Well...Crap

 Joe Manchin has laid his marker, he will continue to allow massive obstruction of any positive agenda in Congress by a minority of Senators representing a minority of the country. Both Manchin and Sinema have used egregiously stupid and/or cynical arguments to validate their awful positions. Here are some of Manchin's "arguments":

- The Founders wanted small states to be able to veto larger states.

    This is true, but at the time, the largest state was not 50 times larger than the smaller states. There was also the fact that in order to get the Constitution ratified, they had to overcome local prejudices. People in 1788 saw themselves as New Yorkers before they saw themselves as Americans. That is no longer true.  Plus, ending the filibuster will not end the over representation of small states, so what the fuck is he talking about.

- As we have weakened the filibuster in 2013 and 2017, political gridlock has gotten worse.

    Sweet merciful Jesus, this is worst confusion of correlation with causation I've ever seen. The GOP launched massive and unprecedented obstruction of Obama's agenda on January 21st, 2009. They have not signaled any willingness to accede to the majority when in the minority. They have become a party that can cut taxes and confirm judges... and that is it. Democrats have a legislative agenda, and Manchin and Sinema just sank it in a sea of false equivalency. 

- We should not abuse reconciliation to pass bills.

    See above. There is NO substantive bill that Democrats can propose that Republicans will support. Donald Trump launched a violent coup attempt at Congress and only a handful of Republicans could be bothered to condemn THAT. Because Manchin and Sinema won't change the rules, we have to use the rules that exist to us.

- What goes around comes around. What will the Democrats do when Republicans try this?

    REPUBLICANS DID TRY THIS. They used reconciliation to try and repeal Obamacare. It was so unpopular, they couldn't get the votes.

- If we gut the filibuster, we will get wild swings in policy.

    You FUCKING MORON! Because the Senate is dysfunctional WITH the filibuster, the entirety of the regulatory process and much of policy making has shifted to the Executive Branch. GUESS WHAT HAPPENS THEN?

- We can work together if we just keep regular order.

    Prove it. Pass ANY important voting rights bill with 10 Republican voters. I FUCKING DARE YOU TO TRY.

Joe Manchin is largely the best we can do in West Virginia. We can do better than Krysten Sinema in Arizona. But in 2022 we have to defend Raphael Warnock's seat, have Fetterman win in Pennsylvania and then try and win a few seats from the list of Iowa, Wisconsin, North Carolina or (yuck) Florida. Manchin might be the best we can do in WV, but he cannot remain the swing vote determining whether the Senate can function.

Oh, and hold the House in face of what will undoubtedly be massive GOP gerrymandering.