Dems got nothing? What just happened?

After the longest shutdown in history, a cadre of Senate Democrats have at last broken ranks to vote with Republicans and reopen the government — without an extension of the Obamacare subsidies for which Democrats were (allegedly) holding out. 

More cynical observers of Washington suspect the lengthy shutdown was about something else — last Tuesday’s elections.

But after Democrats over-performed polling expectations in Virginia and New Jersey, the shutdown has now — mysteriously and abruptly — come to an end.

Naturally, opinions in the press are mixed.

“Senate Reaches Deal To Reopen Government After Moderate Democrats Cave,” complained Igor Bobic and Jennifer Bendery for HuffPost on Monday. “Republicans found enough Democrats willing to drop their party’s demand to extend soon-to-expire health care subsidies for millions of people.”

“Why did you decide to vote with Republicans to open the government?” news host Joe Scarborough asked Sen. Angus King this morning. 

“Well, Joe, you have to go back to what the strategy was at the beginning of the shutdown,” Sen. Angus replied. “There were two goals, both of which I support. One was standing up to Donald Trump, and the other was getting some resolution on the ACA premium tax credit issue.”

“The problem was, the shutdown wasn’t accomplishing either goal, and there was practically — well, there was zero — likelihood that it was going to,” Sen. Angus added. “In terms of standing up to Donald Trump, the shutdown actually gave him more power. Exhibit A being what he’s done with SNAP and SNAP benefits across the country.”

“Oh, by the way, Joe, you’re going to love this — guess who’s getting paid during the shutdown? Not the park rangers or air traffic controllers. The ICE agents, under special law, under that big awful bill that they passed last summer — the ICE agents are being paid. Nobody else is,” Mr. Angus claimed. (Incorrectly)

“So standing up to Donald Trump didn’t work,” he admitted. “It actually gave him more power. And then secondly — and I’ve been a big supporter of the ACA — the idea of forcing the Republicans to the table to negotiate on that issue by virtue of a shutdown didn’t work. It’s now the longest shutdown in American history, and there was no prospect that it was going to work.”

“I talked to a lot of my Republican colleagues,” Angus said. “The chances of negotiating a settlement in the midst of the shutdown were zero. As of last night, we now have a guaranteed vote on a bill on the ACA subsidies — something that is unprecedented in my experience in the Senate. And so we have a shot at it. I’ll take those odds any day.”

“But even Donald Trump admitted that the government shutdown is what caused Democrats to win the election in historic fashion last week,” rejoined Joe Scarborough, saying the quiet part out loud.

“Well, I think it’s a question of, at some point, there are diminishing returns,” Sen. King replied, confirming this shutdown was nothing more than a shameless ploy to win elections.

Otherwise, why have moderate Senate Democrats caved now?

While far-left progressives in deep blue districts celebrate unrestrainedly the recent election of Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani, moderate Democrats from purple districts and swing states may be feeling less bullish.

For Democrats in the media and on Bluesky, there is no far-left position too far out to be disqualifying. In real life, moderate Democrats know that the Republicans who run against them in these areas are always desperate to paint them as the radicals of their party.

Meaning, moderate Democrats are going to be seeing some of the more outlandish statements by candidates like Mamdani appearing soon in their opponent’s campaign commercials.

By showing their bipartisan willingness to negotiate with Republicans — as indeed, Nothing gets done in Washington without a bipartisan effort — moderate Democrats in the Senate and House may hope to set themselves apart.

They must be anxious to distance themselves from this shutdown. As everyone from Sen. Bernie Sanders to President Donald Trump will admit, Democrats got nothing for their troubles.

(Contributing writer, Brooke Bell)