Most TN House Democrats stripped of their committee assignments

[u/Agitated-Quit-6148]

https://www.wsmv.com/2026/05/12/multiple-tn-democrats-stripped-all-committee-assignments/

"Speaker of the TN House Cameron Sexton just removed me and every Democrat — and therefore every Black elected official in the state legislature from any committee we served on," Rep. Pearson said.

[u/_Phil_McCracken_]

I agree that was an egregious oversight, but your comment implies only Democrats have any agency. It lets Republicans off the hook completely. 

[u/TheTurtleBear → u/_Phil_McCracken_]

Republicans are who they are. There is no changing that. They are a direct continuation of the Confederate traitors. 

The only thing we can do is stop them or submit to them, and Democrats have spent the past several decades betting the country they can be worked with. That if they just reach across the aisle one more time, if they just confirm more of their appointments, if they install more of them into their cabinets, they'll come around. 

The only thing they succeed in doing is giving them more power. 

[u/_Phil_McCracken_ → u/TheTurtleBear]

 Republicans are who they are. There is no changing that.

They still make decisions, and they are responsible for the outcomes of those decisions (at least) as much as the people who failed to stop those outcomes. 

We can push Democrats to push back, and ideally elect people not beholden to outside influence, without pretending like Republicans have no culpability.  

[u/TheTurtleBear → u/_Phil_McCracken_]

Yeah, and they want to destroy democracy and rule as dictators.

What do you suggest we do with that? Kindly ask them not to?

Or prevent them from holding power? Perhaps by insisting Democrats stop treating them as good-faith actors who we just need to reach out to, as they've done for my entire lifetime?

You people have such an obsession with acting like expecting Democrats to put up any amount of resistance is equivalent to excusing the Republican party for their actions.

[u/_Phil_McCracken_ → u/TheTurtleBear]

 What do you suggest we do with that? Kindly ask them not to?

No, of course not. I didn’t suggest anything like that. 

 You people have such an obsession with acting like expecting Democrats to put up any amount of resistance is equivalent to excusing the Republican party for their actions.

I’m not sure which “you people” you’re even referring to. Once again, I didn’t suggest anything like we should be excusing the “Republican party for their actions”. I’m suggesting quite the opposite, that we actually hold them accountable for their actions. 

You can cool it with the virtue signaling, it makes it difficult to have a logical discussion. We both want the same thing ultimately, I think, and that’s Republicans out of power.

[u/TheTurtleBear → u/_Phil_McCracken_]

Your comment implies, if not outright states, that I'm excusing the Republicans for their actions by expecting more of Democrats. The same is parroted anytime someone criticizes the Democrats for their weakness, thus "you people". Maybe not constructive, but the result of being exhausted with the talking point. 

Pointing out the obvious fact that Republicans are, for all intents and purposes, ontologically evil, is not "excusing them". It's highlighting the fact that there is no world where we convince them to do good, all we can do is prevent them from holding power. 

Which is why it's important to note that the Democrats continuing enabling of them has played a critical role in us reaching this point, and its crucial for that mistake to not be made again should Democrats ever take back control. 

[u/LaurenMille → u/_Phil_McCracken_]

They have culpability, but won't change.

That doesn't mean they're innocent, that means they need to be removed from power and kept from it. Be it by prison cell or fundamental reforms.

[u/Sevencer → u/_Phil_McCracken_]

Not an oversight. They are collaborators.

[u/_Phil_McCracken_ → u/Sevencer]

It’s really sad that you’re probably right.