Schumer: I Recruited Elizabeth Warren After Scott Brown Allegedly Rejected Deal

[DonViejo]

CATHERINE THOMPSON – DECEMBER 3, 2013, 11:15 AM EST

As Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) tells it, he helped persuade Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) to run for office after her Republican predecessor reneged on an agreement that could have kept him in office.

Schumer was asked in an interview with the New Republic published Monday why he says Warren shaped his outlook. In response, the New York Democrat spilled the details of an alleged deal with former Sen. Scott Brown (R-MA).

"I went to Scott Brown and said, 'If you give us the sixtieth vote for the Citizens United rollback, we won’t go after you,'" he told the New Republic. "I spent a lot of time lobbying him, and met some of his friends and had them lobby him. He said yes. Then he said no. So I wanted to recruit the strongest candidate against him, and I thought that was Elizabeth Warren."

Schumer was referring to the Disclose Act, which would have enhanced transparency in corporate campaign contributions. That legislation was filibustered by Senate Republicans.

full article
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/schumer-recruited-elizabeth-warren-after-scott-brown-allegedly-rejected-deal

[Kelvin Mace]

1. Schumer needs to go

He is an austerity hawk, and a Vichy Democrat who is collaborating with the enemy.

[karynnj]

4. Not to mention, listening more to Netanyahu than Obama, Kerry and American experts on Iran nt

[BeyondGeography]

2. Fucking Schumer

And the fucking Senate...

[karynnj]

3. It is sick that Schumer thinks this makes him look good

I wonder how the Massachusetts Democrats feel about the idea that Schumer would have offered Brown a deal where they would not go after him. Not to mention, Warren was mentioned (even in a Boston Globe op ed) long before that bill as the one to run.

The fact is that the MA Democratic party was able to win every Congressional seat - even an open one - in November 2010 and to retain the Governorship - this in the biggest GOP wave election in decades.

The Democrats knew that they were likely to lose seats in 2012 and again in 2014. It is incredible that we did so well in 2012 - and part of it was the Republicans shooting themselves in the foot by (in one way or another) pushing out Snowe and Lugar - 2 seats no one thought we would win - and by losing MO by selecting Akin. If Schumer conceded MA - and had the Republicans won those three seats, the Senate would have had 51 Democrats making control very difficult and may be even at risk. Every seat counts - and letting the Republicans have Massachusetts is an unnecessary loss.

Even if it was ONLY Schumer's efforts that led Warren to run -- which is very unlikely that did not mean that Brown would have won. Warren is an incredible person, but she also had never run for any office. ANY Democrat who got the nomination would be running with Obama. Many of Brown's strange actions and possible delusions of grandeur already happened - and his real weaknesses and the shallowness of who Brown is likely would have surfaced no matter who he was against.

I put this with Schumer's telling a reporter a year ago or so that he regretted not LEADING an effort to filibuster Alito -- when he actively fought Kerry and Kennedy for doing so behind the scenes. It was not a case of "lead", but following the MA Senators.

[Arkana]

5. Schumer blows his own horn so much I'm surprised he can still feel his lips.

[Tyrs WolfDaemon]

8. That's not his horn

[Whisp]

6. Schumer patting himself on his own shoulders.

What a surprise.

What an asshole.

[PoliticAverse]

7. Whatever you do, don't get between Chuck Schumer and a camera.... n/t