Interested in another view from the state of Arizona? Respected Arizona state senator "Alfredo Gutierrez
CLOSER TO THE SUN SINEMA WILL ASCEND
The conclusion of the Arizona Democratic Party’s brief statement read: “While we take no pleasure in this announcement, the ADP Executive Board has decided to formally censure Senator Sinema as a result of her failure to do whatever it takes to ensure the health of our democracy.” The statement, merely symbolic, was polite. The sense of betrayal and anger amongst most party faithful is less restrained. The movement to “primary” Sinema is viral and growing with no apparent end in sight. Her future as a Democratic elected official is precarious.
That assumes she cares. Sinema’s smart. She’s traitorous, with a chameleon’s talent to deceive, the sharpie’s gift to charm, and the opportunists’ power to embrace her mark with passionate believability; but most importantly she’s smart.
How could she not know as she stood on the floor of the Senate about to declare her position on the filibuster that 38 state legislatures had before them or had passed legislation restricting the right to vote? That Texas was throwing thousands off the electoral rolls on technicalities passed by the legislature? Or that Governor De Santis of Florida proposed creating the Office of Election Crime and Security to “investigate, detect, apprehend, and arrest anyone for an alleged violation” of election laws. How could she not know who they would target?
And consider the timing of her long awaited unveiling of her position on the filibuster. Sinema delivered the speech as President Biden’s motorcade was making its way to the Senate to make his final plea to all 50 Senators. Her timing humiliated him. The theatre did not escape the right wing of the GOP. After the vote Republican Senators rushed to congratulate her and shake her hand. She rejected the hand of the Democratic leader of the free world but enthusiastically accepted the hands of his enemies.
Consider the fashion choices. A dark purple dress as she revealed her intention to vote with Republicans and a bright red one for the vote. Don’t worry about the dresses. Worry about the cross. Against purple and red that golden cross glowed so brightly. Why would the Senate’s only member who lists her religion as “none” and whose press officer told Religion News Service that she favours a “secular approach” so prominently display the most revered symbol of Christianity as she embraced the ideology of the far right on national television?
In the cosmology of the GOP Cruz , Rubio, Hawley, Haley, and De Santis, circle closest to the sun. Sinema propelled herself to those heights. But there remains a barrier between her ambition and the warmth of the sun. Abortion. Her political trajectory is intertwined with the right to choose. To overcome the barrier a seeker must condemn abortion and all of its advocates. She must credibly, without the smarmy appearance of opportunism, appear to sincerely embrace the faith of the evangelical Christ. The golden cross was the perfect prop. Bathed in the glory of Christ, no matter how insincerely, she will come closer to her sun, Donald Trump, and with his blessing she will ascend.
1. I think it's a low blow to mock Sinema for wearing a cross. That's bullshit of the highest order and you should be ashamed for doing it. Her religious affiliation, or lack thereof, is of no consequence and should not be mocked.
2. I struggle to see why people are so shocked about Kyrsten Sinema. Why did she publicly defend the filibuster? The answer is right in front of your face, to quote your own article:
"She delivered a speech on the Senate floor, killing voting rights legislation only hours before President Biden was scheduled to come to Capitol Hill and lobby Senate Democrats on that exact issue. That’s quite a needless FU to deliver to the president of your own party — and one that I doubt Biden or Sinema’s Senate colleagues will soon forget. She also received praise from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for taking a political stance that helps Republicans."
If I could bold that last sentence I would: being a bipartisan senator in a highly purple state is quite valuable. Yes Sinema needs to win her own primary (where this will hurt) but she also needs to win the general, where being seen as bipartisan will massively help. As to why pick the filibuster I think the point is obvious: as recently as 2020 Democrats were probably (at least privately) thankful for the filibuster because it helped stop Donald Trump's agenda from passing. The filibuster is a thorn in the side of the governing party, but that thorn goes both ways. It hamstrings Democrats, but it hamstrung Republicans just as well.
So this particular line of reasoning: "What I can say with some level of certainty is that Sinema has likely short-circuited her political career by dying on the hill of protecting the Senate’s super-majority requirement for legislation and helping block two bills that she says she supports" is just plain wrong. Senators have spent their ENTIRE CAREERS living in an environment defending the filibuster which inevitably, at one time or another, stopped them from being able to pass their preferred legislation. I see little reason why it will hurt Krysten Sinema now.
Follow the money. Sinema came from a working poor economic strata and is now catapulted into the super-rich velvet rope VIP lounge. Her corporate handlers are directing her actions because she answers only to them. She's acting like the person at the party who has all the cocaine. Both she and Manchin are acting out of economic self-interest, pure and simple. The difference is that their constituencies expect rational behavior from elected officials, so they really would a lot better in the GOP. It's an interesting afterward to what was, at best, nominal democracy. IMO there will be no more elections after this year, so it's pointless to debate.
