The mainstream media are breathlessly reporting today on a letter sent by notable West Virginia sports icons to Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) expressing their support for “Congress to exercise its Constitutional responsibility to enact laws that set national standards for the conduct of Federal elections and for decisions that determine election outcomes.”
WVU grad Jerry West and former Los Angeles Lakers basketball player Jerry West co-signed the letter. Nick Saban (WVU) was a WVU alumni and former Buffalo Bills player Darryl Talley; WVU is also a WVU graduation and Oliver Luck former Houston Oilers player and former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue.
They were all complimentary of Manchin “for ensuring that such legislation rests on critical features of our Constitution,” but expressed concern over election integrity reform efforts that are taking place in numerous states, which they alleged – without evidence – would “restrict voting access and allow local officials or state legislatures to interfere inappropriately with Federal election outcomes”:
Some 20 states have passed a number of laws restricting voting and allowing local officials to intervene in the Federal election results. These state laws were inspired by recent, unanticipated results of close elections that were conducted with integrity. They seek to protect partisan advantage and replace reliable safeguards with manipulable practices.
Saban did sign the letter. However, he also asked for a footnote to be written in his name. In this way, he expressed support for keeping the filibuster.
It would have been as follows:
“Coach Saban is not in favor of getting rid of the filibuster in the Senate. This will lead to the destruction of checks and balances in democracy. The others signing this letter take no position on this aspect of Senate policies.”
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins first reported on the attempt by Saban, a longtime friend of Manchin’s, to get the footnote added below:
On the voting rights letter to Manchin that Saban & other West Virginia sports figures signed, I am told that he asked to include this footnote:
“Coach Saban is not in favor of getting rid of the filibuster in the Senate. He believes this will destroy the checks and balances…” pic.twitter.com/kHgtMeMOSj— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) January 18, 2022
It is just too funny to be described.
For starters, Manchin already supports a modified version of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, so the letter was a bit redundant in that regard because he didn’t need convincing on that front. Where his issue resides is with any proposed changes to the Senate rules on the filibuster which is the crux of the matter here and which … Saban also supports keeping in place, and which the letter’s other signatories didn’t even take a position on.
The letter thus exemplifies virtue signaling. All sound and fury, signifying nothing but agreement with Joe Manchin on his position on some form of a “voting rights” act and in Saban’s case, at least, also support for the filibuster which, again the other letter signers did not weigh in on.
It is possible to now go back to regularly scheduled programming that you have already started😉
Flashback:Tom Cotton Skewers Chuck Schumer at the Filibuster, Using His Own Words Against him
About Post Author
