Today was a good day here at home too. Manchin met with the Texas State Dems who walked out on a legislative vote. They stifled the Repubs and they wanted to explain their strategy to Manchin. I believe they gave him food for thought because he is talking a different game now. At least, that’s what I hope for.
Today was a good day here at home too. Manchin met with the Texas State Dems who walked out on a legislative vote. They stifled the Repubs and they wanted to explain their strategy to Manchin. I believe they gave him food for thought because he is talking a different game now. At least, that’s what I hope for.
"Manchin supports making Election Day holiday, 15 days early voting, ban on partisan gerrymandering, automatic voter registration, disclosure of dark money as part of revised For the People Act" so now is the time to ratchet up pressure on Manchin--calls, emails, brief letters.
Breaking up the Voting Bills to get as much as possible in place by 2022 is, and always has been, essential. Already, Manchin has said that he supports getting rid of Gerrymandering. On the personal ID issue it might be interesting to explore what constitutes an acceptible ID and it is perhaps better in the short term to make sure everyone has just such a document. In France you don't vote without showing your Voter Registration Card or other official identification.....but then in France everyone is supposed to have an official ID if they are eligible to vote. I have a Residence Permit onnly and thus cannot vote. Those here illegally or temporarily don't have papers and are not on the register to vote. On the "roll cleaning and clearing " issue, rules must be laid down about how you constitute and keep a voting list up-to-date and I don't think Manchin should gain any "flexibility". Manchin seems relatively open to "federalizing" absentee voting and pre-election voting....this can be worked on. I can't see him objecting to "minimum" numbers of polling stations in relation to population density either...States can then always do better! In exchange for the above considerations, the counterpart required of Manchin is that he accept severe limitations of the "Money" issue.
As far as I know, all states now offer a 'smart' Drivers License and an analogue for non-drivers that are recognised as effective ID. The only challenge would seem to be making sure that everyone who is qualified has the opportunity to get one.
Even in deep blue Massachusetts, getting that higher rated license requires documentation that is a barrier even to many well off people. It’s got to be far worse for most people. Requiring ID will reduce voting unless getting it is strongly supported - that is, made inexpensive in both time and money.
I wonder if anyone has challenged voter ID laws, where getting that ID required substantial money or effort, on the grounds that it is actually a poll tax?
Definitely. S1 includes a provision that anyone without ID can sign a statement that they are who they say they are, and then vote. That could help against unfair ID laws. On the other hand, I have voted for years at a small, neighborhood polling place where the older people staffing the tables know everyone by sight. No wait, no fuss, no ID needed. Everyone should be able to vote the same way.
What does MA require beyond a birth certificate and proof of residence? Both, as well as a Social Security card, are easy to acquire and, other than $10 or so for the Birth certificate, are free. I don't disagree with your point, just wonder how serious the barrier really is.
Your Michigan license or state ID card (what if you never had one??)
And one of the following:
Government-issued birth certificate with raised seal or stamp
Valid, unexpired U.S. passport
An approved citizenship or legal presence document
If you are not a U.S. citizen and have temporary legal status, please make sure you bring the required documents.
If your name is different from what's on your birth certificate, you'll need to bring
in a certified name-change document, such as a marriage license or court order.
Name-change documents must show both the changed name and the previous name.
Divorce decrees may be used if they are certified (copies are not accepted) and if they
show the changed name and the previous name. Multiple documents may be needed
if your name has changed more than once.
It took 7 months for my mom to obtain a copy of her first marriage license from the state. Now it will be several months before she can get an appt at SOS to actually obtain the ID. Without my help, my mom would not be able to navigate this process.
So, although it may seem easy on the surface to get ID, it can be very complicated for many people.
Also, Michigan state legislature just yesterday passed a bill requiring ID to vote.
