Shell-shocked Democrats thrown back by Republican Glenn Youngkin's win in the Virginia governor's race called Wednesday for immediate action on President Biden's budget to give them something tangible to run on in 2022.
But at the outset of yet another ideological clash, members of the party's left flank were blaming the defeat on the establishment posture of candidate former Gov. Terry McAuliffe, in a race where Youngkin hammered the Democrat on Critical Race Theory and parental control of school curriculum and made gains in the suburbs.
Youngkin's win over McAuliffe, who conceded Wednesday morning, coincided with months of internal bickering over Biden's Build Back Better package – which stood at $1.75 trillion and was still in 'framework' form as of Wednesday.
Seasoned Democrats and outside groups are warning the party to put an end to the nasty display of sausage-making or face an ominous off-year election poorly armed.
Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, a former chair of the Democratic National Committee under Barack Obama, lamented the failure of legislative action, and said it made a difference.
McAuliffe 'could have had a really great wind at his back if Democrats had been willing to get the deal done. So I'm just saying I hope my colleagues absorb this notion that when you have the majority, the D in Democrats should stand for doer, not delay, dithering, do nothing, division,' he told reporters in the Capitol.
Republican Glenn Youngkin's win over Democrat Terry McAuliffe has Democratic lawmakers calling for the party to end its display of sausage-making and hurry to act on Joe Biden's agenda, or face dissatisfied voters in 2022
US Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar speaks to the press on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, October 28, 2021, after a meeting of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. She sent out a retweet anticipating progressives would be blamed for the loss in Virginia
'I hope the Dems view this as the Ghost of Christmas Future experience - like this isn't what the future has to be but if you don't change your ways, this isn't the future will be,' he said.
'The Build Back Better bill as crafted in the Senate and House is going to meet the needs of working families, reduce their costs and combat inflation in a positive way,' Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), a Biden ally, told MSNBC.
'I'd urge them to step forward and vote for it, because then we'd have something real to run on.'
House Majority Whip James C. Clyburn to Punchbowl, a Biden ally who serves as the chief vote counter in the House, told Punchbowl: 'Well, it just reinforces the fact that we need to get these things done,' when asked about Tuesday's results.
California Democratic Rep. Scott Peters, who knocked off a GOP incumbent in 2012 in a San Diego seat that trended Democratic, told Politico after watching Youngkin's big win: 'We have to show we can govern.'
'The picture has been of Democrats sparring amongst ourselves,' he added. 'That's probably not the best face to put out. I hope that there's more of working toward agreement, like we had today, than openly sparring with each other,' he said, in reference to a breakthrough on prescription drug costs.
The analysis came as the House GOP campaign arm announced it was expanding its target list of Democrats they will invest in defeating next year.
The blame game kicked off Tuesday night, as members of the party's progressive wing, which has been battling a pair of Senate centrists over President Joe Biden's Built Back Better plan, tried to tag McAuliffe's defeat on establishment Democrats. (McAuliffe is a longtime fundraising powerhouse for Bill and Hillary Clinton).
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) retweeted a comment by a Twitter user who predicted the left would get blamed for former Gov. Terry McAuliffe's defeat
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) retweeted a comment by Twitter user Secular Talk that said 'Can’t wait for the left to be blamed for a not at all left democrat losing a D+10 state.' She added a face-smacking emoji.
Former Housing Secretary and defeated 2020 presidential candidate Julian Castro told MSNBC, 'There has been a lot of oxygen spent blaming the progressives, suggesting that perhaps our best bet is always a centrist candidate. I think that we need to rethink that.'
There were different prescriptions on the center-right. Matt Bennett, executive director of centrist group Third Way, pointed to the governing Democratic Party's inability to act on the big ticket items in a statement.
Democratic Sen. Chris Coons (Del.) spoke of the need for the party to 'have something real to run on' next year
'We need to get these things done,' Democratic Whip Rep. James C. Clyburn said
'People want action,' said Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.)
'On stasis, the inability of Democrats – so far, at least – to deliver on the promises Joe Biden made last year is an unforced error,' he wrote. 'The months of in-fighting and sausage-making must come to an end. We must pass these two historic bills and then explain what they will do to create jobs, cut taxes, and help working families afford the essentials. As our latest public opinion research shows [see below], voters don’t know what’s in the bills, and what they think they know, they mostly don’t like.'
His analysis got a 'like' from Biden's Twitter-engaged chief of staff, Ron Klain.
It was a call to action that was also endorsed by party centrist Josh Gottheimer
