The New “Centrist” Dems: GOP “Crazy,” “Garbage”

A new Politico piece out Friday features interviews with several “centrist” Democrats. These supposed “centrists,” though, sound like anything but in the age of Donald Trump.

Rep. Ron Kind (D-WI), who won an uncontested race last year but whose district Trump won, said “I’m not going to support crazy up here.”

Rep. Jim Himes (D-CT), who chairs the “centrist” New Democrat Coalition, wondered aloud if Republicans will pick up a few Democrats “on whatever piece of garbage they want to offer.” Himes won comfortably in his moderate district in 2016, but by razor-thin margins in 2008, 2010, and 2014.

Of course, this may be a case of ‘trickle-down’ partisanship. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi refused to rule out a Democrat-led government shutdown this year, after calling Republicans “arsonists” for doing the same in 2013.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, meanwhile, is poised to lead an unprecedented filibuster of Supreme Court nominee Judge Neil Gorsuch this year. Nonpartisans across the spectrum consider Gorsuch qualified for the bench.

It seems that rank partisanship, even for so-called “centrists” is just the modus operandi for Democrats in Washington in 2017.