He is completely incoherent. McConnell is not. How do you deal with that?
People seem to be very confused about what’s happening with the voting rights and Build Back Better legislation in Washington. It’s not that Biden doesn’t want them passed or that the Democrats are all sell-out whores to the man. It’s also not that they are doing things in the wrong order or that if only Biden would just “lead” he could get it done.
The problem is two people: Manchin and Sinema. They have all the power and they are using it. They play games from time to time and pretend that they are trying to “get things done” but in reality, they are fine with doing nothing.
Manchin said as much out loud back in October:
After making a series of demands that the White House cut back on President Joe Biden’s ambitious domestic agenda, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat, reportedly admitted to his Senate colleagues that he actually wants to scuttle the president’s entire plan.
According to a report from Axios, Manchin revealed his position at a Wednesday lunch for Senate committee chairs.
Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester told Axios he recalls Manchin telling Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders: “I’m comfortable with nothing.”
It’s perfectly obvious that he was telling the truth.
These people are unwilling to eliminate the filibuster for any reason. Sinema is unwilling to raise taxes on the rich. Manchin is playing games, changing his mind constantly and basically playing along for the cameras. (And no, contrary to what anyone says, he has not maintained any single position — he’s been all over the place. )
If someone can come up with a way to move these two senators the Democrats can pass their agenda. I’d like to hear what that might be. Sure Biden could go the West Virginia and Arizona and give speeches but that would do nothing, I guarantee it. Sinema loves to be maverick and Manchin is functionally a Republican who will be lauded for obstructing voting rights.
We’ve been watching these negotiations for almost a year now and these two are constantly moving the ball and feinting this way and that. It’s like trying to nail jello. But throughout it all they’ve been steady on one issue: they will not agree to eliminate the filibuster. They are completely dug in on that and I cannot see how anyone can force them to change their minds.
So people need to accept this situation for what it is. A 50-50 Senate gives tremendous power to any one Senator and Manchin and Sinema have decided they are the ones to take that power and run with it. They like the attention and they are not inclined to give it up.
It’s still worth it to have the majority so as not to have Mitch McConnell blocking all of Biden’s judges, of course. And they managed to get a couple of things quickly passed in the breach. But basically, without 60 votes the Senate is pretty much out of the legislation business except in extreme circumstances. ( Remember, Obama had 59 votes and they had to pass Obamacare through reconciliation where it only got 56 Democratic votes. )
Unless it is reformed substantially, the US Senate is just a debating society that confirms judges and sign off on budget bills unless there is a deadly emergency. That’s it.
Biden gave a good speech today and maybe it will have an effect. Maybe they can get Manchin to agree to some changes in the filibuster that might make it possible to get something done on voting rights. But I think it’s a long shot. He doesn’t want to do anything. He wants to showboat and please his wealthy doors and Republican friends. Obstructing the Democratic agenda is a perfect way to do that.