Sen. Elizabeth Warren explains why she will be voting to confirm Ben Carson as head of HUD:
Yes, I have serious, deep, profound concerns about Dr. Carson’s inexperience to lead the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Yes, I adamantly disagree with many of the outrageous things that Dr. Carson said during his presidential campaign. Yes, he is not the nominee I wanted.
But “the nominee I wanted” is not the test.
You have a vote. You can either cast a vote saying “I want this guy heading the department," or you cast one that says “Oh hell no, I don’t want this person heading the department.” So yeah, that is exactly the test.
Warren further argues that if Carson goes down, Trump might send up someone even worse. And who knows, he very well might find someone even more stupid and unqualified than Carson. But who says Carson will lose? Republicans need only simple majorities to confirm these nominees, which is why all of them—regardless of their qualifications or ties to Russia—will be confirmed. So Carson doesn’t need Warren’s vote. He’s fine with the votes on his side of the aisle.
Furthermore, what do Democrats like Warren get in return for that pro-Carson vote? Nothing! Because Republicans don’t need or care for it. There is no upside and loads of downside. Thus, Democrats should make sure Republicans own every single bit of this regime. Let them pass these nominees with nothing but Republican votes and a smattering of red-state Dems.
Resistance means resisting. All those people in the streets last Saturday didn’t march for Democrats to make nice with the GOP. They marched to resist—whether it’s Trump, or his acolytes like Carson. And if even progressive champions like Warren can’t figure that out, we really are in trouble.