I got one of these "real" IDs a couple of years ago and it was easy for me ONLY because I'm a nut job about having necessary documentation in place ( comes from having immigrant family didn't have paperwork, period. Birth certificates were not accurate or didn't exist, etc.) I saw how difficult it was for some people in line with me to get one because they didn't have a passport and/or showed up with non-certified birth certificates (eg, copies without imprint) or whose passport was expired.....not an ordinary thing to handle for most people. I found myself coaching friends about what documents to have in hand before going to the Registry. Many people will just say forget it and then be sorry whenever they need one of these pieces of plastic that 'prove' you've jumped through certain hoops with the right set of papers to show. And this was in Blue Blue MA too.
Just thinking off the top of my head here: ability to get to the appropriate town/city office when they're open during business hours which is also when many people are at work. Most hourly working people aren't able to take time off work without fear of lost wages and/or losing their job (this from a nurse who spends the day talking with patients who need an appt but can't make our office hours which are still M-F 8-4!!!). Could they do it online? Maybe, if they have access to a computer and the internet. Even in MA, not everyone does. We MUST make it easier and free.
Here are the requirements for MA "real ID." "Required documents include one proof of identity, one proof of legal presence, two proofs of Massachusetts residency, your social security card (if you've been issued one) and a current driver's license if you are applying to exchange one issued by another U.S. state"
Ooops, our privilege is showing. Many Native Americans, for instance, live in extremely rural areas, and some in sub-standard housing that has no known address. If they can afford it, they can get a PO box for mail, which is often many miles from home, and does not qualify as an address. BIPOC urban dwellers may be without cars or even the $ to afford a non-driver's ID. The proverbial "souls to the polls" bus rides after Sunday Black church attendance is being curtailed by some of the state's Sunday poll closure legislation. Even with an ID, many "souls" cannot get to sparsely located polls. Elderly and disabled voters who benefit from mail-in ballots are also being challenged. So, ID is a moot point. It's being able to vote at all that is the issue.
Recall, I forget the state, put addresses were required but one tribe had no addressed, just P.O Boxes which were deemed unacceptable. The tribe had to work with local authorities who were less than cooperative to establish addressed. There are a host of issues with Voter ID but Dem/Progressives just be working those issues. That requirement is not going away. Many don't understand the problem.
The problem isn't that ID is required, but the types of ID that are being required and the difficulty and cost of obtaining them. I don't know of many people who will quibble about identifying themselves to vote, even if the ID is nothing more than a signature comparison.
Kimceann, true ‘dat. To see the example of an apparent lie being used as a legitimate concern and further to use that lie to demean individual liberties is really quite astounding. And then to see us run after it with panties in a knot and not agree to it but respond in a way to get around it or satisfy it is horrifying.
Make calls. Put pressure on. Pass For the People Act and the John Lewis Act. I really don’t like how it’s now up to the people to help other people muck through the fraud and satisfy the affect and effects of a lie.
And the ability to pay for one. In Washington state, the option for obtaining a Real ID level driver's license costs $113. That could be a barrier for low-income folks.
Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 requiring states to ultimately upgrade requirements for drivers license or state ID. I believe most states are now in compliance. Basic requirements are:
1. Primary ID such as certified birth certificate or passport.
2. Proof of Social Security (there are alternatives)
3. 2 proofs of residence such as utility bill, bank statement, letter from homeless shelter, health ID with address, voters ID, etc.
This can be difficult for people born out of state, those in unstable housing, and the elderly. Cost to obtain proof can also be a barrier. This would be a worthy project for voting rights organizations to take on. A state ID is useful for all citizens for numerous reasons.
Yes. If the help is available to any person to get a state ID or a federal ID that confirms info AND if that help had been a matter-of-fact service for decades, then great. To make it all of a sudden an issue just because multiple states demand it for voting and many consider the demand a voter suppression tactic, it is generating chaos and resentment.
I agree that it is great for every person to have an ID to access many services that require one. However, because one of my own children and SO many families living in situational poverty that I have worked with in the school system tell me how long and sometimes excruciating that system is, I find it unfortunate that now it is now attached to voter rights requirements. Last year, I renewed my passport and one would have thought the wait line extended around the city limits and I had all required documentation.
