He vote will be courted by Democratic US Senate leader Schumer…
And still hang with them for the most part….
But?
The Independant Senator get’s dissed by another US Senate Independant.
One gets the impression that the new two years will be her last in Congress….
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) slammed Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) on Sunday as a “corporate Democrat” who “sabotaged” party priorities following her announcement that she was becoming an Independent.
During an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” with co-anchor Dana Bash, Sanders said Sinema didn’t have the guts to take on special interests while attacking her voting record.
“She doesn’t,” Sanders said. “She is a corporate Democrat who has, in fact, along with Sen. [Joe] Manchin [D-W.Va.] sabotaged enormously important legislation.”…
…
Sinema has not yet said if she will run for reelection, but rumors had grown that Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) or another progressive would mount a primary challenge to Sinema.
“I happen to suspect that it’s probably a lot to do with politics back in Arizona,” Sanders said on CNN of Sinema’s decision…
…
Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) on Sunday said Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.) switching her party affiliation from Democrat to Independent does not “functionally” change the Senate.
Tester told NBC’s “Meet the Press” moderator Chuck Todd he was “surprised” Sinema made the change but that Democrats would “continue doing the same thing” in the upper legislative chamber.
“Functionally, I don’t think that changes a thing,” the Montana senator said. “She’s going to continue to caucus with the Democrats, so we’ll still have the committee structures that we’ve had before.”
Sinema announced the switch to Independent late last week, shortly after Democrats won a key Senate race in Georgia and secured a 51-seat majority.
The Arizona senator, who expressed a wish to keep her committee assignments, said she “never fit neatly into any party box.”….
Something intersting to consider for 2024 in Arizona….
Sinema’s Mutually Assured Destruction
“Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s stunning decision to become an independent has triggered the possibility of a blue-on-purple civil war that could cost Democrats a must-win Senate seat in 2024,” Axios reports.
“Sinema would have had difficulty winning a primary. But she can win a general election — and might even be the favorite — if no Democrat of consequence runs.”
“But if moderate and progressive Democrats split, her move risks handing the Senate seat to a Republican nominee — potentially a right-wing candidate like Kari Lake.”
… and the maverick, independent-libertarian Goldwater/McCain/Kolbe/Kyl strain among Arizona voters can play a rôle.
In 1996, Arizona’s electoral votes went to Bill Clinton (breaking a GOP streak from 1952 to 1992) perhaps because Ross Perot might have taken more votes from Bob Dole than he did from Bill Clinton’s re-election.
1996 — D 46.5+% ; R 44.3%; Reform (Perot) 8.0-%
1992 — D 36.5+% ; R 38.5-%; Perot (ind.) 23.8%
[Longer post stuck in moderation]
Ross Perot’s vote in 1992 and 1996 probably decided Arizona’s electoral votes.
Arizona voters do seem to have an affinity for independent, maverick, libertarian candidates like Barry Goldwater, Jim Kolbe, John Kyl and John McCain.
Sinema ‘s only cahnce would be a split of the vote….
Dem’s gonna be after her for sure on the state level…..
They need to be nice to her politically day to day in the chamber