The McConnell straightjacket, invented by Southern racists (originally Democrats, later gravitating to the Republicans when they were no longer welcome in an evolving and increasingly PROgressive Democratic Party) to obstruct legislation to protect African American voting and other civil rights, is a tool of OBSTRUCTION, NOT INNOVATION.
Filibuster benefits those blocking change, not those enacting it.
It is a tool of CONSERVATIVES, NOT PROGRESSIVES.
And for all Mitch McConnell’s threats and whining, he sounds like a scared, desperate little snowflake. But you know that, if the tables were turned, he would end filibuster in a heartbeat. We know this because he has already gutted it on appointments, including Supreme Court appointments.
It is to the advantage of DEMOCRATS to end the filibuster, even at the risk of a future time when Republicans control both houses of congress and the presidency.
But for now, the reality is that we just do not have the votes to eliminate the filibuster outright. There are at least two Democrats — Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona (and possibly a third, John Testor of Montana) — who are on record opposing outright elimination. Joe Manchin in particular has won elections in a deep red state (Trump carried it by 41.7% in 2020), and is the only Democrat elected by a statewide vote, by running as a moderate and issuing a campaign promise that he would not vote to end filibuster. However, he has also stated that he is open to reforms, which leads us to consider some of the possible reforms we could make short of outright ending the filibuster…
The McConnell straightjacket, invented by Southern racists (originally Democrats, later gravitating to the Republicans when they were no longer welcome in an evolving and increasingly PROgressive Democratic Party) to obstruct legislation to protect African American voting and other civil rights, is a tool of OBSTRUCTION, NOT INNOVATION.
Filibuster benefits those blocking change, not those enacting it.
It is a tool of CONSERVATIVES, NOT PROGRESSIVES.
And for all Mitch McConnell’s threats and whining, he sounds like a scared, desperate little snowflake. But you know that, if the tables were turned, he would end filibuster in a heartbeat. We know this because he has already gutted it on appointments, including Supreme Court appointments.
It is to the advantage of DEMOCRATS to end the filibuster, even at the risk of a future time when Republicans control both houses of congress and the presidency.
But for now, the reality is that we just do not have the votes to eliminate the filibuster outright. There are at least two Democrats — Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona (and possibly a third, John Testor of Montana) — who are on record opposing outright elimination. Joe Manchin in particular has won elections in a deep red state (Trump carried it by 41.7% in 2020), and is the only Democrat elected by a statewide vote, by running as a moderate and issuing a campaign promise that he would not vote to end filibuster. However, he has also stated that he is open to reforms, which leads us to consider some of the possible reforms we could make short of outright ending the filibuster…
Continues…