Just saying it’s unfortunate that we are trying now to THINK UP a way to help people do something easily that should have been in place always.
CA has what’s called the Real ID system. It is a pain but you present your passport, certified (not a copy) birth certificate, and an electric bill. Once you present all of those, after waiting, 3 hours 🙄, you get your picture taken and w/in 2-3 weeks, you get your new driver’s license. CA’s DMV offices are a mess and a true pain in the a**!
And it excludes the non driver, the home bound, the ill and the elderly? There are those individuals, a few of whom I know, who are restricted in how long they can stand, or endure crowded waits, but are very committed to voting. Fortunately they have their DL but IF they did not.....
The REAL ID Act didn't necessarily require those upgrades. It simply stated that "a Federal agency may not accept, for any official purpose, a driver's license or identification card issued by a state to any person unless the state is meeting the requirements" specified in the Real ID Act.
But since most people use their state driver's license as ID...
It seems France and Italy do voting in similar ways. All adults are required to have photo IDs. Tourists have their passports. Foreigners who reside permanently in Italy -- like me -- must also have a residence permit. All Italians and foreign residents are also required to have a state-issued photo ID whether or not they also have driving licenses, and their addresses are known to the authorities in the cities and towns where they live. It is my understanding that if the police ask you to show them your ID and you can't, they can give you a ticket, but as a practical matter, if you can tell them your name and address they can check your identity on the spot on-line. Italians and foreign residents are also issued a health card which guarantees them no questions asked healthcare.
Italian citizens also have voting cards that -- along with their ID cards -- they show as they enter a polling place. The voting card is stamped so you cannot vote twice, I suppose. The default status is that all citizens are automatically registered to vote in their their own town (comune, bureaucratically speaking) and every square inch of Italy is in one comune or another. If you move from one comune to another for residence purposes, you are issued a new ID and voting card. The moment you change residence, your new comune communicates this to your old comune, so it would be very difficult to vote in more than one place in any given election.
Some Americans might think, "Oh, how bureaucratic" or "How onerous" or "What a pain in the ass", but it really isn't and Italians think nothing of it. They know that free, fair, no-hassle voting is one of the things that keeps them from sliding back into tyranny, which they have had to endure for much of their very long history.
Ah, I suppose if I was able to vote (post-brexit etc) it would have been obvious to me. The VRC is distributed by the municipal government of the commune in which you live when you are on the voter list! To be on the list you have to address yourself to the relevant Town Hall with proof of identity and proof of your actually living in the commune...an ID, passport and energy bill would do the trick. However you have to have the right to vote in the first place! Only other country, EU citizens (for the municipal and European elections) and French citizens (Presidential, National Assembly, Regional, Departmental and municipal elections) need apply. If you are a French citizen and live in the US then the government organizes registration and voting for national elections at various consulates around the world. Temporary absences might enable you to authorize (with appropriate documentation IDs etc) somebody to vote in your stead if you are registered in a commune somewhere. Hope this helps.
The Election Day holiday is unnecessary if at least 15 days of early voting is required, as long as that includes some Saturdays and possibly Sundays. We’ve just added Juneteenth as a federal holiday, over objections about cost to the federal government. Election Day as a federal holiday won’t help the majority of voters and even if states add it to their holiday rosters, it won’t help so many workers. There are always essential workers (police, hospitals, etc.) and most stores are open on holidays. The big needs are early voting and absentee ballots.
The Really Big News is that he's open to reforming the filibuster so that, instead of having to get 6- votes to overcome it, the other side has to maintain it with 41 votes - no more skipping town because the other side doesn't have the 60. They'll actually have to filibuster actively.
They should do it tomorrow. Time enough in 2023 to do more on this when the "Manchin permitted" Voter Bills' "acceptible" parts are individually past so that election perenity is assured at least.
What isn't a "French" word in English? While making a local display of signs for my students, in English-Spanish-French, I had the "Danger/Peligro" and asked my Haitian co-worker what was the French word for "Danger." Yep, it is Danger. Who knew? One of the many of our shared words. Possibly brought by the Norman invasion.
