"very strong letter" that's good CrispyQ.

He’s hung on longer than Schumer who is a little younger.

I loved RPG, and wished she would have retired earlier too!

I'm 67, so my call for his retirement is not as much about ageism, as it is strategical in the hopes of Dems winning again !!

younger generation, then Bernie would be the second to be targeted after Nancy Pelosi. She is 85 and Bernie is 83. That is if the message about making way for the younger generation is consistent, but we see that it isn’t.

Retirement might cross his mind if he was no longer being put in a position of leadership.

But, no doubt you know better. Right? Explain why you know better for me, please.

I did not say I know better, tho my sense is there is a growing unrest among Dems in both the House and Senate, which will become more and more verbal as we move into 2026

Example see Cory Booker's non-response:

https://decider.com/2025/04/07/cory-booker-dodges-sunny-hostin-question-replacing-chuck-schumer-the-view/

It's a difficult time, and Democrats do not have majorities in Congress. So, what they can actually do is pretty limited.

Many people who are not in Congress, however, seem to think that they should do something to get rid of republican control. When asked what current Democrats in Congress should actually do, though, those people don't really have anything useful to suggest.

So, I'll suggest something: Don't help Democrats fight among themselves. Don't encourage disputes among Democrats. Don't encourage people to throw Democrats under the bus.

Instead, people who are not elected officials can do many things to make life difficult for Republicans in office. Instead of going after elected Democrats, why no go after elected Republicans instead. Make THEM quit, not Democrats. Make life uncomfortable for Republicans, not Democrats.

That's what you and I and millions of other Democrats out there can actually. Things that are not destructive to Democrats. Destroy Republicans, instead.

How does that sound?

Some people very sincerely believe that Schumer's vote to keep the government open was in the party's best interest. Other people very sincerely believe it wasn't. Those two groups can't both be right. If someone fundamentally believes Schumer's leadership is a net negative, then supporting him remaining as our Senate leader isn't in the best interest of the party.

That's what leaders do.

Yes these are difficult times!

In an ideal world, I agree, it's best to go after republicans.

On the flip side, us Dems have always taken pride in the fact that we do NOT walk in lock step like republicans.

We agree that having a vigorous primary debate among DEMS is best to come up with the best person to beat out those who support the fascist regime.

Most importantly, thanks for being involved and passionate about fighting for what's right in this world!

what's going on in the Senate Than those who are Not.

and gets defeated but that's a long way off. Too bad though they can't convince him to at least hand over minority leadership in the Senate. He doesn't seem aware of the fact that the other side can no longer be reasoned with or trusted to play by the rules any more.

We need someone willing to get in their face when they're aiding tsf in trashing the Constitution. Schumer has yet to show he has that ability or the will to do that. He needs to let someone like Booker take the reins.

When Schumer does retire, my money is on Dan Goldman to be our next Democratic senator from NY.

Especially if he keeps waving the white flag, in terms of dealing with the lawlessness of the tsf. It's a long way off though so we will see.

That is if we ever are allowed by dictator tsf to have another fair election.

Shutting down the government was exactly what Trump wanted. Chuck Schumer didn't take the bait.

There are a lot of folks playing checkers out there. I'm glad Leader Schumer isn't one of them.

about the shut down, but tsf does what he wants anyway. If he wants to do it, he will do it even if he promised not to in exchange for voting for with him.

It's like the whole thing with tsf blackmailing law firms. "Oh if you do this amount of free legal work for me I will not go after you." Guess what? According to Marc Elias he's already going back and demanding more from them.

Once you back down in the face of their threats, blackmailers, will just come back with more demands and even worse threats. A line has to be drawn somewhere about how far our side is willing to go in surrendering our values to pacify a dictator who willl likely just carry out his threats anyway. At some point someone has to say enough is enough, and we are done believing you will honor your side of the bargain anyway. We won't give you the satisfaction of saying, "look even their side agrees with me, which tsf wasted no time in doing.

Just my opinion though.

and the federal workers who remain are still being paid. The Social Security Administration may have been downsized, but it's still processing new claims and cutting checks. And the national parks remain open.

If the government had been shut down, all the folks who were shouting "Resist!" a month ago would be be bellowing "Do something!" right about now.

And there would be nothing that Democrats could have done to reopen the government.

an agreement on this. You're going to believe what you believe and I am going to believe what I believe. You have a nice rest of your evening.

the government.” This is exactly right and why Trump wanted that whole scenario in his wheelhouse alone. Thank goodness Schumer thought that through and denied that disastrous situation to the wannabe dictator.

It’s so great to see your informed posts about reality, lapucelle. TY!

. . .because he will not be up for re-election until 2028.

Between now and then, a lot of things will happen.

And he may decide to call it a career then and throw it open to all comers.

I know he's not running again until 2028. I never said otherwise.

The wait and see was meant in reference to the assumption that if he runs again that he'd beat any Democrat in a primary. I don't see his victory as a given in that potential scenario. As you point out a lot can happen between now and then, including that he may not even run.

Do you think that it's arrogance that's keeping Bernie Sanders (83), Elizabeth Warren (75), Ed Markey (78), Ron Wyden (75), Jack Reed (75), Angus King (81), Peter Welch (77), and Richard Blumenthal (79) from retirement?

Two of them are older than Dick Durbin. Hell, the average age of the delegation from VT is as old as Dick Durbin.

