The No. 2 Democrat in the Senate admitted this week that President Joe Biden’s speech on voting rights, in which he compared opponents of his proposed legislation to domestic “enemies,” went “a little too far.”
“Joe Biden came to the United States Senate on a civil rights platform, that is why he ran in the first place, and the fact he shows emotion when it comes to voting rights of Americans, I’m glad he did,” Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told CNN on Wednesday.
But when pressed on Biden’s claim that the lawmakers blocking the bill from passing are comparable to Confederate traitors, Durbin agreed the framing was “stark.”
“Perhaps the president went a little too far in his rhetoric. Some of us do, but the fundamental principles and values at stake are very, very similar,” Durbin said.
In his speech, Biden claimed Republicans and moderate Democrats who oppose abolishing the Senate’s filibuster are like the segregationists who opposed the civil rights movement.
“At consequential moments in history, they present a choice,” he said. “Do you want to be the side of Dr. King or George Wallace? Do you want to be on the side of John Lewis or Bull Connor? Do you want to be on the side of Abraham Lincoln or Jefferson Davis?”
Former Democrat presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard was more frank and honest with her assessment of the Divider-in-Chief’s vile speech.
“Hillary’s calling tens of millions of Americans deplorables was divisive & disgusting,” Gabbard tweeted. “But Biden has gone further, calling those who disagree with his actions & policies domestic enemies, traitors, and racists. Biden promised to unite us, but he is doing all he can do divide us.”
Hillary’s calling tens of millions of Americans deplorables was divisive & disgusting. But Biden has gone further, calling those who disagree with his actions & policies domestic enemies, traitors, and racists. Biden promised to unite us, but he is doing all he can do divide us. pic.twitter.com/1XKS9rfZQT
— Tulsi Gabbard ? (@TulsiGabbard) January 13, 2022
Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., have repeatedly made it clear they will not allow their party to abolish the Senate’s filibuster to pass Biden’s voting rights bill. Democrat leadership, however, continues to lobby them in the hopes that they will change their minds.
But Sinema shot down that idea once again on Thursday.
SINEMA: “There’s no need for me to restate my longstanding support for the 60-vote threshold to pass legislation.”
There it is. pic.twitter.com/WdQiNNL5Dn
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) January 13, 2022
