Last Chance to Save American Democracy

[Zorro]

Senator Chuck Schumer, the majority leader, has indicated that he plans to schedule a vote for Wednesday to open debate on a new voting rights bill, the Freedom to Vote Act.

The bill would set national standards for early voting, expand voting by mail, allow the use of more forms of voter identification, make Election Day a federal holiday and institute measures to counter voter suppression tactics. It would also automate voter registration, force states to give voters the option to register on Election Day and offer safeguards against voter purges. Finally, it would overhaul portions of the campaign finance system, prohibit partisan gerrymandering and prevent the politicized removal of election officials, among other changes.

This is a compromise bill, but it is still a good bill that would go a long way toward protecting the country’s electoral system and preventing Republicans around the country from instituting a new electoral Jim Crow.

Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia — who opposed an earlier, bolder version of the bill and who opposes getting rid of the filibuster — helped craft the compromise version. He’s now invested. (This was a shrewd tactical move by Democrats, I must say.) Manchin is lobbying Republicans to support the bill — to little avail, unfortunately.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/17/opinion/voting-rights-congress.html

[Joinfortmill]

1. Anyone else exhausted? We need to vote Blue enmasse,

and push these GOP phuckers out for good.

[ancianita]

2. Because he can't get support, he has to support what Schumer has to do because trumpcult has

left them both with no choice. That's how Manchin can save his butt over this.

Also, if Manchin didn't see this on the NYT's front page today, he didn't want to.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/17/climate/manchin-west-virginia-flooding.html?searchResultPosition=1