Blade_Runner Loc: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.

BigMike Loc: yerington nv

Wonttakeitanymore

That’s because they are “right” and you people are wrong!

moldyoldy

Sen. Joe Manchin, the West Virginia Democrat famous for his vow to maintain the Senate filibuster and thereby scuttle much of President Biden's agenda, recently published an op-ed opposing the For the People Act, Democrats' whopping v****g-rights bill. That article strongly echoed talking points from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce — and appeared shortly after the influential pro-business lobby resumed donations to Manchin's campaign after nearly a decade.



Manchin, who co-sponsored the sweeping v****g rights legislation in 2019 and has supported filibuster reform in the past, became the first Senate Democrat to oppose the bill this week while reiterating his opposition to changing the filibuster, a key roadblock to v****g reform. Skeptical members of Manchin's party have questioned the reasons for his opposition, especially after after a recent poll found that a majority of West Virginia v**ers support changing the filibuster rules and that 79% of the state's v**ers — including a large majority of Republicans — support the For the People Act.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., suggested that Manchin's opposition to the proposal and filibuster reform may really be about measures in the bill aimed at cracking down on dark money are highly popular, including among Republican v**ers. Heritage Action, the advocacy arm of the Koch-backed

"This is probably just as much a part of Joe Manchin's calculus than anything else," she told MSNBC on Tuesday. "You look at the Koch brothers and you look at organizations like the Heritage Foundation and conservative lobby groups that are doing a victory lap ... over the fact that Manchin refuses to change on the filibuster. And I think that these two things are very closely intertwined.

Americans for Prosperity, a group backed by billionaire Republican donor Charles Koch, has explicitly targeted Manchin in its pressure campaign to defeat the legislation even though their own data shows that provisions cracking down on dark money are highly popular, including among Republican v**ers. Heritage Action, the advocacy arm of the Koch-backed Heritage Foundation, organized a rally earlier this year to pressure Manchin to oppose the bill. Heritage Action has also partnered with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) to craft model v****g-restriction laws for Republican state legislators. A Heritage Action organizer boasted in a video obtained by Mother Jones that the group was behind key provisions of the controversial law recently passed in Georgia.

"Joe Manchin isn't moved by leaders who have spent decades organizing for civil rights," Rep. Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., tweeted after Manchin that said his position on the For the People Act had not changed after meeting with civil rights leaders on Tuesday. "Manchin isn't moved by the views of his constituents. Manchin isn't moved by GOP v**er suppression bills in 43 states. Because Manchin is only moved by corporate donors and their agenda."

One group that has been a major cheerleader of Manchin's staunch opposition is the aforementioned U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a powerful pro-business group that also receives Koch money and generally supports Republicans.

Manchin's op-ed announcing his opposition echoed the Chamber's talking points in a letter to senators alleging that "partisan" legislation would "undermine" public confidence in democracy, even though Republicans across the country have advanced and enacted overtly partisan bills aimed at restricting b****t access.

"When it comes to this 'bipartisan' argument, I gotta tell you, I don't buy it," Ocasio-Cortez said. "Joe Manchin has v**ed for bills that have not been bipartisan before. Look at the American Rescue Plan. So this is not just about bipartisanship."

The op-ed came after the Chamber, which has launched an expensive lobbying effort against the bill, resumed donations to Manchin's campaign for the first time since 2012. Reuters described this flow of corporate dollars as a "reward" for Manchin's opposition to numerous Biden administration's initiatives, as well as his stalwart support for the filibuster, which has almost certainly doomed the For the People Act.

"The timing of Sen. Manchin's announcement is highly suspicious," Kyle Herrig, president of the progressive government watchdog group Accountable.US, said in a statement to Salon. "Not long after the Chamber reopened their corporate checkbook for him, he made his opposition to v****g rights known. Now millions of Americans may face significant roadblocks when they try to exercise their constitutional right to v**e. Once again the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has found a way to stop any progress on v****g rights from progressing on Capitol Hill."

Manchin's office and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce did not respond to questions from Salon.

The Chamber is one of the most powerful trade groups in the country, spending more than $80 million on lobbying last year, second only to the National Association of Realtors. It is the single largest lobbying spender this year, dropping over $17 million to influence policy, nearly twice as much as the pharmaceutical trade group PhRMA. The group has been aggressively lobbying against the For the People Act since 2019, spending more than $129 million on opposing the bill and related issues since it was first introduced in the House, according to lobbying disclosures.

While the U.S. Chamber's corporate members pay for its lobbying, its PAC donations come from the group's executives, staff members and other affiliated individuals. The Chamber's PAC made a contribution to Manchin in the first quarter of this year, its first since 2012. Shortly after, the Chamber issued an alert to all members of the Senate threatening to include "v**es related to this bill in our annual How They V**ed scorecard" and mentioning some of its specific provisions, including a requirement to disclose big donors and communications with candidates, a plan to strengthen the Federal E******n Commission, and public financing of campaigns.


