Yesterday, I told Republicans that they could relax about this year’s battle of Democrats to blame Republicans for a so-called federal government shutdown. Hours later, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer validated my advice by surrendering, and announcing that he would not filibuster the continuing resolution funding bill and would in fact vote for cloture. The Democrats’ house organ summarized:

Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the minority leader, broke with his party on Thursday and lined up enough Democrats to advance a Republican-written bill to keep federal funding flowing past a midnight Friday deadline, arguing that Democrats could not allow a government shutdown that many of them have demanded.

During a private luncheon with Democrats, Mr. Schumer stunned many of his colleagues by announcing that he planned to vote to allow the G.O.P. bill to move forward, and indicated that he had enough votes to help Republicans break any filibuster by his own party against the measure, according to attendees and people familiar with the discussion.

It was a turnabout from just a day earlier, when Mr. Schumer proclaimed that Democrats were “unified” against the legislation[.]

The decision was not accepted with unanimous support among his caucus. Reporters overheard shouting through closed doors during a private lunch at the Capitol. But it is among House Democrats that the most public opposition is visible.

Axios, whose headline says it all: House Dems go into “complete meltdown” as Schumer folds:

House Democrats erupted into apoplexy Thursday night after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said he would support Republicans’ stopgap government funding measure.

[snip]

• House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), in remarks to his House colleagues at their annual retreat Thursday, lauded them for standing up to President Trump by voting against the bill, according to multiple sources.
• When he praised House Democrats’ votes, he received a standing ovation. When he mentioned Senate Democrats, members booed.

What we’re hearing: House Democrats’ text chains lit up Thursday night with expressions of blinding anger, according to numerous lawmakers who described the conversations on the condition of anonymity.

• “People are PISSED,” one House Democrat told Axios in a text message.
• Several members — including moderates — have begun voicing support for a primary challenge to Schumer, floating Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) and Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) as possible candidates, three House Democrats said.
• One lawmaker even vowed at the House Democratic retreat to “write a check tonight” supporting Ocasio-Cortez, said the senior House Democrat.
• Another Democrat told Axios the ideation has gone a step further: “There is definitely a primary recruitment effort happening right now … not just Schumer, but for everyone who votes no.”

Democrat Senators have been more genteel in public, expressing their discontent by announcing their retirements (four, so far), tanking dreams of retaking the Senate and stymying Trump judicial appointments, among other mischief in the second half of his term.

More winning under Trump.

Image: DonkeyHotey, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr, unaltered.

Retired AT founder Thomas Lifson has also started a Substack page. You can read his first post there here.