Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) on Sunday suggested that there are alternatives to a filibuster carveout for voting rights legislation now that Democrats lack the votes needed for rules changes after Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) reiterated their loyalty to the filibuster.
How about this? Enough with what you could do, just do it. I don’t need to see the sausage get made, I’m just hungry and want to eat. And if you can’t do it, just put it aside already. I think I speak for many when I say I just don’t want to hear this anymore. It really isn’t helpful.
What’s in the sausage is important. There’s always pork, even when you don’t know it’s there.
There was a time when that pork greased the skids enough that the nation’s business was attended to.
Getting rid of earmarks has contributed to the decline in comity
Myself, I would like there to be more work and less Performance Art for the 2 Prima Donnas. They both have tap-danced around being able work changes in the filibuster.
Their Performance Art is for the GOP.
The Dems (not being a tenth as skilled in lying and misdirection as the GOPPERs) have been toyed with to a great extent…and I do not blame them as much as most people seem to get a kick out of.
And by the way:
With respect to Voting Rights, whatever the 2 Prima Donnas do, Voting Rights as an issue will not go away this month. Or the next. Or the next…Or the…
Ah, yes, “alternatives.”
“Not that I can say what they are. That would be giving away too much.”
I don’t blame Democrats at all, after all, I understand the score. But this constant “possible workaround” they bring up every time Sinema or Manchin say no is way past it’s sell by date. Rather than inspire optimism -which I guess is the point - I find it does just the opposite. It makes the party look weak and the recalcitrants look strong.
Just my two cents.
I’m good with the pork. In fact, I want more pork. One person’s pork is another person’s job training or violence intervention program.
The two delinquents are greatly aided by butterknife questions and by
(1) Near zero grilling on the GOPPERs who shifted away from Voting Rights over the years
(2) Near zero narratives on the ghastly outcomes of corrupt voting practices
The realism and optimism contending in the Democrats’ minds here reminds me of a couple who know they have to break up but both still care enough not to want to be the one to say it and make it a real thing.
WTF “other paths” is Kaine talking about? I’m all ears, but right now it just sounds like cryptic b.s.
There is the path of gutting another bill that has support and putting the VR bill into the space made by gutting the other bill. That’s the only other path of which I can think - doesn’t mean there isn’t another.
Maybe the Other Side is so devious and hateful, Kaine has to be cryptic.
Sausage without pork is like breakfast without bacon, or ham, or sausage.
But enough about that. Pork in the bill is fine. We are not going to get perfection; effective political action generally involves compromise.
Invoke Senate Rule XIX - each Senator may only speak twice on each Legislative Day. After the last Rethug sits down, the Majority Leader calls for the vote on the question - simple majority and it passes. There is no need for cloture.
Tuesday will be the longest “Legislative Day” of the year - up to two months long, depending on how the GOP reacts. Bring the popcorn !!
You know better than this. They’re trying, and we need to know they’re trying, despite the efforts of 50 republicans and Manchin-Sinema.
52-48. They need two freaking votes.
@thomaspaine I hope they’re completely caught off-guard. The wailing and gnashing of teeth will be epic. If there’s a will, there’s a way.
I agree. At this point the constant “but we can try this…” is just back ground noise that exasperates. Democrats look weak and worse, hopeless, with this constant dragging out of the process.
It’s even less helpful when it falls on the ears of Independents who can swing one way of the other – and are far less sympatico to begin with than you or I.
From the Article:
[“Despite Democrats lacking the votes needed for rules changes, Schumer signaled that the Senate will take up voting rights legislation on Tuesday.”]
They’ll go on record. That looks easy, but it will not be. There are millions who would lose their votes because of it.