Leverage

If you have no leverage, it’s not a flex. Bernie and Jayapal will get nothing and like it.

Here’s the thing about leverage- in order to have leverage, you have to offer, or have control over, something the other side wants. Otherwise there’s no incentive to give you what you want.

This “stand” by Progressive Caucus over the infrastructure bill was nothing more than a power grab. It’s not rooted on policy or any kind of governing philosophy. It’s not about specific projects or the budgetary impact. They just don’t want to back down and face the tantrums of the Bernie left.

House Progressives don’t want to back down and face the tantrums of the Bernie left.

It was supposed to be a flex to prove they were players, that they could influence the process by demanding that leadership move the infrastructure bill and BBB at the same time, for no other reason than they demanded it. It didn’t work, because “Progressives” have no leverage.

Manchin has leverage. He holds a Senate seat we desperately need, he’s under constant pressure to switch to GOP - from both sides - and he’s the deciding vote. Democrats HAVE to keep him happy and electable.

Don’t like it? The best way to dilute his power is by electing more Democrats to the Senate. Donate to the top 6 Democratic Senate candidates here.

Progressives have no leverage. All they have is a bloc of Members who could potentially withhold their votes, thereby fucking over the Democrats.

But here’s the problem- We don’t need their votes and we don’t need them to hold their seats. But they need us.

Any threat to #DemExit the party would be hollow. Even if they went independent, they’d still have caucus with the Democrats. It gives them no edge.