Opinion: Why These Vichy Dems and Their Spineless Boss Need to Go Now

It would be a mistake to overreact to the decision by eight Senate Democrats to vote to end the government shutdown without real guarantees that Americans will be able to afford health care and maintain health insurance coverage.

Do not, for example, make plans to immediately move to Canada or any other country with a sane, stable healthcare system just because those Democrats were spineless, visionless, out of touch with the rank and file of the Democratic Party and clearly not up to the moment of crisis America faces.

Do not reject the Democratic Party or officially give up on participating in U.S. politics just because a bunch of clueless, cowardly, capitulating millionaires do not understand their jobs, the stakes of the fight they were involved in or the degree to which they played into Trump’s hands at precisely the moment of their greatest weakness.

And above all, do not, for one flickering second, attempt to justify or defend the lily-livered choice that did (and will do) so much damage to so many when it is so pathetically pusillanimous and damnably dangerous.

The capitulation in re-opening the government is a bad deal made at a bad time with bad people who cannot be counted on to honor their promises. Pictured above: Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks at a press conference as the government shutdown continues in Washington, D.C. on November 5, 2025. Anadolu/Anadolu via Getty Images

If, however, in response to the actions of Senators Cortez-Masto, Durbin, Fetterman, Hassan, Kaine, King, Rosen and Shaheen you are as angry and disappointed as you should be, then try to think constructively and take meaningful action to translate your fury and your disgust into steps that will ensure such political f-ck ups do not happen again in the future.

Central to such an approach is recognizing that, because for the foreseeable future the Democratic Party is the only viable opposition to a president and movement that pose an existential threat to American democracy, we need to focus not on changing parties but on changing the Democratic Party.

And we need to recognize that we can’t have a different Democratic Party until we have different Democrats leading it.

This humiliating about-face was clearly not just an action taken by eight isolated Senators. One of those Senators, Durbin, is the number two member of the party in that chamber of our legislature. He has worked hand in glove with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for years. Further, while Schumer made noises like he opposed the move, don’t believe them for a minute. This was a carefully orchestrated retreat.

Senator Dick Durbin speaks to the press outside an ICE detention facility on October 10, 2025 in Broadview, Illinois. Demonstrations have been taking place outside of the facility for several weeks as the Trump administration works to arrest and detains immigrant in the Chicago area. Scott Olson/Getty Images

Note that none of those who voted go along with the GOP proposal to reopen the government without any meaningful guarantees about necessary healthcare protections are actually running for reelection in 2026. Some are retiring. Some are not running for several years. The group was picked because it was believed that they could best weather the flack their sad el-foldo would generate.

Schumer, you will recall, was behind the capitulation of the Democrats in the spring to go along with Trump’s big beautiful bill that included the devastating cuts to Obamacare subsidies, Medicaid and other vital health programs in the first place. All to pay for tax cuts for billionaires. He can deny it all he likes. But there are really only two possibilities. Either he pulled the strings or he has lost control of his caucus.

In either case, Schumer has demonstrated that he is unfit to lead the Democrats just as Durbin and his fellow Vichy Dems who supported this stupidity are no longer fit to represent Democrats. (As my friend, long-time Washington observer and national security expert Joe Cirincione, said on Bluesky, “Listening to these 8 Dem Senators explain their vote convinces me that they are either idiots or liars. Either is plausible.”)

Why was the move so dumb? Well, first, Democrats were coming off election results last Tuesday that demonstrated clearly voters were profoundly unhappy with Trump and the GOP. Polling results showed substantial majorities blaming Trump and his supporters for the shutdown—and that the electorate sought representatives who would clearly and unflinchingly stand up to Trump. Democrats were at a point of maximum strength. Not the moment for a big collapse.

President Donald Trump is pictured in the White House on November 6, 2025 in Washington, D.C. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

In fact, by doing what they did, they gave fodder to the GOP to say that they had been right all along and Democrats were the obstacle to reopening the government and that they were doing so for no good reason. As you will no doubt be hearing constantly in the days and weeks ahead.

And they got nothing in exchange. They did this all for a promised vote in the Senate on extending Obamacare subsidies, a promise not-cosigned by House GOP leadership and that guarantees nothing for Americans facing huge healthcare cost increases or losses of coverage.

The fact that Schumer, Durbin and their spineless colleagues have taken to their fainting couches at precisely the wrong moment and, simultaneously, then defend their actions with pablum press statements that showed either a gross misunderstanding of the issues in play or a really low regard for the intellects of their constituents sends only one message: We need new leaders, we need new players on the field. These are not the people to defend the country against the manifold extreme threats to our institutions and way of life posed by Trump and MAGA.

American flags fly in the wind along the National Mall on November 10, 2025 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. — The reaction to this betrayal of the principles and interests of the American people and the party from other leaders in the House has been clear-eyed and strong. Tom Brenner/Getty Images

Again, the election day wins last week should be seen as a positive sign in this regard. A host of new strong leaders has moved up in the party’s ranks—from across a wide spectrum of political viewpoints. In fact, if there was one message from last week’s elections, it is that the Democratic Party is big enough for a wide range of views—as long as all are willing to do whatever it takes to fight for the American people, the Constitution and to stand up to Trump.

Because the one thing we know is that Trump and his cronies will emerge emboldened by what happened in the Senate on Sunday and the need for new and effective leadership across the party will only increase with each passing day.

The post Opinion: Why These Vichy Dems and Their Spineless Boss Need to Go Now appeared first on The Daily Beast.

Opinion: Why These Vichy Dems and Their Spineless Boss Need to Go Now

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