Reminder: Just 5 years ago 32 Senate Dems signed a letter calling for preservation of 'important tradition of the Senate'

Most Senate Democrats are now agreeing with Barack Obama and others who have called the filibuster a “relic of the Jim Crow era” and an affront to “democracy.” However, it’s important to remember something that happened in 2017 which proves this is all political posturing:

Remember this 2017 letter urging Mitch McConnell to protect the legislative filibuster for the good of our Democracy? It was signed by 32 Senate Dems many of whom now believe that the filibuster is a Jim Crow relic.https://t.co/yhePrb8QTL

— Eddie Zipperer (@EddieZipperer) June 11, 2021

The old link is no good. Here’s a working link.https://t.co/XgHLZ5aWXB

— Eddie Zipperer (@EddieZipperer) January 19, 2022

Democrat Sen. Chris Coons tweeted this at the time:

The filibuster rule in the Senate is one of the only remaining traditions that forces us to compromise. We need more of that, not less.

Last year, @SenatorCollins and I made that clear in a letter to Leaders McConnell and Schumer – and 59 Senators from both parties joined us. pic.twitter.com/N3GmLU6fV6

— Senator Chris Coons (@ChrisCoons) December 21, 2018

Gee, what happened?

“Democrats want the Senate to work, and we are willing to partner with our colleagues across the aisle if we can get things done for the American people,” said Senator Coons. “We have a long way to go to heal the wounds between our two parties, but this letter is a small first step towards that important goal.”

Senators Collins and Coons’ letter was signed by Senators Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Joe Manchin (D-WV), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), John McCain (R-AZ), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Luther Strange (R-AL), Richard Burr (R-NC), Angus King (I-ME), Mark Warner (D-VA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Bob Casey (D-PA), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), John Boozman (R-AR), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), John Thune (R-SD), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND), Michael Enzi (R-WY), Jeff Flake (R-AZ), Dean Heller (R-NV), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Rob Portman (R-OH), Lamar Alexander (R-TN), John Kennedy (R-LA), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Joe Donnelly (D-IN), Jon Tester (D-MT), Ben Sasse (R-NE), Thomas Carper (D-DE), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Todd Young (R-IN), Pat Roberts (R-KS), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Mike Lee (R-UT), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Bob Menendez (D-NJ).