Arizona senator Kyrsten Sinema recently switched party affiliations and registered as an Independent. The Onion asked U.S. senators what they thought of the move, and here’s what they said.
Senators React To Kyrsten Sinema Leaving Democratic Party
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Joe Manchin (D-WV)
Joe Manchin (D-WV)
“I wonder if that will disrupt anything in the payment schedule with her Raytheon checks.”
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Tommy Tuberville (R-AL)
Tommy Tuberville (R-AL)
“Check her genitals. I don’t want her using the Independent bathroom if she was born a Democrat.”
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Angus King (I-ME)
Angus King (I-ME)
“Ooh, baby babe! Welcome to the Independents, Senator Sinema, we masters of our own destiny! We bow before neither man, nor woman, nor beast! While everyone else is mind-controlled by the party lasers, we just kick back and enjoy the shade—the shade of freedom! You’re in for a wild ride, my friend, ’cause we’re out here mavericking and freedoming and never doing what nobody tells us to do! Take your shoes off and slip in, baby, to Independent town!”
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Tom Cotton (R-AR)
Tom Cotton (R-AR)
“Despite this change, we look forward to continuing to working just as closely with Sinema as we have before.”
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Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
“Penelope is a nice girl, really nice girl. Shame about her brother though, what with the war and all. They were two peas in a pod, now he’s got to survive the Viet Cong. But she’ll be okay...she’s strong, that Penelope...wish I had a sister like that, do you have any siblings, doctor?”
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Jon Tester (D-MT)
Jon Tester (D-MT)
“Anyone else and she’d have been sorely missed.”
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Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
“Everybody goes through that phase when they’re 46.”
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Roy Blunt (R-MO)
Roy Blunt (R-MO)
“As a paid representative of multiple corporate industries more focused on her own career than helping everyday Americans, Senator Sinema is truly a unique presence in the Senate.”
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Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)
Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)
“To be honest, we took her off the Democratic group chat months ago.”
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Tom Carper (D-DE)
Tom Carper (D-DE)
“I just hope Manchin’s ready to be the sole public face of opposition to progress that has almost every Democrat’s secret backing.”
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Jim Risch (R-ID)
Jim Risch (R-ID)
“She’s always welcome to join Idaho. There’s lots of room in Idaho. Acres of room to join.”
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Bob Menendez (D-NJ)
Bob Menendez (D-NJ)
“Now I may finally have a shot at ‘Quirkiest Democrat’ when we vote on Congressional superlatives.”
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Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ)
Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ)
“God, I’m so fucking annoying.”
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Maggie Hassan (D-NH)
Maggie Hassan (D-NH)
“Kyrsten? The colorful woman who wears funny clothes? I thought she only existed in my head.”
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Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
Bernie Sanders (I-VT)
“No! My brand is ruined!”
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Chris Murphy (D-CT)
Chris Murphy (D-CT)
“Doesn’t make us so different, we’re just dependent on different corporate donors.”
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Mark Kelly (D-AZ)
Mark Kelly (D-AZ)
“But I made us Team Arizona Democrats jerseys!”
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Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
“Thank God. I was getting sick of her finding neon wigs in the women’s toilets.”
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Kamala Harris (D)
Kamala Harris (D)
“I’m not technically in the Senate any more, but it’s a thrill to be included in this slideshow.”
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Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY)
“Still not my problem.”
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Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
“The what party?”
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