Here's interesting news: Stacey Abrams has announced she would be very happy to have a voting bill like Manchin outlined turn into law. Now if the "never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity" caucus in the House Democrats can wrap their heads around saying "yes" and calling it a victory, things may happen.
Annnndddd (how long did you think this would take?) 90 minutes ago The Gravedigger of Democracy (McConnell) publicly announced that Abrams' support for this demonstrates that Manchin's Modification is as unacceptable to the Confederate Conjobs as the original.
Then the Dems and the GOP can concentrate on the real issue...filling to galeries to "support their "Extreme Sport" team with enthusiastic supporters singing their song. I predict, given the average age and probable life-style induced bad health of many, we'll be looking at a whole slew of Senatorial elections replacing incapacitated incumbents.
Today was a good day here at home too. Manchin met with the Texas State Dems who walked out on a legislative vote. They stifled the Repubs and they wanted to explain their strategy to Manchin. I believe they gave him food for thought because he is talking a different game now. At least, that’s what I hope for.
"Manchin supports making Election Day holiday, 15 days early voting, ban on partisan gerrymandering, automatic voter registration, disclosure of dark money as part of revised For the People Act" so now is the time to ratchet up pressure on Manchin--calls, emails, brief letters.
https://www.manchin.senate.gov/contact-joe/email-joe
https://twitter.com/AriBerman/status/1405228494020304909?s=20
Breaking up the Voting Bills to get as much as possible in place by 2022 is, and always has been, essential. Already, Manchin has said that he supports getting rid of Gerrymandering. On the personal ID issue it might be interesting to explore what constitutes an acceptible ID and it is perhaps better in the short term to make sure everyone has just such a document. In France you don't vote without showing your Voter Registration Card or other official identification.....but then in France everyone is supposed to have an official ID if they are eligible to vote. I have a Residence Permit onnly and thus cannot vote. Those here illegally or temporarily don't have papers and are not on the register to vote. On the "roll cleaning and clearing " issue, rules must be laid down about how you constitute and keep a voting list up-to-date and I don't think Manchin should gain any "flexibility". Manchin seems relatively open to "federalizing" absentee voting and pre-election voting....this can be worked on. I can't see him objecting to "minimum" numbers of polling stations in relation to population density either...States can then always do better! In exchange for the above considerations, the counterpart required of Manchin is that he accept severe limitations of the "Money" issue.
As far as I know, all states now offer a 'smart' Drivers License and an analogue for non-drivers that are recognised as effective ID. The only challenge would seem to be making sure that everyone who is qualified has the opportunity to get one.
Even in deep blue Massachusetts, getting that higher rated license requires documentation that is a barrier even to many well off people. It’s got to be far worse for most people. Requiring ID will reduce voting unless getting it is strongly supported - that is, made inexpensive in both time and money.
I wonder if anyone has challenged voter ID laws, where getting that ID required substantial money or effort, on the grounds that it is actually a poll tax?
I'm pretty sure there is case law from Reconstruction to just that effect but, not being an attorney, will defer to informed legal judgement.
Absolutely. It would cut the ground out from under the GOP.
No one should have to pay to vote. Period. Don't you agree?
But IDs are not just for that are they? There are obligations in citizenship as well as rights.
Definitely. S1 includes a provision that anyone without ID can sign a statement that they are who they say they are, and then vote. That could help against unfair ID laws. On the other hand, I have voted for years at a small, neighborhood polling place where the older people staffing the tables know everyone by sight. No wait, no fuss, no ID needed. Everyone should be able to vote the same way.
What does MA require beyond a birth certificate and proof of residence? Both, as well as a Social Security card, are easy to acquire and, other than $10 or so for the Birth certificate, are free. I don't disagree with your point, just wonder how serious the barrier really is.
Requirements In Michigan:
Your Michigan license or state ID card (what if you never had one??)
