The real reason Mitch McConnell is freaking out about Joe Manchin
Democracy works. We are a still a can-do super power with generosity. I hate to think what we would be without Democracy. But that is apparently how Mitch McConnell and elected Republicans would have us be.
After being pressured by us and his Democratic colleagues, Joe Manchin came through with a compromise on voting rights. I do not agree with everything in Manchin’s proposal, which gives less power to the DOJ, and includes voter roll purges I fear might disqualify voters in error, but we can get around that. I’m thrilled with its positive aspects. The main question is if we concede to Manchin’s compromise, will he be willing to reform the filibuster however necessary to pass voting rights? If not, this is all just a waste of time.
McConnell claims Manchin’s proposal is “rotten at its core” and all Republicans will oppose it. We should put pressure on Republicans to spell out what is so rotten about it. Chuck Schumer and/or Manchin should ask McConnell this in writing. Republicans still have their precious voter ID, so they can no longer use ‘voter security’ as an excuse. Force Republicans to admit to Manchin (again) that they are what is rotten in Denmark, and there is no compromising with them.
We must make sure we pass something that bans any and all attempts and trickery to suppress, restrict or nullify voting, or rig elections in favor of Republicans. (The Texas proposal gave Republicans the right to compare voter signatures to any records they can find, and throw out votes based on any one “bad match” without any opportunity for remedy. What a scam!) I’m all for anything Stacy Abrams approves of in the end, since I know no holes in the legislation will get past her. As President Biden has said, every American should enjoy the same access and conveniences of voting.
The good news is that it’s too late for Republicans to take back their assaults on Democracy now. To quote Abrams, “Voter suppression works best when no one is paying attention,” which Republicans will learn the hard way come the 2022 elections. Voting by the young, disabled, minorities and Democrats will likely hit record highs.
Passing voting rights and police reform would be a great start to a dream: “We’ve got all of these disparities that we’ve got to address, and I mean all of them. While we’ve got some momentum, I hope we can get some of it done. We can have one America if we try,” said Opal Lee, age 94, ‘Grandmother of Juneteenth.’
