WTF?!? Biden opposes abandoning the filibuster to pass federal voting rights legislation...

[Nevilledog]

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Steven Mazie
@stevenmazie
·
Jul 21, 2021
Amazing.

Biden opposes abandoning the filibuster to pass federal voting rights legislation b/c:
(1) he wants to bring the country together;
(2) he thinks everyone will come out and vote no matter how suppressive state voting laws are

Sawyer Hackett
@SawyerHackett
This answer from Biden on the filibuster just doesn’t make sense.

Republicans aren’t going to wake up and “know better” than suppressing the vote. The filibuster encourages them to obstruct and our reluctance to end it emboldens them to do worse.
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Steven Mazie
@stevenmazie
In sum, he values an old senate debating rule more highly than voting rights protections.
8:02 PM · Jul 21, 2021 from Brooklyn, NY

I.....I........I don't understand.

[SoCalDavidS]

1. Everyone Thinks Manchin & Sinema Are The Only Ones

I'm not at all surprised. And News Flash! There are at least a few other Senators against eliminating it, who are saying nothing, and letting the aforementioned Democrats take the heat.

The future of America is really bleak. If you expect some Superhero to come along and save us, I've got a bridge to sell you.

And if you think TFG is going to suffer ANY real consequences, I've got a Building to go with that bridge.

[Walleye]

2. It's quite possible he knows what he's doing. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt

[Bev54]

3. I think it is quite possible that he wants an exception, without breaking the filibuster.

But he should not be scaring the public the way the statement is made. There is no bipartisan and there never will be as long as Moscow Mitch is there.

[triron]

4. Sometimes Biden comes across in a bad way to me.

[Skittles]

5. yup

[Celerity]

7. I doubt he supports another exception. Hell, Sinema wants to reverse the 2 now and go to 60 votes

needed for all Senate business.

Sinema:

“I want to restore the 60-vote threshold for all elements of the Senate’s work”

https://www.vox.com/22319564/filibuster-reform-manchin-democrats-nuclear-option

[lagomorph777]

35. It is scary to hear Dems still promoting fantasy "bipartisan" ideas.

If the Jan 6th coup plot didn't put a stop to it, what possibly could? People were literally hit over the head with reality. What more could possibly be done to disillusion them?

[Celerity]

6. hardly surprising, he has said this for ages

The Rethugs just sit back and laugh.

[joetheman]

8. Folks are not listening between the lines. He doesn't want to blow up the big infrastructure stuff.

I believe, if he gets that done and the we can raise the debt ceiling without any torture, he will put it all on the table for voting rights. He is focused. He said one thing that sent a message he believes the PEOPLE will still come out and vote and there will be more vote for Dems. I believe he is trying not to tip his plans so the GOP can ready their obstruction. The DNC needs to get on the job and be pushing hard to get folks out to vote in ALL state and local elections. Time and money is better spent on informing what state and local elections mean to national elections INCLUDING WHAT THEY MEAN TO VOTING!

[Celerity]

11. The bi-partisan smaller one that the Rethugs are now playing 'pull the football' games with? Or the

reconciliation package that cannot be stopped by anyone other than other Dems (hello Manchin and Sinema, etc as a possibility for blocking some parts) or by the Senate Parliamentarian (again, potentially some parts of it)?

[Celerity]

9. If Biden is talking about going back to a talking filibuster, Manchin opposes that (and Sinema, and

perhaps Feinstein, and others).


Democrat Joe Manchin opposes eliminating or weakening the Senate filibuster under any circumstance

Manchin’s outright rejection of any filibuster reform came a day after Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., another moderate, told The Wall Street Journal that she opposed efforts to ease the rules

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/04/08/senate-joe-manchin-opposes-eliminating-or-weakening-the-filibuster.html

[OnDoutside]

18. That's from April....this is from June 16

https://www.forbes.com/sites/andrewsolender/2021/06/16/manchin-says-hes-open-to-lowering-filibuster-threshold-to-55-votes/amp/

[Celerity]

19. That has nothing to do with the talking filibuster nor Sinema or Feinstein

[OnDoutside]

23. Not specifically, no, however you quoted a piece headlined

"Democrat Joe Manchin opposes eliminating or weakening the Senate filibuster under any circumstance"

And I was responding to the fact that he subsequently softened that stance. I see a lot of this is doing the dance, and I am convinced this will all come to a head sooner rather than later....sort of "Nothing's agreed until suddenly everything is agreed".

[Celerity]

24. Manchin is not the only one opposed. Sinema is even more hardcore.

I will believe it all when I see it. I hope they cave in.

[OnDoutside]

25. I honestly believe that Sinema will fall in line once Manchin agrees (iirc she signed up to

the VRA). I hope it happens before the end of September because there will be a lot of State court challenges, delaying individual states implementing this.

[FBaggins]

29. Did you miss the thread you're posting on?

The President just lined up with Sinea and Manchin. Heck... he sounded like he was channeling Manchin.

Why would they be changing their minds? Particularly when they know that they are far from alone on the issue?

