that's pretty petty. But that's the way it is."
Watch:
\u201c.@jameshohmann asks @SenSanders about Mitch McConnell\u2019s decision to cancel August recess for Senate. Sanders: \u201cHe is scared to death\u201d that Republicans \u201cmight lose control over the Senate\u201d #202Live\u201d— Washington Post Live (@Washington Post Live) 1528293376
In order to take back the Senate from the deeply unpopular Republican Party--which is headed by the "least popular first-year president on record"--Democrats must both defend all 26 of their current seats and flip two Republican seats.
While analysts have argued the Democrats are less likely to take back the Senate than the House, recent polls have indicated that their chances of retaking the Senate "are looking stronger" as the November midterms approach.
Echoing Sanders' assessment of McConnell's apparent hardball political maneuver in a statement on Tuesday, Sam Quigley of Patriotic Millionaires argued that "McConnell doesn't want the PR nightmare of dozens of negative town halls in August."
"Senate Republicans are running scared," Quigley concluded. "Mitch McConnell's decision to cancel the August recess doesn't come from a full legislative agenda and a busy schedule, it comes from a place of fear. Fear of Democrats reclaiming the Senate in November, and fear of him and his colleagues being held accountable by their constituents in August town halls."
Responding to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) abrupt decision on Tuesday to cancel most of the Senate's August recess, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said in an interview with the Washington Post on Wednesday that the move clearly shows McConnell is "scared to death" that the GOP might lose control of the Senate in November.
"McConnell doesn't want the PR nightmare of dozens of negative town halls in August."
--Sam Quigley, Patriotic Millionaires
"It's very clear, I think everybody knows why he's doing it. He is scared to death... that Republicans might lose control over the Senate," Sanders said. "Given the fact that there are a lot more Democratic incumbents [up for reelection] in the Senate than Republicans... he wants to keep Democrats in Washington rather than campaigning. I think, you know, that's pretty petty. But that's the way it is."
Watch:
\u201c.@jameshohmann asks @SenSanders about Mitch McConnell\u2019s decision to cancel August recess for Senate. Sanders: \u201cHe is scared to death\u201d that Republicans \u201cmight lose control over the Senate\u201d #202Live\u201d— Washington Post Live (@Washington Post Live) 1528293376
In order to take back the Senate from the deeply unpopular Republican Party--which is headed by the "least popular first-year president on record"--Democrats must both defend all 26 of their current seats and flip two Republican seats.
While analysts have argued the Democrats are less likely to take back the Senate than the House, recent polls have indicated that their chances of retaking the Senate "are looking stronger" as the November midterms approach.
Echoing Sanders' assessment of McConnell's apparent hardball political maneuver in a statement on Tuesday, Sam Quigley of Patriotic Millionaires argued that "McConnell doesn't want the PR nightmare of dozens of negative town halls in August."
"Senate Republicans are running scared," Quigley concluded. "Mitch McConnell's decision to cancel the August recess doesn't come from a full legislative agenda and a busy schedule, it comes from a place of fear. Fear of Democrats reclaiming the Senate in November, and fear of him and his colleagues being held accountable by their constituents in August town halls."
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.