This just in: I have a theory. I think that Joe Manchin (senator from WV) and Kyrsten Sinema (senator from AZ) have been bought and paid for.

Manchin and Sinema are the lone 2 senators that are holding up a $3.5 trillion dollar spending bill that will bring the United States up to speed with the rest of the world. Without it, we will continue to lag farther and farther behind until we become insignificant bystanders in the world order.

I understand why Republicans are against it. They only have to platform positions and they stand firmly behind each one. These positions are (1) The election was rigged so we need to change laws that will allow a state’s Republican legislatures to overturn the voting public and put in a Republican instead and (2) They are against anything the Democrats propose no matter how popular it is with their constituents.

By why are Manchin and Sinema opposed to this bill? Could it be that they are representing the will of the people that put them into office? This seems unlikely since their constituents approved the contents of the spending bill by a margin of 2:1.

Could it be that Manchin, who reportedly makes $500,000 a year from coal investments doesn’t like the climate change part of the bill? He refuses to say what he doesn’t like in the bill but my guess is this allows him to pretend this is not about his coal mines.

Could it be that Sinema suddenly thinks we should pay skyrocketing prices for drugs? Or, did the recent massive contribution to her campaign fun by Big Pharma cause her to vote down a bill that would have resulted in lower drug prices?

Manchin, talking to reporters from his yacht tried to explain his position but, all I heard was “let them eat cake” or the modern day equivalent. While he spends a lot of time on his yacht that was paid for by coal, he claims that helping people with food, education and healthcare will lead them to feel “entitled.” This is, of course, complete bullshit.

Sinema seems to not be able to say why she is against the spending bill and had little time for reporters as she runs from one fundraiser to another.

Let’s take a minute to reflect on this bill. 15 Nobel prize winning economists think it would be great for our country. The vast majority of Americans want all or parts of what is in the bill. The bill will be paid for by taxing those making more than $400K in a year. The Democrat Party wants it. The President of the United States wants it. The only ones against it are elected Republicans and Manchin and Sinema.

I flew into LAX international the other day from Amsterdam. The difference between these two airports was striking. While Amsterdam looked as modern and clean as an airport could imaginably be, LAX looked like an unpainted, cement walled relic from some third world country. It’s embarassing.

So, when Biden fails to get his agenda accomplished and Republicans blame this on Democrats, you know that Manchin and Sinema put their own fortunes ahead of the country and paved the way for Trump to return.

Time to save the world.

Up, up and away…

Jim