And one of the following:
Government-issued birth certificate with raised seal or stamp
Valid, unexpired U.S. passport
An approved citizenship or legal presence document
If you are not a U.S. citizen and have temporary legal status, please make sure you bring the required documents.
If your name is different from what's on your birth certificate, you'll need to bring
in a certified name-change document, such as a marriage license or court order.
Name-change documents must show both the changed name and the previous name.
Divorce decrees may be used if they are certified (copies are not accepted) and if they
show the changed name and the previous name. Multiple documents may be needed
if your name has changed more than once.
It took 7 months for my mom to obtain a copy of her first marriage license from the state. Now it will be several months before she can get an appt at SOS to actually obtain the ID. Without my help, my mom would not be able to navigate this process.
So, although it may seem easy on the surface to get ID, it can be very complicated for many people.
Also, Michigan state legislature just yesterday passed a bill requiring ID to vote.
I got one of these "real" IDs a couple of years ago and it was easy for me ONLY because I'm a nut job about having necessary documentation in place ( comes from having immigrant family didn't have paperwork, period. Birth certificates were not accurate or didn't exist, etc.) I saw how difficult it was for some people in line with me to get one because they didn't have a passport and/or showed up with non-certified birth certificates (eg, copies without imprint) or whose passport was expired.....not an ordinary thing to handle for most people. I found myself coaching friends about what documents to have in hand before going to the Registry. Many people will just say forget it and then be sorry whenever they need one of these pieces of plastic that 'prove' you've jumped through certain hoops with the right set of papers to show. And this was in Blue Blue MA too.
Just thinking off the top of my head here: ability to get to the appropriate town/city office when they're open during business hours which is also when many people are at work. Most hourly working people aren't able to take time off work without fear of lost wages and/or losing their job (this from a nurse who spends the day talking with patients who need an appt but can't make our office hours which are still M-F 8-4!!!). Could they do it online? Maybe, if they have access to a computer and the internet. Even in MA, not everyone does. We MUST make it easier and free.
Here are the requirements for MA "real ID." "Required documents include one proof of identity, one proof of legal presence, two proofs of Massachusetts residency, your social security card (if you've been issued one) and a current driver's license if you are applying to exchange one issued by another U.S. state"
I live in WI & it is so tough here to get REAL ID you pretty much need a passport. Well no prob for ME, but for others it would be.
A job that the federal government might want to give to Stacey Abrams perhaps.
Ooooh…wouldn't that be wonderful??!!
Ooops, our privilege is showing. Many Native Americans, for instance, live in extremely rural areas, and some in sub-standard housing that has no known address. If they can afford it, they can get a PO box for mail, which is often many miles from home, and does not qualify as an address. BIPOC urban dwellers may be without cars or even the $ to afford a non-driver's ID. The proverbial "souls to the polls" bus rides after Sunday Black church attendance is being curtailed by some of the state's Sunday poll closure legislation. Even with an ID, many "souls" cannot get to sparsely located polls. Elderly and disabled voters who benefit from mail-in ballots are also being challenged. So, ID is a moot point. It's being able to vote at all that is the issue.
Recall, I forget the state, put addresses were required but one tribe had no addressed, just P.O Boxes which were deemed unacceptable. The tribe had to work with local authorities who were less than cooperative to establish addressed. There are a host of issues with Voter ID but Dem/Progressives just be working those issues. That requirement is not going away. Many don't understand the problem.
What up, folks? There is no voter fraud.
We don't need no stinkin' voter ID
Please don't buy into that conversation.
The problem isn't that ID is required, but the types of ID that are being required and the difficulty and cost of obtaining them. I don't know of many people who will quibble about identifying themselves to vote, even if the ID is nothing more than a signature comparison.
yes, sign your name.
Kimceann, true ‘dat. To see the example of an apparent lie being used as a legitimate concern and further to use that lie to demean individual liberties is really quite astounding. And then to see us run after it with panties in a knot and not agree to it but respond in a way to get around it or satisfy it is horrifying.
