Can Chuck Schumer Win Back The Senate?

Montana organic wheat farmer and State Senator Jon Tester had an unexpected advantage against his big money, city slicker primary opponent, John Morrison, when he ran for the U.S. Senate. America's quintessential city slicker, Chuck Schumer, had recruited Morrison, the state auditor, and told Democrats far and wide that Tester was a bumpkin who coudn't raise money (which in SchumerSpeak means the guy doesn't know Wall Street banksters or K Street lobbyists) and that he would be unable to beat Republican incumbent Conrad Burns. That was 2006... so, so much water under the bridge!

The more of his toxic, signature poison Schumer spread about Tester, the worse Morrison looked-- at least out in Montana. In NY and DC, Tester didn't have a chance. By primary day, Schumer and his slimy Wall Street and K Street cronies had made sure Morrison was able to outspend Tester twice over. $1,668,766 was what Morrison raised with Schumer's assistance. But back in Montana, there were only 38,394 Democratic voters (35.48%) who thought what the state needed was a Chuck Schumer puppet representing them in DC. Tester racked up an impressive 60.77% of the votes. Do you think folks in Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Jacksonville, Tallahassee and Fort Lauderdale are any more interested in Schumer pulling their senator's strings for Wall Street than the Democrats in Missoula, Bozeman, Helena, Great Falls, Kalispell and Butte were?

For the odious Schumer to become Majority Leader, the Democrats will need to hold two seats where Democrats are retiring, California and Nevada, plus fend off a campaign against one of their weakest and least attractive members (Michael Bennet of Colorado, a worthless DINO with little grassroots support) and not lose any other seats they hold and take 5 Republican-held seats, the likeliest bring Illinois (Mark Kirk), Wisconsin (Ron Johnson), New Hampshire (Kelly Ayotte), Florida (open-- Marco Rubio), Pennsylvania (Pat Toomey), Ohio (Rob Portman), although a really good years with a competent DSCC could bring blue victories in Arizona (McCain), Missouri (Blunt), North Carolina (Burr), Iowa (Grassley), Indiana open-- Coats) and Georgia (Isakson). Now we're really stretching. And in any case, the DSCC is at the weakest it's been in years. Ironically, Tester, who has thrown his values to the winds and thrown his lot in with Schumer, is the chairman and happy to be Schumer's puppet. Their recruitment spells disaster, and makes what should be a cinch something that will take a miracle.

Schumer is working full-time to make sure nominations are won by right-wing DINOs loved by Wall Street (his base) and hated by the party base. He seems perfectly fine undermining excellent Democratic shots in Pennsylvania and Florida by aggressively sabotaging Joe Sestak and Alan Grayson. And he's working hard to drive young, vital independent-thinker P.G. Sittenfeld out of the race to usher in dull, elderly DINO Ted Strickland. Bad start. They still don't have viable candidates in New Hampshire and North Carolina against weak Republican incumbents.

Despite Schumer's jihad against Grayson, the unaccomplished and worthless "ex"-Republican he's recruited, Patrick Murphy, looks unlikley to get through the primary, just drain lots of Democratic money from the primary. Although Schumer used every bit of clout he had to prevent it, on July 9 the Central Florida Building and Construction Trades Council (AFL-CIO) unanimously endorsed Grayson over Murphy. The organization's president, Henry "Wes" Kendrick, and Secretary-Treasurer Larry Kidd, wrote that "the Central Florida Building and Construction Council is very proud to endorse our friend Congressman Alan Grayson for United States Senate. Congressman Grayson, you are a fearless leader and fighter for all working people. You have a proven track record of getting things done even when it was not easy." It was pretty fearless of Kendrick and Kidd to disobey Schumer, who has been bragging that he has labor in his pocket for Murphy and that he could even get Elizabeth Warren to endorse Murphy if that is needed.

Even if Schumer doesn't, Florida grassroots Democratic voters understand the difference and Grayson is leading in the primary polls. The most recent general election polls show Grayson beating any Republican who gets through what is surely going to be a GOP donneybrook of a primary. But Schumer has pledged to the banksters that there will be no more Elizabeth Warrens. Patrick Murphy is as far as you can be from Elizabeth Warren and still call yourself a Democrat (even a New Dem). And Grayson... Wall Street is afraid his encyclopedic knowledge of their business, his fearlessness and they fear his prosecutorial zeal will be even worse for them than the good-natured Warren has been. Contribute here or... if you want to help the other progressives Blue America is backing for the Senate as well, here.