Quote of the Day

In the face of impending election disasters in 2022 and beyond, denial might be a natural coping mechanism, but it only makes matters worse. Reality should now spur a sustained all-out effort – in courts, legislatures, Congress and public venues – to safeguard as many democratic processes as possible for next year’s elections, while organizing against the dozens of major voter-suppression tactics of recent years.

At the same time, truly bold political actions – culminating in landmark legislation to improve the economic and social well-being of vast numbers of Americans – will be essential to improve the slim chances that Biden’s presidency won’t lead to a Republican takeover of Congress midway through his term. Though largely drowned out by the din of mainstream punditry urging “bipartisan” approaches, many astute voices are urgently calling for measures that could transform political dynamics before the 2022 general elections. . . . What remains to be determined is whether such warnings will end up being the tragically prophetic voices of Cassandras – or clarion calls for action that are heeded in time to prevent an unhinged Republican Party from taking control of Congress when 2023 begins.

– Norman Solomon
Excerpted from “In 18 Months, Republicans Are Very Likely
to Control Congress. Being in Denial Makes It Worse”
Common Dreams
July 8, 2021

Related Off-site Links:
The Coordinated Assault on Voting Rights Is “Jim Crow 2.0” – Marc Steiner (The Real News, June 22, 2021).
Democrats, Act Now to Protect U.S. Democracy From Death Spiral – William J. Barber II, Barbara Arnwine, Penda Hair, and Jesse Jackson Sr (CNN Opinion, June 22, 2021).
Voter Suppression and the Filibuster: More Confederate Monuments to Tear Down – Amy Goodman and Denis Moynihan (Democracy Now!, March 4, 2021).
Democrats’ Choice: End the Filibuster or Watch McConnell Win (Again) – Patrick Ries (Rolling Stone, January 25, 2021).

UPDATES: “One Speech Isn’t Enough”: Progressives Call on Biden to Get Tough on Voting Rights – Kennt Stancil (Common Dreams, July 13, 2021).
“We’re Staying Out”: Texas State Democrats Who Fled to D.C. Tell Congress to Pass Voting Laws Now – Democracy Now! (July 14, 2021).

See also the previous Wild Reed posts:
• Peter Certo: “We Can Have the Filibuster or Democracy – But We Can't Have Both”
• Sen. Tina Smith: The Filibuster Rule Is “Fundamentally Undemocratic”
• Rep. Ilhan Omar: Quote of the Day – May 29, 2021
• Heather Cox Richardson on Combating the Republican Party’s “Rigging of the System”
• Something to Think About – March 9, 2021
• The Big Switch
• David Sirota: Quote of the Day – January 26, 2021
• We Cannot Allow a Biden Win to Mean a Return to “Brunch Liberalism”

Image: Kristen Solberg.