The retiring Kyrsten Sinema will not be a senator for long, but you can tell that she is basking in the afterglow from the crushing defeat the Democrats suffered on Election Day. Not only was Vice President Kamala Harri defeated, but the party lost control of its Senate in a spectacular manner, with four seats (West Virginia, Ohio, Montana, and Pennsylvania) going to the GOP.
We previously reported that the Arizona senator is already reminding her colleagues of their upcoming departure, including Sen. After years of trying (and vilifying Sinema for her opposition), Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY is suddenly interested in bipartisanship.
Democrat Senators, who were once adamant about the need to overhaul or eliminate the filibuster, are now embracing Sinema’s view on preserving it. Some even seem to support strengthening what was previously deemed a relic from the “Jim Crow Past”:
Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, said: “I would be lying if I said that we’d have a better situation without the filibuster. We will use all the tools available to us to stop abuses of power and policy that are autocratic or long-sighted. We won’t fight this battle with our hands tied behind our backs.”
Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D – IL) believes that the filibuster is “part of the calculations” for how Democrats will lead resistance in the next Congress, a chamber where the GOP has a majority of 53-47.
He said, “We had no choice but to accept it as we were the majority.”
“I will try to not mess up my position in this case,” said Sen. Brian Schatz, D-HI said. Schatz has long advocated for the elimination of the legislative filibuster.
The DC Examiner quoted Sen. Chris Murphy, D-CT as saying: “You can’t play by the rules.”
Sinema, who left the Democrat Party and became an independent in December 2022, had some interesting thoughts.
Remember that the heated debate about the filibuster took on a dark, disturbing turn in January 2022 when President Joe Biden traveled to Georgia and pushed for its elimination so Democrats could pass “voting right legislation” over Republican objections.
Biden, a red-faced man, pulled out the card “You’re with us or evil” at one point in his speech. He implied that Sinema, Joe Manchin, and other Democrats who disagreed on the federalization of elections with him and Schumer were racist Democrats from the past, such as 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.”
Although Biden’s opinion about the filibuster has little relevance now that he is no longer in the Oval Office, it would be interesting to have a reporter revisit his famous speech to determine if his views on the matter have changed now that he will be in a minority, and that the presidency will go to his nemesis Donald Trump.
Sinema did a good job of reminding people where she stood, as opposed to the Senate Democrats who have changed their tune. It’s unclear what Sinema plans to do after leaving the Senate, but it would be great to have her continue to be in the spotlight via TV interviews, podcasts, and other media to remind people of what Democrats are capable of when they hold the reins.
