Cornyn Talks Flipping Democratic Senators

Senator John Cornyn makes it clear that GOP Senators are perfectly ready to start talking to potential Democratic converts depending on how tonight goes:

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said Senate Republicans would “welcome” any Democrats who wish to switch parties and caucus with the GOP.

Cornyn, the head of Senate Republicans’ campaign efforts, floated the possibility that the GOP might target Sen. Joe Lieberman (Conn.), an Independent who caucuses with Democrats, or another Democratic senator if Republicans come close to winning a majority but fall short.

(…)

“I think after this election, we’re going to have to look and see who’s left, because I think there are going to be a lot of people who aren’t coming back, and find out who we can work with,” Cornyn said.

The GOP might look to other Democrats like Sen. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) or even an incoming Democratic senator like West Virginia’s Joe Manchin, should he prevail, to cross over to the other side of the aisle.

If the Republicans fall short of winning the Senate, but are within one or two seats of a majority, you can expect this game to play itself out over the next couple weeks.

FILED UNDER: 2010 Election, Congress, US Politics, , , , , , ,
Doug Mataconis
About Doug Mataconis
Doug Mataconis held a B.A. in Political Science from Rutgers University and J.D. from George Mason University School of Law. He joined the staff of OTB in May 2010 and contributed a staggering 16,483 posts before his retirement in January 2020. He passed far too young in July 2021.

Comments

  1. PD Shaw says:

    Nelson seems like a tough to pill to swallow and probably a pill that would cause unwanted seizures. If the Repubs take the House, they can set agenda and leave it to moderate Democrats to decide where their interest lie.

  2. An Interested Party says:

    “If the Repubs take the House, they can set agenda…”

    With the White House and the Senate still controlled by Democrats,which agenda will that be? Looking for “crimes” in the Obama Administration, perhaps…

  3. PD Shaw says:

    The House can pass bills; if they are focussed and popular enough, they can force the Senate and the President in uncomfortable positions. They can run on the bills they pass in 2012.

  4. An Interested Party says:

    “The House can pass bills; if they are focussed and popular enough, they can force the Senate and the President in uncomfortable positions.”

    An enormous “if”…and what kind of bills would force the Senate and President into uncomfortable positions…