Dem Leadership pleading to Bernie to help them with supporter backlash

[Shadows]

Senior Democratic lawmakers on Tuesday sought to stave off town hall protests from their own party, asking Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) to reach out and urge activists to redirect their anger at Republicans instead of at moderate Democratic lawmakers.

Over the past two weeks, crowds — and conflict-hungry media crews — have swarmed town halls and protested at congressional offices. Republicans have gotten the brunt of it, with several members escorted by police through lines of shouting protesters, and some caught scrapping or rescheduling public events or leaving out back doors to dodge angry activists.

But protesters have also gathered in blue states, marching to Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer’s home in Brooklyn to demand the obstruction of Trump nominees, and showing up at the offices of safe-seat Democrats to demand that they filibuster Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Neil Gorsuch.

Such episodes spurred Democrats to ask Sanders for help, according to Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.), who attended the meeting on Tuesday.

“They basically explained to Bernie, it looks like you could be the person that could calm down and make sure their energy and all this enthusiasm is directed in all the right proper channels,” Manchin said. “Bernie has a voice, and if [protesters] want to be active, then direct them to where the problem may be or where they anticipate a problem.”

The intraparty drama puts top party leaders like Schumer (D-N.Y.) in a tricky political position. He can either fully embrace the far left and its rejuvenated activism — and risk alienating moderate lawmakers and voters — or push back too hard against the new activity and anger the party’s base of support.

The request to Sanders came during a meeting with Schumer and a leadership team that stretches the ideological spectrum of his caucus. In addition to Sanders, a self-described socialist, and the moderate Manchin, the group included Sens. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Mark R. Warner (D-Va.), among others.

On Tuesday, a group of protesters in Maryland delivered “valentines” to the office of Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-Md.), who is up for reelection in 2018, with questions about why he was agreeing to meet with Gorsuch, after many Republicans refused to meet with blocked Obama nominee Merrick Garland. They handed out candy hearts with slogans like “Filibuster Me” and “Be My Accountable Democrat,” and a sign that read “Roses are red, violets are blue, supporting Trump’s cabinet makes you guilty too.”

For the most part, Sanders has been working on projects to unite Democrats and progressives against Trump. Over the weekend, Sanders and Schumer announced a series of rallies against repeal of the Affordable Care Act, to be held on Feb. 25. Sanders’s highest-profile speech during the coming recess will be in Kansas, which progressives have characterized as a model of Republican misrule.

[Shadows]

Chuck Schumer Brokers Senate Democratic Peace Deal With Bernie Sanders Over Drug Bill

If it’s true that “blessed be the peacemakers,” Chuck Schumer deserves a halo.

Schumer, the chamber’s minority leader, is spending some time smoothing things over after Bernie Sanders blasted 13 of his fellow Democrats for voting against a drug reimportation bill that could bring in cheaper medicines from Canada.

“You cannot do that if you’re in the leadership,” one unnamed Senate Dem fumed to The Hill, referring to the meeting and comments by Sanders, who is chair of outreach for the Senate Democrats. After the Sanders bill was defeated - despite the backing of a dozen GOP senators — Sanders told USA Today that Democratic peers who voted against the bill, including New Jersey’s Cory Booker and Virginia’s Mark Warner didn’t “stand up to powerful special interests like the pharmaceutical industry.”

Schumer responded to the contretemps by calling in them and Sanders for a makeup session, where Sanders was said to have apologized for any political fallout, but stood by his comments. According to The Hill, the gathering was meant as a gentle signal to Sanders that he might play nicer with his colleagues if he wants to be a player.

[Shadows]

President Donald Trump pledged during the campaign that he would combat high drug prices by allowing Americans to buy cheaper drug from other countries. He hasn’t brought up the idea since — even after meeting with pharmaceutical companies last week.

Trump is about to get a nudge from Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, and two Democrats who took heat for voting against the idea last month.

Senators Cory Booker of New Jersey and Bob Casey of Pennsylvania are working on a proposal with Sanders to allow Americans to buy cheaper drugs from Canada. Sanders' bill could be introduced in the next several days.

Booker and Casey took heat from progressives for breaking ranks with Democrats to oppose allowing imported drugs. Both said they were troubled the measure by Sanders and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., didn’t deal with drug safety.

A draft of Sanders’ bill — which bears Booker's and Casey’s names — allows the purchase of drugs only from “certified foreign sellers” approved by the Department of Health and Human Services as meeting Canada's safety standards, as well as other requirements.

The bill will renew the debate over how to address high-priced prescriptions and thr outrage over astronomical increases for some life-saving medicines, such as EpiPen.

Still, allowing imports of cheaper drugs is popular. A poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation last September found 71 percent of Americans support allowing people to buy drugs from Canada.

In riding a populist wave to the White House, Trump endorsed the idea during his campaign. He said in his health care platform: “Congress will need the courage to step away from the special interests and do what is right for Americans. … Allowing consumers access to imported, safe and dependable drugs from overseas will bring more options to consumers.”

But he has been silent on the idea since the election. His comments at a Jan. 11 press conference that drug companies are “getting away with murder" referred to Medicare not being allowed to negotiate prices with drug companies.

Gabriel Levitt, president of the Prescription Justice Action Group, a nonprofit that supports drug imports, said Trump was also silent on the idea after meeting last week with with drug company executives and an trade group, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

Trump also appeared to step away from the Medicare idea, saying “I'll oppose anything that makes it harder for smaller, younger companies to take the risk of bringing their product to a vibrantly competitive market. That includes price-fixing by the biggest dog in the market, Medicare.”

White House spokespeople on Monday did not return a request for comment.

[Famous Mortimer]

“They basically explained to Bernie, it looks like you could be the person that could calm down and make sure their energy and all this enthusiasm is directed in all the right proper channels,”

LOL

As if Republican lawmakers would give a sh!t about what left-wing protesters think.

No, wussy Democratic lawmakers are absolutely the right people to protest. They can be shamed.

[○∙◄☻¥tπ[╪AV┼cVê└]

What a bunch of pathetic cowards.

[Hindsight was 2020]

Chuck has been doing what we want so why him asking Bernie to get his followers to stop bugging him over it would be controversial

[Chief Justice Keef]

"Bernie, pls push the "no protest" button"

[LabourJersey]

While Schumer pleading to Sanders to quell a backlash is pretty pathetic, I do think that the a few Dem Senators are being pretty excessively targeted for opposing Trump on 91% of things as opposed to 100%.

Cardin is a really vocal supporter of an investigation into Russian interference. I saw him at a panel discussion recently--he is incredibly passionate about understanding just what the hell is going on with the Trump-Russia connection. I don't see how it is productive to send the guy passive aggressive Valentine messages and b*tch to him just 'cause he met with a conservative SCOTUS nominee.

[publicunofficial]

It says a lot that Dems think protestors are just Bernie's obidient sheep.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

Disgusting. They want to have it both ways with the left.