Victor Ray, a professor at the University of Iowa and a Nonresident Fellow at the Brookings Institution, reminds us that Dr. King warned about the betrayal of the white moderate after he experienced it himself.
He writes for CNN:
“I have almost reached the regrettable conclusion that the Negro’s great stumbling block in the stride toward freedom is not the White Citizens Councilor or the Ku Klux Klanner but the White moderate who is more devoted to ‘order’ than to justice.”
In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote these words in the isolation of a Birmingham jail, where he was imprisoned for defying a court injunction to protest the city’s segregation ordinance. In an open letter, initially scrawled in the margins of a newspaper, Dr. King addressed a group of fellow clergymen who claimed to support the Black freedom movement but criticized nonviolent civil disobedience as a tactic to confront the evils of segregation.
In the letter, King differentiated between just and unjust laws, citing measures that prevented Black Americans from voting as a form of legalized injustice. At the time, Alabama, like many states across the South, was governed by a kind of racial authoritarianism that denied Black people a say in how they were governed. The clergymen’s condemnation of King’s activism belied their stated commitment to racial justice and provided cover for the denial of basic citizenship rights, including the right to vote.
By blocking voting reform today, Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema are the White moderates Dr. King warned us about.
On Thursday, Sinema said that while she backs the Democrats’ voting rights laws, she would not support an exception to the filibuster’s 60-vote threshold to pass the legislation. Manchin later followed suit, saying he would not vote to “eliminate or weaken the filibuster.” By prioritizing an arcane Senate rule over the protection of voting rights, Manchin and Sinema have chosen “order” over justice.
They are more concerned about protecting a Senate procedure than ensuring the right to vote. Priorities?
Open the link and read more.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Are these two racists? Well, if it freaking quacks like a duck, it’s a duck.
When democracy and justice appear, they duck like quacks.
YES, even if it is a blind duck or a clueless duck or a vain duck: choosing to not see the racism you support or create is as dangerous as being an outspoken racist
Well said, Ciedie! And right on.
Actually, Bob, not everything that quacks like a duck is a duck.
Manchin and Sinema are waiting in the duck blind with shotguns to kill Democratic bills.
Aided by Tom Daschle (contributed to Sinema’s campaign, summer of 2021, as did his son who is part of the Daschle Group lobbyists).
Daschle’s on the CAP Board.
“Wondrous Whistles”
If it quacks like a duck
It might be a hunter
Increasing his luck
With duck-whistle wonder
Here are some tips for duck-whistle calling.
Just remember that it’s critical to flutter your uvula (you know, the way Manchin and Sinema do whenever they claim to support the John L. Lewis Voting Rights Act)
Hilarious, SomeDAM!
Duck Whistle Calling
Devious uttering
Uvula fluttering
Whistling a tune
For Voting Rights ruin
Look up the mode of a distribution.
Is it really fair and balanced for Mainscream Mediots to describe these two Trump-Lites as Moderate Democrats? No, they do not fall in the middle of the Democratic Party distribution but are actually Borderline Trumpsters.
They are the commode of the distribution (a piece of furniture containing a concealed chamber pot.)
Manchin and Sinema
Commode of distribution
Sitting in the House
Source of the pollution
Quiet as a mouse
incommodious vicious returdulations …
https://www.finnegansweb.com/wiki/index.php/By_a_commodius_vicus_of_recirculation
Nailed it, as usual, Jon!
All Democrats are the white moderates he warned us about. In fact, their whole motto seems to be “Now is not the time.” Not the time for healthcare in a pandemic. Not the time for increasing minimum wage, forgiving debt or providing stimulus payments in an economic crisis. Not the time for housing protections when every major city is priced out of range for anyone making less that 3 or 4 time minimum wage and homeless encampments abound. Not the time to stop drilling or fracking when our planet has maybe a couple decades of habitability left.
A plague on all your houses.
This reply demonstrates how ALL the anti-Democrats are the white neo-fascists that we have warned about.
The extreme hatred and scapegoating expressed here about Democrats like AOC and the squad could be from a white Trump-lover who hates that African Americans can vote, or a white Democrat-hater who hates that African Americans can vote.
