What I want for Christmas
What becomes harder and harder these days is coming up with a list of things I want for Christmas. Most items are things no one would buy for me because either they are unhealthy or they don’t know exactly what I want. In other years, I just don’t want anything that badly. However, since this is the last piece I will write before Christmas I thought I would use that tact to address this particularly situation.
My first instinct is to assert that Joe Mancin and Kyrsten Synema are not really Democrats. The whole reason we are in the mess we are in is that far too many people treat political parties like a team or tribe and not as a generic way of telling people what you stand for. They are both Democrats in the sense that they support policies Democrats support more often than not. They just don’t support enough of them or as often as many of us would like.
So, as angry as one can get at the failure of the Build Back Better bill, it is hard to know exactly what Mancin is thinking. He represents West Virginia. Maybe this deal isn’t good for West Virginia in his eyes. Maybe he bent to the whims of his donors. Maybe he just wants to wield more power on his way out the door. Maybe he is really a Republican in sheep’s clothing. Maybe a lot of things are true.
Getting legislation passed is an uphill battle. Getting judges is an uphill battle. Getting ambassadors and political appointments is an uphill battle. Holding the insurrectionists accountable has been an uphill battle. Look around the country and you clearly see one party cares about democracy (small d) while the other cares about power. One party cares about preserving individual rights while the other cares about power.
Yet, we see Demotats fighting over infrastructure, economic relief, and saving the elderly and working families money. These things are all important. Yet, it cannot be more important than giving those people a fighting chance to get people that will represent their interest. It doesn’t matter which issue it is. Public opinion polls always show that an overwhelming number of people support what the Democrats want to do. Yet, they have a 50/50 split in the Senate.
While Democrats have focused on those important but transient issues, Republicans have managed to tip the scales. They’ve managed to rig statewide elections. They are working to stack the courts. That work is starting to produce fruit now and that fruit is something the majority does not want. What the majority wants doesn’t matter. Yet, here we are still pushing that proverbial rock up the mountain.
What I want for Christmas is for the Democrats in Congress to use whatever political capital they have left to ensure that the overall representation reflects the values of the people. That means that everyone that has the right to vote should be able to vote. That means more access. That means district lines that make sense and that are fair. That means no intimidation. That means no thumbs on the scale. That means no changing the outcome when the outcome is “wrong.” That means one person, one vote. That means that land doesn’t determine political power. People do. Once you get that then all the build back better and progressive planks come. They come whether Joe Mancin supports them or not.
Well said.
1As much as I want BBB, I want voting rights passed or we’re going to be in for a very dark time in our history. The 2 ‘might as well be Republicans’ will ruin that, too, as well as anything to do with climate change. It is disheartening.
2Manshit is a politician first which means get big donor’s money. And those donors are likely conservative repugnanticans. Then his next priority is power to make him feel important. Kind of the McConnell model.
3There are a lot of things in the BBB bill to help the people in his state but would not be good for the donors. Keep those coal companies happy.
Wonder where he stands on voter rights legislation? The answer is likely where do his big donors stand.
I want an America free of extreme right wing magat influences in all phases of government, and I ain’t particular how this gets achieved. They want war? Let’s give them one.
4I learned a long time ago that you cannot negotiate with ideologues such as Manchin, Susan Collins, Max Baucus(ACA ), etc. They will tell you than if you can concede on this point it will make it easier for me to support it. How much did we shrink the plan to appease him and him knowing he was going to ultimately vote no? Corey Bush, AOC and the rest of the progressives are right to criticize leadership. Stake out your position and DO NOT give in. Man up for God’s sake Democrats!!!!!!
5Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to Nick and to all who celebrate the day. Happy Holidays and Best Wishes to everyone who celebrate a different tradition.
lol Our wish list to Congress? We’ll get back to you on that. For those of you veterans and family members of veterans, expect you understand that the wish list is beginning to resemble more of a military dream sheet.
6To me, the BBB is is beneficial to millions of Americans.
7And the economy as a whole.
But voting rights is do or die for democracy.
With the BBB, Manchin and Synema have economic issues that can be argued about with economists on both sides of each piece. Forever.
With voting rights, the only counter arguments are lies about virtually nonexistent voter fraud.
And states’ rights.
IMHO it should be easier to pin down anybody on what’s best for democracy.
And anybody who argues against it should be easier to be exposed for what their true colors are.
P.P. @ 7, those fraudulent “states rights” BS are nothing more than hypocrisy and conservative attempts to subvert the will of the people and the US Constitution. Please accept our apologies that Jane & I have no immediate “answers” beyond vote in 2022. If we think of something, we’ll share while we hope you, Ms. JJ and the evuh wonderful people at the WMDBS can lead the way to better outcomes. Bright blessing to you and your loved ones, and every hope we win this battle against QOP fascism.
8Jane & PKM, I agree that the states’ rights argument is BS. It’s the same excuse they’ve tried before and lost with. And I believe they’ll try again because it’s all they’ve got.
9That’s why it oughta be the best thing to use.
It’s indefensible.
And I hope y’all have a great holiday as well.
Strange how people who want a war are never the ones who fight it.
10Democrats tried to pass too much.
It’s failed. Maybe they should back off a little.
The national debt is really huge.
Maybe Manchin needs a sweetener like the USPS upgrading their outdated fleet with a modernized version that runs on “clean coal”. This unfortunate phraseology originated with Obama, although he at least changed his mind at a later date. However, the language and simplistic messaging has stuck with a sizable number of people (mostly R’s). Coal will continue to be a blight on our health and safety, as long as dirty money freely flows from the industry into the politicians’ pockets.
11@Ormond 10.
The initial proposal was over $3T. It got whittled down by concessions. In the end, the target set by non-supporters was achieved…$0 on this portion of the bill.
I believe the Manchin target for bill passage is $1T tax credit for the top 1% toiling in their gilded offices so he still has some work to do. But this is just outrageous speculation on my part.
12magat pols are taking credit for infrastructure funds not a single magat voted for. South Duhkota’s budget received over half its funding this year from Blue states and Noem isn’t the least bit ashamed or concerned about socialist monies lavished upon her embarrassingly red ass.
magats are hypocrites of the fifth essence.
13Tom @5. Wow. Max Baucus, a flash back to better times. Remember when President Obama sent his sorry butt to China and the fool actually went? Crap. Old fool is 80 and still alive, so much for the smog in China doing its job.
14Seriously funny and profane SuperRambo DemCat with a machinegun metes out the only form of justice that vermin like the Rethuglikans, Manchin and Sinema understand [gif pic]:
https://images.dailykos.com/images/494500/large/pew.gif
{Hey, if Fox News’s scumsucking Jesse Watters can get away with it, so can I.]
15DemCat image source from a comment here:
” FOX’s Watters urges activists “ambush” Dr. Fauci “Now you go in with the kill shot – deadly.” “:
16https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/12/21/2070481/-FOX-s-Watters-urges-activists-ambush-Dr-Fauci-Now-you-go-in-with-the-kill-shot-deadly