1 week Ago
Earlier this week, Cory Booker, New Jersey’s senior senator, took to a podium on the floor of the Senate chamber and refused to yield for 25 straight hours. As you can imagine, over the course of his day-long speech, or the “Fili-Booker” as the internet has taken to calling it, Booker had time to hit on a number of topics. His colleagues, like fellow New Jersey senator, Andy Kim, took turns asking questions so the senator could rest his voice and hydrate.
Even Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer took time out of his busy schedule of waiving a tiny white flag to pitch in. A whole day-plus is a long time to speak — and regardless of where the oratory wandered, the overarching themes were morality and preserving democracy. It was a political stunt to be sure, but in this case, it was the good kind.
Donald Trump came in swinging for the anti-democracy fences in his second term as president and the Democratic Party has spent the first few months of his second term reeling. The party faithful, and independents who would prefer to live in a democracy, are understandably perturbed at the seeming fecklessness of the Democratic leadership against Trump’s existential threat. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries talks like an AI and Schumer is either physically or mentally unable to recognize that Trump is a different kind of politician than he accustomed to — that normal Washington rules of engagement do not apply.
I understand Schumer would rather be holding gas station press conferences, but that’s not the reality we’re living in. The reality we’re living is being guided by a conman and a cadre of billionaires intent on dismantling the foundations of American governance. Democratic voters want to see some fight from their party.
If John Fetterman, the Pennsylvania senator, wants to go to brunch at Mar-A-Lago, fine, I hope he enjoys his eggs. But he’ll have to explain his decisions to Pennsylvanians eventually. In the meantime, it would be nice if some of the other self-proclaimed progressives in Congress, besides Bernie and AOC, would show a little backbone.
Booker did just that. He stood at a podium for an epic speech, snatching back a small slice of the news cycle from tariffs, oligarchs and ill-advised group chats. Democrats will take any sign of life they can get.
Sheneman has drawn political cartoons for The Star-Ledger since 1998. His work is syndicated nationally through Tribune Content Agency. Find him at drewsheneman.
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