Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) is insisting that the next big Biden administration package, centered on infrastructure improvements, not go through the budget reconciliation process right off the bat.
This is a pretty smart bargaining position, actually. The Republicans will of course never go for raising taxes on the wealthy. Then, Joe can say “Well, we tried, and they picked the billionaires over your roads and water and broadband.”
Biden and Schumer need to just put this motherfucker in his place. And Sinema…she just has to go next time she’s up…I really don’t even see a pathway to working with her in any way after her little performative thumbs down episode. She’s a fucking asshole.
Joe is handing the GOP the opportunity to message for him to provide the excuse for not going with tax increases. I know…I know what Josh said about Manchin fingering his own asshole while making noises about tax increases, but I believe Joe Manchin as far as I can shit in the air standing on my head. Not using reconciliation will give the GOP time to demagogue the shit out of whatever is discussed and suddenly Manchin will be retreating, seeing polls in WV that oppose the spending no matter how it is paid for.
Yep, give the GQP a chance to participate and go back to reconciliation when they undoubtedly refuse to enter any kind of realistic negotiations.
You just know the passage and cost of the COVID bill will be the cudgel the GQP uses to try to prevent any spending on anything, unless it funds voter suppression.
Christamitey, just offer him the prospect of the “Space Force Command Center” somewhere in the vicinity of Martinsburg, make him an Honorary Rear Admiral and let him charge the booze.
Meh! I’m going for a walk. Insienso bushes are flowering.
Coal-fueled missiles
"Manchin said the infrastructure bill can be big — as much as $4 trillion — as long as it’s paid for with tax increases. He said he’ll start his bargaining by requiring the package be 100% paid for.
He talked up an array of tax increases, including raising the corporate tax rate from the current 21% to 25% “at least,” and repealing “a lot of” the Trump tax cuts for the wealthy."
This is how the door gets opened to the GQP trying to further cut assistance to the poor. They will go absolutely hog wild proposing draconian nonsense to hurt the poor and minorities and then go ballistic claiming there’s no bipartisanship when none of it is agreed to. Manchin plans to come rescue the day by insisting that some of it be agreed to, because he’s a fucking asshole.
Even dogs don’t like to be wagged by their tails.
About taxes and Trump’s tax shift from well off Americans to billionaires, if Democrats fail to remove the State and Local tax (SALT) limitation imposed by Trump and Republicans to punish Democrats and progressive tax states they (Trump and Republicans called them BLUE states but that is not really true) then I will never vote for a Democrat for national office again.
If Democrats cannot reverse an unfair tax shift that Republicans expressly did to punish Democrats then what the heck is the point to being a Democrat?
Highlight every crumbling road, bridge and water plant in every battleground district and state, tout the number of jobs they’ll create, and dare Republicans to vote against the bill.
Manchin sucks, but if he goes, I doubt we’re getting someone any better out of West Virginia.
This, this and the filibuster news from the same dick, is the beginning of at least a path forward. The GOP is never going to vote for any Dem proposals, no matter how much it hurts their base, so fuck 'em. Playing Sen. Joe’s game gives them both cover and a reason to go forward. Can’t get the 60 votes? -> reconciliation, and go ahead. Can’t kill the filibuster? -> “reform” or “save” it, and go ahead. There’s plenty of time, look how fast the COVID bill got passed.
Jay Rockefeller still lives in DC.
If he went home to campaign again, some West Virginians might wonder what planet he’s from.
Good story—but the word caveat cannot under any circumstances be used as a verb.
In Latin, caveat is a verb form.
And in English it has been used as a verb for centuries, including in the sport of fencing.
I get where the Manchin hate comes from, but can you elaborate on your logic here? Is this playing to the GOP because of the “paid for” or because he insists on increasing taxes? I’m no deficit hawk and would be fine with deficit spending on infrastructure, but if Manchin wants to increase corporate taxes and repeal T****'s giveaways to the super wealthy I find it hard to argue against it, even if he’s doing so as a way to pay for infrastructure spending.
What would you prefer his message to be? Should he come out against raising corporate taxes?
My initial impression was well, this is where the “Democrat” in “West Virginia Democrat” starts to peek out. We ain’t getting an Elizabeth Warren from WV, and if Manchin is pro-corporate tax increase and pro-infrastructure spending I find myself open to taking what I can get.
Although Massachusetts did give you Scott Brown, that unlamented former statesman.
" Caveat " in Latin means let him beware and comes from the verb “cavēre” (“to be on guard”). … English retained " caveat " itself as a noun for something that serves to warn, explain, or caution.
And in English it has been used as a verb for centuries, including in the sport of fencing.
Well excuuuse us! Is it used in polo?