I don’t know which one dienne77 is. but her contempt for the Democratic party is certainly typical of certain white people who believe that if they don’t get their way, they should be able to behave deplorably or violently.
Right wing racist Republican or just another angry white person who feels entitled to get their way?
Hard to tell.
Moderate Senator Mitt Romney said on a talk show yesterday that Biden was not elected to be FDR. So he opposes everything Biden has offered. But, hey, let’s blame it on the entire Democratic Party, not the party of NO. Can’t you give credit to Democrats who vote yes again and again, only yo be stymied by Manchin and Sinema? Why is voting “yes” the same as voting “no”?
Was Biden elected to be FDR?
Biden was elected to take actions on some of the nation’s most vexing problems:
1. The deterioration of the environment, which threatens us all.
2. The outrageous gap between the very very very very rich and everyone else.
Republicans have made clear that they don’t care about climate change and their highest priority is to prevent taxation of the richest.
And, Diane, Amen to all you said.
Well, we had a choice between Status Quo Joe and Jabba the Trump, aka Vlad’s Agent Orange. So here we are.
DT: So, what should I call the new network?
VLAD: Well, in the old days, we called the propaganda organ Pravda.
DT: OK, Pravda.
VLAD: No, Donald. It means “Truth” in Russian.
DT: You want me to call it “Truth in Russian”?
“Truth Social”
This would be hilarious if it weren’t so tragic.
Many Republicans of the conservative Reagan era were to the left of these two “moderate” Democrats.
Why are they referred to as “moderates” by the media? To give them legitimacy. If Manchin and Sinema were called “radical right wing Democrats”, the tone and framing of every single news piece and discussion would be entirely different.
Here is how Manchin and Sinema should be referred to:
Ultra conservative Democrats Manchin and Sinema
Reactionary Democrats Manchin and Sinema
Archconservative Democrats Manchin and Sinema
Paleoconservative Democrats Manchin and Sinema
Radical right conservative Democrats Manchin and Sinema
Anti-democracy Democrats Manchin and Sinema
You are right about the framing. Manchin and Sinema are destroying Biden’s presidency.
I wonder if the media portrayed the racist southern Democrats who joined with the Republican party to filibuster Civil Rights legislation in 1963 (when MLK wrote his letter) and 1964 as “moderates”. That would have been incredibly harmful.
But what came after 1963 is also important. In 1964 LBJ got that Civil Rights Act passed because he was able to convince some northern Republicans who didn’t support it to just stop filibustering it. But that was when some Republicans actually had a modicum of integrity. Plus the media wasn’t elevating them as “moderates” and that was hurting them politically.
No doubt there were people like our resident Democrat-hater above who didn’t really care if Civil Rights legislation passed who were pushing the same false narrative that our resident Democrat-hater above posts about how the entire Democratic party should be defeated even if Goldwater wins. Good thing those voices were marginalized, because when given enough power, LBJ and the other Democrats demonstrated that they could pass good legislation in 1964. And 1965.
When the co-opted media presents Sinema and Manchin as “moderates”, they are reinforcing the lie that the mainstream Democrats are now radical leftists. Once again, the media are cowardly lapdogs of whatever false narrative the Republicans tell them is important to legitimize and amplify.
You are quite right about the framing of “moderates.” It re-enforces the GOP lie that Democrats are radical leftists.
Labeling these two as “white moderates” is being very polite and stretching reality to the breaking point.
I share the concerns and disappointment about Sinema and Manchin, but on the other hand these are two very conservative states. In AZ, where I live (but not for much longer), the numbers of Democrats, republicans, and Independents are very close. Living in a rural/small town area In traitor gosar’s district, I’m always surprised when ANY non-republican state-wide candidate wins election (which these days is now immediately challenged by the traitors as “rigged”). Thank you voters in our major cities!
So, I give the two Senators a limited benefit of the doubt, and can only think of 2-3 strong AZ Democrats who have sufficient experience and recognition to POSSIBLY win a Senate election here. And that would happen only if they gave up their present effective positions in state and US government. They would also have to greatly expand fundraising to pursue a Senate seat.
