Democratic Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly hasn’t been in the Senate for very long, but he knows where his bread is buttered.
Or, rather, he’s reached a point in his Senate career where he’s willing to stick his bread out there and see what happens:
BREAKING NEWS: Sen. Mark Kelly supports change to Senate's filibuster rule for voting-rights legislation https://t.co/UoK8PMIjoc via @azcentral @SenMarkKelly #AZSEN
— YvonneWingettSanchez 🏜 (@yvonnewingett) January 19, 2022
Arizona @SenMarkKelly is a YES on the Senate rules change to move the Freedom To Vote Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Adv. Act.
"If campaign finance and voting rights reforms are blocked again this week, I will support the proposed changes to pass them with a majority vote." pic.twitter.com/TANRSR3osu
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) January 19, 2022
Hey, Senator. We’re certainly not gonna stand in your way. If you wanna hop on that bandwagon, we won’t stop you.
The fact that’s he’s withheld his position so long indicates how trepidatious he is about this very uncertain gamble. https://t.co/fiBJTHfead
— Colin Duffy (@TheRightDuff) January 19, 2022
He knows it’s a major gamble, but he’s evidently much more concerned about the short-term optics than the long-term ramifications.
Saving your ass in the primary only to get it handed to you in the general 😂 https://t.co/wVXB8ayDKH
— FlyMeAway84 🛩 🏝 (@Away84Me) January 19, 2022
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He’s not doing the Democratic Party as a whole any favors, either.
Why? It isn't going to pass anyway. Why hand the republicans an attack ad. https://t.co/XwTYQnDqkC
— Dutch Conservadem 🇳🇱🐶 (@NLConservadem) January 19, 2022
Like we said: we’re not gonna stand in the way.
Mark Kelly does whatever Chuck Schumer tells him to do?
— Max Flordau (@MaxNordau) January 19, 2022
So Schumer’s master plan of forcing vote on dead bill gets most vulnerable incumbent to take very partisan stand. 4D chess. https://t.co/PCEPTN1ILk
— Brent Scher (@BrentScher) January 19, 2022
Putting on the red shirt and beaming down with Captain Schurk. https://t.co/L8TxiccXVZ
— Ed Morrissey (@EdMorrissey) January 19, 2022
As a general rule, it’s not a good idea to throw your lot in with Chuck Schumer. His track record when it comes to making good decisions is … sub-optimal.
They’re walking the plank for a very unpopular president and a weak majority leader, on a very low-priority issue for voters (beyond the shouters on here). They deserve to lose these votes, then lose badly in November — then a bunch of them will again change their position.
— Guy Benson (@guypbenson) January 19, 2022
But by then, it may be too late.
He just signed his political death warrant.
Bye, @SenMarkKelly https://t.co/GLTEKSFgDl
— Columnated Ruins (@DominofromAZ) January 19, 2022
Hopefully he’s got a contingency plan:
He’s decided it’s too important to placate the furthest extremes of the base than appeal to the center. Might be a smart play, or he might just be making sure he gets a lucrative gig if he loses this November. https://t.co/5YpdSdXY0N
— Varad Mehta (@varadmehta) January 19, 2022
His pollster just said “a toaster with an ‘R’after it’s name will beat you in November: better make sure you get the MSNBC gig.” https://t.co/4vcMTF6Kve
— Mark Noonan (@Mark_E_Noonan) January 19, 2022