Spread The Blame Around

A lot of politicians love our the worst parts of Congress beacause it allows the blame to be spread around when things fail, and to pretend to support things you don't. Vote for things you know don't have any chance of passing. When you need 50 votes, blame Manchin, when you need 60, blame the Republicans. The President can say he wants Congress to do it, Congress can say the president has authority. And on and on and on.

The reasons aren't always excuses, but if you take on the responsibility for leading things, you have taken on the responsibility for getting things done. There are carrots and sticks, and while no one is all powerful, if Chuck Schumer isn't promising to shit in Joe Manchin's Buick (or offering to move the Pentagon to Wheeling), he isn't doing all he can.

Another problem is we have driven out all the good political corruption and replaced it with the bad kind. Good political corruption is "shower money for infrastructure on my districts and state and I will play ball." Bad political corruption is... I whatever the fuck is going on right now.