Let's say that hypothetically,
Democrats, the media,
were able to push Joe Manchin, sort
of the out in front the hardcore
defender of the filibuster at this
point to switching his position.
That would not necessarily be
mission accomplished because
there are others.
And not just in West Virginia in
much more liberal states that
effectively just agree with them
they haven't received as much
attention, but they're about to.
Let's see,
we've got Senator Dianne Feinstein
who broke with her colleagues
who've been recently saying that
they would choose democracy by
scrapping the filibuster for
Republicans try to block the, for
the people act there,
sweeping election reform bill.
She says if democracy were
in jeopardy,
I would want to protect it.
But I don't see it being in
jeopardy right now.
She says we should just wait and
see what happens with H.R.1.
And when asked if there were any
filibuster reform measures should
support, literally come up with
anything you want, she would say
I'd have to take a look right now
nothing comes to my mind.
>> Yeah, well,
there's a reason for that.
Look, Feinstein was a classic
corrupt corporate democrat for
decades.
The corporate media covered for
her over and over and over again.
As recently as her last run in 2018
she still had outrageous issues.
She was against the war on drugs,
a just democrat ran against her
Alison Hartson, she now works here.
And Alison who would obviously want
to legalize drugs like the entire
state of California and
enforced by Feinstein to finally
switch her position in 2018.
And all along she's been like,
no drugs,
marijuana is a gateway drug.
We should make sure that the drug
companies make as much money as
possible with artificial.
I mean it's very dangerous, okay?
And she was for
the death penalty she's deeply,
deeply conservative, right?
And Joe Sandberg recently came out,
very powerful and influential
progressive in California, saying I
made a mistake, I should have voted
against Feinstein in 2018.
I should have done it,
we cannot let the stand.
But still, she's a little bit of
a different situation because
at this point she's an obvious,
no one disputes this,
is in mental decline.
She cannot remember what
another Senator Schumer,
what her staff told her yesterday.
So that's why when they asked her,
hey, is there anything you would do
for electoral reform?
She's everything's great, isn't it
1990 when I'm a Republican and
pretending to be a Democrat, and
no one ever challenges me on it?
And that's what the game we've
all been playing, right?
Because she forgot no,
you are supposed to pretend
harder these days, right?
And so again the Newsome openly
talks about who he would replace
her with because every Democrat
knows that I don't know what
her particular diseases I
don't know if it's Alzemers,
whatever it is, right?
But she can't remember anything,
she's in complete mental decline.
But corporate media, nothing, no,
it's totally fine, totally fine but
Feinstein good, good because.
And they notice even
call her a conservative Democrats,
it's a joke, the media is a total
and utter joke.
They got to get Feinstein out of
the Senate instantly.
But it's not just one person and
in mental decline who was always
conservative, there's so many more.
Tom Carper from Delaware is
one of the most conservative
Senators in the whole country.
Chris Coons, the other senator from
Delaware, one of the most
conservative Democrats for sure.
But those
two were rival Republicans for
how anti-progressive they are in
their measures.
And who are they best friends with,
Joe Biden.
It ain't Joe Manchin guys,
we told you in previous stories.
Washington Post reported there's
ten Democratic Senators who
are thrilled that Joe Manchin
is taking all the arrows.
Because if all those bills came up
that are in Biden's theoretical
agenda, they would all vote no on
all of them.
>> Yeah, I mean, I know that
Feinstein said that if democracy
were in jeopardy, she'd want to
protect it, but she does not see
it being in jeopardy right now.
It's difficult to hear things like
that and think that we're all
living in the same country.
When you look around the former
President just two weeks ago was
talking about how the election was
rigged and how he really won it.
That repeated lie is being
used to restrict voting rights all
over the country, particularly for
black and brown folks.
It is very difficult for
me to understand how someone could
not see the way that our democracy
is so much in peril right now.
But I guess that's how she feels.
I think that it really calls into
question whether or not we're sort
of living in the same country.
But, yeah,
it is very frustrating to feel like
she lives in a completely different
country then the rest of us.
>> Yeah, so
many Democrats aren't going to do
anything about the filibuster.
And even if the filibuster were
gone, Joe Manchin says that he
literally opposes for
the people act now, despite having
co-sponsored it in the past.
So it's not looking like that's
going to pass.
Now he does
support the John Lewis Act.
And he says, well, don't worry,
that's awesome, doesn't go nearly
as far but we can get a bunch of
Republicans to support it.
They're not going to support it,
they have no interest in that
either, obviously.
So what are we going to get?.
What limited thing,
what shield are we going to
have against the nonstop onslaught
against democracy from Republicans
across the country?
Well, we have this I guess.
Earlier today Attorney General
Merrick Garland announced that
the DOJ would double its voting
rights staff, while condemning
a number of recently passed state
laws and issuing a stern warning.
>> Ooh, a stern warning?
>> It is strongly worded that
the department would combat voter
restrictions that run afoul of
the law.
That's sort of the issue though,
they're changing the laws.
I understand he means federal law,
but that needs to be
strengthened to.
Anyway, the Justice Department,
notably during the Trump era,
didn't hire a single
outside attorney for
the voting rights section.
That's so weird, what an oversight,
and left the department was just 15
voting rights lawyers,
about half the number that staff
the section during the Obama years.
It's almost like they didn't care
about it at all.
Garland says the department will
also take measures to
limit gerrymandering,
while setting guidelines for
absentee and mail in voting ahead
of the 2022 midterm elections.
>> If I understood that right,
he said we're going to double
what they have now.
That would just bring it back to
where it was under Obama.
>> Mm-hm.
>> Ooh.
>> It's like the refugee cap.
>> Okay, wow,
exactly unfortunately.
So 43 states have already passed,
there's been 43 proposed
legislation, nope, nope.
>> 22 passed I think,
only eight states have had them.
>> Well, Salon says that this is
a direct quote, Manchin isn't moved
by the GOP voter suppression
bills in 43 states.
So, they haven't passed but they've
been proposing 43 states and
have passed and dozens of states.
>> Yes. >> And so,
Feinstein is like I don't see it.
And Manchin says, well, if there's
a problem with democracy, then we
should step into action and I'm
just trying to protect democracy.
What they already pass the laws,
they already passed them in
the red states.
And now Merrick Garland comes in
and says, we will uphold the law.
Yeah, but the states administered
the elections, and
their laws now are that not as many
black and brown people get to vote.
So how would upholding those laws
help to actually bring voting
rights to as many American
citizens as possible?
>> No, it's super easy, if federal
law and state law disagree,
then theoretically just work
its way through the courts up to
the Supreme Court.
Wait yeah,
there's some issues there, [LAUGH]
I'll grant you that, Bridgette.
>> Yeah, I mean, in a democracy,
we should be making it easier for
folks to vote not harder.
And it's pretty obvious that that's
not what's going on here.