Jonathan Bernstein: “Yes, being on a team sometimes means compromising. But Sinema should know that compromises are part of legislating. And parties make legislating a lot easier. Parties allow (more-or-less) stable coalitions to work together to get things done. Without them, a legislature could devolve into chaos as assorted factions block different proposals.”
“Indeed, as Sinema should know, the utility of parties in the Senate actually extends into bipartisan deals. Take the immigration bill she and Republican Senator Thom Tillis of North Carolina are working on with an eye toward getting it adopted before this Congress ends.”
“When Sinema was operating as Democrat, Tillis could cut deals on the Republican side knowing that Sinema was able to negotiate in good faith for her party. That could still be the case if Sinema winds up acting as a de facto Democrat. But her ability to speak for Senate Democrats can no longer be assumed.”
