Thread by @althecat

The @JoeNBC crew are looking very serious on the TV this morning. For good reason. @Sen_JoeManchin's decision to reflexively dismiss his President's call to change the filibuster is a big moment.

I'm with @morningmika & @TheRevAl on the @JoeBiden speech. It was necessary.

@JoeNBC @Sen_JoeManchin @morningmika @TheRevAl @JoeBiden Forcing @SenatorSinema and @Sen_JoeManchin to vote against this during Martin Luther King week is a very clever way to elevate this issue - as is needed - to the level of public interest which is needed to get this done.

@JoeNBC @Sen_JoeManchin @morningmika @TheRevAl @JoeBiden @SenatorSinema The future of the Union itself is at stake here. And doing this before the State of the Union makes a lot of sense. Congressional DNC constitutional wets who don't think that defending the constitution is their duty have no business calling themselves democrats.

@JoeNBC @Sen_JoeManchin @morningmika @TheRevAl @JoeBiden @SenatorSinema The GOP is currently possessed by the spirits of racism and authoritarianism. The whole world is watching. An exorcism is required, and if this leads to a fight, then so be it. Surrender on this is not an option.

The speech has had its desired impact. This is illustrated by this discussion

@JoeBiden has elevated the issue of voting rights to the top of the talk Agenda where it should be.

And over the coming fortnight - a period in the calendar when the country will be thinking about the noble aspects of the American story. All that is needed here is for 2 or 3 small "d" democrats to step up in the U.S. Senate and earn themselves a place in history.

Apparently Chuck @SenSchumer is up next. Will be interesting to see what he has to say for himself and his delegation.

And here he is finally... being the magic we know as @SenSchumer. State legislatures, he says, are doing "dastardly things" a "dastardly act" it appears Schumer is channelling an old comic.

On Manchin and Sinema, apparently the strategy is for Senators other than Manchin and Sinema to have "constant meetings" with the two Senators. "It's too important to drop," he says.

Then they show a clip of him supporting the sanctity of the filibuster. Head down as usual.

Manchin says the problem is "Donald Trump" who presumably is dastardly. Manchin was given months to try to get Republican Senators on board on a bi-partisan basis, but failed.

Next up @MittRomney who appears to have lost his spine. "Have democrats thought what it would mean to them for them to have no power whatsoever."

@SenSchmer is not impressed. "Donald Trump is importuning people to commit violence.. they all gaslight.. I am deeply disappointed ."

"For the love of me, where are the courageous republicans... where are the senators of courage." - @SenSchumer

FWIW I think if we are asking the question, why can't the Democratic Senate wafer thin majority get this over the line, after nearly a year on the job, as the threat keeps getting worse.....

... to me the answer is @SenShumer. He needs to retire. Hard to conceive that anyone could be a less effective Senate Majority Leader.

His doing so would send a signal that the Democratic Senate is serious about fixing this and not sleeping its way to disaster.

Meanwhile over on this side of the pond, @BorisJohnson - also a bit "dastardly", albeit an order of magnitude less than Senators Cruz/McConnell/Graham+++ - is apologising to the UK public in Parliament - head down, @SenSchumer style.

@BorisJohnson @SenSchumer Not sure @JoeNBC's plan to fix this by calling this the "Big Grift" rather than the "Big Lie" is going to resolve this.

His other idea is better - more 1948 Truman spirit is needed. More replay's of Biden's speech excerpts fiery bits might help.
c-span.org/video/?517146-…

@BorisJohnson @SenSchumer @JoeNBC Unfortunately it appears some kind of soporific spirit - the spirit of @SenSchumer perhaps - has taken root among Democratic Senators. Biden may be old, but he said the right things. We need all Democratic Senators of goodwill doing this, till this gets fixed.

@BorisJohnson @SenSchumer @JoeNBC Senator @ChrisMurphyCT is advocating to put the filibuster change up for a vote, which is definitely the first step. But not to motivate "base voters" but to motivate base, some might say, corrupt Senators, two of them.

Biden definitely should not encourage @Sen_JoeManchin at this point by talking to him more.

Make him vote against or abstain first. He and the rest of the senate need a rocket, its time for feet to the fire.

As for the democratic base, and their representatives in Congress, they should rally around the President. He's the one who got 74 million votes, and defeated Trump.
Unfortunately thanks to Manchin and Sinema, he is rising again, like Voldemort.

Biden has called his congressional conference to rally around the flag. Failure to respond will look like weakness, cowardice. The next fortnight is the time to launch the fight back, in a united fashion.

And if at first the democrats do not succeed, they should keep trying until they do. The fate not only of the Union is at stake - but thanks to Climate Change, the fate of the planet is in balance.

We cannot afford the US becoming a failed state.

/ENDS

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