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It’s Time for Democrats to Play Hardball and Jettison Manchin and Sinema
Each day those of us desperately waiting for the advancement of President Joe Biden’s transformational Build Back Better plan watch the news breathlessly to learn the latest on the positions of Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema. With the simple force of “no,” of inertia, these two hold-outs have double-handedly, for the moment, overpowered the voice of the other 48 Democratic senators prepared to pass historic legislation to address climate change, drastically reduce child poverty, provide families with support for childcare, move toward creating tax equity, and more.
History and the welfare of America’s working- and middle-class families are being held hostage.
Biden’s avuncular cajoling and politicking aside, skilled as it might be, has gone on long enough. It’s time for an end to the tactics of gentle persuasion. Too much is at stake.
As Senator Bernie Sanders said the other day, Manchin and Sinema are “acting like Republicans.”
If they’re going to act like Republicans, then Biden and the Democrats need to treat them like Republicans.
Ousting them from the party will do more to save Biden’s agenda in the short and long term than continuing to cajole and placate the irrational and disingenuous game-players that…