Interested in another view from the state of Arizona? Respected Arizona state senator "Alfredo Gutierrez
CLOSER TO THE SUN SINEMA WILL ASCEND
The conclusion of the Arizona Democratic Party’s brief statement read: “While we take no pleasure in this announcement, the ADP Executive Board has decided to formally censure Senator Sinema as a result of her failure to do whatever it takes to ensure the health of our democracy.” The statement, merely symbolic, was polite. The sense of betrayal and anger amongst most party faithful is less restrained. The movement to “primary” Sinema is viral and growing with no apparent end in sight. Her future as a Democratic elected official is precarious.
That assumes she cares. Sinema’s smart. She’s traitorous, with a chameleon’s talent to deceive, the sharpie’s gift to charm, and the opportunists’ power to embrace her mark with passionate believability; but most importantly she’s smart.
How could she not know as she stood on the floor of the Senate about to declare her position on the filibuster that 38 state legislatures had before them or had passed legislation restricting the right to vote? That Texas was throwing thousands off the electoral rolls on technicalities passed by the legislature? Or that Governor De Santis of Florida proposed creating the Office of Election Crime and Security to “investigate, detect, apprehend, and arrest anyone for an alleged violation” of election laws. How could she not know who they would target?
And consider the timing of her long awaited unveiling of her position on the filibuster. Sinema delivered the speech as President Biden’s motorcade was making its way to the Senate to make his final plea to all 50 Senators. Her timing humiliated him. The theatre did not escape the right wing of the GOP. After the vote Republican Senators rushed to congratulate her and shake her hand. She rejected the hand of the Democratic leader of the free world but enthusiastically accepted the hands of his enemies.
Consider the fashion choices. A dark purple dress as she revealed her intention to vote with Republicans and a bright red one for the vote. Don’t worry about the dresses. Worry about the cross. Against purple and red that golden cross glowed so brightly. Why would the Senate’s only member who lists her religion as “none” and whose press officer told Religion News Service that she favours a “secular approach” so prominently display the most revered symbol of Christianity as she embraced the ideology of the far right on national television?
In the cosmology of the GOP Cruz , Rubio, Hawley, Haley, and De Santis, circle closest to the sun. Sinema propelled herself to those heights. But there remains a barrier between her ambition and the warmth of the sun. Abortion. Her political trajectory is intertwined with the right to choose. To overcome the barrier a seeker must condemn abortion and all of its advocates. She must credibly, without the smarmy appearance of opportunism, appear to sincerely embrace the faith of the evangelical Christ. The golden cross was the perfect prop. Bathed in the glory of Christ, no matter how insincerely, she will come closer to her sun, Donald Trump, and with his blessing she will ascend.
Sooner than you think."
Another long read with another way of seeing Sinema. She exasperates me but that makes it even more interesting to read this thing w various kinds of admiration for her, among other things. https://www.deseret.com/2022/1/13/22882327/finding-kyrsten-sinema-senate-arizona-congress-mitt-romney-democrat-moderate
1. I think it's a low blow to mock Sinema for wearing a cross. That's bullshit of the highest order and you should be ashamed for doing it. Her religious affiliation, or lack thereof, is of no consequence and should not be mocked.
2. I struggle to see why people are so shocked about Kyrsten Sinema. Why did she publicly defend the filibuster? The answer is right in front of your face, to quote your own article:
"She delivered a speech on the Senate floor, killing voting rights legislation only hours before President Biden was scheduled to come to Capitol Hill and lobby Senate Democrats on that exact issue. That’s quite a needless FU to deliver to the president of your own party — and one that I doubt Biden or Sinema’s Senate colleagues will soon forget. She also received praise from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell for taking a political stance that helps Republicans."
If I could bold that last sentence I would: being a bipartisan senator in a highly purple state is quite valuable. Yes Sinema needs to win her own primary (where this will hurt) but she also needs to win the general, where being seen as bipartisan will massively help. As to why pick the filibuster I think the point is obvious: as recently as 2020 Democrats were probably (at least privately) thankful for the filibuster because it helped stop Donald Trump's agenda from passing. The filibuster is a thorn in the side of the governing party, but that thorn goes both ways. It hamstrings Democrats, but it hamstrung Republicans just as well.
So this particular line of reasoning: "What I can say with some level of certainty is that Sinema has likely short-circuited her political career by dying on the hill of protecting the Senate’s super-majority requirement for legislation and helping block two bills that she says she supports" is just plain wrong. Senators have spent their ENTIRE CAREERS living in an environment defending the filibuster which inevitably, at one time or another, stopped them from being able to pass their preferred legislation. I see little reason why it will hurt Krysten Sinema now.
Follow the money. Sinema came from a working poor economic strata and is now catapulted into the super-rich velvet rope VIP lounge. Her corporate handlers are directing her actions because she answers only to them. She's acting like the person at the party who has all the cocaine. Both she and Manchin are acting out of economic self-interest, pure and simple. The difference is that their constituencies expect rational behavior from elected officials, so they really would a lot better in the GOP. It's an interesting afterward to what was, at best, nominal democracy. IMO there will be no more elections after this year, so it's pointless to debate.