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"The Chamber is deeply troubled by efforts at the state and federal level to enact e******n law changes on a partisan basis," the letter said. "Changes enacted on a partisan basis are the most likely to erode access and security and undermine public confidence and the willingness of the American people to trust and accept future e******n outcomes."

Manchin echoed that argument in his op-ed, writing that he believes "partisan v****g legislation will destroy the already weakening binds of our democracy" and "partisan policymaking won't instill confidence in our democracy — it will destroy it."

Both the Chamber and Manchin have called for lawmakers to advance v****g legislation on a "bipartisan" basis, although it's inarguable that one party is seeking to expand v****g rights while the other is actively trying to restrict them. Manchin has claimed there is bipartisan support for the John Lewis V****g Rights Advancement Act, which would require states to pre-clear v****g changes with the Justice Department. That's technically true: Exactly one Republican senator (Lisa Murkowski of Alaska) has expressed support for the bill. But Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell declared on Tuesday that his party would not support the legislation and denied that there was any threat to v****g rights.

Manchin, whose ties to the U.S. Chamber date back to at least 2010, when he was West Virginia governor, drew public praise from Chamber president and CEO Suzanne Clark earlier this year for his "principled stand" on preserving the filibuster, which is the most significant roadblock to the v****g legislation.

Nick Vaugh, a lobbyist for the Chamber, presented Manchin with a "Spirit of Free Enterprise Award" in 2019, which the group says it gives to lawmakers who have supported its positions at least 70% of the time.

As it happens, Vaugh has been registered to lobby senators on the For the People Act and other issues since 2019, according to federal disclosure forms.



"It's unfortunate Sen. Manchin has bought into the U.S. Chamber's smears against the For The People Act," Herrig told Salon. "And just like the Chamber, he is wrong — there is nothing 'partisan' about protecting the right to v**e for all Americans. In carrying the Chamber's water, Sen. Manchin is only inviting further v**er suppression."

The Chamber's pressure on senators to oppose the v****g rights legislation comes as many of its corporate members have joined forces to oppose Republican v****g restrictions in state legislatures.

Accountable.US has launched a six-figure "Drop the Chamber" campaign challenging corporations like Microsoft, Target and Salesforce to back up their public support of v****g rights by cutting ties with the group, accusing it of "siding against millions of Americans who will be subject to these r****t v**er suppression laws."
"It's on Chamber members that claim to support v****g rights to end their relationships and speak out against this assault on Americans' rights to v**e," Herrig said, "because anything less makes them complicit."

BigMike Loc: yerington nv

Democrats want to add justices to the Supreme Court. To do that they have to k**l the filibuster. NO!

Period.

moldyoldy

I doubt that they are concentrating on that. V**er suppression is the golden calf for the right.

older and wiser

The left is very, very full of h**e and willing to show the world!

older and wiser

These are all over his head!

older and wiser

Could be stupidity

proud republican Loc: RED CALIFORNIA

So true!

BigMike Loc: yerington nv

Call it bloody murder if you want. It isn't bloody murder OR "v**er suppression".

Wh**ever you want to call it, this is what we plan to do.

Clean v**er roles.

V**er ID.

Limit mail-in b****ting to those who need them.

NO MASS MAIL IN B****T SENDING.

Paper b****ts. Frell these electronic machines.

E******n over on e******n day.

BigMike Loc: yerington nv

That's because they're frustrated GloBa'alists.

PeterS

And all of which we liberals wrote--or do you think you never change, backwards, Tory conservatives could have come up with something as progressive as any of them? In fact, name me anything that Conservatism has added to this country? Name a single thing of benefit that you people have added to this country for the full of the time that you've been here?

PeterS

And why is that Blade? Has that 3.57 brain of yours ever figured that out? Do you think the "right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed" just sits out there like a turd on a stick all by its self? King George used his freestanding army to suppress the American people so the founders, be they right or be they wrong, looking to a well-regulated m*****a, one that reports to the government, in lue of a free-standing army as the principal protection of this country. Could they fulfill that if the right to bear arms could be infringed on? No.

So the last clause is dependent on the first clause and if you had done anything with your education other than trying to achieve a lowly 3.57 you would understand that and while I think the founders were shortsighted l do understand why they were leery of a free-standing army. You conservatives however not only want a freestanding army you want the biggest and nastiest one on the planet plus you want the nastiest weapons possible for your personal use in case Liberals are ever democratically v**ed into power by the people.

So you and those like you could give an F why the second was written just so you can use it to gain the weapons of your choice even if in gaining them presents a danger to this country. So for you cons it's F the country and F the constitution. This is about you and gaining what you want not what is best for this country or anyone else who is part of it...

https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2013/07/why-founding-fathers-would-object-todays-military/66668/
https://daytondui.com/founding-fathers-opposed-standing-army/
https://fee.org/articles/why-the-founding-fathers-feared-a-standing-army/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/lawrenceh****r/2012/07/29/both-james-madison-and-the-anti-federalists-were-right-about-standing-armies/?sh=79d8160375a0
https://www.independent.org/news/article.asp?id=1495

moldyoldy