“Retirement Announcement Shakes D.C.” – Chuck Schumer’s run as Senate Minority Leader has come to an end.

The editorial board wrote: “Democrats kept the government shut down for 41 days purely to satisfy their squalling left flank’s need to ‘resist’ President Donald Trump.”

It went further: “The shutdown was not about policy. It was about rage. Democratic grassroots activists demanded that their lawmakers express their fury — even if it meant harming the country.”

The editorial criticized Schumer for attempting to force Republicans to extend certain Affordable Care Act subsidies — subsidies that Democrats themselves had scheduled to expire in 2021.

To many observers, it made the party look disorganized, contradictory, and led by emotion rather than strategy. And crucially, it made Schumer look weak.

Pressure from Inside the House: “Schumer Should Be Replaced”

Internal criticism can be more damaging than attacks from the opposing party.

So when Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), a high-profile progressive and influential voice within the Democratic Party, publicly stated: “Sen. Schumer is no longer effective and should be replaced,”

it signaled a deeper shift — one that Schumer cannot ignore.

For decades, he has managed to maintain control of the Senate Democratic caucus through a combination of seniority, discipline, and political savvy. But the new generation of lawmakers — many inspired by the Sanders movement and cemented by Ocasio-Cortez’s rise — are far less deferential.

They do not see Schumer as an untouchable institution. They see a leader whose time may be fading.

The Bigger Picture: A Party in Transition

Chuck Schumer is not the only Democrat facing pressure. Across the party, long-established leaders are being challenged by younger progressives who argue that the old guard has failed to deliver bold solutions for modern problems.Continue reading…