Thread by @kurteichenwald

1.The worst thing about social media culture is that people just fundamentally don't read anymore. They think they know everything, because they swallow it in 260 character capsules. Which is why, if Ted Kennedy - the liberal lion - was still alive, liberals would condemn him...

2...same with Walter Mondale. Same with FDR. You know how I know this? Both men were friends with James O. Eastland, rancid segregationist. Why were they friends? Because they worked together where they could agree, and fought where they couldn't. They knew that....

3...Eastland represented a critical bloc. All modern liberals see is Eastland as a racist. Did you know he was the key vote in taking on Nixon? Nixon refused to turn over documents to Jaworski. Eastland was the key vote on Judiciary to go after that, and protect Jaworski.....

4...FDR needed Eastland on major legislation, so worked with him to bring him in, while letting Eastland attack FDR so he could stay in office. Then, let's go to Kennedy. This is an old paper I read awhile back. Read these graphs....

5...Now, was Eastland a pig? Yup. Did the liberal wing of the democratic party need to work with him to get things done? Yup.

THAT is what Biden is talking about in his statement about Eastland et. al. Getting things done. Government used to do it. Too many of you take for....

6...granted how much has been accomplished, not denying how far we need to go. Eastland was key on some campaign finance stuff, on jobs bills, etc. Should no one have worked with him? Should we only care about poking him in the eye? Or should we have remembered....

7...that governance is not politics, and politics is not a team sport. Yes, we need to compromise where we can. And we need to fight where we cant. Worry about governance. No "sticking it to the cons."

And will the GOP work together? Probably not. The problem that....

8...Obama had was holding onto the faith for too long that the GOP was not a bunch of thugs. But you have to have hope for that - the bottom line is, if Eastland could find common ground with Kennedy, McConnell should be able to find common ground with anyone. Of course....

9...he won't. McConnell is dead set on destroying the constitution. But before the pin is pulled on the grenade, a hand should be held out. And if the hand is bitten, then recognize he is still a mad dog and do what can be done without them.

Now, how many people are going....

10...to read this and accuse me of celebrating segregationists? And how many of those cannot remember a time when government actually *did things.* It happened, even in my lifetime. And it came about by the best working with the odious.....

11...and if that can't happen again, then American governance has become politics, and politics has become a contact sport, and all of you who support "policies" - forget them. In that world, it's all about notches on the belt, not about getting things done to help people.