So we've been on the edge of our
seat waiting to find out,
will enough Republicans crossover
to help establish an investigation
into what happened on January 6th?
Well, the breaking
news this morning was that there
had been a procedural hiccup and
we would have to wait to find out.
It's complicated, will they?
No, they blocked it,
they stopped it.
It's as of right now not going
forward with them,
Senate Republicans, and not just
Republicans honestly helping to
block the creation of that panel.
The Senate vote was 54 to 35,
six short of the 60 needed to take
up the bill that had already been
passed in the House,
that would have formed an evenly
split 10-member commission.
It came a day after emotional
appeals from police officers who
fought against the rioters,
the family of an officer who died
afterward, and lawmakers in both
parties who fled Capitol chambers,
as the rioters broke in.
But all of that emotional stuff has
nothing to do with the orders
that were given to them from
Donald Trump, so they were able
to ignore all of that.
Really fast though,
I do want to just give a little bit
of credit to Ryan Grim,
who rightfully points out that,
it is amazing that on something
fairly important like this,
a 54-35 vote can be
described as a stinging loss.
[LAUGH] A stinging defeat there,
because that's how America works.
If you can hold on
to about a third of the country,
you can do whatever you want, you
can stop whatever you don't want.
But as I said, it was not just the
lack of Republicans crossing over.
In the end, a bunch of people
didn't even show up to vote.
Six Republicans did vote with
Republicans.
11 senators, including 9
republicans and 2 Democrats just
missed the vote entirely.
Maybe they were still so
terrified of being in the Capitol
that they refused to come back.
But I found one interesting
inclusion on that list.
And it was pointed out [INAUDIBLE]
back and forth by Jesse Rodriguez
who points out that before
the vote, Senators Manchin and
Sinema joined together to
put out a statement saying
we employ our Senate Republican
colleagues to work with us.
To find a path forward on
a commission to examine the offense
of January 6th.
But if Republicans did try to
work with Kirsten Sinema,
they found it difficult since she
didn't even show up for the vote.
She didn't even take
part in the end.
>> No, there's a good chance she's
going to become a Republican.
I was wondering why in the world
would any Democrat miss this vote?
It's not like they're on
the campaign trail or
anything along those lines.
And so remember if the two
Democrats voted, it's 56,
they still don't have enough.
But, Toomey was a seventh
Republican who also didn't show up,
but bothered to say yes,
I would have voted yes.
>> Mm-hm. >> Right?
So that would have been 57.
So it wasn't like a foregone
conclusion that Democrats were
going to lose.
Sinema didn't
show up anyway because she
didn't want to be on the record.
Those nine other Republicans
definitely didn't want to be
on the record.
They're like, look,
if the coup goes the wrong way,
we don't want to seem like
we were part of the coup.
But if it goes the right way,
I want to say, yeah,
yeah, of course I voted against
that January 6th commission,
dear leader, and I'm totally in
favor of your authoritarian rule.
So those are the cowards in
the Republican Party.
But the most important part of this
vote, guys, is that's it.
Any talk of the Republicans working
with Democrats on any agenda is
gone, gone, gone, gone.
Anyone going forward that is
talking about that is a 100% liar.
Because at this point even they
know that there's no hope,
no prayer of the Republicans ever
voting with the Democrats on
anything.
Unless by the way,
the Democrats actually pass
a Republican proposal.
>> Mm-hm. >> Then they
would be in favor.
And then at that point
barely, right?
So this was the easiest one,
because not just because, hey look,
they came to try to kill us?
Maybe you should investigate
the people trying to kill us?
[LAUGH] >> It doesn't get any
easier than that, right?
But also because they gave
the Republicans every single thing
they wanted.
To be fair, there's one thing that
Kevin McCarthy wanted.
It's like can we also investigate
other random acts not related
to January 6th?
But outside of that,
they gave them everything else.
