Democrats let the GOP, and now Manchin & Sinema, get away with not ...

[themaguffin]

...being FOR something.

A decade+ ago, Democrats failed to get the GOP state what they are for with a health care policy.

It became a referendum on the ACA and of course that's what the GOP wanted, but Democrats didn't try to make it about, "we have a plan and they refuse to offer one. We have a solution and they refuse to even discuss the problem."

This is just one (albeit big) example. Time after time, they did it.

Now, Manchin and Sinema keep whining about filibuster reform.

That. is. not. the. issue.

The issue is GOP voter suppression efforts. The issue is a host of other policies that need to get votes and won't as it stands because the GOP won't allow it.

That is the issue.

The question for Manchin and Sinema needs to be "What are YOUR solutions?"

"How do you solve this knowing that the GOP is not acting in good faith and that Mitch STATED his intention to filibuster everything?"

"What are you FOR Senators?"

Under this framing, it's about substance and problem solving, not semantics that allow them to dodge their duty and allow Mitch to steamroll democracy.

[Carlitos Brigante]

1. They'd answer with a cringe inducing word salad which doesn't

solve anything and betrays an embarrassing ignorance reg. the filibuster and its history....... and still get away with it.

[aocommunalpunch]

7. That's why their colleagues need to call them out.

It’s uncomfortable but necessary.

[mucifer]

2. Either they go along with putting it in the infrastructure bill, or we know they are bought off

[Magoo48]

23. I would suggest they are already payola ridden.

[lagomorph777]

3. It's so much more important to protect the Filibuster than to protect democracy

[LaMouffette]

4. Excellent points you make! Republicans, however, have mastered the art of the non-answer.

It's truly remarkable the way they can squirm their way out of giving a straight answer to ANY question:

Reporter: Senator, what is two plus two?
Republican Senator: We all know that the American people are highly concerned with the outcome of two plus two. But my constituents have told me that they do not like the direction in which this country is heading and that many things, in fact, do not add up. Case in point, the 2020 election in which fully 99 percent of Republican voters believe that there was voter fraud. Therefore, I am committed to making a full investigation into the 2020 election and to seeing to it that structures are put in place to ensure that widespread fraud on the scale of what we all observed in 2020 does not repeat itself ever again.

[KS Toronado]

8. You have a good grasp of how they "Speak"

[LaMouffette]

26. Thanks! I think "Dodge, parry, thrust! Obfuscate, obfuscate, obfuscate!"

is their mantra.

[moose65]

10. They sure have

Say what you want about Kellyanne Conway, but she is a master of this.

Don't answer the question that was asked, never lose your temper, and immediately deflect it to something else, over here. She can do that with ANY question!

[LaMouffette]

25. She's probably wishing she had used this technique when George Conway popped the question!

I still can't understand how those two ever got together and have remained together. I'm guessing mutual parasitism.

[FBaggins]

5. That doesn't work as well against Democrats as Republicans

It's easy for them to say that they're happy to vote for S1/HR1 and agree that's a solution. Or the John Lewis bill that at least one of them has been pushing for.

Which is an entirely different issue from whether they're willing to kill the filibuster in order to get an opportunity to cast a vote.

Republicans are in an entirely different boat. They have to explain their support for the state laws that their party has been pushing.

[in2herbs]

6. I'm still waiting for Biden's committee to put forth their recommendations on how to expand the

court as I hope that this majority will get to consider the constitutionality of the filibuster and rule it's unconstitutional. If we can't get Congress to decide then let the courts. IMO a new court is our only hope and maybe (???) Biden is waiting until after the infrastructure bill is settled/passed to announce the new court expansion. I want an entirely new court, not just more USSC judges.

[Hortensis]

9. More like "the people" get away with not being FOR something.

Trumpists and RW extremists couldn't get a majority anywhere without the help of the kind who view their evils but always find ways to blame Democratic leaders for them.

If mirrors showed us what our actions make us, we'd either have a much better world or one without mirrors.

[justie18]

11. Manchin and Sinema

Manchin and Sinema are not the only Democrats that oppose getting rid of the filibuster. Even James Clyburn said it was time for Biden to make a statement about filibuster reform - Biden didnt even mention the filibuster during his speech on voting rights last week.

There are a number of other Democrats, probably even including Chuck Schumer, who do not want to change the filibuster.

[themaguffin]

12. I'm not talking about that though. I'm referring to what are their solutions?

[justie18]

13. How about the others

How about solutions from Biden, Schumer, Tester, Coons

[themaguffin]

17. Awesome, but my point is regarding the vocal anti-filibuster two.

[BGBD]

21. They are "vocal"

Because they are the ones who most benefit from being so.

There is no taste for removing the filibuster because its a terrible idea,

[themaguffin]

32. It doesn't have to be "removed"

[BGBD]

33. Sure....

[themaguffin]

34. Yes

[uponit7771]

14. So true, right now Manchin is the face of unreasonable opposition in the DNC but there are others

... who don't want to come out with their opposition.

[Magoo48]

24. If it is true that Schumer is not for dismantling the fiiiibuster,

then “failure is not an option” is just so much horseshit and gunsmoke. Sadly, in my view, even some of the firebrand progressives are being sucked into the moderate mire so they can successfully fundraise for their next campaign.

[gab13by13]

15. Hey, I have a strategy,

Chuck Schumer needs to break up S1 into a dozen individual bills and bring them to the floor rapid fire one after the other. These would be common sense election bills. So when every damn Republican votes them down then approach Manchin and Sinema to explain how they would suggest passing these bills. They would not be able to answer, in a bipartisan way. Remove the filibuster for election bills.

[justie18]

16. Reminder - Sinema is a co-sponsor of S1

Manchin is the one who does not support S1 - again, Sinema is a co-sponsor of the voting rights bill.

[ChrisF1961]

18. Yes it is all the Democrats fault

BS

[themaguffin]

19. I didn't say it was the Democrats fault. Come on.

[NurseJackie]

22. I think you kinda did.

Democrats let the GOP, and now Manchin & Sinema, get away with not ...being FOR something.

A decade+ ago, Democrats failed to get the GOP state what they are for with a health care policy.

It became a referendum on the ACA and of course that's what the GOP wanted, but Democrats didn't try to make it about, "we have a plan and they refuse to offer one. We have a solution and they refuse to even discuss the problem."

[themaguffin]

27. I'm referring to the argument, the narrative, not the policy result.

[NurseJackie]

28. Uh-huh. Whatever.

[themaguffin]

29. I clarified for you and that's your response?

[NurseJackie]

30. Yes. That's my response.

It wasn't so much a clarification as was moving the goalposts. But that's okay. As the popular sport of Dem-blaming goes, it was one of the milder OP's, so I'm having a very difficult time remaining interested enough to continue bickering about it. The last word is yours.

[themaguffin]

31. Ok

I wasn't moving the goal posts. You simply didn't understand what I wrote.

That's ok.

I wasn't "Dem blaming" either. You totally missed the point. I tried to be respectful and you continue to miss the point and respond flippantly.

It's good that that you're moving on as you can't seem to discuss this.


That's unfortunate.

You can do better.

[Mr. Evil]

20. Democrats: We have a solution to this problem. What's your's?

Republicans: We don't see a problem. Next.