Senator Joe Manchin was interviewed today on CNN by Manu Raju and his stubborn, gullible stance on the filibuster was clear. He told Raju, “We have got to bring our country together. We can’t continue to split and go further apart. We can’t just do that, we have to work together. That takes a lot of time, energy, and patience.” He sounded sincere and resolute to choose the currently futile possibility of Republican openness to participate in the give and take the process of true bipartisanship. His words indicated he hasn’t been listening to the current political discourse. Did he miss Mitch McConnell’s partisan declaration, “100% of my efforts will go into blocking the Biden administration? Mr. Manchin, where is the possibility of bipartisanship with Mc Connell instructing his senators to obstruct passing any bill Biden endorses?
Is Manchin delusional, a closeted Republican, a well-meaning political dinosaur, or attention?
Is Manchin putting the preferences of West Virginia voters over the preservation of voting rights and the preservation of American democracy?
Should
Listening to him was sad, watching an old politician hanging on to the intentions of founding fathers instead of governing with acceptance of current political realities. Much has been reported recently on the history of the filibuster. It was first used in the Senate in 1837 and has been used historically to block advances in civil rights. President Obama has referred to the rule as a “throwback to Jim Crow era.” Manchin either doesn’t understand or care about the pattern of the anti-racial justice history of the filibuster. In 1957, Senator Strom Thurman filibustered for 24 hours in an attempt to block the Civil Rights Act. In 1964, Thurman once again filibustered to block the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which provided protections for voting rights. The filibuster has been used by Republicans to block legislation that could lessen the disparity that exists for minorities in housing, education, policing, healthcare and justice. Despite this unpatriotic reality, Manchin pines for bipartisanship while his Republican colleagues place staying in power over preserving the integrity of democracy.
Manchin, along with Senator Kristin Sinema, is aligning themselves with Republicans who are committed to opposing Biden’s agenda in its entirety which addresses issues the American people agree with and need. Manchin and Sinema are holding on to the nostalgic idea that the filibuster facilitates bipartisanship. They are not paying attention to the demonization campaign Republicans are waging against Democrats. They are not paying attention to the opposition of discovering all of the information on how the Capitol insurrection occurred. The Senators are not paying attention to the fact that all Republicans voted against the American Rescue Plan that the majority of Republican and Democrat Americans support. They are not paying attention to the Republican’s disinterest in protecting voting rights, or supporting the law enforcement officers who were beaten and traumatized in the Jan. 6th Capitol attack, or aligning with the anti-democracy lie that the presidential election was wrought with fraud and that Trump, not Biden won the election.
If the House and Senate were occupied only by sane, bipartisan-type Republicans like Mitt Romney, Lisa Murkowski, John Kasich, or Adam Kinzinger the defense of preserving the filibuster would make more sense. However, Senators Manchin and Sinema should note that the ideology of conspiracy theorists like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz, Paul Gosar, and Josh Hawley have overtaken the branding and policymaking of the Republican party, people who are not interested in bipartisanship.
Preserving the filibuster in the hope that someday the GOP and Democrats will become civil about their differences is risking the survival of America as a democracy. Manchin should remember making voting easier for Americans is a patriotic act. Making it more difficult for people to vote while proclaiming the new restrictions will improve election security is how Republicans are gaslighting Americans while they attack democracy.
Senator Joe Manchin is now the most powerful elected official to be suckered into the Republican’s blatant attack on our democracy.
