Democratic senators

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Democratic Senators: Maybe Biden Should Skip Debates

High-ranking Dick Durbin says Biden should 'think twice' before getting on stage with Trump

(Newser) - Donald Trump hasn't attended a single GOP primary debate this election season. At least two Democratic senators suggest President Biden should return the favor when it comes to debates for the general election. "I would think twice about it," Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois tells the Hill...

Menendez Released on Bond After Pleading Not Guilty

Judge restricts senator's international travel

(Newser) - Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez pleaded not guilty Wednesday in his first court appearance since he was indicted on bribery and extortion charges last week. The senator's wife and three New Jersey businesspeople named in the indictment have also pleaded not guilty, Politico reports. All five defendants are expected to...

Daughter Has Power of Attorney Over Congress' Oldest Member

Questions arise at revelation over control of Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein's legal affairs

(Newser) - Dianne Feinstein turned 90 last month, but the Democratic senator is still punching in for duty on Capitol Hill, despite not-so-subtle whispers about her cognitive abilities and overall health . Now, a new revelation has emerged via the New York Times , which reports that Feinstein's only child, 66-year-old daughter Katherine...

Should Feinstein Resign? The Public (and Hillary) Weigh In
Big Name Pops
Up as Possible
Feinstein
Replacement
THE RUNDOWN

Big Name Pops Up as Possible Feinstein Replacement

'Floated in California circle' as debate continues on whether 89-year-old senator should resign: Oprah

(Newser) - From a recent "concerning" exchange with a journalist, to the odd revelation that Nancy Pelosi's daughter is serving as her aide, Sen. Dianne Feinstein continues to spur questions on whether she should step down after a debilitating bout of shingles and related conditions . One person on the side...

'Do You Still Identify as a Democrat?' Manchin Dodges

'I identify as an American,' the West Virginia Democrat says instead

(Newser) - It was a simple enough question. But Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin's response—or non-response—during an appearance over the weekend on Fox News is raising some eyebrows. The exchange, per Rolling Stone :
  • Fox's Maria Bartiromo: "Do you still identify as a Democrat?"
  • Manchin: "I identify as
...

For Sinema and Manchin, a Big Question Looms
For Sinema and Manchin,
a Big Question Looms
the rundown

For Sinema and Manchin, a Big Question Looms

Will the Democratic party support primary challenges against them in 2024?

(Newser) - Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin didn't budge on the filibuster—thus dooming voting-rights legislation —and have cemented their roles as perceived fiends among Democrats. Now the big question in regard to the Democratic senators: Will the party try to "primary" them in 2024? Chuck Schumer and other...

Senator on Club Membership: 'I Don't Spend a Lot of Time There'

RI Dem Sheldon Whitehouse is in the hot seat again about his ties to an allegedly 'all white' Newport club

(Newser) - A Democratic senator from Rhode Island is playing defense after he was grilled this week about his family's long-standing membership at an exclusive beach club. GoLocal Providence describes Bailey's Beach Club in Newport—which has had Sheldon Whitehouse, his wife, and other relatives as members for decades—as...

Senator Presiding Over Impeachment Trial Taken to Hospital

Patrick Leahy undergoes tests after feeling ill, then heads home

(Newser) - Sen. Patrick Leahy, who's presiding over the impeachment trial of former President Trump, was taken to a hospital Tuesday evening after saying he didn't feel well. After an evaluation, including tests, Leahy went home, the Hill reports. The Capitol physician had conducted a brief exam of his own,...

Dems' Kirsten Gillibrand: Hero for Women or 'Hypocrite'?


Now in DC
Spotlight:
Kirsten
Gillibrand
THE RUNDOWN

Now in DC Spotlight: Kirsten Gillibrand

She led the charge against fellow Democrat Al Franken

(Newser) - The demise of Al Franken's career in the US Senate was hastened along by members of his own party who called for him to step down amid sexual misconduct allegations. Chief among them: New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who helped turn up the heat on Franken this week by...

