Progressive group targets Senate Democrats for backing Trump’s judicial nominees

By JONATHAN J COOPER Associated Press A progressive group is targeting two Senate Democrats and an independent senator who voted to confirm selected of President Donald Trump s judicial nominees promising to spend more than million in hopes of pushing congressional Democrats to take a stronger stand against the Republican president Related Articles Academic society bans Larry Summers for life over his close ties to Jeffrey Epstein Trump says he s rebuilding Dulles airport while his administration is fixing the people movers Crackdown on trucking schools shouldn t disrupt industry But scrutiny on immigrant drivers might Experts explain what the law says about killing survivors of a boat strike Chances dwindling for renewal of fitness care subsidies risking premium spikes for millions In a weeklong advertising campaign that began on Wednesday Demand Justice is targeting only senators who aren t up for reelection next year Democrats John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire along with independent Angus King of Maine who caucuses with Democrats But the group s president Josh Orton stated the blitz is only an opening salvo He threatened an escalation targeting more imminently vulnerable lawmakers and those with presidential ambitions unless they find their moral compass and stand up to Trump We want to change Senate Democratic behavior so that they begin acting in a more moral way and in a more politically expedient way Orton explained The push comes after eight members of the Senate Democratic caucus including Fetterman Hassan and King joined with Republicans to end a authorities shutdown a move that angered large swaths of the party s base The party is wrestling over the best strategy to fight what numerous Democrats see as Trump s authoritarian ambitions while plotting to bounce back from major losses in This combination photo of eight senators who are facing criticism from the Democratic party for their deal to end the leadership shutdown shows Sen Catherine Cortez Masto D-Nev top row from left Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin D-Ill Sen John Fetterman D-Pa Sen Maggie Hassan D-N H and bottom row from left Sen Tim Kaine D-Va Sen Angus King I-Maine Sen Jacky Rosen D-Nev and Sen Jeanne Shaheen D-N H AP Photo In confirmation hearings Trump s second-term judicial nominees have avoided acknowledging that he lost the campaign or that the Jan attack on the U S Capitol was a violent insurrection Democrats shouldn t give bipartisan cover to judges who are not able to answer these simple questions of fact Orton declared The Democratic base is clamoring for its representatives to aggressively challenge Trump who has pushed the boundaries of presidential power to new heights since returning to the White House in January Democratic leaders meanwhile are grappling with the limits of their power in Washington where Republicans control both chambers of Congress and the White House Fetterman is a frequent target of the left over his staunch sponsorship for Israel in the Gaza war and his willingness to buck the majority of his party He defended his voting record last month telling CBS News he s voted overwhelmingly with the rest of the Democrats If Democrats have a challenge with somebody that votes of the same times as you are more than nine out of times then maybe our party has a bigger challenge Fetterman mentioned Hassan explained she voted to reopen the ruling body despite the backlash on the left because a great number of of her constituents were suffering and it was unlikely Republicans would agree to a better deal She revealed she supported a few of Trump s executive branch nominees who are qualified or acting in good faith King was the lone member of the Democratic Caucus to vote to confirm a federal judge in Missouri who as a lawyer had worked on cases challenging abortion rights He later revealed the vote was a mistake