Perhaps someone like gosar or andy biggs will end up in Sinema’s seat. Or, trump’s latest protege kari lake, if she doesn’t win election as the next governor of AZ. There are certain realities out here, and no clear indications whether things will get better or worse. So much chest thumping, new-jerk blind patriotism, flag waving and Bible babble.
“Knee-jerk” not new-jerk
Sinema is helping her opponent by killing Biden’s programs, thus guaranteeing he and the Dem party are failures.
My making Biden ineffectual, these two are probably handing complete control of the U.S. government to the now fascist Republican Party. They might well end up being the proximate cause of the coming of full-fledged fascism to the United States.
The filibuster is a tradition that is not written in stone. It is not a component the Constitution that generally supports majority rule. It is unfortunate that the Democrats cannot unite to literally protect voting rights, a foundational principle of democracy.
What do you call a Democrat who won’t support democracy?
A Republican.
And did I manchin that they do not sinema to be krysten?
Trump tried to overthrow the U.S. government, and he is still walking around free. And Republican politicans have been warned by Trump and their now fascist party to Nazi anything about it.
As Sargeant Schultz from Hogan’s Heroes liked to say “i know nazing
Republicans can Nazi how demented Trump is.
“I know nazing, nazing at all” — Donald Trump, when asked about the Jan 6 Insurrection
Republicans can Nazi clearly.
” There are none so blind as those who will Nazi.” — SomeDAM Biblical scholar
Perfect.
If I knew you were coming, i would have worn my leather boa. –SomeDAME cabaret performer
There is no principle about Senate protocols or tradition in their objections to eliminating or modifying the filibuster. It is only cold political calculation about what will most likely maintain power, and probably campaign contributions from conservative donors.
If Republicans take back Congress and the Presidency, Manchin and Sinema will almost certainly switch parties.
They have about as much loyalty as the cat who stays at the neighborhood house that offers the best food.
SDP,
I am so torn about this.
On the one hand, part of me wishes that Manchin and Sinema had switched parties a year ago because I find that their identification as “moderate Democrat” is being used to smear the whole Democratic party and blame “the Democrats” when good legislation doesn’t pass. If Manchin and Sinema were just Republicans, it would be clear who was to blame.
On the other hand, having witnessed what happens when Mitch McConnell controls the Senate, I recognize that merely having Manchin and Sinema vote to keep control of the Senate with the Democrats is important. It would be even more important if a Supreme Court seat opened up, since McConnell would prevent Biden from filling any empty seats. But it does allow the work of committees to happen.
Manchin and Sinema remaining as Democrats keeps Bernie Sanders in charge of the Senate Budget Committee.
I do think the answer to this is to elect Democrats to a much larger majority in the Senate.
If Democrats had even a 53 seat majority, I don’t think Manchin or Sinema would switch parties because they both would have much less power as a Republican. But their votes would not be needed to vote on legislation.
I don’t know why that message gets lost.
You are right that Manchin and Sinema might switch parties if the Republicans win. But they will be treated like Susan Collins. Mitch McConnell’s lackeys.
The best way to make them suffer and punish them is to give the Democrats a large enough majority in the Senate.
I would love to see them begging for attention when no one cares about them anymore. I would love to see the Republicans destroying their character with their vast propaganda arm because they want a Republican in that seat. Sure they can switch to be a member of the party out of power, but then they would rightly be presented as just another lackey of Mitch, and would be viewed the way Ted Cruz is – weak, laughable, embarrassing sycophants terrified that Trump won’t like them.
Which I don’t think they would like.
They love the attention and the lie that they are “moderates”. But would they love being characterized the way Ted Cruz is ? Everyone hates him from both parties because he is such a sniveling sycophant, and that is exactly what Manchin and Sinema will become if they switch parties but the Democrats have a majority without them.
The best way to get back at them for this is to make them powerless — either remaining as Dems where their vote doesn’t matter or as sniveling Ted Cruzes who joined the Republicans to do Trump and McConnell’s bidding.
