Indivisibles -- Merry Christmas to those who celebrate, Happy New Year to
all, and we hope everyone is getting some time to take a break and a rest
as the year ends. 

We're in a little break right now, getting ready for one last push (we
hope!) on Build Back Better and Democracy Reform at the beginning of
January.

But we wanted to share with you a little something we put together that
may sound a bit familiar. Don't worry -- it ends happily! And with your
help, we can make sure the fight to pass our progressive priorities ends
happily too, in reality, not just in our story.

Once upon a time...

Every Who down in Who-ville
Liked progress a lot
But Joe Manchin
And his donors in Big Oil
Did NOT

That Joe HATED progress!
The whole Senate session!

He’d stand there all session, just hating the Whos
Watching each day with his face on the news
Or staring down from his desk with a sour, grinchy frown
At the voters with placards below in their town.

[ [link removed] ]A screenshot of a tweet from Indivisible Team. The photo is of people
holding signs that read Democracy greater than filibuster.

For he knew everyone down in Who-ville beneath
Was busy now, fighting for COVID relief
“And they want fair elections!” he snarled with a sneer!
“They keep visiting my offices! The ones far, and near!”
Then he growled with his Grinch fingers nervously drumming.
“I must find some way to stop this vote from coming!”

For
Tomorrow he knew
If his “no” vote was tallied
All the Whos would wake 
The activists would be rallied!

And then! Oh the noise! Oh the noise! Noise! Noise! Noise!
That’s one thing he hated! The NOISE NOISE NOISE NOISE!

The Whos wouldn’t let up
They’d keep calling his phone
No matter the time
They’d keep calling his home, 
every day for a week
And a month
And a year!

They’d call about climate, they’d call about voting, 
They’d call about democracy, and the values worth promoting.

[ [link removed] ]A screenshot of a tweet supporting DC statehood. It shows a group of
people with a 51 star flag.

And the more Manchin thought of this Pro-Progress-Call
The more Sen. Joe thought, “I can’t bear it at all” 
“Why for so many months I’ve put up with it now!”
“I must stop these activists from calling!”
“But how?”

Then he got an idea!
An awful idea!
Joe Manchin got a wonderful, awful idea!

“I know just what to do!” he laughed in his throat.
I’ll use an old Senate trick to sink the whole boat!
With the Jim Crow Filibuster
The majority loses
I’ll refuse to fix our democracy
Then Kyrsten and I will leave on our Cruzes.”

THEN
He called up McConnell
He called up his donors
He called up obstructionists, “no” voters and it’ll-never-pass moaners. 
He called Schumer and Biden
And said “I won’t play ball”
And they grimaced and whined
But let him keep his stonewall. 

[ [link removed] ]A screenshot of a tweet that includes a photo of a group of people
outside of Chuck Schumer's office with signs supporting democracy reform

As the months rolled on by
Sen. Joe kept up his rejections
Month after month
He blocked fixing our elections 

He blocked lowering drug prices and fair representation
He blocked healthcare and climate action – all good things for our
nation!
He stopped every vote, as quick as a flash
Why Joe Manchin even balked at getting parents spare cash!

Then he stuffed all those bills in the back of a drawer
And said to the activists “don’t bother trying for more.”

It was nearly the New Year
Activists’ hearts were heavy
And on Capitol Hill, the Senate was ready
To go home on vacation
Joe had stopped all their bills! Gerrymandering! Drug price
negotiation! 

In a single “NO” pile on his desk he had lumped them.
And as December came, he was ready to dump them.

“I’ll go home for Christmas” he said with delight.
“By the time we return, they’ll have forgotten this fight.”
Coming back to his office on January Third
Joe opened his door, and soft sound he heard

“That’s not much,” grinned Joe Manchin
“Not a call do I hear.”
So he paused. And Sen. Joe put his hand to his ear.
But he DID hear a sound rising over the snow
It started out low, then it started to grow

But the sound wasn’t SMALL!
Why this sound sounded strong
It couldn’t be so!
He was sure they had gone!
He stared down at Who-ville
And Joe popped his eyes
Then he shook!
What he saw was a shocking surprise

Every Who down in Who-vill the tall and the small
Was dialing their Senators – with no prompting at all!
He hadn’t stopped activists from coming. They came!
Somehow or other, they came just the same!

[ [link removed] ]A screenshot of a tweet. A crowd stands outside the White House with
signs that read Voting Rights Now.

And Sen. Joe, his grinchy-feet ice-cold in the snow
Stood puzzling and puzzling “how could it be so?”
They came despite “no”s, they came despite “nevers”
They came even when I swore I would ignore all their levers!

And he puzzled three hours till his puzzler was sore
Then Sen. Joe thought of something he hadn’t before
“Maybe progress” he thought “is just so essential,”
“Even when I say no, they believe in potential.”

And what happened then?
Well, in Who-ville they say
That Joe Manchin’s heart
Grew three sizes that day!

And the minute his heart didn’t feel quite so tight
He cleaned up his desk, through the bright January light
And he brought back the bills! All the votes he could muster!
And he
He himself
Fixed the filibuster. 

Want to make this story come true? We're taking a rest break until January
3rd and encourage you to as well, but when we're back, make sure to join
us on social media and on the phones to contact your Senators and advocate
for Build Back Better, Democracy Reform, and every other progressive
priority! 

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