Manchin lacks the intellectual capacity to understand the nuanced argument you are making. Manchin understands good policy as policy that Republicans in WV support because he thinking this made up concept of bipartisanship always leads to re-election. That would be the extent of his worth as a public official if he also didn’t help Republicans question the appointment of black and brown people to positions in the executive branch.
He really is a piece of trash but he’s a piece of trash that seemingly gives democrats a year or so to make federal judiciary appointments and for Breyer to die in office.
Joe “Crow” Manchin isn’t up for re-election for four years and he likely won’t run due to age when he is. That means the Dems own his seat for four years.
Fuck Joe “Crow”. Stop treating him like he has to walk some kind of line with his voters. If he went full progressive, it would have zero impact on his political future. He’s doing this because he’s an asshole and/or is beholden to some outside entity.
That is the point. Whatever Manchin is up to, it isn’t as simplistic as an ego game or a high school level power play. It is not clear that we have all of the key information or understand all of the dynamics at play. We need to get past the idea that Manchin is “stupid” or is simply playing games. There is every indication of another agenda in the situation that most people and commentators are not seeing.
He’s going to fold. He will vote with Dems in the end of this. I don’t know how I know this, can’t provide you with the all important “link to the DATA!!!”, but…I’m going to go ahead and say, he’s going to fold within the next 7 days.
That’s not ironic. That was the whole point. They never intended for it to pass, but rather just to function as a checkbox on their moderate/centrist bona fides list for when they run for re-election. Proposing shit that has no chance of passing is a time honored tradition. Ted Cruz does it constantly.
It coming back to haunt them in a situation where it could pass if they got on board with their own legislation…well, I suppose there’s some irony in that I guess, but is it really irony or just karma or their bluff getting called?
I can’t/won’t say anything other than to respect your opinion and hope you’re right, but I personally have my doubts. I don’t think Manchin will flip his vote. I would absolutely love it if he did, but I don’t see anything in his behavior that suggests he will. His self-righteousness is suffocating our republic.
Again, there’s some value in not simply dropping bad positions and instead forcing them to go all the way to an adverse ruling that sets precedent we will like.
As for pursuing Trump and Barr for gassing protestors, that gets us nowhere (as irritating as that practical reality is). And the recounts…I’m not 100% sure that they violate Federal law per se or if there is just some activity going on as part of them that might run afoul of Federal law…but I think they’re largely backfiring and will continue to backfire in an increasing manner as they go on and result in nothing but batshit nonsense as their outcomes.
And frankly, “Biden Justice Department does X” is a deliberately dishonest attack on a POTUS who is responsibly keeping his own fucking nose out of DOJ’s business. Complain about Garland if you don’t like it, but there’s no indication that Biden is directing any of it…as he shouldn’t be. Of course, it’s Politico and they might as well be using diarrhea as the ink for everything they write, so there’s that…
[" ‘I think we’re all still in the early stages of the debate and the awareness of the people around the country about what’s at risk here,’ said Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA). ‘We are just, in Congress, at the beginning of the case for S.1.’ "]
I couldn’t prove it in a court of law, but I’d wager money changed hands. At this juncture I’m sure Manchin’s motives are corrupt ones. He can’t acknowledge this of course and so comes up with all these “reasons”: “Tell 'em anything, Joe, just be sure it doesn’t happen”. I’d love to bust his family jewels.