They're all Democrats (or caucus with Democrats), and they're all older than Chuck Schumer. Are you calling for them to retire as well?

I like to see him mentor a new leader a la pelosi / Jefferies. She’s stepped back but is still close enough to counsel when asked and I think Jefferies is smart enough to ask when he need it.

Have Schumer close as a mentor would make for a good move. IMHO.

When I wrote the OP, I was thinking of him leaving as Minority Leader, tho not necessarily the senate.

I could have made that more clear.

Thanks

You didn't write "step down". You said "retire".

And then you asked whether it was "arrogance" that is keeping him from doing what Dick Durbin just did. Dick Durbin just retired.

In addition, I'm not sure why you think Chuck Schumer is motivated by arrogance. I've never heard him described that way.

I did not say Schumer is too old! To repeat, this is not about ageism!!

I did say he needs to move on as a (minority) leader in the Senate. IMO, he is no longer the best choice as minority leader. Granted, we have yet to see a robust challenge to his leadership, but I truly believe this will be in the cards sooner than later.

I'm not calling for any of those people you mentioned to retire either, i'm simply referring to Chuck Schumer as minority leader

Again, i could have made the distinction in the OP between retiring from the Senate and retiring as Minority Leader.

With that being said, I stand by, I believe he should retire as Minority Leader.

So Lapucelle, do you think senator schumer should retire (only) as Minority Leader, while still staying in the senate?

That link is to the cloture vote that allowed the CR to come to the floor for a vote.

Schumer took a lot of heat for his cloture vote, but it was the right call. That's what leaders do.

Had the government shut down, the Executive branch would have decided what would stay open and what would close. Trump would have decided how many federal workers would be furloughed and what departments they would come from. Federal workers who were kept on would be working without pay.

The Social Security Administration would probably have continued to cut checks, but it would not have had the manpower to process new claims.

Once the federal courts ran out of money, only mission critical (criminal) cases would have been heard. All the civil cases against the Executive branch would be held in abeyance.

The government would have stayed closed until Trump gave Johnson permission to bring a new CR to the House floor, and Democrats would be shouldering the blame.

Democrats did not take the bait, and that's due to Chuck Schumer.

The many thousands of federal workers who have been furloughed, fired, or had their entire department's eliminated has already been unprecedented and catastrophic for people and the environment alike.

Case in point, the Social Security Administration is still an entity, but due to layoffs and reorganization, it's become so inefficient people might as well be losing their checks (and not being able to complain to anybody) already.

Ultimately, it is what it is.

We can agree we despise the fascist regime, hopefully, we will come up with a unified and effective strategy to win in 2026.

Back to Schumer, if a representative majority Democrats truly feel he is no longer an effective leader, that a change will happen.That represents the best opportunity for us to kick republican ass in 2026!

People have already been disappeared. How many more would have been disappeared if Trump could do it entirely in the dark?

They are speaking out loud and clear on how corrupt the other side is. It isn't his age that upsets me, it's his inability to face the reality that he can't cut deals with his Republican buddies in the gym or at lunch anymore. They aren't interested for one thing, and even if they tell you they will cut a deal, one call from tsf's team and Chuck's deal" is gone with the wind.

Gillibrand is younger but just as bad. Her commercials and letters keep bragging about how bipartisan she can be. I hate to break it to her but "bipartisanship," requires both sides be willing to negotiate fairly and honestly, and that cannot happen when your dealing with modern day Nazis.

Whole lot of others showed up to speak, some serving members of Congress, some labor leaders, some clerics, parents, and some 'young lobbyists', all with important stories to tell. It is AMAZING and empowering.

It's gone on for hours and is on Cory Booker's You-Tube channel. One assumes it will be available on is channel if you didn't tune in live.

I think he’ll retire then

Is 'showing' the American people.

Chuck, get real we already know FFS. Now, DO SOMETHING. Anything

Last July, Clooney's Op Ed about Joe Biden started public demands for him to step down.

kept his mouth shut.

will have to seriously run against him before he gets the message.

THAT IS THE FUCKING PROBLEM......in any other job if you had the kind of results Dems had in the last election there would be a HUGE change in leadership.

Chuck Schumer.

Gumption, I tell ya. Gumption.

one big problem the dems have is attracting young voters...
they are not impresssed by 70+. year old leaders who for the most part continue to act like the old ways of doing things still work.

schumer sent a strong letter. as opposed to booker who stood up on the floor of the senate and spoke for 24+ hours...

people want to see action not just words..

an orchestra leader is what is called for in these times. We need a war time consigliere. We need someone who doesn't bring a pen (stern letter) to a missile attack.

It is not a debate about the CR or not the CR. Chuck does not have the right message. He does not deliver opposition well.

I think he is not the leader for these times. At the beginning of Grifter in Chief 2.0, Schumer was willing to watch as the grifter imploded and take advantage of the destruction and mistakes. Schumer was looking toward the next election - not the urgency of the moment.

Chris Murphy has a message about the urgency of saving Democracy and he is delivering it well. Cory Booker shook things up and created a path for a paradigm shift. Chris van Hollen is showing determination and courage. Sheldon Whitehouse wanted a "war room" years ago, but no one listened.

Schumer is not recognizing the talent in the Caucus. I think he is holding some of them back. Schumer still thinks he is the talent in the Caucus.