The Partisan Divide on Issues

[Bob Butler 54]

(03-16-2021, 02:50 PM)David Horn Wrote:

(03-15-2021, 09:27 PM)Bob Butler 54 Wrote: For a while Chuck Schumer has been appearing on various MSNBC shows giving his view of the senate proceedings.  In these he has borrowed a phrase from NASA, first made famous during the Apollo 13 mission.  "Failure is not an option."

For the last few decades, the senate only has two important voices: the majority leader's and the minority leader's.  Senators don't vote on whether a bill is popular with who elected them, but according to partisan policy which is linked to who is in the White House.  I suspect the Democrats are trying to break this, or if they cannot to pick up the voters whose desires are not being met.

Killing or otherwise working around the filibuster are options.  I gather failure is not.

The filibuster lives as long as Joe Manchin is in the Senate. Why he believes that this is an institutional must is beyond me, but he does.  I know that, as a Dem, he's not alone in this.  On the other hand, if he collapses, or is primaried to oblivion, that may change.

Well, I suppose it remains a matter of personal power.  For as long as he cares more about holding the Democrats hostage than the people of his state, he will hang tight.