West Virginia Democratic Senator Joe Manchin is a real problem for the Democrats in the US Senate.
While he is a Democrat, and has supported all actions so far by President Joe Biden in legislative votes, he has now made it clear that he will NOT work to end or modify the Senate filibuster. This despite great disappointment that ten Republican Senators could not be found to support the creation of the January 6 Commission.
Manchin is a conservative who, if he was to retire or lose support of his voters, he would be most likely replaced by a Republican, so this creates an impossible situation in a 50-50 Senate.
This mess creates great problems for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and could do great damage to the Joe Biden agenda, in a way similar to what Barack Obama faced after the first two years of his Presidency.
The ability to have a voting rights law to overcome the actions by many Republican legislatures to limit voting rights for racial minorities will be hampered, as well as a serious infrastructure legislation, gun control legislation, immigration reform, and so much else.
“Reconciliation”, which would not require 60 votes, might be possible, but is based on some bipartisan support, which is far from guaranteed.
When will all this hand wringing and crying stop?
Without Mansion and Sinema there is no Democratic Majority in the Senate. The House has a very slim Democrat Majority. Since the Defeat of Donald Tromp in 2020 this coming Off Year Election is the most crucial election in our lifetime. When will the Democrat Party and the Patriotic Real Republicans and Independents wake up that we are in the most dangerous period of our Democracy since the Civil War. The brightest Liberal and Centrist minds in this country should now be hunkered done in a Bunker somewhere developing a detailed action plan to do two things. First, get the patriotic majority to the Polls in November 2022 to give the Democratic Party a large majority in the House and Senate so that the People’s Agenda can be passed and passed soon. If all we get is “Woe Is Me” and crying after 2022 the Republic as we know may be Doomed! And, what may be worse, there may be eventually be blood in the streets. In 2022 we may have Donald Trump II as President or at the very least a Donald Trump Mini Me. We Need to Move and Move now!
Mansion’s op-ed is the worst I’ve ever read as well. It shows a lot why I’m so frustrated with him.
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/6/6/2033868/-BREAKING-Joe-Manchin-just-stomped-on-the-For-The-People-Act-with-the-worst-op-ed-I-ve-ever-read
Joe Manchin is a Republican. I want people (the press) to stop scratching their heads and saying, ‘golly gee willikers, why is he doing this?’. He’s a Republican in Democrat clothing. We are not what we call ourselves, we are what we do. He’s a Republican.
Agreed, Rustbelt. That pretty much sums it up.
Manchin is deluded that bipartianship is possible in the current Congress. There is no way for bipartianship as long as the trumpian sector of the Republican party controls the Republican Congress. And, as we saw during the Obama years, the Republican party under McConnell was equally obstructive of Obama’s legislation. Bipartianship has been “dead†for many years in Congress, maybe even going back as far as Reagan’s years as President.
Seconded, Former Republican. Bipartisanship only works when both parties act sincerely and in good faith. Republicans have showed repeatedly that they have no interest in negotiating in good faith. The 1/6 Commission is an excellent example. Speaker Pelosi acceded to every Republican demand regarding the composition of the Commission, and Republicans in the Senate (primarily Moscow Mitch) still rejected it.
Manchin’s op-ed might as well be titled, “Why I’ll vote to preserve Jim Crow”.
The unraveling of our fragile democracy by the GQP is occurring right in front of our eyes and at breakneck speed. Dems like Manchin and Sinema are contributing to that demise by failing to respond urgently to voter suppression laws happening in many states.
You nailed it, Rational Lefty!