Budowsky: Why GOP donors flock to Manchin and Sinema

On Nov. 22, the New York Times ran a front page story titled "GOP donors flock to back 2 Democrats" that included a lengthy discussion of conservative and Republican donors who made substantial political contributions to Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.).

Yesterday the Washington Post ran a front page story titled "GOP works to reshape election landscape" that included lengthy discussion of nationwide Republican efforts to remove honest election officials in favor of partisan Republican officials who aspire to fix the 2022 midterm elections, and the 2024 presidential election - replicating tactics former President Trump pursued in 2020.

While the House has taken effective action to pass two major pieces of legislation to advance voting rights, prevent voter suppression, prevent hyperpartisan gerrymandering, defend the integrity of American elections and protect American democracy, the Senate has not acted and President Biden has not taken any leadership role to pass these critically important measures.

From Jan. 6, when crimes were committed against the U.S. Capitol in an illegal attempt to steal the 2020 election while electoral votes were being counted, until today, there have been systematic Republican efforts in state after state, and district after district, to corrupt the electoral process.

Aggressive voter suppression plans are being executed to prevent Blacks, Hispanics, seniors and young people from voting.

Aggressive attempts are being made to replace honest election officials, including GOP officials, with hyperpartisan election officials who would have declared Trump the winner had they been in office in 2020.

Aggressive partisan and racial gerrymandering is occurring in state after state, which would distort congressional and state legislative districts to elect Republicans in congressional and state legislative races.

Yes, some of this occurs in Democratic states, which should be prohibited alongside the much greater number of actions in Republican and swing states that seek to give Republicans dominant control of Congress and state legislatures.

This would give power to House Republicans to launch partisan investigations against President Biden, as House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) once bragged he did against Hillary Clinton.

Aggressive GOP efforts are occurring in many states to destroy the role of honest election officials in certifying electoral votes, and give that power to partisan Republican state legislatures.

If Republicans succeed in ripping off enough House seats through these measures, aggressive plans are being made to give the power to decide the presidency in 2024 to the Republican House of Representatives.

And while this is happening, an alarming number of elected Republicans are using rhetoric to imply violence against Democratic colleagues.

These aggressive and unprecedented GOP attacks against American democracy continued in January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November this year.

President Biden has not shown nearly enough of the leadership that was urgently needed to defend our democracy in January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November.

Republicans rejoice that Manchin and Sinema - who say they support measures to defend democracy - have so far expressed no willingness to oppose filibusters that would kill measures to defend the democracy they say they support.

This is why I emphasize the huge amount of campaign donations they receive from Republican and conservative donors, who vastly benefit from the damage they do to the Biden presidency and agenda.

The Republican goal is to make it impossible for Biden to achieve any legislation, even in a Democratic Congress, that Republicans do not grant permission for.

And to make Biden a half-term president whose presidency would be eviscerated with a Republican Congress, and is partly eviscerated today when two Democratic senators demand there must be 60 votes to pass any legislation.

And to make America a one-party Republican state after the 2024 presidential election they seek to fix in advance.

With democracy under aggressive attack, Biden should champion democracy forcefully today, with support from Manchin and Sinema, notwithstanding their GOP campaign donations.

Patriotic Americans of all persuasions should rally to defend democracy today.

Budowsky was an aide to former Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-Texas) and former Rep. Bill Alexander (D-Ark.), who was chief deputy majority whip of the House of Representatives.