If any of them are too scared to do their job, that’s understandable—many get death threats—but then they should step aside and let one of the other 260 million American adults have the job, someone who is willing to actually do it.

Nah. That just means there’s no leverage in things that impact other people, and any leverage comes from showing “this is bad for you personally, but there’s a better path for you personally.”

Thanks, I appreciate that.

And it turns out that I'm writing this with my dog on my lap who I'm pretty sure just ripped one. So, um, synergy.

The laws of war permit a lot of things that most people would find horrifying. Deliberately, openly violating them is a telling choice.

Sounds like a plan!

Not passed yet, but the biggest procedural hurdle has been cleared, and I can't recall a bill where that happened with a bill but it didn't continue along the process. That said, I certainly won't discourage people from calling their Senators if they want, about this or anything else.

I think so.

The more cynical part of me suspects they and/or people with their gear were inconvenienced by air travel disruptions.

The less cynical part says maybe they thought they did the right thing, helping people in need, even if it was unpopular.

And “out of touch” is always an option.

Thanks. I wish I had something more pleasant to say, but here we are.

Fair enough. I don’t have any insider knowledge, I just went by public information. Maybe those eight senators were so intent on voting this way that nothing leadership could have done would have swayed them. If they really think they did something good and important, that’s their call.

If you'd rather criticize him as a weak leader who doesn't have what it takes to keep the caucus united, rather than a weak leader who prefers appeasement, that's fine by me.

Levers party leaders have include committee assignments, fund raising, and public criticism. As I wrote, no apparent effort.

"Thinking that the next election is all that matters is part of the problem, more of that outdated normal democracy mindset. Even if Dems win at least one house of Congress, it’ll be after another year of Trump degrading checks and balances... They should be defending Congress now as best they can."

The harm caused by the shutdown was real, affecting millions, and no one should downplay that. But America is not in a situation of harm or no harm. Rapidly backsliding into authoritarianism, America is in a terrible situation where appeasement trades short-term relief for more long-term harm.

He uses the word "hoax" the way I defined it above. That's it.