They said evenly split, they could
have tanked the commission,
because they had the same number of
votes as Democrats,
even though they don't control
the House with the Senate.
They said we'll give you even
coverage anyway.
>> They could have blocked
all witnesses effectively.
>> They could have done anything to
block it.
And they still voted no because the
dear leader wanted them to vote no.
So there is a 0% chance [LAUGH]
they're going to work with
Democrats on a meaningful
infrastructure belt.
Police reform?
Joe Biden used to talk about police
reform, that the Republicans
are going to work with you on that?
Gun violence?
I mean, come on, this is insanity.
They're not going to vote with you
on any of that stuff.
If you are expecting ten Republican
votes, you might as well make Mitch
Mcconnell President, because that's
the only way you're going to get
ten Republican votes on anything.
>> Yeah, and
a few things happened here.
So one, hopefully Democrats can use
this as your case study to get rid
of the filibuster.
Because you're not getting
legislation like this again, or
an opportunity at legislation like
this again.
Republicans have proven they
are incapable of operating in
good faith with actual
bipartisan legislation.
Remember, the 10-person committee
was literally a bipartisan
committee.
Even though Democrats technically
controlled the Senate, they got
the House, they got the presidency,
they were willing to still give
Republicans five appointments and
Democrats five appointments.
And that's it, just to investigate
what happened on January 6th.
Let's go a step further.
Here's what else we have seen.
Republicans are now on record for
being anti-good cop.
There were Capitol police who
were injured, dead.
They're connected to families.
How are you pro-police, but
you're anti-good police, or
good policing at the Capitol?
They have gone on record and
said they are actually anti-good
police or anti-good policing,
but they are pro-bad policing.
These are the same Republicans that
would defend a cop for killing an
unarmed black man or black woman.
These are the same individuals.
These are the ones getting in
the way of police reform,
even though 94% of Americans say it
must happen.
58% of Americans say it must be
dramatic, even 51% of Republicans
say it needs to happen.
So, this is what has happened on
the record.
You have a Republican party who has
not operated in good faith as
it relates to the American people.
Now, are we going to be able to do
something with it, is the question.
Can Democrats, Joe Biden,
Vice President Kamala Harris and
others, can they create a messaging
technique to let the world know,
these individuals are so
unreasonable, it's time to get rid
of the barrier.
And that barrier is the filibuster,
and almost every piece of
legislation I actually care about
must have a supermajority- >> Yeah.
>> Of the Senate.
I'm tired of this.
These guys will not loose from
Donald Trump.
Trump is pulling the strings, he
will continue to pull the strings,
and he will pull the strings
until our democracy is not
even recognizable under democratic
leadership at that.
>> Exactly, [CROSSTALK] just, so
Dr. Richey was bringing
up the prospects possibly for this,
demonstrating how, even though it
doesn't need to be demonstrated how
the filibuster has to go.
We already know that, we already
know that they're lying and,
Joe Manchin, I'm not going to read
Joe Manchin's comment because
he said in advance we can find ten,
they didn't.
He's not going to learn
because he wasn't
expressing an actual position.
He was making noises at a reporter,
that's it.
But I do have another senator with
a really frustrating stance on
the filibuster that I'd love to
hear your reactions too.
So, Sahil Kapur asked
Dianne Feinstein if the filibuster
stopping the establishment of
a commission
would lead to her being willing
to get rid of the filibuster.
She said, I don't see us abolishing
the 60-vote threshold, I don't.
This is the first time I've heard
it, no one has proposed it,
no one has talked to me about it.
So, it's a non-issue.
>> Yeah. >> Nobody has mentioned
the possibility of reforming.
We can bring up her statement from
her office in March, where she
talks about the potential need to
reform or eliminate the filibuster,
if the Republicans continue to
abuse it.
She says I'm open to
changing the way the Senate
filibuster rules are used, but
apparently, that statement was
not delivered to Dianne Feinstein,
so nobody's talked to her about it.
