Here's why Manchin, Romney and Collins are about to wield serious Senate power
By Joe Concha, Opinion Contributor — 01/06/21 12:30 PM EST
Adam Schiff. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Eric Swalwell. Stacey Abrams: These are the ubiquitous media darlings of the left.
Reps. Schiff (D-Calif.) and Swalwell (D-Calif.) alone have conducted hundreds of interviews during the Trump era, mainly to talk about the president’s ties to Russia without evidence. AOC has released countless videos on social media during that time to her 20 million Twitter and Instagram followers. Abrams – who also took major issue with elections in Georgia while claiming her 2018 gubernatorial run was stolen from her – has yet to concede in downright Trumpian defiance but isn't accused by the press of tearing down democracy. Funny how that works.
Moderates in both parties, conversely, don't seem to get the same kind of ink and airtime. Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) is a good example of a moderate who doesn't run to a microphone or his phone to share every thought on any topic going through his head. Same with Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) or Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) or Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) or Mitt Romney (R-Utah). All speak to the press on occasion, much to MAGA Trump supporters’ chagrin, but aren't exactly Kardashian-esque in their (over) exposure.
But after what appears to be a Democratic sweep of two runoffs in the formerly deep-red state of Georgia, it won't be the loudest voices on either side of the aisle who have more power, but the aforementioned moderates. In the House, as we saw with Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) razor-thin re-election victory as speaker, which required a reckless Pelosi allowing two Democratic House members who tested positive for COVID-19 to vote in person, the Blue Team's majority is almost non-existent (222-211, the smallest spread since World War II).
In the Senate, same deal, where we’re looking at a 50-50 split with Vice President-elect Kamala Harris serving as the tiebreaker. But know this: The assumption that either party will be in complete, unanimous lockstep is a farcical one.
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https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/532881-heres-why-manchin-romney-and-collins-are-about-to-wield-serious-senate-power
