Senators Manchin and Sinema show the courage of their convictions By Andrea Widburg
In January, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R. Ky.) entered into a power-sharing agreement with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D. Beijing) that was predicated on his receiving a promise from Sen. Joe Manchin (D. W.Va.) and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D. Az.) that they would not join with their fellow Democrat senators to end the filibuster. This was an overwhelmingly important promise because the filibuster is the only thing that stands between America as it has existed for 230 years and a Democrat-run, socialist, despotic future. I must admit that I had no faith whatsoever that Manchin and Sinema would keep their promise but, happily, I seem to be wrong.
The reason the filibuster matters so much is that the Senate is split 50-50. Technically, Kamala Harris is the tie-breaking vote but, if the Republicans invoke the filibuster (which dates back to 1806), it takes three-fifths of the Senate to override a filibuster. It is the filibuster that stands between America and the Democrat plans to pack the Supreme Court (turning it into a Democrat super-legislature), pass the Equality Act (opening the way to men in women’s restrooms, locker rooms, sports, and prisons), give amnesty to millions of illegal aliens (reshaping the American electorate forever), and enshrine fraud as an integral part of American elections (need I say more?).
Almost six months into the Biden era, as the Democrats get ever more aggressive in dividing the nation along racial lines, destroying the economy, supporting Iran, enshrining the mental illness that is so-called “transgenderism,” etc., it was nerve-wracking to think that the only thing between us and turning America into a racially-riven, sexually-obsessed version of China was a promise from Joe Manchin who rather consistently takes stands and then abandons them, and Sinema, who started out in the Green Party and Code Pink.
But Manchin and Sinema have held firm. Indeed, they’ve held so firm that Biden, during his disgraceful race-baiting speech in Tulsa, was forced to lie about them in order to pressure them into yielding on the same filibuster Biden once declared practically sacred. To that end, he accused them of voting with the enemy (i.e., the GOP):
Biden did not name the Democratic senators that could stand in the way of passing bills like the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, although he was likely referring to Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.). Both senators are moderates who have come under heavy criticism this year over perceptions that they are obstructing elements of the Democratic agenda, particularly due to their refusal to support eliminating the Senate‘s filibuster rule.
“I hear all the folks on TV say, ‘why doesn’t Biden get this done?’” said Biden. “Well, because Biden only has a majority of effectively four votes in the House and a tie in the Senate—with two members of the Senate who vote more with my Republican friends. But we’re not giving up.”
In fact, since Biden entered office, both Manchin and Sinema have voted 100% of the time with the Democrats:
Apparently, neither Manchin nor Sinema enjoys being bullied (which is what Thomas Lifson predicted). On Wednesday, when reporters again pushed him on the filibuster question, Manchin reiterated that he will not harm the filibuster:
“I’m not separating our country, OK?” Manchin said in response to yet another question about eliminating the filibuster. “I don’t know what you all don’t understand about this. You ask the same question every day. It’s wrong.”
Sinema has been every put as stubborn:
Sinema on not voting on the Jan. 6 commission: “I had a personal family matter.”
On the filibuster: “To those who say we must make a choice between the filibuster and X, I say this is a false choice.” pic.twitter.com/9RbLRwfmU8
— Andrew Solender (@AndrewSolender) June 2, 2021
It’s comforting to know that, when they’re on the receiving end of Joe Biden’s defamatory statements (because he meant his lies as a tremendous insult), both these Senators stiffened their spines. They’re also wise. Although Biden is issuing radical executive orders as if he has a mandate, the Democrats do not. Congress is poised on the razor’s edge between the two competing value systems in America. If Democrats pull too far to the left, a beleaguered population, struggling with inflation, rising crime, deliberately stoked racial hatred, gender madness and more, may not respond well.
Still, it’s early days yet, so keep those two in your thoughts because you can bet that Biden’s lies were just the tip of the iceberg in the war against their principles.
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