On Thursday, after GOP senators lined up to shake the hand of Arizona Democrat Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who joined West Virginia Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin to vote against the Democrats’ attempt to nuke the Senate filibuster so they could implement the extreme voting alterations of the Freedom to Vote Act, former Democratic Labor Secretary Robert Reich seemingly called for violence against Sinema, writing in a later-deleted tweet, “Tonight, Republican senators lined up to shake Kyrsten Sinema’s hand. Democratic senators should have given her the backs of their hands.”
Senators gather to shake Sinema’s hand pic.twitter.com/IG68kurQiA
— Acyn (@Acyn) January 20, 2022
“Just last year, Reich scolded Republicans as ‘actively opposed to ending the epidemic of violence against women in America.’ In 2020, he shared remarks from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., after she accused a House Republican of verbally accosting her. Reich urged ‘all men’ to let her message sink in about not accepting ‘violent language against women,’” Fox News noted.
"This issue is [about] a culture of accepting violence and violent language against women, and an entire structure of power that supports it." — @AOC
I implore all men to let this sink in, and ask yourself how you're going to upend that power structure. pic.twitter.com/B4iUvKP35A
— Robert Reich (@RBReich) July 24, 2020
Social media eviscerated Reich for his comments regarding Sinema. Some examples:
Actor James Woods, succinctly: “Big man.”
Big man… pic.twitter.com/ae5Z2M5qj9
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) January 20, 2022
National Review’s Charles Cooke: “‘Kyrsten Sinema is the sort of inspiring LGBT woman who must be slapped around by her party if she fails to follow the demands of a white man,’ writes @RBReich.”
“Kyrsten Sinema is the sort of inspiring LGBT woman who must be slapped around by her party if she fails to follow the demands of a white man,” writes @RBReich
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) January 20, 2022
Glenn Greenwald: “What are Democrats supposed to do to Sen. Sinema with ‘the backs of their hands,’ @RBReich?”
What are Democrats supposed to do to Sen. Sinema with "the backs of their hands," @RBReich? pic.twitter.com/XFJyU0d1Sc
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) January 20, 2022
Radio host Larry O’Connor: “No big deal. Just Democrat/Socialist icon [Robert Reich] encouraging violence against a female senator who didn’t vote the way he wanted.”
No big deal… just Democrat/Socialist icon @RBReich encouraging violence against a female senator who didn't vote the way he wanted. https://t.co/uCbmiaRYPx
— Larry O'Connor (@LarryOConnor) January 20, 2022
O’Connor added, “Hey little lady… if you don’t vote my way we’re just gonna have to smack you around a bit until you fall in line and do what you’re told.” – @RBReich ‘s inner thoughts?”
Hey little lady… if you don't vote my way we're just gonna have to smack you around a bit until you fall in line and do what you're told." – @RBReich's inner thoughts?
— Larry O'Connor (@LarryOConnor) January 20, 2022
Radio host Jason Rantz: “This is @RBReich saying Democrats should assault a female senator because the democrat party is the… champion of women. Uh huh.”
This is @RBReich saying Democrats should assault a female senator because the democrat party is the… champion of women. Uh huh. pic.twitter.com/glADJoRvYp
— Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) January 20, 2022
Media Research Center’s Nick Fondacaro: “Hey @TwitterSupport, @RBReich is encouraging violence against a woman on your platform. Going to do anything about it?”
Hey @TwitterSupport, @RBReich is encouraging violence against a woman on your platform. Going to do anything about it? pic.twitter.com/9O9GtdNVTD
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) January 20, 2022
Woods concluded with a tribute to Sinema:
Profile in courage… pic.twitter.com/tG2wpjvl72
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) January 20, 2022
“The Freedom to Vote Act looks to override a number of election rules put in place by some Republican-led states and includes language to allow for same-day voter registration and no-excuse mail voting, prevent states from requiring a photo ID to vote, allow felons to vote in all states and would require super PACs and so-called “dark money groups” to disclose all donors who contribute more than $10,000,” The New York Post noted.
“Manchin, D-W.Va., and Sinema, D-Ariz., joined all Senate Republicans in opposing the attempt to alter the Senate filibuster on party lines, resulting in a 48-52 final tally,” Fox News reported. “That vote followed a failed attempt by Democrats to advance the election bills over the Senate’s 60-vote filibuster threshold. All Republicans opposed it.”
Manchin said on the Senate floor Wednesday, “For the last year, my Democratic colleagues have taken to the Senate floor, cable news airwaves, pages of newspapers across the country to argue that repealing the filibuster is actually restoring the Senate to the vision the Founding Fathers intended for this deliberative body. My friends, that is simply not true. It’s just not true. The United States Senate has never, in 233 years, been able to end debate on legislation with a simple majority vote.”