Yesterday's Trade Deal Snafu Reveals a Democratic Party Struggling to Find Its ... - Reason (blog)
So when White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest refers to a blocked Senate vote as a "procedural snafu"—as he did 10 times yesterday —you can infer with reasonable certainty that the snafu in question is one that the White House would prefer most... But this particular procedural snafu is worth paying attention to, because it reveals quite a bit about the fractured and uncertain state of the Democratic party, and the troubles it will have maintaining unity and strong leadership heading into... The trade deal is currently Obama’s top legislative priority, and he’s personally lobbied Democratic Senators heavily to support it. Yet in yesterday’s vote, all but one refused to do so. The no votes included Senators like Ron Wyden (D-Oregon)... As a result, the vote failed to meet the 60-vote threshold needed to clear a Senate filibuster. The rareness of the event, and the near-unanimity with which Senate Democrats opposed Obama, makes it clear that the Democratic Party is undergoing a kind of quiet, unofficial coup. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts) is. Warren, backed by labor union support, led Democratic opposition to the trade deal. Source: reason.com
