Senate Democrats Give Themselves Whiplash on the Filibuster, and Kyrsten

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Though the retiring Kyrsten Sinema won’t be a Senator for much longer, you can tell she’s basking in the afterglow of the drubbing Democrats took on Election Day, where not only Vice President Kamala Harris was defeated but the party also lost control of the Senate in spectacular fashion, with four seats (West Virginia, Ohio, Montana, and Pennsylvania) flipping to the GOP.

As RedState previously reported, the Arizona Senator is already doling out “toldya so” reminders to her soon-to-be-former colleagues, including Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who is now suddenly interested in “bipartisanship” after years of trying to get rid of the filibuster (and vilifying Sinema’s opposition to the plan) so Democrats could ram through their woke agenda while they had the majority.

Relatedly, more Democrat Senators who once were adamant that the filibuster needed to be overhauled or eliminated are now conveniently coming around to Sinema’s way of thinking on preserving it, with some now seemingly on board with possibly even strengthening what they previously classified as a relic of the “Jim Crow past”:

“I’d be lying if I said we’d be in a better position without the filibuster,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) said. “We have a responsibility to stop autocratic and long-headed abuse of power or policy, and we’ll use whatever tools we have available. We’re not going to fight this battle with one hand tied behind our back.”

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) sees the filibuster as “part of the calculation” to how Democrats will spearhead resistance next Congress in a chamber with a 53-47 GOP majority.

“We had to live with it when we were in the majority,” he said.

[…]

“I’m going to try not to make a mess of my position on this one,” said Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI), who’s long advocated the legislative filibuster’s elimination.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) told the DC Examiner simply, “You play with the rules that exist.”

Not surprisingly, Sinema – who left the Democrat Party in December 2022 and registered as an independent – had thoughts:

Please, please, please stop what you’re doing and read these quotes.

Filing under: schadenfreude https://t.co/r87ajTpD4F

— Kyrsten Sinema (@kyrstensinema) November 25, 2024

As RedState readers will recall, the contentious debate over the filibuster took a dark and disturbing turn when President Joe Biden visited Georgia in January 2022 to push for the filibuster’s elimination so Democrats could get “voting rights legislation” passed over the objections of Republicans.

At one point during his speech, a red-faced Biden pulled the “you’re either with us or you’re evil,” card, suggesting that those like Sinema and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) who disagreed with him and Schumer on federalizing elections were akin to racist Democrats of the past including Jefferson Davis, Bull Connor, and George Wallace.

“I ask every elected official in America: How do you want to be remembered?” Biden asked rhetorically. “Do you want to be on the side of Dr. King or George Wallace? Do you want to be on the side of John Lewis or Bull Connor? Do you want to be on the side of Abraham Lincoln or Jefferson Davis? This is the moment to decide. To defend our elections. To defend our democracy.”

Though Biden’s opinion on the filibuster is pretty much irrelevant now that his weeks in the Oval Office are numbered, it’d be interesting to see a reporter revisit the notorious speech to see if he’s had another change of heart on the issue now that his party will be in the minority and the presidency will be held by his nemesis, Donald Trump.

In any event, good on Sinema for reminding folks where she stood on the issue in contrast to where Senate Democrats who are now singing different tunes stood. Not sure what her post-Senate plans will be, but it’d be fun to see her stay in the limelight via podcasts, TV interviews, and the like just to remind voters of the types of things Democrats like to do when they have the reins.