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On Monday, after a rare show of resistance to the Trump administration in the form of a highly disruptive government shutdown, several Senate Democrats folded, as eight legislators defected from the party line to vote with Republicans and pass a funding bill that many of their fellow Dems have derided as woefully inadequate, particularly for its failure to extend the imminently expiring tax credits that keep the Affordable Care Act health insurance plans affordable for many Americans.
Although Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer was not one of the those eight "yes" votes on the funding bill, many Democrats—progressives and moderates alike—are now asking: What the fuck, Chuck? Why fold at this critical juncture, when some of Trump's staunchest congressional allies are signaling a willingness to defect, and the president's popularity craters? Where's your ability to control your caucus? Why should anyone put any faith in your leadership when you're unable to stop your party members from trading their rare upper hand (one gained at the hard cost of causing your constituents genuine harm) for nothing but a promise from Senate Republicans that they'll vote on extending those ACA tax credits in December? But Schumer's detractors don't really want answers—what they really want, and are calling for, is the senator's resignation as head of the Democratic caucus.