Progressive pundits are about to suffer major heart attacks after GOP lawmakers are seen praising Sens Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema. It is their resistance that prevents Democrats from doing away with the filibuster.
Without their opposition, we would be seeing Democrats pass the most extreme measures ever in the United States. Both are from Red states. And both would have a shortened political career should they allow the filibuster to go by the wayside. West Virginia has turned deep red and Manchin is the only Democrat that can win statewide office there.
You can expect pundits and other Democrats alike to put the pressure on. That could be a huge mistake because, without Manchin, Democrats would lose a Senate seat they would never get back. If he jumps parties, the filibuster is no longer in play. Republicans would have a 51-49 advantage. Democratic activist Lauren Windsor posted a video of Rep Andy Biggs praising Manchin and Sinema and that set her tail feathers aflame.
Biggs said:
“The reality is they’re pushing as far as they can. Fortunately for us, the filibuster is still in effect in the Senate. Without that we would be dead meat.”
“Thank goodness for Sinema and Joe Manchin.”
Rep. Bryon Donalds (R-Fla.) also spoke on the video and he urged conservatives to call the offices of Manchin and Sinema to thank them for not giving in to the progressives in their party.
Donalds said:
“All of you in this room, people at home on Zoom, let me tell you right now if you want to do one thing to keep the republic afloat, call Joe Manchin’s office, call Kyrsten Sinema’s office.”
The 60-vote majority required to overcome a filibuster in the Senate has acted as a significant obstacle to Biden’s agenda. The most popular legislation among the progressive left on issues such as election reform, the climate, and so-called “human” infrastructure like free college tuition, government-funded child care, and a national paid leave program, has all been defeated by filibuster threats from the Republican minority.
Democratic activists and pundits have over the course of several months expressed their fury with Manchin and Sinema, and many such critics seized on the leaked video to shame the moderate senators.
