West Virginia “Democratic” Sen. Joe Manchin is every Republican’s favorite Senator. He showed why again on Thursday, as The Washington Post reports:
Manchin told Democratic leaders Thursday he would not support an economic package that contains new spending on climate change or new tax increases targeting wealthy individuals and corporations, marking a massive setback for party lawmakers who had hoped to advance a central element of their agenda before the midterm elections this fall. [Pols emphasis]
The major shift in negotiations — confirmed by two people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the talks — threatened to upend the delicate process to adopt the party’s signature economic package seven months after Manchin scuttled the original, roughly $2 trillion Build Back Better Act, which President Biden had endorsed.
Manchin has become such a reliable wet blanket for Republicans that political reporters around the country probably operate off of a pre-written template for similar storylines: West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin singlehandedly sunk hopes for [election protection/climate change/tax reform/gun violence] legislation on [insert day].
While Democrats and anyone worried about Climate Change fumed on Friday morning, the Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Colorado was busy patting Manchin on the back:
This Tweet is an interesting look at how Joe “Horse Sushi” O’Dea is trying to pivot toward a broader General Election audience after concluding his Primary Election run by talking about all of his connections to MAGA land and Donald Trump. This is not the first time that O’Dea has praised Manchin, nor will it be the last. O’Dea wants voters who pay some attention to politics to think that Manchin is the ideal example of a “moderate” so that O’Dea can say that he’s just like the West Virginia Senator.
The reality is very different from the spin. Manchin isn’t a Climate Change denier, but he does have strong personal and political ties to the coal industry in West Virginia that (wrongly) color his views on potential legislation. O’Dea, meanwhile, won’t even acknowledge that humans are causing Climate Change:
Based on characterizations of his position by other outlets, I’ve been giving Joe O’Dea too much credit on climate change.
This, from a @DenverChannel interview last week, is not just hedging or obfuscation, it’s straight-up flat-earth climate denial. pic.twitter.com/HrR6Ci0tEh
— Chase Woodruff (@dcwoodruff) June 30, 2022
As we wrote before in this space, O’Dea has also said in no uncertain terms that he would have supported ALL of the recent nominees for the U.S Supreme Court.
O’Dea may want voters to think he’s similar to Manchin, but he’s really more like another former Republican Senate candidate from Colorado who pretended to be a moderate on the campaign trail and then became a rubber stamp for Mitch McConnell.
You might remember the name: Cory Gardner.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
BY: ParkHill
IN: Trumpflation is Here
BY: Genghis
IN: Why DNI Tulsi Gabbard Should Scare The Hell Out Of You
BY: Genghis
IN: You’re Gonna Need an Actual Opinion on Ukraine, Gabe
BY: JohnInDenver
IN: Trumpflation is Here
BY: SSG_Dan
IN: Wednesday Open Thread
BY: kwtree
IN: Jeffco GOP Sure Knows How To Pick ‘Em
BY: harrydoby
IN: You’re Gonna Need an Actual Opinion on Ukraine, Gabe
BY: Conserv. Head Banger
IN: Jeffco GOP Sure Knows How To Pick ‘Em
BY: spaceman2021
IN: Trumpflation is Here
BY: unnamed
IN: Obligatory Lauren Boebert/Kid Rock Gossip Thread
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay in the loop with regular updates!
Manchin is
an independent voicea total coal industry puppet.In British politics, there is something called "withdrawing the party whip," which isn't as kinky as it might sound. It basically means that the political parties in parliament can kick members out of their caucus.
The Tories have kicked members out in recent years over scandals (but obviously not enough members) and Brexit while Labour has tossed out members who had a track of anti-Semitism.
Here in the US, the last time I recall there being a discussion about excluding someone from one of the caucuses, it was in 2006 when Joe Lieberman lost the Democratic primary for US Senate and ran against the Democratic nominee, Ned Lamont. Harry Reid, who wanted to be majority leader, gave Lieberman a pass.
But with Lieberman, virtually all of his positions on domestic issues were in synch with the Democratic Party. It was only on Iraq and national security surveillance stuff that he was out of step.
Why doesn't Schumer just convene the caucus and have them vote on tossing Sinemanchin out? Then the Dems could run in November against the Do-Nothing Republican Senate majority and blame Mitch McConnell for everything.
Ask our newest Supteme Court justice that question, LB.
Notice I said that Schumer should convene the caucus to toss those two out, not that he should have done that in January 2021.
Unless Kagan or Sotomayor has a health issue about which no one knows, the Supreme Court is pretty stable between now and January '23.
Besides, if a vacancy were to occur now, McConnell would claim that it is too close to the election to fill, and at least half of Sinemanchin would probably buy into such bullshit.
Sotomayor is a Type 1 diabetic, though she appears to manage it pretty well based on the quality of her opinions