Senators to Komen: Restore Planned Parenthood Cuts

22 Democrats sign letter to breast cancer charity

(Newser) - The outcry over the Susan G. Komen foundation's decision to cut Planned Parenthood funding has made its way to Capitol Hill. Some 22 Democratic senators—a large number for such an undertaking, notes the Plum Line blog at the Washington Post —have signed a letter calling on Komen...

Bad News for Dems? Ben Nelson Retiring

Nebraska seat could shift to Republicans in Senate

(Newser) - Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson won't seek reelection next year, potentially harming Democratic hopes to hold onto the Senate majority, Politico reports. Though Nelson's approval ratings had struggled, they were on the rise this year, thanks in part to $1 million in national Democratic Party advertising. Meanwhile, Republicans spent...

Chris Dodd's New Job: Hollywood's Top Lobbyist

He's taking over the Motion Picture Association of America

(Newser) - Chris Dodd, freshly retired from the Senate, has a new job—CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America, notes the Hollywood Reporter . The MPAA is Hollywood's biggest lobbying group, though it's probably better known for its role overseeing the ratings system. Dodd takes over at a time of declining...

Va. Senator Jim Webb Won't Run Again

Democrat will leave after one term

(Newser) - Democrat Jim Webb of Virginia won't run for a second term in 2012, a decision that gives Republicans a better chance of regaining their swing-state Senate seat. Webb, a Vietnam vet and former Navy secretary, said he's heading back to the private sector, reports the Times-Dispatch . Friends tell Politico he...

O'Donnell Has Trouble Naming Democratic Senators

But GOP hopeful is a big Hillary Clinton fan

(Newser) - Christine O’Donnell seemed stymied when asked during last night's debate to name a Democratic senator she’d feel comfortable working with. She gave two names—but neither is currently a Democratic senator. First she mentioned Hillary Clinton, acknowledging “she’s not a senator any more.” Then she...

Dem Senators: Lift Ban on Gay Blood Donors

John Kerry leads group urging FDA to end 'discriminatory' policy

(Newser) - John Kerry and 17 other Senate Democrats are calling on the FDA to end the 27-year-old ban on blood donations by gay men. The policy barring any man who has had sex with another man since 1977 dates to the beginning of the AIDS epidemic. It “was once considered...

Dems' Supermajority: Be Careful What You Wish For

Sixty-senator caucus makes Reid hostage to any naysayer

(Newser) - The convergence of events that led to the Democrats getting 60 senators in their caucus must have felt like fate to Harry Reid, a sign that health care reform was meant to be. But as negotiations drag on, lucky No. 60 feels more like unlucky 13, because Reid must do...

Baucus Defends Nominating Girlfriend

He says she was highly qualified for job and dismisses idea of 'affair'

(Newser) - Max Baucus today sought to squelch the notion that he acted improperly by nominating his girlfriend for a US attorney post earlier this year. "Everything of it is straight up and up," said Baucus, who called Melodee Hanes supremely qualified for the position in Montana. The two withdrew...

Robert Byrd Now Longest-Serving Legislator Ever

By the senator's count, his career spanned 20,774 days

(Newser) - West Virginia Sen. Robert C. Byrd has become the longest-serving lawmaker in congressional history, a milestone to be marked today with a Senate resolution. "I look forward to serving you for the next 56 years and 320 days," Byrd said, adding that he was sorry his late wife...

Reid's 6 Biggest Headaches
 Reid's 6 Biggest Headaches 
PUBLIC OPTION SHOWDOWN

Reid's 6 Biggest Headaches

Ben Nelson, Joe Lieberman are two of them

(Newser) - To get the 60 votes he needs just to bring his health care bill to the floor of the Senate, Harry Reid is going to have to rein in some of his caucus' members. Politico surveys the majority leader's biggest challenges.
  • Joe Lieberman, Conn. The independent said yesterday he'll join
...

Reid: I Won't Be Obama Rubber Stamp

Senate majority leader vows Congress won't just be Obama's rubber stamp

(Newser) - The 111th Congress is going to be a lot more than just a rubber stamp for Barack Obama's policies, Harry Reid tells the Hill. The Senate majority leader says Democrats must take care to avoid over-reaching. "If Obama steps over the bounds, I will tell him," the Democrat...

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