This is much better news than Manchin’s blanket refusal stated in his editorial, although it depends, of course, on what happens when the GOP opposes the bill – and what the heck is going on in Krysten Sinema’s bizarre head. I had thought Manchin was completely opposed to anything in SR1 – the fact that he supports a bill that bans partisan gerrymandering, makes Election Day a holiday (a liberal pipe dream 5 years ago), supports mandated early in person voting and, my God – automatic voter registration – with, apparently, some campaign finance – someone’s gotten through to him.
There are two main questions: Does Sinema support all of this as well? And are the two of them, plus the “quiet moderates,” willing to tweak the filibuster to get an up-or-down vote?
I can’t speak for anyone else here, but I was sure the bill was completely dead in the water. The fact that Manchin supports as much as he does – and feels comfortable saying so publicly – is extremely heartening. Now we gotta call our own Senators (he said, having been very remiss in pressuring the addled Dianne Feinstein.)