CNN’s Sellers: Dems Opposing Filibuster Reform Are 'on the Side of George Wallace'

CNN political analyst Bakari Sellers said Tuesday on “The Lead” that Democrats in the Senate opposing changing the filibuster to pass voting legislation were “on the side” of segregationist Alabama governor George Wallace.

Anchor Jake Tapper said, “We should note, Bakari, there are 50 votes, Democratic votes, for this, both pieces of election reform legislation. But there are not 50 votes, plus Kamala Harris, the tiebreaker, the vice president, to change the Senate rules to get rid of the filibuster, which requires 60 votes. Manchin and Sinema, not to mention Mike Kelley of Arizona and maybe Chris Coons have said they have a lot of concerns about this. Do you think today’s speech would have any impact on them?”

Sellers said, “I mean, that is the million-dollar question.”

He continued, “If Chris Coons, Jon Tester, Mark Kelly, Kyrsten Sinema, and Joe Manchin want to be on the side of George Wallace, want to be on the side of Strom Thurmond and many others who stood in the way of civil rights — even Strom Thurmond came around on voting rights — but if they want to go down in history as standing on the side of segregationists and those who oppose people who look like me having free and fair access to the ballot, then we’ll remember them as such. This is that type of moment, and this is the urgency we have to have.”

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