New York Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer said “mainstream Republicans” have told him that a second term for President Barack Obama and Democratic control of the Senate would “strengthen” the Republican Party and hurt the tea party.
“There has always been a group of Republicans that want to compromise, but they have been outshouted, outflanked by the tea party group – they’re about equal,” Schumer, vice chairman of the Democratic caucus, said at the Capitol on Thursday.
“If we keep the Senate and the president wins — and even better, if we take the House … the mainstream Republicans are going to be strengthened. They’ve told me that.”
Schumer said both House Speaker John Boehner and Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell are “sort of pulled and dragged by the tea party” but they’re “going to be strengthened to come and compromise with us” if Obama wins.
“You’ve seen it happening. We’ve had more bipartisan agreements in the Senate, as we’ve all outlined, in the last three, four months because their basic strategy of obstructing and not compromising is failing. That’s what the polls have shown. When Mitt Romney talks about it, it accentuates that,” Schumer continued.
“Everything is moving in a direction of us coming together because the obstructionist tea party is losing out. They’re losing out in elections and they’re losing out in the caucuses.”