If you want to see people freak out, a story to do with Sens. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and the filibuster pretty much guarantees you'll get strong reactions. On Friday a video surfaced in which Republican lawmakers saying what you'd expect Republican lawmakers to say. In this case, remarks came from Republicans at a Patriot Voices event where they reiterated their support for the filibuster.
NEW: GOP lawmakers gleefully urge activists to call and thank Senators Manchin and Sinema for blocking Biden agenda pic.twitter.com/ohFQaxJNmZ
— Lauren Windsor (@lawindsor) July 9, 2021
As Joseph Zeballos-Roig with Business Insider reported:
Several Republican lawmakers were secretly filmed imploring conservative activists to flood a pair of centrist Democrats with messages of gratitude for holding firm on the filibuster, a 60-vote threshold that most bills need to clear the Senate.
The Democratic activist Lauren Windsor posted the video on Friday, two days after posting another one showing a GOP congressman calling for "18 more months of chaos" to jam Democrats. Both sets of remarks were made on June 29 at a Patriot Voices event attended by a large group of conservatives in Washington, DC.
The Republican lawmakers in question included Reps. Andy Biggs (AZ), Byron Donalds (FL), and Mike Johnson (LA), as well as former Sen. Rick Santorum (PA), the founder of Patriot Voices.
Santorum warned "we don't want the people's will to be done immediately," as he reminded that the constitution was set up to "protect... minority rights." A later part of the clip showed Santorum passionately reminding people that "please, if any of you have any thoughts about the idea that a filibuster removal was a good deal... it's a bad idea."
Biggs thanked the Democratic senators because Democrats have been "pushing as far as they can" with their agenda. "Fortunately for us, the filibuster's still in effect in the Senate. Without that, we would be dead meat, and this thing would be done," he said. "Then we'd be having a little bit more frantic discussion than we're having today."
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Donalds took aim at Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). "I like it when AOC is going after Joe Manchin, like this is great for me, you know" he said, to laughter, and that "it makes my job easier as a conservative." He went on to encourage people to, "if you want to do one thing to keep the republic afloat, call Joe Manchin's office, call Kyrsten Sinema's office," and thank them, which got particular media attention.
But, on a more serious note, Donalds wants people to thank the senators "because what's happening up here is the fact that they've decided not to blow open the filibuster, in a lot of respects is going to save the republic, from the worst things that the left wants to do, and HR 1 is the tip of the iceberg."
The video also included brief remarks from Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA), noting "we just got to hold the line right now" and that "keeping the filibuster is a big part of that."
Despite a lack of an explosive revelation, people lost their minds anyway, further proving how unhinged some hellbent opponents of the filibuster are.
OMG bipartisanship is SO evil!!!!!! How dare a... Republican... thank her! ??????I think she could have a MUCH worse legacy than angering the ilk of you people.
— Rebecca Downs (@RebeccaRoseGold) July 9, 2021
Republicans were caught on video thanking Manchin & Sinema for blocking Dem legislation. Let’s make this viral and make it clear we’re sick and tired of Manchin & Sinema’s obstruction. They’re only helping Republicans while not helping the American people. pic.twitter.com/Vs1lgmmikU
— Scott Dworkin (@funder) July 9, 2021
Are @JoeManchinWV and @SenatorSinema content to play this role in the fall of our democracy??? https://t.co/TQfZ2Q9qnQ
— Joy-Ann (Pro-Democracy) Reid ?? (@JoyAnnReid) July 9, 2021
I sure hope @SenatorSinema and @Sen_JoeManchin watch this video and reconsider their positions on the filibuster for civil rights bills.https://t.co/GBi0FOK8Go
— Grant Stern is fully vaccinated (@grantstern) July 9, 2021
Further, Santorum even acknowledged in a Patriot Voices statement that they expected people to be listening in. "While it was officially off-the-record, we always knew bloggers would probably be listening but wanted to create a space where we could have a conversation about important issues," he said.
"We also are proud to have mentioned several Democratic Senators because we still believe that we should work together from time-to-time. Our country is worth the bipartisan effort. In fact, it may be the only way forward for our country past the ugly dialogue we are seeing on social media," the statement further mentioned.
Live shot of @SenatorSinema practicing her "bipartisanship" religion while our democracy goes up in flames of fascism and autocracy at the hands of her Republican friends... https://t.co/R9EcVH2xhy pic.twitter.com/R3OeJD8MaX
— Joy-Ann (Pro-Democracy) Reid ?? (@JoyAnnReid) July 10, 2021
We're not going to let a little something like 100-degree-plus temperatures deter us from demanding our Senators #EndtheFilibuster and protect our freedom to vote by enacting the #ForThePeopleAct. Are you listening @SenatorSinema and @CaptMarkKelly? pic.twitter.com/AXJzK86Sgy
— Indivisible and Strong (@IndivisibleNStg) July 10, 2021
Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema will cave if you keep pressuring them and demanding that they cave. They're lightweights. Caving is what lightweights do.
— Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) July 10, 2021
But if you stop pressuring them, and you just announce they're going to get away with it, they will – and it'll be YOUR fault.
Other Democratic law makers are just as hellbent as the deranged Twitter mob too, though.
House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-SC) is urging President Joe Biden to take a vocal stance about why the filibuster needs to be done away with. "I don’t care whether he does it in a microphone or on the telephone — just do it," Clyburn, who is particularly close with Biden, told POLITICO.
Mary Kay Linge said it best with her headline for The New York Post, "Dem says party will lose House unless filibuster is squashed to pass election bill."
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