Build Back Bitter!

 Dear Senate Democrats,

WTF? Remember in 2009 when you had an agenda around healthcare for all to get through and the Republicans stopped you at every turn, even though you had a majority? Remember how frustrating it was that the ACA was passed, but without any single-payer program? Remember how people still benefitted from it and even in red states, it gained acceptance? Remember how the Republicans used the courts and their legislative power to try to undermine it and almost succeeded? Remember how we got lucky and it somehow survived, just barely?

Okay, now rerun the scenario with Build Back Better and include two Democrats to the scenario. The legislation is hugely popular with many people of both parties, not just the oddly separated infrastructure bill. 

The latest poll from Quinnipiac University of Americans says by 62% for - 34% against "that they support a roughly $1 trillion spending bill to improve the nation's roads, bridges, broadband, and other infrastructure projects.... Americans say 57 - 40 percent that they support a $3.5 trillion spending bill on social programs such as child care, education, family tax breaks, and expanding Medicare for seniors...."

Do you all not learn anything from the past. If you do not pass popular key parts of this legislation, we will be sunk by a red wave sweeping back through in 2022 and that will suck beyond all suck. It is that bad. Work together or watch the party of FDR, JFK, Clinton, and Obama decimated by a voter whiplash and welcome back the worst instincts left behind in the Trump era in a worse package.

Yes, I am serious. I know the leadership sees it as a deal to be made, but to average folks, it is jobs, care for their children, water that doesn't kill or sicken you, it is healthcare, and it is damned expensive. You know what else is expensive, a party that wants to rip the guts out of social programs for another tax cut and another billion here and there on a bottom line. You will be responsible for that and it won't matter that you had the power, but not the will. 

The Republicans and their legions are betting you won't be able to get your stuff together to get this done--heck, even some of your members seem like they would rather sink this than lose their seat in the Senate. I got news for you, at least one of them will most likely lose his seat next cycle, so why are you dicking around? If you let these modern-day Luddites run the show, it isn't just bad politics, it is extinction politics.

So take a page out of the book of then Sen. Lyndon Johnson and arm-twist the fuck out of them until you have the bill passed. Hell, create a shrine to these two holdouts if you have to. Build a bridge to Mars for them (though feel free to push them over the edge at the ribbon-cutting, if the mood strikes). But for all that is holy, get this done. Lives are literally in the balance. 

P.S. To the two holdouts, were you mistreated as children? Are you that disconnected from humanity that you don't see what you are doing to harm the very Americans who need this the most? Seriously, do a gut-check because I think hell is reserving two choice spots for you.