Angus King signals he would nix filibuster for voting rights

[demmiblue]

Source: The Hill

Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) signaled on Wednesday that he would support changing the Senate's rules if Republicans block voting rights legislation.

King, who has long been viewed as wary of changing the filibuster, laid out his thinking in a Washington Post op-ed, saying he viewed voting rights as a "special case."

"All-out opposition to reasonable voting rights protections cannot be enabled by the filibuster; if forced to choose between a Senate rule and democracy itself, I know where I will come down," King wrote.

Opponents the filibuster have long viewed voting rights and sweeping democracy and election reforms as fertile ground for swaying Democratic senators wary of changing the rules.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/544683-angus-king-signals-he-would-nix-filibuster-for-voting-rights

[dalton99a]

1. Good.

[Lonestarblue]

2. Perhaps he can reason with Manchin and Sinema.

Both are smart enough to realize that the Republican bills in several states are intended only to prevent fair elections and to stack the deck for Republicans.

[lagomorph777]

10. Surely Manchin understands that WV GQP will legislate him out of a job if they can?

Does that bother him any?

[nevergiveup]

3. Angus King is a good guy.

I would consider him a pragmatic progressive and there is nothing wrong with that.

[Martin68]

4. The GOP is being set up to either support voting rights or kiss the filibuster goodbye.

How's it feel to be caught in a vise as it slowly but inexorably tightens?

[BumRushDaShow]

5. It's not a matter of "'if' Republicans block"

they WILL block it. It is the only way they can stay in power.

[tecelote]

9. Yup

“The things they had in there were crazy. They had things, levels of voting that if you’d ever agreed to it, you’d never have a Republican elected in this country again,” - Trump

"As people do better, they start voting like Republicans - unless they have too much education and vote Democratic, which proves there can be too much of a good thing." - Karl Rove

[Johnny2X2X]

6. They'll have to change the rule somehow

They can change it in a way that still symbolically keeps it, but makes it back to what it was intended to be, a way to be heard, not a way to derail altogether.

King is a key cog, it's all about Sinema and Manchin, I think there's a path forward still, especially on voting rights.

[nuxvomica]

11. They can keep the filibuster for naming post offices

Or whatever the Senate does that is just as significant.

[OMGWTF]

7. Charlie Pierce of Esquire Magazine calls King "The Moustache of Righteousness"

[riversedge]

8. GREAT