>> Now, guys- [LAUGH] >> No, but
seriously, it's not even funny.
We talk about, or
people in politics talked about,
hey, does Joe Biden have dementia,
does Donald Trump have dementia?.
They're both in their 70s, etc.
There is no question that Dianne
Feinstein is in mental decline.
I'm not saying it because of
the story.
We covered it before.
People in the Senate will go talk
to her, and she will not remember
what they said earlier in the day,
she will not remember what they
said the day before.
She will say things, and then not
remember the thing that she said.
No, it's over.
I don't know what it is technically
dementia, Alzheimer's,
whatever it is.
This is not a political trick.
This is not anything.
She's a Democrat,
she has mental health decline.
There is absolutely no
question about it.
Gavin Newsom has already started
talking about who to appoint in her
place even though she never said
that she was going to step down.
The Democratic Party is all 100%
aware that Dianne Feinstein is not
mentally healthy at this
point, okay?
And it's super sad to say it.
But the corruption in DC is so
deep that you can never remove
an incumbent.
And so Dianne Feinstein was in
bad shape when she was running for
reelection in 2018.
We said it, and by the way,
it wasn't just Democrats.
It was the media that yelled at us.
And they said no, no,
she is in great, great shape!
My God, she's such a respected,
wonderful, progressive,
what are you guys doing?
No, no, no, no, no, now it is
abundantly clear to everyone,
you must get her out of office.
Democrats, have you no conscience?
Have you no conscience, right?
And it's not even fair to her for
God's sake, her staff, her family.
I think she had a terrible
career, okay?
But I am in the minority.
Everyone in Washington will
kiss her ass.
But while she's still celebrated
among people who matter,
let her retire, right?
I think Gavin Newsom is a corporate
Democrat.
I'd be shocked if he put
a progressive in there.
She put Barbara Lean into that seat
and she's earned it.
She's an amazing woman, and
he said it should be
an African-American woman.
Perfect, perfect, right?
And it would balance out,
she's as progressive as
we're going to get in California.
California is incredibly
progressive.
The voters are, but
I don't think he'll do any of that.
>> That'll bar her.
>> Yeah, but
this is not about that.
We cannot have Feinstein forgetting
her own position and then
coming out against the filibuster,
that's insane!
And you're right, John,
about Manchin and he's caused this
vote unconscionable,
unconscionable for what?
You're unconscionable, right?
But these guys, Manchin, Sinema and
now apparently Feinstein, they're
going to destroy our government.
They're not going to let
the Democrats pass anything.
And it is an absolute guarantee
that the Republicans will run and
say see, the Democrats didn't pass
anything.
>> Mm-hm.
[CROSSTALK] >> Exactly what
they all say.
>> Yeah, and look at how,
to Rashad's point about how much
Trump has taken control
of the Republican Party.
McConnell said Trump should be
investigated right after he voted
to clear him on impeachment.
He said, no, I'm asking for
an investigation.
He has now turned around,
he actively lobbied against this
foe and said, please, please do not
investigate Donald Trump.
That's because Mitch McConnell is
a coward, has no
leadership left to a total loser,
and is now just another servant of
Donald Trump, just like Ted Cruz,
Lindsey Graham and the others.
But when Biden listens to Manchin
who listens to McConnell,
then Biden is ceding his presidency
to Donald Trump!
What the hell did we all vote for?
>> Yep. >> What the hell did we all
vote for?
Biden, look, I don't care about the
people in DC who were so polite.
My God, hey,
we've been careful with what you
say about the powerful.
No, no, I don't care, I don't care.
Do something now, otherwise you're
incredibly weak, incredibly weak,
and you're going to let them
destroy every part of your agenda,
if in fact,
it's your actual agenda.
What I'm worried about is you ain't
weak, it isn't your agenda.
You want to actually deliver for
the people you said you'd deliver
for, your donors,
when you told them nothing would
fundamentally change.