Biden could make life miserable for Manchin and Sinema. And he should.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

Two Democratic senators, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, made a choice Wednesday night to side with the 50 Senate Republicans to block changes to the Senate’s filibuster rule and, thus, prevent Democrats from passing voting rights legislation. What happened on the Senate floor was more than just a vote on a Senate rule; Manchin and Sinema chose to preserve the filibuster over preserving our democracy.

President Joe Biden must display his commitment to the Black community to whom he promised to “always” have “their back.”

For their choice, there must be political consequences. And those consequences must not just come from the grass roots — which is already happening — but also from President Joe Biden, who must display his commitment to members of the Black community to whom he promised to “always” have their back.

Of course, voting rights are not just an issue for the Black community. The GOP wishes to silence the voice of anyone who opposes the party, but their vote-diluting, vote-suppressing and potentially vote-rigging measures disproportionately affect people of color, especially Black Americans. That’s why civil rights groups have been raising alarm bells for months to get Biden to focus on voting rights.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/biden-could-make-life-miserable-for-manchin-and-sinema-and-he-should/ar-AAT22xj

[JohnSJ]

1. Or how to give republicans the majority in the Senate.

Biden appointed 42 judges in his first year, and that could not be done without Sinema and Manchin

The best strategy is to win more seats in the Senate, not personally attacking Sinema and Manchin with a 50-50 Senate

[dpibel]

3. How does that work?

Assuredly, increasing the Democratic majority in the Senate is critical.

Do you think that criticizing Manchin and Sinema will depress the Democratic vote in other states?

Because, as various defenders of those two have pointed out many times: Neither is up for reelection this year.

TBH, I think one of the best campaign strategies available for senatorial candidates trying to flip seats is to promise to, unlike Sinema and Manchin, support the president's agenda. As in, "Want to help Joe Biden succeed? Make Joe and Kyrsten irrelevant."

[Nictuku]

6. If either of them switched parties

If either of them switched parties, it would be immediate. Majority would pass to Moscow Mitch. That is too big a risk.

There will come a time, but it is not now. We can't make the Biden Administration any weaker than what it has with a dang 50/50 split.

All focus goes to the 2 damn senators who would not vote with their party on certain bills. Focus /should/ be on the 50 Republicans. That is a messaging issue, and the Democrats should do better. It is a fight for our life.

If McConnell gets Leadership of the Senate again, he has total control over everything that comes to the floor (or not), he has control over what Committees do, and the Republicans get a Majority on all Committees. And you know what they will do.

That is too much a risk, and will totally waste the next 3 years that Biden has as President, and(what we all have to work for) is to give him the Congress he needs to get the job done.

I wish we could all come together on this sentiment. This is not a drill. This is real, and scary.

Fascism. Brown shirts to ferret out voters. Fuck. I'm freaked out, but want to think sensibly.

Sinema and Manchin will have their time for accountability.

Yes, I am an optimist. I have no other choice.

[JohnSJ]

8. Thank-you. I thought it was obvious, but obviously not to some

[dpibel]

10. Oh, for durrrrrr

As I expressed below, I agree with what I believe to be the consensus: Both Sinema and Manchin are getting big jollies out of the attention and power.

If either goes dark side, that power and attention is over.

Along with their political careers, because, in today's world of Total Trump Loyalty Oaths, no trumper is going to vote for a former Satanist...er...Democrat.

There was a post earlier today, or yesterday, retailing a story that Sinema totally loved the approbation she got after her thumbs-down curtsey performance.

Why would she bolt to Mitch's side where she'd be nothing but a vote?

[JohnSJ]

11. I wasn't being sarcastic, I was suspecting that some may actually not register the immediate

result

As for your question, why would “she or Manchin bolt”?

Because it is possible they don’t want to put up with the personal attacks, and for those who think they wouldn’t switch because they enjoy the attention, I don’t think it is worth the risk, and there is no doubt McConnell would welcome them with open arms.

[regnaD kciN]

9. It might be better if that happened...

As it stands, right now, Biden can't get anything passed. If the GQP had control, it would be easy and credible for our party to run our 2022 campaign on "stopping Republican obstruction of the President's agenda."

Instead of it being "Republicans' fault," the conventional wisdom is that all the blame falls on two Democrats -- and on Biden for being "too weak" to get them to go along. That's not a good narrative to encourage people to vote Democratic in November. If anything, it will depress turnout, because "we voted the Democrats in, and what have they accomplished?"

A 50/50 split such as we have now is, if anything, the worst position to be in. We still can't get stuff done, and we can't even blame it on the Republicans blocking us, because, if we all hung together, it wouldn't matter what they do. Heads, they win; tails, we lose.

[JohnSJ]

12. Really? Biden made 42 judicial appointments, and they went through with the HELP of Manchin

and Sinema

[onenote]

19. Harris has broken more 50-50 ties than any VP since the 19th Century

How many times would she have had that opportunity if Manchin and/or Sinema weren't voting with Democrats? Zero.

So I guess since her tie breaking votes don't "get stuff done" she should just not even bother, right?

[rso]

2. Biden

We need to tread carefully and not force these two deplorables into formally joining with Moscow Mitch. Why would we want to see Moscow Mitch as Majority Leader ?

[dpibel]

4. As many have pointed out in the eternal Sinemanchin discussions

Neither is likely to bolt (officially) to the dark side. Once they do, they have no significance.

I mean, I suppose they could switch to gumming up Mitch's agenda, but that's not going to get them the attention they crave because Mitch's agenda, after all, is gumming things up.

[Nictuku]

7. I really, really (really!) Hope you are right!

Really, I do.

[wnylib]

16. I doubt that either one of them is

motivated by attention seeking. Manchin is motivated by business interests and being from a very conservative state. Cinema's interests come from the huge funding that she gets from conservative sources.

Either one of them could benefit from switching. The motion that they are in it for the attention is a myth, the result of armchair psychologists and wishful thinking.

[Trueblue1968]

5. BIDEN NEEDS TO GET REALLY TOUGH and do whatever he needs to bring these 2 to heel.

Dems are getting disgusted at M and S's actions.

[JohnSJ]

13. and Do what? With both Manchin and Sinema, Biden in his first term was able to make 42 judicial

appointments

[NCjack]

14. Instead, I think Pres. Biden needs to get tough on Repukes.

[JohnSJ]

15. Yes. Attacking Manchin and Sinema will accomplish nothing, and presents the real possibility they

could switch parties

[Slammer]

18. backwards

"Dems are getting disgusted at M and S's actions."

I think you have that backwards: Democrats are disgusted by S & M.

[Moebym]

17. Everyone seems to be throwing in their $0.02 on "what Biden should do"

Here's mine:

Take aim at Republicans. Don't add any more fuel to the media's "Democrats in Disarray" narrative by putting public pressure on the two clowns, because the perception of infighting is a projection of weakness.

Ignore the clowns. That will reduce the likelihood that they will switch parties, and give them less power.

[onenote]

20. According to Obeidallah, Biden could pressure Manchin by going to West Virginia.

Maybe Obediallah is unaware of the fact that Biden got less than 30 percent of the vote in West Virginia.