I have some issues with outgoing Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill. Yes, I am definitely going to miss her vote in the Senate, especially now that the Republicans have a greater majority in that “august” body. But I have to nitpick on some of what she said in an NPR interview that I heard today while driving into work.
MARTIN: Missouri Democrat Claire McCaskill lost her Senate re-election bid to Republican Josh Hawley. As a Democrat in a red state, McCaskill positioned herself as a moderate. And as she gets ready to leave, she's got a warning for her own party.
MCCASKILL: I think this demand for purity, this looking down your nose at people who want to compromise, is a recipe for disaster for the Democrats. Will we ever get to a majority in the Senate again, much less to 60, if we do not have some moderates in our party? People want to say, oh, if you were just, you know, more single-payer, Claire, if you were just more to the left, well, a lot more people would have turned out to vote - wrong. Believe me. I know them all.
Wait a minute. It’s Democrats who are not willing to compromise? And what exactly were Democrats supposed to compromise on with Trump and the Republicans? Democrats tried to compromise on immigration reform, but Trump rejected that. Republicans have done their damndest to destroy the ACA and take away health insurance from people. And that tax cut bill was a loser for even the Republicans. And there is no infrastructure bill.
So what the fuck am I missing here when it comes to Democrats and compromise?
And how did Democratic “purity” cost you the election? Last time I checked, I made several donations to you, and I’m a progressive who disagrees with several of your stance. I and many others on Daily Kos who do not agree with you supported you! How many times did I read diaries and pleads from pragmatists that we have to let moderates in redstates run their campaigns as they see fit and not criticize them? I lost count. And I agreed with those sentiments.
I have argued that many of the other redstate moderates who went down to defeat in 2018 were beaten by political tribalism. Several progressives and moderates in redstates could not overcome the hurdle of Republican voters voting for anyone who had an R by their name. So what are you complaining about Senator? Did I miss something about the Democratic turnout in MO?
And what is that cheap shot about single-payer about?
And this part of the interview made me want to hurl in the car:
MARTIN: Who's your best Republican friend in the Senate?
MCCASKILL: Susan Collins. It's not close.
Savor that one for a few moments folks.
If you want to complain Senator about the purity police, you might have had a legitimate beef if you had been defeated in a primary. But you were not. You were the nominee, and from what I saw, many activists rallied around you and several other moderates in order to stop the Trump and McConnell.
If any moderate Daily Kos readers want to know why some like myself get so pissed off about centrist Democrats in D.C., this is just one example of why.