Make calls. Put pressure on. Pass For the People Act and the John Lewis Act. I really don’t like how it’s now up to the people to help other people muck through the fraud and satisfy the affect and effects of a lie.
I imagine a 'parody protest' where a large number of people dress up in KKK robes and hold signs saying "We support voter suppression laws".
And the ability to pay for one. In Washington state, the option for obtaining a Real ID level driver's license costs $113. That could be a barrier for low-income folks.
For comparison purposes, how much does a standard license or state issued ID cost?
The fee for a first-time base-level driver's license is $89. Personally, I think that fee is also too high for low-income folks.
This is a huge challenge.
Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 requiring states to ultimately upgrade requirements for drivers license or state ID. I believe most states are now in compliance. Basic requirements are:
1. Primary ID such as certified birth certificate or passport.
2. Proof of Social Security (there are alternatives)
3. 2 proofs of residence such as utility bill, bank statement, letter from homeless shelter, health ID with address, voters ID, etc.
This can be difficult for people born out of state, those in unstable housing, and the elderly. Cost to obtain proof can also be a barrier. This would be a worthy project for voting rights organizations to take on. A state ID is useful for all citizens for numerous reasons.
Yes. If the help is available to any person to get a state ID or a federal ID that confirms info AND if that help had been a matter-of-fact service for decades, then great. To make it all of a sudden an issue just because multiple states demand it for voting and many consider the demand a voter suppression tactic, it is generating chaos and resentment.
I agree that it is great for every person to have an ID to access many services that require one. However, because one of my own children and SO many families living in situational poverty that I have worked with in the school system tell me how long and sometimes excruciating that system is, I find it unfortunate that now it is now attached to voter rights requirements. Last year, I renewed my passport and one would have thought the wait line extended around the city limits and I had all required documentation.
Just saying it’s unfortunate that we are trying now to THINK UP a way to help people do something easily that should have been in place always.
Shoulda-Woulda-Coulda is a barrier.
CA has what’s called the Real ID system. It is a pain but you present your passport, certified (not a copy) birth certificate, and an electric bill. Once you present all of those, after waiting, 3 hours 🙄, you get your picture taken and w/in 2-3 weeks, you get your new driver’s license. CA’s DMV offices are a mess and a true pain in the a**!
And it excludes the non driver, the home bound, the ill and the elderly? There are those individuals, a few of whom I know, who are restricted in how long they can stand, or endure crowded waits, but are very committed to voting. Fortunately they have their DL but IF they did not.....
We make appointments here in SC and walk out with the new license the same day. The earliest available appointment at my local DMV? August.
The REAL ID Act didn't necessarily require those upgrades. It simply stated that "a Federal agency may not accept, for any official purpose, a driver's license or identification card issued by a state to any person unless the state is meeting the requirements" specified in the Real ID Act.
But since most people use their state driver's license as ID...
It seems France and Italy do voting in similar ways. All adults are required to have photo IDs. Tourists have their passports. Foreigners who reside permanently in Italy -- like me -- must also have a residence permit. All Italians and foreign residents are also required to have a state-issued photo ID whether or not they also have driving licenses, and their addresses are known to the authorities in the cities and towns where they live. It is my understanding that if the police ask you to show them your ID and you can't, they can give you a ticket, but as a practical matter, if you can tell them your name and address they can check your identity on the spot on-line. Italians and foreign residents are also issued a health card which guarantees them no questions asked healthcare.
Italian citizens also have voting cards that -- along with their ID cards -- they show as they enter a polling place. The voting card is stamped so you cannot vote twice, I suppose. The default status is that all citizens are automatically registered to vote in their their own town (comune, bureaucratically speaking) and every square inch of Italy is in one comune or another. If you move from one comune to another for residence purposes, you are issued a new ID and voting card. The moment you change residence, your new comune communicates this to your old comune, so it would be very difficult to vote in more than one place in any given election.
Some Americans might think, "Oh, how bureaucratic" or "How onerous" or "What a pain in the ass", but it really isn't and Italians think nothing of it. They know that free, fair, no-hassle voting is one of the things that keeps them from sliding back into tyranny, which they have had to endure for much of their very long history.
