On Sunday evening, a group of Democratic Senators, led by Angus King (Ind. ME), Jeanne Shaheen (D. NH), and Maggie Hassan (D. NH), reached a deal to sell out the American people and the US Constitution by caving to every extortionate demand of Trump, John Thune, and Mike Johnson. There are apparently enough other cowardly Democratic Senators1 willing to help pass the bill, which is a mirage of meaningless promises.
Those illusory promises include (a) a “certain-to-fail” vote to extend healthcare subsidies, (b) an unenforceable promise that the administration will not violate existing federal employment law, and © an agreement that the Senate will do the baseline job required by the Constitution, i.e., pass appropriations bills to fund the 2026 annual budget.
In other words, King, Shaheen, and Hassan extracted nothing from Republicans in exchange for the poison-pill deal. In return, they surrendered everything. They turned their back on the Constitution and Democratic faithful by funding a government that is being run like the personal fiefdom of a petty king. In effect, those supporting the bill to reopen the government are empowering and enabling Trump to continue his lawless regime. They are complicit in what comes next in the ongoing Trump assault on the Constitution and the rule of law.
As the minority party, Democrats possessed one tool—the filibuster. The Sellout Caucus members laid that political weapon on the ground and scurried away to their wine-and-cheese fundraisers scheduled for Sunday evening.
The Sellout Caucus has betrayed their constituents and the Constitution in the most shameful, disgraceful way possible. It is an especially bitter defeat coming immediately on the heels of the tremendous victory on Tuesday, which was fueled by Americans who are angry, fed up, and ready for a change. The Sellout Caucus ignores the scale and significance of the election results. They have taken the grassroots activists for granted. By using those victories as cover for their surrender to Trump, they have insulted and belittled the accomplishments of the grassroots movement. We will not forget.
I have heard from many readers who are filled with red-hot rage over the deal. Those feelings are not only understandable, they are justified. The Sellout Caucus has taken the moral high ground of a shutdown opposing a lawless regime and turned it into a Democratic miscalculation, a pointless folly that inflicted pain with no gain.
This collapse is also a failure of Democratic leadership. Senators Schumer and Durbin should resign from their leadership positions on Sunday evening, as they are obviously incapable of leading the Democratic caucus.
We will get beyond this. We must. Ending Trump’s unchecked reign of lawlessness by regaining control of Congress is the most important step we can take to defend the Constitution and restore the rule of law. Achieving that goal will require unity, discipline, and strategic willingness to support people who apparently hold us in contempt. Life isn’t fair, and this is one of those moments when we must rise above our anger to achieve a greater purpose.
As bitter as this development is, it changes nothing about what we have been doing and what we must do in the future. Indeed, this betryal is more of the same. The grassroots movement has been ignored, dismissed, used, and abused by nearly everyone—politicians, press, pundits, and the industrial consulting complex.
We had the opportunity to be heard on Tuesday, and we could not be ignored. That is the path forward. It does not matter whether we receive “credit” or are shown respect and gratitude for our service. We do it because we love America and believe in the yet-to-be-delivered promise of the Constitution.
Does the betrayal sting? I will let a reader speak to that issue. She wrote the following on Sunday evening:
The Democratic Party has rarely seen such affirmation as it had last Tuesday. And now? It has lost it in a heartbeat. For what? Do King and the other Senate Democrats actually benefit from their sell-out votes? I know you don’t want to hear this, but after a long life of activism, beginning in April 1963 in the South, I am about to retire. Feeling seriously betrayed.
And here is another note from a reader on Sunday evening:
They have reopened the government for the exact same offer that the Republicans made before the shutdown began
So, why did we subject decent Americans to the shutdown?
And what message did Trump and the Republicans receive other than they were right to have not budged because Democrats will always cave?
This is the most disheartened I have been since Trump won.
If you feel the same way, it shows that you are human and have a normal response to betrayal. But we have all experienced betrayal in our lives and have managed to move forward. That is what is being demanded of us in this moment. Take a few days off. Call your Senators. Protest outside of their offices. Make them understand that this was not “business.” It was personal. We will not forget. But for now, we have more important, more urgent challenges.
The details of the deal are here: Politico, Senate reaches deal on ending the shutdown.
There are three major parts of the deal:
First promise: A future vote on a Democratic bill in the Senate to extend the Affordable Care Act subsidies.
Response: That vote will fail in the Senate and will not be taken up in the House.
Result: Sellout Caucus got nothing.
Second Promise: “The government-opening agreement guarantees that federal employees laid off during the shutdown are re-hired and gives federal employees backpay.”
Response: The layoffs are illegal and are being challenged successfully in court. Moreover, federal law guarantees furloughed employees back pay. The promises are illusory as they merely conform to existing federal law.
Result: Sellout Caucus got nothing.
Third Promise: The continuing resolution will attach three appropriations bills—USDA, Veterans Affairs, and congressional operations.
Response: The three bills are part of a package of twelve bills that the Senate is required to pass to enact the 2026 budget. Republicans could have advanced and passed those three bills at any time during the shutdown, but Republicans stopped all legislative work to pressure Democrats to cave. It worked.
Result: The Sellout Caucus got nothing.
There is so much more to report, but I am again struggling with internet access from my remote cabin, and reader emails are flooding in, so I am anxious to post this newsletter.
Jill and I drove up the road to a clearing in the woods to gain a clear enough view of the sky to publish this newsletter. Jill will not be able to publish her blog until we return to civiliation.
Opportunities for reader engagement
A reader has invited others in the San Diego area to join a People Over Billionaires rally on November 15, 2025
Join “We Are California” at the “San Diego - People Over Billionaires Rally & March” - sign up now to join, here: People Over Billionaires Rally & March
Join Secretary Hillary Clinton, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Heather Cox Richardson in support of Latino Victory and Onward Together.
On Tuesday, November 18th at 7:00 PM ET — History Has Its Eyes On Us, a one-night-only conversation featuring Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Heather Cox Richardson.
This is a fundraiser for Latino Victory and Onward Together. There are a few choice seats left. The organizers have also introduced a “virtual” option, allowing attendees to access a recording of the event. Both “in-person” and virtual events can be accessed here.
After Tuesday’s election results, the power and influence of the Latino vote are manifest. But we cannot take the Latino vote for granted. Join me in support of this event.
Jill and I will attend and look forward to interacting with readers at the event. Also, Jay Kuo will be attending! We are looking forward to meeting Jay (in person) for the first time!
Concluding Thoughts.
I corresponded with about a dozen upset and angry readers late Sunday evening. The capitulation on the shutdown was a bitter pill after the triumph of last Tuesday’s elections and many expressed the desire to give up.
Whatever you do, however you feel, do not lose hope! To succeed in politics, like all things in life, we need only win most of the battles, over time. On that metric, we are on the path to success. The significance of last Tuesday’s elections overwhelms the betrayal by the Sellout Caucus.
Stay strong, everyone! We will make it through this difficult patch.
Bretton Woods, Mt. Washington Valley, NH
St. Paul Visibility Brigade
Anthem, AZ:
The Flags for Vets group (Bourne, MA) and countless ‘We The People’ volunteers from all over Massachusetts respectfully placed flags at gravesites at the National Cemetery on Cape Cod.
Daily Dose of Perspective
The Cave Nebula, for the Sellout Caucus.
Shaheen
Hassan
King
Fetterman
Cortez Masto
DurbinKaineRosen
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