The trust between Democrats and Republicans has greatly eroded over the last handful of years, and especially so over the last handful of months, when a violent siege by Trumpists into the Capitol, endangering all their lives, has led to…nothing. Not even Mike Pence’s brother seems to care about it. Republicans continue to support a disgraced septuagenarian former president-turned-blogger who now lives in resorts with strangers. But at least there’s two Democrats who still believe the GOP will do the right thing: Kyrsten Sinema and Joe Manchin.
The two senators have been the most vocal about not toeing the party line. They refuse to help destroy the filibuster once and for all, and they refuse to believe Republicans will put country before party and help launch a commission into what happened on Jan. 6. The bill narrowly passed the House, with little GOP support, and it won’t pass the Senate without 10 Republicans voting for it. (So far two have publicly said they will, and one of them, of course, is Mitt Romney.) But Sinema and Manchin have a plan to get them to do the right thing: ask them real nicely.
On Tuesday, Sinema and Manchin released a joint statement, in which they said they “implore our Senate Republican colleagues to work with us to find a path forward on a commission to examine the events of January 6th.” They stated that the commisson “is a critical step to ensuring our nation never has to endure an attack at the hands of our countrymen again.”
Joint statement with @Sen_JoeManchin on January 6th Commission: pic.twitter.com/03RsLGBEoY
— Kyrsten Sinema (@SenatorSinema) May 25, 2021
But it’s unlikely simply appealing to better instincts will work. Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader, has come out against the commission, alleging that it was “slanted and unbalanced.” The two senators’ joint statement may wind up appealing to nobody — not Republicans, who seem dead-set against investigating into a deadly skirmish that may implicate some of them, and not Democrats, many of whom will likely see it as insufficiently persuasive.
The latter came out in force over social media, many mocking the two for thinking that imploring them to do the right thing will do anything but make Republicans laugh.
Yes, implore. Carry on imploring. As democracy burns. This is how historians will remember Manchin and Sinema. https://t.co/U7C40iqm9k
— Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) May 25, 2021
Ask not what your country can do for you
Ask why Manchin and Sinema are still wasting time imploring Republicans, instead of removing the filibuster
— Lindy Li (@lindyli) May 25, 2021
You either understand what’s happening in this country and how much of a danger Trump’s insurgency poses to America or you don’t
We all have enough information to make a determination about which side of history we’re on, and Manchin and Sinema are on the wrong side of that line
— Seth Abramson (@SethAbramson) May 26, 2021
Manchin/Sinema: “plleaaaasse”
Senate GOP: “no”
Manchin/Sinema: “welp, we tried
” https://t.co/tpRFvj02Zc
— Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) May 25, 2021
If Manchin and Sinema don’t know this is futile, they’re idiots. https://t.co/RA6jmZMn8L
— Trial Lawyer Richard (@TrialLawyerRich) May 25, 2021
The dick of the day trophy goes to Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema for “imploring” Republicans (aka traitors) to work with “us” when it’s literally the two of them standing in the way of everything we fought for in taking back the Senate.
Kill the filibuster.
— Jason Overstreet
(@JasonOverstreet) May 25, 2021
Some tried to beg the two to wise up.
I implore Manchin and Sinema to start acting like Democrats. https://t.co/9tTFiufwFL
— Mayo (@MayoIsSpicyy) May 25, 2021
And others tried to tell them, patiently, that GOP indifference to the commission is the final sign that killing the filibuster is the only way to save democracy from a party still in thrall to a madman.
Here’s hoping Senators Manchin and Sinema open their eyes and end the filibuster when their Republican “colleagues” fail to support a legitimate January 6th Commission.
— Chris Hahn (@ChristopherHahn) May 25, 2021
This is only meaningful if Manchin and Sinema next say if the GOP won’t make a deal they would support ending the filibuster. https://t.co/3dWkjBruCY
— (((DeanObeidallah))) (@DeanObeidallah) May 25, 2021
Whatever happens, it’s unlikely Sinema can save her reputation, which has been tattered by things like flippant way she voted down a bill to finally raise the minimum wage and an Instagram brunch post where she appeared to tell her many righteous critics where to go.