Thread by @CGFlorez

1/ If Sinema & Manchin won’t discuss filibuster reform why won’t they discuss a carve out for #VotingRights. I find it interesting that the debate has shifted from Voting Rights to the idea of completely nuking the filibuster. It has turned into a debate about preserving

2/ ideology that exists as a minority viewpoint. The debate largely ignores carve outs & exceptions that Sinema supported as recently as last year. I am fascinated by Rs genius to hijack debate & pivot to arguments that end up w/voting against their own interests.

3/ In this instance it is 2 Ds who are executing on the R talking point strategy. All this debate deftly forwards the Federalist Society states rights ideology framing the filibuster as tradition & suggesting it was the Founding Fathers who instituted it.

4/ this framing is not based on history & overlooks the racist history of the filibuster. Also, avoided are conversations about re-institutin, at the very least, a talking filibuster. Legitimate concerns about majority trampling on the rights of the minority voters or ideology,

5/ would talk about Jim Crow, homophobia, misogyny, anti-semitism, anti-Asian, anti-climate change, anti-poor, etc. But that isn’t the conversation, intentionally. It is framed in big words not real examples. Joe Biden gave real examples in his fiery speech in Georgia.

6/ McConnell was offended to be called out directly for his hypocrisy. Sinema cried crocodile tears. They’ve deftly turnEd the conversation of how states rights ideology is being used to engage in discriminatory, anti-Democracy behavior as if any state law no matter how

7/ egregious, morally repugnant is ok and is supported by the Constitution. The debate needs to shift back to the task at hand - #VotingRights. Then to reforming the filibuster. Letting Rs debate the filibuster instead of why they won’t support a carve out for #VotingRights

8/ continues the charade & allows them to their hypocrisy unchecked. Filibuster reform is necessary- it has become a cudgel in the hands of McConnell & likely his successor as well. We need to stop mixing up #VotingRights & the debate about filibuster reform. Decouple them now.

9 end/ so that the rights of the minority vote, Blacks & other people of color, don’t get trampled on by an ideological debate shrouded in some idea that the filibuster will actually help preserve democracy or help Democrats, voting rights, etc.