NYC
More than “50 Catholic Leaders Endorse Cruz for President” (2016).
The signees included Brent Bozell, John Eastman and Robert P, George. I think Cruz still has a chance to win the conservative religious vote. We can agree to disagree.
or in Dylan’s words, “You just want to be on the side that’s winnin’.
Media falsely portray Sinema as moderate because she is the darling of K Street. It’s similar to media portraying the Center for American Progress as the voice of the left.
Tom Daschle, CAP board member and former chair donated $2600 to Sinema in the summer of 2021.
CAP advocates for charter schools while posting at its site, “Unions are critical to the Democratic Party Electoral Success”. Meanwhile, the Daschle Group is a lobbyist for Strive, formerly K-12 Inc. Peter Edelman is on the CAP Action Fund Board while he has one son at Stand for Children and another son, who worked in Gates’ education campaign, transitioning to Biden’s admin.
Edelman quit the Clinton admin in protest over welfare reform. But, he remains at CAP while schools are privatized.
NYC and I agree, the problem is not Democrats, false flags within the party are the problem and they must be routed because it may be fine with them if the GOP wins. Many probably prefer it.
The driving force behind charter schools (see, Waltons) is the desire to kill teachers unions.
Absolutely. Policy influencers who pretend to care about the poor are smart enough to recognize that union wages and
security are protections against poverty.
Linda,
All good points. Thank you.
My wish is for the Democrats to get at least 53 seats after the November election. I think it would be possible if the so-called liberal media doesn’t do their usual job sabotaging them by amplifying right wing talking points about how inept and ineffectual and disastrous the Democrats are.
What happens when Manchin and Sinema’s votes aren’t needed? They are IGNORED and that is something they both cannot stand to be. (Or maybe Manchin is okay with it, but Sinema is a classic attention seeker.)
Agree.
What happens is 2 more “moderates ” step up to take their place.
Please stop bashing the “Liberal Media ” their is nothing Liberal about it . It is and has always been the corporate media .
The one thing you have to credit Republicans for is their willingness to do unpopular things and stick to them while they fan the culture wars. Knowing when Government fails they win.
You better raise that majority to 56.
there is
Joel,
In today’s Senate, which new “moderates” do you think would take their place?
It is time for cities to get out the vote. Maybe all the restrictions will backfire, and it will help stir the cites to organize the vote in spite of all the restrictions. The House is the problem. Nashville has now been partitioned like Poland in Napoleonic Europe.
In the denouement of “Democracy in the United States,” the Machinator destroyed any chances for democratic (small d and thus big D) rule.
It was sinematic.
Oops.
In the denouement of “Democracy in the United States,” the Machinator destroyed any chances for democratic (big D and thus small d) rule.
It was sinematic.
oops
Manchinator
It’s oopses all the way down
True that. Of the making of oopses there is no end.
Our Founding Fathers would agree that “contemptible” aptly describes Manchin, Sinema, and each of the other Democrats who oppose ending the filibuster because our Founding Fathers during the 1787 Constitutional Convention flatly rejected the idea of allowing a minority to block the will of the majority by filibustering — that’s because our well-read Founding Fathers knew how the practice of the filibuster in the Roman Senate had eventually brought down the Roman Republic by allowing a minority of reactionary senators to block the will of the majority of Romans in a process that ultimately led to one-person rule by dictatorial emperors.
Founding Father and President James Madison whom we revere as “The Father of the Constitution” disgustedly called the filibuster extortion, pointing out that “In all cases where justice or the general good might require new laws to be passed…the fundamental [majority rule] principle of free government would be reversed. It would no longer be the majority that would rule: The power would be transferred to the minority…to extort.”
Alexander Hamilton angrily denounced the filibuster, declaring that “To give a minority a negative upon the majority is…to subject the sense of the greater number to that of the lesser…[resulting in] contemptible compromises of the public good.”
Two words of our Founding Fathers that stand out in regard to how they felt about the filibuster are: “EXTORT” and “CONTEMPTIBLE”.
