Joe Manchin is single-handedly derailing the Biden Presidency. I want to know who’s paying him. It’s gotta be some huge payoff to be willing to be a piranha in his own party. Why aren’t journalists exposing the fraud he is?
Debbie, you ask a very good question. Journalists are reporting on Manchin as if he is legitimate actor in the politics of American democracy. The overwhelming evidence is that he is acting solely to protect his own wealth, which comes from a dying industry.
The press aren't asking the right questions. "Senator, with your obstruction to the Build, Back Better plan, no matter your reasons, you're not just halting the cornerstone of the Biden presidency, you're ensuring Democrats lose the House and Senate in the mid-terms Why would you do that?" I believe it is more than protecting his own wealth. (Which I agree is undoubtedly part of the equation). I believe there is an as yet unknown nefarious reason. Manchin votes with the republicans approximately 50% of the time. Additionally the media has reported of his private meetings with McConnell. Then there are his well known "negotiations" with republicans, ostensibly to negotiate legislation, such as a voting rights bill. None of which has seen the light of day. The fact is his obstruction is having only one major effect: killing the Biden presidency. Therefore it follows that's the reason for it. There can be no other explanation. I want to bring up one other point. The progressives gave up quite a bit to get the Infrastructure bill passed. They've proven themselves to be honest brokers having lived up to their promises. Manchin on the other hand has not. He's constantly zigging and zagging by claiming to not have promised anything. Biden won the election running on the platform Manchin is hell bent on destroying. Even better the majority of all Americans when asked about specifics of the plan, putting party affiliation aside, are in favor of its passage - including of course Manchin's own constituents. Manchin is wielding an outsized amount of power in the Democratic caucus. (Schumer has zero control). His obstruction is more damaging to the Democratic Party than if McConnell were the Senate Leader. For the Democrats are being destroyed by one of their own. If ever there were a reason for those citizens sitting on the fence to vote against the Democrats, he's providing them one heck of one. Democrats can't even keep a lone wolf in line to pass the cornerstone of the President's platform. Democrats are ineffectual. It won't matter how much else this administration has delivered or how much they've rebuilt our shattered institutions and agencies left for dead by the last administration.
Yes, déjà vu, but I’m moving on from worrying about obstructionists whose sincerity I question, or the cynical brand of empathy displayed by some congressmen toward their constituents. Your concluding message about older Americans is a reminder of the season in which we find ourselves, and the values that define many of our political choices. I look forward to expressing those values in support for candidates at the voting booth.
I still find it hard to believe that there’s not a deal to be made to save the voting rights bill. Do Manchin and/or Sinema want to be the vote that tore down democracy? Only if they believe that a Republican wave is inevitable next year. If they have not bought into that idea irretrievably, there’s a deal to be made, probably a very, very narrow exception to the filibuster. Although my thesis is weakened, I admit, by the fact that neither of them is likely to survive the 2024 campaign. Sinema is already a political corpse, whether she realizes it or not—-her own party is virtually sure to reject her. Still, you would think that neither of them wants to go down in infamy.
Sinema makes the following argument: If you abolish the filibuster, then when Republicans are in charge, they will repeal the voting rights legislation and impose national ID requirements on voting. That might be true, but she fails to acknowledge that in order for that to happens, Rs must also control the presidency and the House, so removing the filibuster alone will not lead to single party chaos. Moreover, she does not address this point: She fears a scenario in which the checks and balances are those prescribed by the Framers. If we don’t think the Constitution works in the modern era, we should amend it, not impose a rule largely designed to prevent Senators from having to sit through lengthy debate, but which has the effect of making the anti-democratic Senate even more so.
So WHERE does this discussion belong? The voters in WVA don't seem to mind that their own Senator turns down support that would help them. Is there an understanding gap there that can be addressed?
Follow the money. Both senators are being well compensated for their positions by pharma and coal and who knows. They are willing to hurt their own constituents, deny their 48 other states wanting to support these bills...at least BBB....do all the other Democrats support the voting rights legislation? I sure hope so. Did someone press the Replay Button and we have to do Jim Crow all over again?
Robert, you covered a lot of bases very well today. All I can add is "voting rights, voting rights, voting rights". And voting rights. My next letters to my Senators will be about...
In discussions with many of my friends who are real Independents and voted for Biden they believe as I do that voting rights legislation is the most critical item on the agenda. There is a perception that unless the voting rights bill is passed the gerrymandering by Republicans will result not only a loss of the House in 2022 but for many years to come thus enabling either Trump or a wanna be to destroy our Democracy. This is real to them and frankly the most scary and frightening thing they are worried about. For many on the fence Biden supporters failure to pass this legislation shows lack of leadership,,I don’t support that position.