[OnDoutside]

39. No I didn't miss anything. I'd have no doubt he was channelling Manchin.

This is all political positioning imo, Let's not forget that Manchin has already proposed a compromise on the VRA, and now Biden is saying the entire filibuster wouldn't have to go but it could be reformed, which we know Manchin is open to. And finally, Manchin and Sinema will stand to benefit from a VRA more that almost all other Dem Senators because they are in pretty Red States. It's in their own interest to get something over the line.

[FBaggins]

21. No... Manchin favors it.

He just isn’t willing to “go nuclear” to get it.

That probably isn’t far off from what the President is thinking of either. There are ways to make a filibuster painful that have not been done for years.

IOW the President isn’t talking about forcing a rule change either.

[Mike Niendorff]

10. Unacceptable.

It it logically inconsistent to claim that:

(1) Republican states' assault on voting rights is the most serious threat to democracy since the Civil War

(2) Republican states' assault on voting rights will not affect people's ability to vote, because people will find a way anyway.

You can't have it both ways.

I can't help but interpret this as Biden still not fundamentally understanding the true gravity of the situation.


MDN

[radius777]

12. Dems have been asleep at the wheel on this issue

of voting going back as far as Florida in 2000 and then after Obama was elected with the first round of voter suppression bills. The GOP is dedicated to suppressing votes and stealing elections, but it often seems Dems are not willing to fight back as hard, and just expect black and brown voters and activists like Stacey Abrams to 'outwork' the suppressive efforts. Look what DeJoy did in trying to sabotage the mail - yet we don't see him being held accountable.

[uponit7771]

14. +1, ... because too many don't believe it'll affect elections but we see the effects in polling !!!

[radius777]

15. and Biden says people will vote anyway,

but at what cost? Black and browns and young people and others waited on terribly long lines, put their lives at risk during a pandemic. And what about the poll workers and officials who faced (still face) death threats etc from right wingers. Our democracy just barely held together in 2020 and there's no guarantee it will in 2022 and beyond.

[uponit7771]

20. +1, I they have it objectively wrong; making it harder to vote them peephole won't vote !!!

We can't out organize voter access and nullification laws !!!

You can get 3 billion people wanting to vote but if they have just one machine they're not going to vote.

If they have one drop box for 16 million people like in Houston Texas they're not going to use it.

I don't know who is informing dem leadership on this issue but they've got the science of human behavior wrong when it comes to voting

[PortTack]

13. Bottom line, should voting rights pass he isn't NOT going to sign it. Plus it's probably politically

The right thing to do...

Don’t forget this isn’t his first rodeo....give him a break!

[OnDoutside]

17. He didn't say that.

[lagomorph777]

36. Wow, that's leadership. "Isn't going to not sign it..."

I think that's a double-passive right there.

[OnDoutside]

16. I do understand. He's not speaking in isolation, and I bet if he had

50 votes without Manchin and Sinema, this VRA carve out would be done and dusted by now.

[Deminpenn]

22. Happened to catch this question and answer on the fillibuster

Sure hope Biden doesn't believe what he said that the fillibuster actually leads to negotiation when the reality is, it does not. All it does is allow the minority to scuttle any and everything. Removing the fillibuster is what would make the minority come to the table and be serious about negotiating.

And anyone who thinks McConnell/GOP would not eliminate the fillibuster in a second if that's all that stood between them and achieving their fondest desires legislative agenda is not paying attention. Look no further than the elimination of the fillibuster for SCOTUS nominees once Trump was sworn in.

[NurseJackie]

26. Oh, for Pete's sake. Stop it

Joe Biden is a smart, wise, experienced and thoughtful leader. Trust him. He knows what he's doing.

[betsuni]

27. +1

[Mysterian]

28. Maybe he's hoping for a better playing field after the mid-terms

and is treading softly not to screw up those prospects.

[lagomorph777]

37. It'll be too late after the mid-terms.

The voter suppression will have flipped both houses, and democracy will be finished.

[Roisin Ni Fiachra]

30. Democrats have the ball, second down and 3 at the Republican 20 yardline.

Tie score 50-50, 4 minutes left in the game, clock is ticking.

Democrats punt.

[uponit7771]

32. +1, problem is Manchin isn't the ONLY person wanting to keep the filibuster he's just the face of it

... right now.

Democrats think republicans will act in America's best interest when they get back in power, they wont.

They will get rid of the filibuster and gut every voter law that exist right now and then right before elections vote back in the filibuster just incase they lose.

Kremlin McCarthy and Moscow Mitch is the person who enabled Putin's Whore and they're still around, the treason has ***NOT*** left the building.

[brooklynite]

31. Gee, when it was just Manchin and Sinema to vilify, we were being told to "get tough with them"...

...maybe even support Primary challenges.

Perhaps is more complicated.....

[Ferrets are Cool]

33. I.....I........I don't understand.

TBH, I don't either. Forum rules forbid me saying what is really on my mind.

[aocommunalpunch]

34. Republicans are suppressing voting rights

and Biden acts like this isn't happening. He compares the 2020 elections to future elections that will have this suppression in active force. He further states that he wants Republicans to come along for the ride because "they know better". This is the stuff of wishing for ponies. I am dismayed.

[mcar]

38. He also said that he thinks the Senate should go back to an actual filibuster

Where a person has to stand and talk. Funny the MSM isn't mentioning that.