The "Big Beautiful Bill" Will Pass

 I can't even tell you at what stage this horrendous piece of legislation at right now, but it will unfortunately pass eventually. The pressure on the GOP holdouts is tremendous. Let's not forget we're keeping Senator John Fetterman from the beach, poor thing. 

Alaskan Senator Lisa Murkowski has been one of those under tremendous pressure to pass the bill and was shocked when another bill holdout, Senator Rand Paul, called her out on her vote. She seemed genuinely shocked and upset. Really Lisa? The interview of the clip is a must-watch as she grapples with her reasoning, and in the end that she did the best she could for her constituents in Alaska. 

Sarah Longwell of The Bulwark podcast summed it up best: 

"I've been thinking a lot about Murkowski's vote. It contains, in one action, so much that defines our pathetic political moment: 

• Selfishness: I'm taking care of me and mine, the rest of you can pound sand;
• Lack of accountability: I know this bill is bad, hopefully someone else will fix it;
• Cowardice: I'm scared of Trump and his voters and need to go-along with my GOP colleagues;
• Moral Rot: I know the difference between right and wrong, and actively chose wrong."

I would add that to expect someone to have a "John McCain thumbs down" moment of courage is unrealistic. Especially from the MAGA right. If there had been a group of others perhaps she'd have had more courage, I'm sure of it. Senators and Representatives in general don't like to stick their heads out in situations like this. To paraphrase a popular quote, there is a reason JFK's book "Profiles in Courage" is such a thin book. Leadership in this moment isn't likely to come from the legislative branch. You also can't pin it all on her; there are 49 other Senators who voted just like her. 

Leadership in this moment will likely rise from elsewhere.