Sinema Saving Seats of Silent Dems

Her vocal opposition to the $3.5 trillion spending bill provides cover to those who would rather avoid talking about it.

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Sen. Kyrsten Sinema is driving her party absolutely bonkers. For publicly joining her fellow Democrat, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, in opposing a $3.5 trillion social-welfare package passionately desired by the party’s progressives, the first-term senator from Arizona has become an object of intense loathing on the left.

Mother Jones wants you to know that some people who also usually donate money to Republicans have given her campaign contributions. A home-state columnist thinks she’s been paid off with campaign contributions by pharmaceutical companies to oppose the package. New York Magazine’s Jonathan Chait seems to agree, observing that because she opposes the spending plan backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, “[h]er positions line up closely with what wealthy lobbyists desire.” Dana Milbank of the Washington Post likened her to a disturbed man detained after a standoff with police near the Capitol. Michelle Cottle of the New York Times says Sinema should probably leave the party altogether.  

Activists hassle her on airplanes, they harass and film her in the ladies room, and they even followed her to the Boston Marathon.

While Manchin certainly gets plenty of blowback for his refusals, there seems to be a more intense—more vicious—quality to the attacks on Sinema. It may have something to do with her being a woman, and an openly bisexual woman at that. Expectations among activists for a young female senator are probably different from those for an older male. Some of it probably has to do with where she’s from. President Biden ran 20 points better in Arizona than he did in West Virginia, and Arizona is seen as the new frontier for Democrats. That all no doubt makes her more of a traitor in the eyes of intense partisans than Manchin could ever be. But the biggest difference is probably that they figure it might work on her.

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  1. Avatar photo
    Denise Cote

    Sad to say I think Sinema is getting harassment because she's a woman, even though progressives are the ones doing the harassing.

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    Ben Connelly

    “ Activists hassle her on airplanes, they harass and film her in the ladies room, and they even followed her to the Boston Marathon.”

    That second one crossed the line. But the Boston Marathon? The idea that activists would violate the sanctity of the most prestigious road race in the world? I suppose it will enter Boston lore along with the duel in the sun and 2018 and Bill Rodgers and Meb Keflezighi.

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    I Was a Crooked Lawyer

    Democrats in general, and AZ Democrats in particular, would be wise to accommodate Sinema by moderating their unrealistic agenda. If her likely primary opponent beats her, he will get slaughtered in the general. Bernie and cohorts seem to think 2020 was a wave election for the left like FDR in ‘32 or LBJ in ‘64. Dems lost seats in the House, gained a draw in the Senate (after Trump blew up GA runoff), and won the presidency by a hairsbreadth over the least defensible Republican nominee in history. The much-heralded ascendant majority doesn’t seem to be ascending and may not even be a majority. Side note: Stirewalt continues to be a great addition to The Dispatch.

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    rlritt

    I don't understand what Sinema wants. She hasn't really stated any specific parts of the bill she is against.
    But since her career as a congress woman looks like it's over she must be looking at some plum job in the private sector or maybe the media. The camera likes her so that may be her goal.

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    Frank Lee

    The cancellation of Gruden is just one of many bits that should coalesce into a righteous opinion that Sinema and Manchin are national treasures and national heroes.

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    Nick H

    So if Kelly wins reelection in 2024, will he pivot to being the vocal moderate and provide cover for Sinema during her next campaign? The only problem with this theory is that it's hard to imagine Sinema in the obstinately opaque role.

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  7. Kevin Wiggins

    I really liked the Hangover, I hope they develop something more in that vein with Stirewalt he's such a good writer and interviewer.

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    Howard

    Who are the silent Dems? Kelly and . . . ?

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    Michael Donahoe

    Is this article title a play on "scuttling across the floors of silent seas?"

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    Bill Nelson

    During her election campaign, republicans used her past statements to paint Sienna as very left wing, while she ran as a more moderate candidate. While Sinema is not a real moderate she has been a surprise to many here, both left and right, who assumed she would behave more as a progressive. This may be one in which many of the states independents vote as Democrats in the primary. I am curious to see if Sinema will continue to stand on principle or may be bought off with a set-aside(such as a large increase of Colorado River water).

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