Jane Austen. Social commentary, great characters, very funny!

King never supported a shutdown. No one chose him. Maybe consider there’s different incentives motivating various senators and they don’t all agree.

Who do they think would do better?

Schumer didn’t negotiate the CR.

Some didn’t want any shutdown. King always opposed it. Others were ready to stop after 2 weeks. Axios says Schumer got them to wait until after people were notified of premium increases. He’s not a magician. Leading a Senate caucus is often compared to herding cats.

As a political scientist and student of history I’d say that people are way overestimating the power of Senate minority leaders. It’s typically compared to herding cats.

And through that Schumer was trying to persuade them to continue the shutdown. Why’d you leave that part out?

Yes, and one of the arguments for the ACA is that it would enable people to start businesses because they wouldn’t be chained to a job and its health insurance. Cassidy’s plan is anti-entrepreneurial, pro job lock.

Mills is busy with a rather challenging job, governing.

Yup, and he's not going to retire.

Why do you assume that an anonymous aide is accurate?

Who does he think would do better?

And it would be filibustered.

Nonsense. Democrats vote for ACA subsidies. Republicans voted against them. Everyone knows which party backs health coverage and which opposes it.

Not ANOTHER article that interviews people at Platner rallies and finds they like Platner and then extrapolates that to the Maine Dem electorate? Sheesh. Didn't reporters take a single class on statistics or public opinion? #mepolitics

If you could pick a new Dem Senate leader, who would it be? Can suggest more than one.

I wish we had another choice.