I understand what you are saying, but I don’t understand what your friends are thinking. Biden can lead all he wants, but if Manchin and Sinema refuse to modify the filibuster, there is no path forward. Biden could attempt to punish both in some way, which would likely drive them out of the party and put McConnell in charge of the Senate. What I don’t understand is why there aren’t massive demonstrations in front of Sinema and Manchin’s offices every day. They are complicit in the efforts by Republicans to disenfranchise voters based on race, ethnicity, and the color of their skin. No amount of institutional loyalty to preserve a procedural rule can justify that.
Robert I hear you. I read an article that discusses Manchin in detail and it points out how getting re-elected is a key driver for him and people in WV love him as long as they perceive him as someone who is keeping those liberal spending Democrats in line. The basic premise of the article is that you can threaten and march in front of his boat and send letters to Manchin all day long but he will be driven by the strategy that keeps him getting re-elected. Coming from a huge red state actually makes the situation much more difficult. The frustrations voters have is unless they pass voting legislation the Democrats will be in danger for a very long time. I have no idea where Sinema is coming from or what she wants other than to play spoiler.
In addition to the candidates that Len's Letter advocates, another top place to look for whom to support is called Force Multiplier (forcemultiplierus.org). Interestingly, their list of candidates overlaps with Len's Letter on (only) 2 names: Jared Golden (ME 02) and Cindy Axne (IA 03). Oh well - support 'em all, if you can.
Hi, Michael. Good point. I suspect there is zero overlap between Len’s list and some other lists which use a different set of criteria for identifying which candidates to support. A good example is Emily’s List, which frequently, though not always, will endorse a woman candidate in a race over other candidates who may be leading in the polls (and possibly more likely to win). Our democracy would be much better off with more women in office, so the strategy used by Emily’s list is essential to improving our democracy. Similarly, Force Multiplier seems like it focuses on promoting progressive candidates—another much needed group in Congress. Len’s recommendations focus on which races are most likely to have an impact in 2022 based on likelihood of flipping a seat or defending a vulnerable one. That doesn’t always line up with long-term goals of making Congress more equitable, diverse, and liberal, all goals that we should strive for.
Dismaying disbelief for this 90 year old as the battle is not just a partisan dispute, but a battle for democracy versus an authoritarian regime. My history includes WWII and victory gardens and scrap metal drives, rationing, Pearl Harbor, Normandy--all those vivid memories when our nation was so unified; the McCarthy Hearings, Watergate, the assassinations of President Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and Bobby Kennedy, Korea and Viet Nam, The Terrorist Attack of 9-11 and the Insurrection of January 6 following Impeachment and The Big Lie still being told after Biden's election. We Seniors are distressed and thank you for your comments today and thank you for the never failing optimistic views you express to shine a light on the possibilities.
In today's Morning Shot with Charlie Sykes, Tim Miller hit the nail on the head:
"Manchin does it by going along with the Democrats just enough to get by, while bucking the party loudly enough to keep the Trump voters in his state happy."
This is all in an effort to retain office - in other words, to gild his ego. It's about money, power and ego rather than doing the right thing for his constituents. These are not the moral standards of a true Democrat.
In the meantime, I agree with other readers that the Voting Rights acts are the most important legislative issue because without these laws that undue the effort the Autocratic effort of Republicans, there is zero likelihood passing any BBB for the foreseeable future.
As for the BBB, sometimes one needs to get off their high horse and accept reality - especially when considering the big picture which is demonstrating that Democrats get things done that help middle class and lower class people. Temporarily give Manchin what he wants. Let the child credit go. Live to fight another day. It is politically more important to pass a watered-down BBB than fail to pass anything at all.
Thanks for mentioning we older progressives. The thing is, after founding parts of the women’s movement, I had to resist Reagan’s attempts to tear it all down, along with civil rights gains I had celebrated. That gave my generation hope to carry us through these even worse times, since we won a lot back again. We have resilience and perseverance from seeing it all go down the drain before.
These antics of Manchin and Sinema are sickening and obstructive. We all know that. I heard an interesting take on Att General Garland. I would like to know what you think of his passive behavior. The broadcast I heard was quite emphatic that he should indict anyone who has participated in the craziness of 1/6/21. He seems so weak to me. Anyone else would have been put away for a long time....What is the Attorney General's capability to act forcefully and with authority? Just because he was denied access to become a Justice in the Supreme Court was no reason for Biden to appoint him to this high position in his cabinet.
Joe Manchin is single-handedly derailing the Biden Presidency. I want to know who’s paying him. It’s gotta be some huge payoff to be willing to be a piranha in his own party. Why aren’t journalists exposing the fraud he is?
