Democrats, Stay Strong… Or Get Rolled Again

It’s bracing to see Democrats — from President Biden down — finally stand up to Republicans. Either Republican senators sign onto Biden’s big $1.9 trillion bailout plan — or the Democrats will play the “reconciliation” card and ram the bill through the Senate with no GOP support. Republicans are screaming about Democratic bullying — but this is exactly what Mitch McConnell and his majority did when they rammed through Trump‘s massive tax cut for the rich in 2017 without one Democratic vote.

Biden and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer know that if they again cater to Republican senators — this time a pack of 10 led by the inevitable card sharks Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski — the GOP will only water down and drag out essential legislation. This is EXACTLY what Republicans did to President Obama’s economic recovery plan and health care proposal. The result back in 2009 was a bailout that was geared more to Wall Street than to Main Street and a minimalist health plan that sacrificed the single-payer option. Obama’s concessions to Republicans set up the Democrats for the great Trump populist backlash of 2016. Sure, it was a phony, gilded populism and Trump proved to be a crooked crony capitalist, not the man of the people that MAGA zealots still weirdly embrace. But the point is that Democrats get screwed whenever we compromise with the GOP and when we side with Wall Street — and the party DESERVES to get punished.

So now Democrats need to keep breathing fire as they try to get the country back on its feet. It’s reassuring to hear that even the wobbliest Senate Democrat — Joe Manchin of West Virginia — has advocated reconciliation hardball if no Republicans jump on Biden’s bailout bandwagon. But even more inspiring to me lately is Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whose response to the traitorous Ted Cruz was perfect when he tried to tie himself to her call for Congressional investigations into Wall Street racketeering. She’s all for bipartisanship when it comes to the GameStop probe, AOC declared, but she draws a line when it comes to working with the likes of Cruz: "I am happy to work with Republicans on this issue where there's common ground, but you almost had me murdered 3 weeks ago so you can sit this one out," the New York congresswoman wrote in a tweet directed at the Texas senator.

That’s the way that Democrats should work with their conniving colleagues across the aisle. Bipartisanship with a bite.