First, thank you for your blog. I don’t always agree with you, but I always respect your opinion and enjoy reading your perspective.

Second, Manchin stood with Krysten Sinema to protect the filibuster. But when he was alone blocking the infrastructure bill, he traded his vote for a promise to “reform permitting” (which of course never happened). If Sinema had been in favor of blowing up the filibuster, I very much doubt that Manchin would have stood alone. In any event, it’s a travesty that he represents WV–no Republican replacement would favor ending the filibuster. Sinema deserves far more credit.

And third, as long as I’m on the filibuster, I believe that the minute the Democrats have the votes, they’ll blow it up–and then proceed to finish their destruction of our country. In the event that the R’s manage to win the house, Senate, and White House, they should propose a constitutional amendment to codify the legislative filibuster and promise to blow up the filibuster in 180 days if the amendment isn’t ratified (it only took 100 days for the states to ratify the 26th Amendment giving children the right to vote). If the amendment isn’t adopted, the Republicans should end the filibuster and immediately pass legislation requiring paper ballots, same day voting, advance registration, government photo ID, and a thumb in the inkwell–kind of an HR1 with good ideas. Then get on with the business of fixing the problems caused by the Democrats since the “New Deal” and the “Great Society.”

The best of all worlds is to require a legislative filibuster to prevent radical change in the absence of consensus. The next best world is for the Republicans to have first mover advantage. And the end of America is for the Democrats to have first mover advantage. I hope the Rs smarten up in time to avoid #3. Coupling HR1 with illegal immigration and statehood for DC and PR will make for a permanent liberal government (at least until we become Greece or Argentina). But open and honest voting will end the Democrat’s run of “good luck” in elections.

Well, Joe Lieberman’s only 81 years old.

Abraxas:

There has long been a hope for some “neither left nor right” alternative since the late 60s. But it always turned out to be the left with some secret sauce folded into the mix.

I want to believe!

So who does “No Lables” go with now? Maybe they’ll just pack it in and tell their followers to vote for Biden.

Very often, but not always. He blocked HR1, for example, and defended the filibuster.