On Nicolle Wallace's MSNBC show, it's rare to hear anyone deviate even an iota from the liberal talking point of the day. And certainly Democrat Claire McCaskill, the ex-Senator from Missouri, can normally be counted on to join the liberal chorus.
So it was surprising on Monday to hear McCaskill pour rain on Wallace's parade when it came to the news of Texas state House Democrats fleeing the state to prevent the Republican majority from passing a voting bill.
Former RNC-chairman-turned-Lincoln Project-member Michael Steele sounded the approving liberal note. He described the Texas Dems going on the lam from the Lone Star State as "doing their part" and "stepping up," to stop the "stripping away" of the "constitutional right to vote."
Wallace then hopefully asked McCaskill whether the Texas Dems' skedaddle was "changing the landscape at all on which the filibuster fight is being waged?" That's when McCaskill, declining to sing the day's liberal tune, dropped this:
You know, you can look at this another way, Nicole. And I know this is painful for people to hear, but the minority in Texas is using a procedure to block what they’re trying to do in Texas, just as the minority in the Senate is using a procedure to try to block what the Democrats are trying to do in Washington. Except, it's a much closer body in Washington. It's 50/50!
Painful indeed for Steele, Nicolle Wallace, and other liberals who are anointing the deserting Texas Democrats as heroes!
First, remember that the filibuster is . . . legal! Whereas under Texas law, if the sergeant-at-arms or other law enforcement could get hold of the Dem deserters, they could be forced to return.
Note: McCaskill's heresy might be explained by her having served in the Senate, and thus being more respectful of the role of the filibuster in tempering the passions of the day.
Claire McCaskill saying that Democrats fleeing Texas to block legislation was akin to Senate Reublicans using the filibuster was sponsored in part by USAA and Crown Royal.
Here's the transcript.
MSNBC
Deadline White House
7/12/21
4:08 pm EDTMICHAEL STEELE: At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter if you pass an infrastructure bill, it doesn’t matter if you pass all these other bills, because back at home, right, those citizens are watching their right, their constitutional right, not your constitutional right to have a pothole filled, but your constitutional right to have a vote, stripped away systemically by the minority party.
And you’re either going to step up and push up against that, and shut it down, or you’re not. And that’s what the Texas legislature, legislators, the Democratic legislators, are saying right now by this move to Washington is like, y’all need to shut this down now, we’re doing our part.
. . .
NICOLLE WALLACE: Do you think the Democratic state representatives are changing the landscape at all on which the filibuster fight is being waged?
. . .
CLAIRE MCCASKILL: You know, you can look at this another way, Nicole. And I know this is painful for people to hear, but the minority in Texas is using a procedure to block what they’re trying to do in Texas, just as the minority in the Senate is using a procedure to try to block what the Democrats are trying to do in Washington. Except, it's a much closer body in Washington. It's 50/50!