Do you happen to know the process for obtaining a French VRC?
VRC?.....Vaccine Ressource Center? If so anyone can find the sites and take appointments on line...if the understand French. If not that what is VCR?
Sorry...Voter Registration Card
Ah, I suppose if I was able to vote (post-brexit etc) it would have been obvious to me. The VRC is distributed by the municipal government of the commune in which you live when you are on the voter list! To be on the list you have to address yourself to the relevant Town Hall with proof of identity and proof of your actually living in the commune...an ID, passport and energy bill would do the trick. However you have to have the right to vote in the first place! Only other country, EU citizens (for the municipal and European elections) and French citizens (Presidential, National Assembly, Regional, Departmental and municipal elections) need apply. If you are a French citizen and live in the US then the government organizes registration and voting for national elections at various consulates around the world. Temporary absences might enable you to authorize (with appropriate documentation IDs etc) somebody to vote in your stead if you are registered in a commune somewhere. Hope this helps.
The Election Day holiday is unnecessary if at least 15 days of early voting is required, as long as that includes some Saturdays and possibly Sundays. We’ve just added Juneteenth as a federal holiday, over objections about cost to the federal government. Election Day as a federal holiday won’t help the majority of voters and even if states add it to their holiday rosters, it won’t help so many workers. There are always essential workers (police, hospitals, etc.) and most stores are open on holidays. The big needs are early voting and absentee ballots.
Sundays must be included, both for souls to the polls buses after Sunday church, and for any other people for whom Sunday is the only day they can go.
You are correct. However it is a beginning.
As Mary Richards would say, "Not awful" news...thanks, Ellie! (Mary Tyler Moore)
Thank you for this, Ellie Kona! Shared in both forums and now i will add my own voice.
Let me throw in my Thank You for brightening my day. Where's there is life there is hope and my hope level just got ratcheted up.
Thank you, Ellie.
Thanks, Ellie!
Wow! Did he say that? That would be great.
The Really Big News is that he's open to reforming the filibuster so that, instead of having to get 6- votes to overcome it, the other side has to maintain it with 41 votes - no more skipping town because the other side doesn't have the 60. They'll actually have to filibuster actively.
They should do it tomorrow. Time enough in 2023 to do more on this when the "Manchin permitted" Voter Bills' "acceptible" parts are individually past so that election perenity is assured at least.
Integrity?
The state of being whole as well as being honest and having strong moral principles.
Perenity?
Sorry about the "n" . The state or quality of being perennial.
Is that sort of a French word?
What isn't a "French" word in English? While making a local display of signs for my students, in English-Spanish-French, I had the "Danger/Peligro" and asked my Haitian co-worker what was the French word for "Danger." Yep, it is Danger. Who knew? One of the many of our shared words. Possibly brought by the Norman invasion.
Any gardener knows it in English. It is similar in French...Pérennité
perennity - permanent
Thanks. New word of the day.
Exactamundo.
Here's interesting news: Stacey Abrams has announced she would be very happy to have a voting bill like Manchin outlined turn into law. Now if the "never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity" caucus in the House Democrats can wrap their heads around saying "yes" and calling it a victory, things may happen.
Annnndddd (how long did you think this would take?) 90 minutes ago The Gravedigger of Democracy (McConnell) publicly announced that Abrams' support for this demonstrates that Manchin's Modification is as unacceptable to the Confederate Conjobs as the original.
I'm soooooooo surprised! (not)
AMEN, TC!
Ahhhh. Big news and good news. Been waiting to pop some corn and watch “The New Filibuster….Don’t Leave Town”
Then the Dems and the GOP can concentrate on the real issue...filling to galeries to "support their "Extreme Sport" team with enthusiastic supporters singing their song. I predict, given the average age and probable life-style induced bad health of many, we'll be looking at a whole slew of Senatorial elections replacing incapacitated incumbents.
Help me Obi-Wan. You’re my only hope.
🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