Thread by @dcpetterson

My younger brother, who is way smarter than me (if I'm Sherlock, he's Mycroft) had a series of realizations about McConnell's threats regarding the filibuster.

First, you have to understand what Mitch is threatening, which is to withhold "unanimous consent."

1/26

See, everything that happens in the Senate is supposed to happen on unanimous consent. When the Chair decides there should be a half-hour recess so everyone can have lunch, the recess is simple declared, and they all agree.

That's "unanimous consent."

2/26

It is =possible= for a Senator to object to such everyday items, but that never happens, because it forces a rollcall vote. Every one of 100 Senators (or however many are there) needs to vote on the question, and that takes about an hour.

3/26

McConnell is threatening to force rollcall votes on =EVERYTHING= that happens in the Senate, every tiny decision, every action--and not only on the Senate floor, but in every committee hearing.

He'll also likely call for a "point of order" on everything as well.

4/26

He can make motions to adjourn every two minutes or so, demand consideration of a point of order when the motion is denied, and then deny unanimous consent on the decision of the Chair regarding the point of order. And so on.

5/26

This will simply stop Senate business, both on the floor and in committees.

All this, to prevent Americans from getting what they wanted when they gave Senate control to Democrats.

So that's half of what McConnell is threatening.

6/26

The other half of what Mitch is threatening is that since Democrats will have killed the filibuster, some day when Republicans regain control of the House, Senate, and Presidency they will force through their entire agenda over Democratic objections.

7/26

McConnell is threatening in that dreamed-for day to do everything Republicans have always said they wanted, from ending Social Security to outlawing abortions to killing unions to dismantling the EPA and the Post Office.

8/26

As I said, my smarter brother had some insights regarding McConnell's threats.

First, consider the second threat. Republicans supposedly want to do these things because they say those things would be good for the country.

9/26

So Mitch is "threatening" to do something he claims is a Good Thing. The only way that's at "threat" is if he knows the Republican agenda would really be a Bad Thing, and unpopular, and everyone would hate it. Hell, they didn't even try those things when they can control.

10/26

During the first two years of the Trump Reich, they didn't try even a fraction of those things, and most of the ones they did try--like ending Social Security or repealing the ACA--failed because they couldn't get =Republican= votes.

Because they're terrible ideas.

11/26

So there's that. The second threat isn't a real threat.

Now pair it with the first threat. If Republicans will have destroyed the ability of the Senate to function, how will they ram through their agenda? Seriously, if Republicans will have ended unanimous consent...

12/26

... that means Democrats would be able to use the same techniques to stop anything Republicans try to accomplish, even if Republicans take back control.

Think about it. If Mitch can grind the Senate to a halt while being in the minority, ...

13/26

... he's showing Democrats how to do the same thing next time Republicans are in charge.

So even if the second threat was serious, even if Mitch intended to push through the Republican agenda, how's he gonna accomplish that after he's shown Democrats how to stop it?

14/26

But put all that aside, because none of that is real. It's all self-contradictory fake posturing.

Besides, the Senate rules regarding unanimous consent can be undone the same way the filibuster can be--using the "nuclear option" to simply change the rules. 😁😆🤣

15/26

So nothing that Mitch is threatening is real.

What, then, is the point?

The point is, Mitch is in a panic.

ACA and the American Rescue Plan have shown two things:

1) Democrats get things done.
2) Americans like what Democrats do.

16/26

This pattern goes all the way back at least to FDR. Democratic priorities, programs and agendas are popular. They accomplish what Democrats promise, and the public likes what it sees.

It took a while for Obamacare to get popular, but it now is. Americans like healthcare.

17/26

In contrast, none of the Republican ideas are popular, and none of then do what Republicans say they'll do.

Did the 2017 #TaxScam end deficits or lead to an economic boom? Hell no.

Did Republicans stop the pandemic? Fuck no.

18/26

This all scares the crap out of Mitch, who is about to be made not only irrelevant (by reform of the filibuster) but, worse, shown to be an utter failure. Every part of the Republican agenda is a lie, every promise, every talking point, every statement. Lies.

19/26

That's why, when the American Rescue Plan was being enacted, Republicans wanted to talk instead about Dr. Seuss and "cancel culture"

Anything other than what is really happening in America. Because Republicans have no ideas.

20/26

My brother's realization was that until now killing legislation was painless. All the minority party had to do was call for a cloture vote (aka filibuster) and the bill in question would quietly go off and die.

Now, they have to really fight--or really negotiate.

21/26

But Republicans have nothing to counter with. All they know how to do is obstruct. When they do "negotiate", they merely suggest paring things down or dropping parts (as Collins did in "negotiations" on the COVID bill)--and Democrats aren't having that any more.

22/26

Republicans will be forced to come to the table with real suggestions to address America's problems, instead of obstructionism or a unworkable "agenda" which even they don't want to enact.

They'll have to stop lying.

And they don't know how.

23/26

And Mitch has his own problems. Put aside his looming legal issues (since we now once more have a functioning DOJ). He only holds power among Republicans because he is feared. If he's shown to be a buffoon, the far-far-right QAnut Senators will have him for lunch.

24/26

Mitch's only hopes are:

1) to bluff Democratic Senators into backing down on filibuster reform (which won't happen) and

2) to pray HR1 "For The People Act" doesn't pass (which might allow state Republicans to further pervert American democracy).

25/26

But if the filibuster is reformed, For The Poeple =will= be enacted.

And then the Republican Party is dead.

That's what's got Mitch in a panic.

We're about to witness the rescue of America.

26/26

PS On the difference between Democrats and Republicans, my brother likes to point to JFK. If you elect Democrats, we'll promise you the Moon--and we'll deliver.