Like most or all of you, I strongly hope for and support two new Democratic Senators being elected in Georgia on January 5th. Whether that happens or not, I believe our nation would benefit from having another Senator in the Democratic caucus who has shown proclivity to getting things done, even if I don't always agree with her on those "things". I would argue that this tack should be something Chuck Schumer pushes hard:
Dear Senator Murkowski, please hear us out. You should renounce your Republican registration and become an Independent, caucusing with the Democrats.
Think of the positives: You could be a part of a Senate that actually tries to accomplish things on behalf of American citizens, rather than simply tries to stand in the way of the other side. Instead of being a part, and enabler, of the most do-nothing Senate in recent history, you could conceivably push forward a new Senate majority, Majority Leader, and... key swing vote: you. If both Republicans or both Democrats win in Georgia on January 5th, your vote will be less key, but your point will have been made clear to both Alaskans and the country: Lisa Murkowski stands for responsibility to the American people and against political partisanship.
But, if just one Democrat wins in Georgia, your opportunity would be, almost literally, earth-shaking. You could stand up against the "Grim Reaper" legislative approach and priorities. You could stop being pressured to pretend that President Trump's lies are not endangering American democracy. You could usher in a new era of Senate intellectual activism, while becoming the key non-partisan vote to prevent any feared "socialist takeover" of America. You could be the pragmatic moderate that Alaskans voted for in 2010 to be a voice of reason and logic in Washington, rather than just an unwilling pawn in Senator McConnell's political posturing. It's clear that you can see through the politics--that's why you voted to have a fair impeachment trial against a President who was blatantly abusing his power and lying to the American people about it.
We know what you will say: you are already a key swing vote while remaining in the GOP caucus. But, that's not completely true! How can you be a key vote when those votes never happen? Senator McConnell blocks almost any potential legislation that doesn't have total Republican support. That is why his Senates have been some of the least productive Senates in history. Why do you want to be a Sentor? To stand as part of a silent wall that helps McConnell collect donation dollars while refusing to help ordinary Americans? Or to put into effect legislation that can make Alaskan and American lives better, regardless of who or what side came up with the idea? You have an amazing opportunity to carve out a role like Senator McCain did--unbound by partisan gamesmanship, and directed by conscience and love for this country. We encourage you to take that chance.
And the down-side of this move? Yes, hard-core Republicans in Alaska might be angry. But that didn't stop you in 2010. You knew, and the nation saw, that most Alaskans don't care about the letter after your name, but rather care about ideas and integrity and backbone. As the key swing vote in a Democratic Senate, you would have 2 years to prove to Alaskans, on both sides or no side of the aisle, that your voice and your vote are the most important and consequential in the history of the state. You could create a legacy to be proud of.
Sincerely,
America
Look, I know this has been suggested by others in the past, and I know y'all will hate this idea because she has not stood up to Moscow Mitch like we all would have liked over the last 10 years. I get it, and I feel the same. But every situation is different. If we win or lose both Senator seats in the Georgia race, this move won't make much difference, except symbolically. If we only win one Georgia race, this move changes everything. Instead of a 49-51 Dem minority with McConnell in control, Schumer would control the agenda. Ideas could return to the debate table. Yes, Murkowski could stand in the way of progressive legislation, as she has done before. But that's no different than if she stayed in the GOP caucus! Wouldn't you at least like those ideas to be brought up for votes, rather than languish on Mitch's desk? Wouldn't you like GOP Senators to be forced to vote against ideas like Medicare for All, or at least a public option? I know Murkowski is not perfect, but taking the gavel out of McConnell's grubby hands would open the world for what we could accomplish, and Murkowski will be a key part of that. Unless we win both Georgia seats, Murkowski is the only way it happens.
And, again, I know that she has resisted such calls before. But the public GOP posturing around cries of election fraud leave reasonable Republicans cringing and potentially looking for relief. Think of the power move this would be for her, and it would only improve the Dem position. Heck, she could even condition her switch on the Dems selecting a different Majority Leader than Schumer. Huge power move that would endear her to her voters in Alaska. I'm not pushing for Chuck to be removed, but I would rather have Murkowski in the role of Senate kingmaker than have McConnell there.
Alright, let's hear your thoughts!