Martin Luther King was not only a brilliant visionary and powerful orator, but also an astute strategist and tactican who thought in expansive terms. No one stood taller in the 20th century. Today’s cross class coalition battling Trumpism would do well to draw from his legacy and example as we face the challenges of the 21st century.

It is almost certain that the John Lewis Voting Rights bill will fail in the Senate, thus shifting the struggle to the states and courts and in doing so making the expansion of voting rights more difficult. I would hope that Into this churning cauldron, the leadership of the AFL-CIO and its affiliates will jump to the challenge and leave its unmistakable mark. They are, it is fair to say, uniquely positioned to do so, provided, of course, the will and commitment is there. In so doing, labor would become a tribune of voter democracy and quickly earn the respect of its allies, especially in communities of color who are already in the fight and the first victims of this great scar on our democracy.

Some might think this is a distraction from labor’s other priorities, including the fight for higher wages and unionization, but such thinking is shortsighted and self defeating. In fact, the reverse is true. It is also a test of the degree of class consciousness and development of the labor movement and working class in general

“I tell you one thing,” (Rafael) Nadal, the great Spanish player, said, “It’s very clear that Novak Djokovic is one of the best players of the history, without a doubt. But there is no one player in history that’s more important than the event, no? The player stays and then goes, and other players are coming. Even Roger, Novak, myself, Bjorn Borg, who was amazing at his times, tennis keeps going,” he said, referring to Roger Federer. “Australian Open is more important than any player. If he’s playing finally, OK. If he’s not playing, the Australian Open will be a great Australian Open.” (NYT)

I don’t know where in the universe my dear friend Armando Ramirez is – miss ya, but I do know for sure, he would exclaim on the controversary surrounding Djokoivic, something like this, “Bravo Rafa (who is vaccinated and at an earlier press conference suggested that Nadal should do the same). If Novak wants to play in the Open then get the damn shot.” Armando regularly played tennis into his eighth decade – one of the advantages, along with the warm climate (he hated the cold) and his nearby family, of living in the San Diego area.

The evangelical church gives the Trumpist movement a nationwide organizatonal and political anchor, especially outside the big urban centers. Our side has no equivalent, but both the labor movement and Democratic Party have the potential to extend and deepen their reach and connections to regions, states, counties, and cities where the right wing and evangelical church holds political sway.

Moreover, what better time to realize that potential than now, only months before a crucial election.

While it is hard to quantify how much damage that Manchin and Sinema have wrought and how duplicitous they are, we should bear in mind that their power to make and break the Biden agenda rests on a solid, immovable block of Republican opposition in the Senate.

Thus an immediate challenge is to flip one or two or whatever Senate seats this fall.