Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema leaves Democrat party, switches to Independent

[Hoodat]

Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema leaves Democrat party, switches to Independent

Snejana Farberov  |  December 9, 2022  |  7:10am

Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema announced Friday she had registered as an Independent, leaving the Democratic Party just days after it won a hard-fought run-off race in Georgia to secure 51 seats in the Senate.

“I have joined the growing numbers of Arizonans who reject party politics by declaring my independence from the broken partisan system in Washington,” she said in a op-ed for local media outlet Arizona Central.

Sinema, in a separate Politico interview published Friday, said she would not caucus with the Republican Party. If that holds, Democrats could still maintain greater control in the closely divided chamber.

Democrats had held the Senate 50-50 with Vice President Kamala Harris holding a tie-breaking vote.

Senator Raphael Warnock’s victory in Tuesday’s runoff election in Georgia had handed them their 51st seat.  .  .

https://nypost.com/2022/12/09/arizona-sen-kyrsten-sinema-leaves-democrat-party/


Republicans again outnumber Democrats 49-48.  But even if Sinema defects, the Dems can count on Murkowski and Romney to cover any void.

[HikerGuy83]

https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/09/politics/kyrsten-sinema-leaves-democratic-party/index.html

“I’ve registered as an Arizona independent. I know some people might be a little bit surprised by this, but actually, I think it makes a lot of sense,” Sinema said in a Thursday interview with Tapper in her Senate office.

“I’ve never fit neatly into any party box. I’ve never really tried. I don’t want to,” she added. “Removing myself from the partisan structure – not only is it true to who I am and how I operate, I also think it’ll provide a place of belonging for many folks across the state and the country, who also are tired of the partisanship.”

Sinema’s move away from the Democratic Party is unlikely to change the power balance in the next Senate. Democrats will have a narrow 51-49 majority that includes two independents who caucus with them: Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Angus King of Maine.

********************

Yeah Baby !!!!

[mountaineer]

In a natural extension of my service since I was first elected to Congress, I have joined the growing numbers of Arizonans who reject party politics by declaring my independence from the broken partisan system in Washington and formally registering as an Arizona Independent.

https://twitter.com/kyrstensinema/status/1601170136781664256

[andy58-in-nh]

Now, if we can get Joe Manchin to switch to the GOP...

Yes: he's a genuine pain in the ass, but as he has richly demonstrated, he can be bought - then the Biden agenda is DOA. 

[mountaineer]

Now, if we can get Joe Manchin to switch to the GOP...

Yes: he's a genuine pain in the ass, but as he has richly demonstrated, he can be bought - then the Biden agenda is DOA.

As one of his constituents, I keep complaining that Manchin is no Republican and we shouldn't want him to switch, but now I've decided what the heck, he wouldn't be any less a Republican than Collins, Romney, et al. After all, he does occasionally do the right thing. 

[mystery-ak]

Wow...so what does this mean re the control of the Senate?...is it back to 50-49-1?

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Wonder why?

[mystery-ak]

Hmmm she didn't answer Jake Tapper

After Tapper asked Sinema if her switch will change the balance in the Senate being 51-49, with the other two independents voting with the Democrats, Sinema responded, “I know you have to ask that question, Jake, but that’s kind of a D.C. thing to worry about.”

from
https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2022/12/09/sinema-im-leaving-democrats-and-becoming-an-independent-wont-be-stuck-into-one-partys-demands-of-following-without-thinking/

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Also... can I just say not guilty?

[mountaineer]

Wow...so what does this mean re the control of the Senate?...is it back to 50-49-1?

Isn't Sanders still technically an Independent? I guess if he "caucuses" with the Dems, then they count him as a Dem. In that case, yes, I think that would be the current breakdown.

[WhatWouldReaganDo]

Wonder why?

She likes to go both ways.

[roamer_1]

Wonder why?

Democrats need her now... And she has no obligation. She has already tended to lean right on some issues... If they fail to please her, their newly won advantage goes away.

That is a fairly powerful move.

[Mod2]

Threads merged

[Wingnut]

Democrats need her now... And she has no obligation. She has already tended to lean right on some issues... If they fail to please her, their newly won advantage goes away.

That is a fairly powerful move.

 

[Gefn]

 

[Hoodat]

I have joined the growing numbers of Arizonans who reject party politics by declaring my independence from the broken partisan system in Washington

Not to mention the broken partisan system in Arizona.

[Hoodat]

Wow...so what does this mean re the control of the Senate?...is it back to 50-49-1?

It's

R-49
D-48
I-3

It all comes down to whom the three independents choose to caucus with.  But considering that two of them are hardline communists, we can only hope that Sinema will vote with the Rs from time to time.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

It's essentially still a 50-50 Senate which makes it a Dem Senate still with the VP tiebreaker. Not sure if there are any moderate/sane Dems we could scrape off somewhere who'd like to get off the crazy train...

Hope they start flipping through the rolodex...

[Kamaji]

It's essentially still a 50-50 Senate which makes it a Dem Senate still with the VP tiebreaker. Not sure if there are any moderate/sane Dems we could scrape off somewhere who'd like to get off the crazy train...

Hope they start flipping through the rolodex...

Same here, but I'm not holding my breath.

[catfish1957]

Also... can I just say not guilty?

She does that crazy freaky librarian hotness to her.

[catfish1957]

Anyone else find that the timing of this announcement was suspect.  Wonder if she would have made the same decision if Walker had won.

[catfish1957]

It's essentially still a 50-50 Senate which makes it a Dem Senate still with the VP tiebreaker. Not sure if there are any moderate/sane Dems we could scrape off somewhere who'd like to get off the crazy train...

Hope they start flipping through the rolodex...

50-50?

With her leaving, and saying she won't caucus with the dims, doesn't it make it 50-49?

Chucky sadly, still rules.

[Wingnut]

She does that crazy freaky librarian hotness to her.

She could hurt a guy with those thighs.

[cato potatoe]

She would caucus with the dems in order to keep her committee assignments.  I'm not sure if this does anything besides open up 2024 for a republican (assuming they don't nominate Alex Jones or somebody like that).  Gallego probably wants to run as a dem. 

[mystery-ak]

 Sen. Kyrsten Sinema branded ‘the worst’ by Democrats after party switch
By Snejana Farberov   
December 9, 2022 11:14am

Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s bombshell announcement Friday that she was leaving the Democratic Party to become an Independent sparked a fury among liberals who accused the iconoclastic lawmaker of being a self-serving traitor.

The first-term senator argued in an op-ed published Friday by the Arizona Republic as well as several interviews that she has “never really fit into a box of any political party” — and she vowed not to caucus with Senate Republicans.

Should she keep her promise, Democrats will still retain their narrow voting majority in the closely divided Senate.

In a video explaining her decision, Sinema said: “Registering as an independent and showing up to work with the title of independent is a reflection of who I’ve always been. … Nothing’s going to change for me.”

Sinema’s move sparked an immediate backlash from Democrats, who took to Twitter to express their anger and frustration with the newly-minted Independent.

The Arizona Democratic Party ripped Sinema for declining to scrap the Senate’s legislative filibuster to pass election reform legislation and for opposing increases in corporate tax rates, saying she was “leaving Arizonans behind.”

more
https://nypost.com/2022/12/09/kyrsten-sinema-branded-traitor-by-democrats/