Debbie, you ask a very good question. Journalists are reporting on Manchin as if he is legitimate actor in the politics of American democracy. The overwhelming evidence is that he is acting solely to protect his own wealth, which comes from a dying industry.
The press aren't asking the right questions. "Senator, with your obstruction to the Build, Back Better plan, no matter your reasons, you're not just halting the cornerstone of the Biden presidency, you're ensuring Democrats lose the House and Senate in the mid-terms Why would you do that?" I believe it is more than protecting his own wealth. (Which I agree is undoubtedly part of the equation). I believe there is an as yet unknown nefarious reason. Manchin votes with the republicans approximately 50% of the time. Additionally the media has reported of his private meetings with McConnell. Then there are his well known "negotiations" with republicans, ostensibly to negotiate legislation, such as a voting rights bill. None of which has seen the light of day. The fact is his obstruction is having only one major effect: killing the Biden presidency. Therefore it follows that's the reason for it. There can be no other explanation. I want to bring up one other point. The progressives gave up quite a bit to get the Infrastructure bill passed. They've proven themselves to be honest brokers having lived up to their promises. Manchin on the other hand has not. He's constantly zigging and zagging by claiming to not have promised anything. Biden won the election running on the platform Manchin is hell bent on destroying. Even better the majority of all Americans when asked about specifics of the plan, putting party affiliation aside, are in favor of its passage - including of course Manchin's own constituents. Manchin is wielding an outsized amount of power in the Democratic caucus. (Schumer has zero control). His obstruction is more damaging to the Democratic Party than if McConnell were the Senate Leader. For the Democrats are being destroyed by one of their own. If ever there were a reason for those citizens sitting on the fence to vote against the Democrats, he's providing them one heck of one. Democrats can't even keep a lone wolf in line to pass the cornerstone of the President's platform. Democrats are ineffectual. It won't matter how much else this administration has delivered or how much they've rebuilt our shattered institutions and agencies left for dead by the last administration.
Yes, déjà vu, but I’m moving on from worrying about obstructionists whose sincerity I question, or the cynical brand of empathy displayed by some congressmen toward their constituents. Your concluding message about older Americans is a reminder of the season in which we find ourselves, and the values that define many of our political choices. I look forward to expressing those values in support for candidates at the voting booth.
I still find it hard to believe that there’s not a deal to be made to save the voting rights bill. Do Manchin and/or Sinema want to be the vote that tore down democracy? Only if they believe that a Republican wave is inevitable next year. If they have not bought into that idea irretrievably, there’s a deal to be made, probably a very, very narrow exception to the filibuster. Although my thesis is weakened, I admit, by the fact that neither of them is likely to survive the 2024 campaign. Sinema is already a political corpse, whether she realizes it or not—-her own party is virtually sure to reject her. Still, you would think that neither of them wants to go down in infamy.
Sinema makes the following argument: If you abolish the filibuster, then when Republicans are in charge, they will repeal the voting rights legislation and impose national ID requirements on voting. That might be true, but she fails to acknowledge that in order for that to happens, Rs must also control the presidency and the House, so removing the filibuster alone will not lead to single party chaos. Moreover, she does not address this point: She fears a scenario in which the checks and balances are those prescribed by the Framers. If we don’t think the Constitution works in the modern era, we should amend it, not impose a rule largely designed to prevent Senators from having to sit through lengthy debate, but which has the effect of making the anti-democratic Senate even more so.
You are right. She is wrong. What more need be said? Other than that she is dishonest.
So WHERE does this discussion belong? The voters in WVA don't seem to mind that their own Senator turns down support that would help them. Is there an understanding gap there that can be addressed?
Follow the money. Both senators are being well compensated for their positions by pharma and coal and who knows. They are willing to hurt their own constituents, deny their 48 other states wanting to support these bills...at least BBB....do all the other Democrats support the voting rights legislation? I sure hope so. Did someone press the Replay Button and we have to do Jim Crow all over again?
Robert, you covered a lot of bases very well today. All I can add is "voting rights, voting rights, voting rights". And voting rights. My next letters to my Senators will be about...
In discussions with many of my friends who are real Independents and voted for Biden they believe as I do that voting rights legislation is the most critical item on the agenda. There is a perception that unless the voting rights bill is passed the gerrymandering by Republicans will result not only a loss of the House in 2022 but for many years to come thus enabling either Trump or a wanna be to destroy our Democracy. This is real to them and frankly the most scary and frightening thing they are worried about. For many on the fence Biden supporters failure to pass this legislation shows lack of leadership,,I don’t support that position.
