This is insulting.

[Scrivener7]

69. But I have to say that this is a hard sell by Joe and the people who want to pass the bill.

Those of us who are not Manchin and Sinema should be showing a united front. I know it is not entirely honest. I know we all think the compromise sucks, but the press always makes hay about our willingness to express that emotion.

For once, I would like to see us all saying, "OK. Here is the thing we are going to do. We are all behind it, there is no soft underbelly to be picked at, we are solid."

I appreciate AOC. Unlike Manchin and Sinema, she is a person who is working in good faith in her efforts to move the ball left. Manchin and Sinema are not working in good faith.

But at this point, we really have to change our tune. We have to assess the landscape, see what we can do to move these really essential things forward in the time we have, and present a "Don't even think about trying to oppose us" kind of united front.

We need to do this both for the public perception, which right now sees us as squishy and ineffectual and I fear that will affect us in 2022, and we need to do it just to get the shit done we need to get done.

ETA: Also, I think her characterization of "crumbs" is a big mistake and one she is too smart to have made. We want to get Democrats elected. When Democrats pass something, we need to sell it. Again, I understand that it's not optimal, but we have to present it to the average uninformed voter as a great achievement that shows Democrats as strong and effective. We need to win in 2022.