SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
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)
Sanders Says McConnell Cancelled August Recess Because He's "Scared to Death" GOP Will Lose Senate
"I think everybody knows why he's doing it. He wants to keep Democrats in Washington rather than campaigning."
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."
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
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.