I understand what you are saying, but I don’t understand what your friends are thinking. Biden can lead all he wants, but if Manchin and Sinema refuse to modify the filibuster, there is no path forward. Biden could attempt to punish both in some way, which would likely drive them out of the party and put McConnell in charge of the Senate. What I don’t understand is why there aren’t massive demonstrations in front of Sinema and Manchin’s offices every day. They are complicit in the efforts by Republicans to disenfranchise voters based on race, ethnicity, and the color of their skin. No amount of institutional loyalty to preserve a procedural rule can justify that.
Robert I hear you. I read an article that discusses Manchin in detail and it points out how getting re-elected is a key driver for him and people in WV love him as long as they perceive him as someone who is keeping those liberal spending Democrats in line. The basic premise of the article is that you can threaten and march in front of his boat and send letters to Manchin all day long but he will be driven by the strategy that keeps him getting re-elected. Coming from a huge red state actually makes the situation much more difficult. The frustrations voters have is unless they pass voting legislation the Democrats will be in danger for a very long time. I have no idea where Sinema is coming from or what she wants other than to play spoiler.
In addition to the candidates that Len's Letter advocates, another top place to look for whom to support is called Force Multiplier (forcemultiplierus.org). Interestingly, their list of candidates overlaps with Len's Letter on (only) 2 names: Jared Golden (ME 02) and Cindy Axne (IA 03). Oh well - support 'em all, if you can.
Hi, Michael. Good point. I suspect there is zero overlap between Len’s list and some other lists which use a different set of criteria for identifying which candidates to support. A good example is Emily’s List, which frequently, though not always, will endorse a woman candidate in a race over other candidates who may be leading in the polls (and possibly more likely to win). Our democracy would be much better off with more women in office, so the strategy used by Emily’s list is essential to improving our democracy. Similarly, Force Multiplier seems like it focuses on promoting progressive candidates—another much needed group in Congress. Len’s recommendations focus on which races are most likely to have an impact in 2022 based on likelihood of flipping a seat or defending a vulnerable one. That doesn’t always line up with long-term goals of making Congress more equitable, diverse, and liberal, all goals that we should strive for.
Dismaying disbelief for this 90 year old as the battle is not just a partisan dispute, but a battle for democracy versus an authoritarian regime. My history includes WWII and victory gardens and scrap metal drives, rationing, Pearl Harbor, Normandy--all those vivid memories when our nation was so unified; the McCarthy Hearings, Watergate, the assassinations of President Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and Bobby Kennedy, Korea and Viet Nam, The Terrorist Attack of 9-11 and the Insurrection of January 6 following Impeachment and The Big Lie still being told after Biden's election. We Seniors are distressed and thank you for your comments today and thank you for the never failing optimistic views you express to shine a light on the possibilities.
In today's Morning Shot with Charlie Sykes, Tim Miller hit the nail on the head:
"Manchin does it by going along with the Democrats just enough to get by, while bucking the party loudly enough to keep the Trump voters in his state happy."
This is all in an effort to retain office - in other words, to gild his ego. It's about money, power and ego rather than doing the right thing for his constituents. These are not the moral standards of a true Democrat.
In the meantime, I agree with other readers that the Voting Rights acts are the most important legislative issue because without these laws that undue the effort the Autocratic effort of Republicans, there is zero likelihood passing any BBB for the foreseeable future.
As for the BBB, sometimes one needs to get off their high horse and accept reality - especially when considering the big picture which is demonstrating that Democrats get things done that help middle class and lower class people. Temporarily give Manchin what he wants. Let the child credit go. Live to fight another day. It is politically more important to pass a watered-down BBB than fail to pass anything at all.
Thanks for mentioning we older progressives. The thing is, after founding parts of the women’s movement, I had to resist Reagan’s attempts to tear it all down, along with civil rights gains I had celebrated. That gave my generation hope to carry us through these even worse times, since we won a lot back again. We have resilience and perseverance from seeing it all go down the drain before.
These antics of Manchin and Sinema are sickening and obstructive. We all know that. I heard an interesting take on Att General Garland. I would like to know what you think of his passive behavior. The broadcast I heard was quite emphatic that he should indict anyone who has participated in the craziness of 1/6/21. He seems so weak to me. Anyone else would have been put away for a long time....What is the Attorney General's capability to act forcefully and with authority? Just because he was denied access to become a Justice in the Supreme Court was no reason for Biden to appoint him to this high position in his cabinet.
Thanks for the link to Len's Political Notes. I used it to contribute to his top 10 list.
Yes, I agree. I like that Len's list focuses on the here and now. As we know too well, the perfect is the enemy of the good.