Anyone who supports the filibuster betrays our Founding Fathers and the majority-rule system of government that they established in our Constitution.
Well said! Thank you for the context and history.
Bravo, Quikwrit!!!
“Not until 1964 did the Senate successfully overcome a filibuster to pass a major civil rights bill. Nevertheless, a growing group of senators continued to be frustrated with the filibuster and pushed to change the cloture threshold. In 1975, the Senate reduced the number of votes required for cloture from two-thirds of senators voting to three-fifths of all senators duly chosen and sworn, or 60 of the current 100 senators. Today, filibusters remain a part of Senate practice, although only on legislation. The Senate adopted new precedents in the 2010s to allow a simple majority to end debate on nominations.”
https://www.senate.gov/about/powers-procedures/filibusters-cloture/overview.htm
As a “white moderate” whom you believe Dr. King warned you about, let me just say that I will not vote for any politician, of any party, who endorses the policy of requiring small children to wear N-95 masks all day in school.
Nice to hear what your line in the sand is.
Racism? Privatizing public education? Privatizing Medicare and Social Security? Disenfranchising voters unlikely to vote for a right wing party spewing racism?
Nope, your line in the sand is requiring “small children” (bonus points for being extra vague!) to wear masks in school. Sure, maybe those kids will live in a country that no longer has democracy, but by golly they won’t have to wear a mask in the middle of a deadly pandemic just so they can protect other vulnerable classmates or more likely themselves if they happen to get sick or injured or need hospitalization for any reason.
Although I understand there aren’t even N-95 masks made for children, so I have no idea what you are talking about.
From the CDC website: “Parents and caregivers may have questions about NIOSH-approved respirators (such as N95s) for children. Although respirators may be available in smaller sizes, they are typically designed to be used by adults in workplaces, and therefore have not been tested for broad use in children.”
You got it, friendo.
Then it’s a good thing there are no N95 masks for “small children”.
No Diane -they are rapacious malevolents , nothing moderate about either of them
GF
On Mon, Jan 17, 2022 at 12:01 PM Diane Ravitch’s blog wrote:
> dianeravitch posted: ” Victor Ray, a professor at the University of Iowa > and a Nonresident Fellow at the Brookings Institution, reminds us that Dr. > King warned about the betrayal of the white moderate after he experienced > it himself. He writes for CNN: “I have almost re” >
Truthout, 7-15-2020, “30 years of TFA shows how reform movements can be co-opted.”
By blocking voting reform today, Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema are the White moderates Dr. King warned us about.”
Actually, that analogy doesn’t work at all.
The “white moderates devoted to order” of Kings day were opposed to changes in the laws that had been in place for a long time.
But Manchin and Sinema are not so much blocking reform as they are implicitly supporting an effective cancelation of the civil rights laws already in place.
Both clearly understand what is really going on, which is why they have to keep prefacing their refusal to change the filibuster with the claim that “of course, I fully support the John L. Lewis Voting Rights act”. But they give away their actual position when they refuse to even carve out an exception to the filibuster in the case of the John Lewis Act.
In other words, Manchin and Sinema are not opposed to change that would grant civil rights to blacks, but they are FOR change that would take those rights away. The latter position is not that of a moderate, but of an extremist like a member of the KKK.
The Clarity in Poet’s statement should be understood by all.
Mr. President, I move that my name be added to the honorable commentator’s remarks.
“White moderates” is an understatement. They are more like spoilers. It’s the matter of time they show their true colors as grifting corporatists.
And I still haven’t heard anything from Joe Biden about them.
When Biden’s press secretary complained that Joe Manchin announced his refusal to support BBB on FOX, Manchin was furious that she dared criticize him. You and I don’t know what Biden says when the media are not there.
It’s tough to walk that fine line.
Would people be happier if Manchin just switched parties already and Mitch McConnell controlled the Senate and the entire confirmation process and docket?
If that had happened a year ago, people would be shouting that it’s Biden’s fault for not doing a better job keeping Manchin in the fold by being so critical of him. It would be Biden’s fault that Bernie Sanders isn’t chairman of the powerful Senate Budget Committee.