As you’ve no doubt heard, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) went onto to Fox News yesterday and during his interview, said he would not vote for the Build Back Better plan.
Naturally, all of us who have been fighting tooth and nail to get BOTH of the infrastructure plans passed were furious, and this anger was matched by the White House in a scathing statement. Press Secretary Jen Psaki signed the statement, but White House reporters in the know all say that there’s no way this statement goes out without Biden’s blessing.
“If his comments on FOX and written statement indicate an end to that effort, they represent a sudden and inexplicable reversal in his position, and a breach of his commitments to the President and the Senator’s colleagues in the House and Senate. … Just as Senator Manchin reversed his position on Build Back Better this morning, we will continue to press him to see if he will reverse his position yet again, to honor his prior commitments and be true to his word.”
Also this:
“In the meantime, Senator Manchin will have to explain to those families paying $1,000 a month for insulin why they need to keep paying that, instead of $35 for that vital medicine. … Maybe Senator Manchin can explain to the millions of children who have been lifted out of poverty, in part due to the Child Tax Credit, why he wants to end a program that is helping achieve this milestone—we cannot.”
The full statement, which isn’t very long, is well worth the read. Not just because you’ll likely find it to be cathartic, but also because it’s full of terrific talking points that we should all be using.
However, I’ve noticed a couple of recurring comments that are essentially on every social media post about Manchin, which I’d like to address.
First, people need to stop saying that we should “vote him out” or “primary him.” For starters, it makes them look like they have no idea that he’s not up for re-election until 2024. Secondly, Trump won West Virginia by over 40 points. If they want to bet that there’s another Democrat not named Manchin who could win that seat in 2024, I’ll plunk down a mountain of cash to counter that bet.
Second, they need to stop saying that Manchin should “just go be a Republican already.” Surely I don’t have to remind you, my wonderful readers, that if Manchin were to switch parties, Mitch McConnell would immediately, and I mean immediately, become Majority Leader. You know how the Senate voted in Biden’s 40th federal judge and a bunch of ambassadors this past Friday? Yeah, that would end immediately. We don’t want Manchin switching parties.
So yes, we’re stuck with him in the meantime. What that does mean, however, is that our efforts to build the majority in the Senate in 2022 is critical. If we can increase our majority from 50-50 to, say 53-47, there’s SO much we could do. But perhaps most important, Joe Manchin would no longer hold the power he currently does. He would be, for the most part, irrelevant.
Doesn’t that sound nice?
There will be more to come here at Political Charge in the new year on those Senate races. You can expect to get primers for each of the most competitive Senate races and info on how you can help the Democrats win those races. In the meantime, I’ve got an overall look at those Senate races HERE.
Thank you for reading Political Charge! In the coming year, I’ll be focused on winning the 2022 midterms, pushing positive Democratic messaging, and bringing some relief in the form of good news and cartoons. If you’d like to support my work, you can do that at my Patreon page!
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You bring up some good points, TS, but, sorry, not enough! If the man cannot figure out how to explain BBB to his constituents, he needs help, big-time. It is not just the money of West Virginia taxpayers that is going towards this bill, but every taxpayer in the US, Democrat, Republican, Independent, non-affiliated, or non-political. What helps one helps all. WHAT HINDERS ONE HINDERS ALL!
If this is truly a “case of consvience” for Mr. Machin, he should he thinking about how many people he is hurting (38,000,000 minus 1%) and not just the Republican voters of West Virginia! Now is not the time to play politics. Trump played politics for 4 years plus, look where that got the USA. This Bill is for all the people of the USA, wherever they are. It needs to be passed, NOW!
If you and I can see plainly that West Virginians need BBB, and right now, then there’s no way Manchin isn’t hearing about that from every corner. It seems to me that it isn’t that he can’t explain it to his constituents, it’s that he doesn’t want to. Something else is more important to Manchin than taking care of his constituents. And whatever it is, he doesn’t want to show his hand, so he comes up with this BS — whether it’s that he can’t explain it, or that he’s worried about inflation (even though economic experts say BBB will help), etc. It’s all BS coming from him.
I agree wholeheartedly. He has a different agenda, and I have a feeling he wants to seeBiden fail. But, if he has White House aspirations, I thing he has shot himself not in the foot, but in the groin area. Who would want him as a president? (Well, maybe DJT.)
The White House full reply should be printed up & posted on every telephone pole in West Virginia. Then maybe his constituents would urge him to vote for it.
I agree with your post, but the entire span of negotiations was handled badly from the WH down. I’ve no idea why Biden keeps making promises that he can’t keep. I understand that he believes what he’s saying, but that’s different from having and executing upon a strategic plan. As to Manchin, it’s always been clear that he and 6 of his former aides have received millions from fossil fuel companies and other corporate interests opposed to BBB. Frankly, the messaging about BBB is such a mess that Democrats should just do a reset over the recess and focus on 1 bi-partisan constituency: children. Write a new bill including child tax credits, preschool, childcare, paid family leave. Make them permanent. Broadcast the bill 24/7. Call a vote and force the GOP, Manchin and Sinema to vote against children. Pass the damn bill, which may even get some GOP support. Then outline a plan for Medicare enhancement (hearing aids, dental, lowering age, etc), eldercare, etc…all for seniors. Make it a centerpiece of 2022. Force GOP candidates to take a stand against helping seniors. This is a strategic plan, and easy to message, therefore, it’s unlikely that Democratic leadership will follow such a plan.
We’ve painted ourselves into a red & blue partisan box. We need to look instead at the colors that matter: brown, red, black, white/ beige, and yellow. American skin tones, not political bunting. Let’s chop up BBB into its most popular and necessary elements: 1.health care, e.g. your $1K vial of insulin, or my 30 day supply of incruse elipta inhaler for $435 from GSK, which has acquired $9.2 BILLION in fines, while I have to purchase it from Canada for $110. Why is Medicare paying $300 of GSK’s fines? Show me anybody whose lunch is not paid for by BIG PHARMA who would oppose the capping of prescription drug prices at levels the rest of the industrialized world pays. 2. Free community college tuition leading to certification in a marketable skill. Reduced student loan debt. 3. Free quality pre-school, eventually staffed by some of those recently certified early childhood educators. 4. Child tax credit. 5. Accessible mental health resources. 6. Sewer cleanup of 100+ yr old pipes that pollute our water sources. These are not red/blue issues, but basic human needs that are too costly for most counties/ municipalities to afford, which is where good gov’t fits in: to accomplish societal goals smaller governmental entities cannot afford. Packaged individually, marketed devoid of any partisan divide (yes GOP needs to drink water too!), these issues could be passed by 50+ senators who could take them home and brag about them for 2022. Forget red vs. blue. Focus on basic human needs with that American ingenuity we’re so pround of. Can we do this, or are we stuck inside the partisan box? We can decide.
Thank you Tokyo for this post! It has good talking points to my friends, other group members.
Re: Joe Manchin article- I agree. If we work hard, he will be irrelevant soon. Manchin comes across as an arrogant narcissist, but deep down, he’s probably just a very insecure person- still, the people of West Virginia and the U.S. deserve better. Once we achieve that 53-47 Senate majority you talk of, we should primary him- put a real Democrat in play. I fully understand that our options are limited for now.
Tokyo, I just wrote this on Clay’s post. I encourage folks to call Senator Manchin (and their own Senators Republican and Democrat) and be as constructive and instructive as possible. There are some good things in the BBB that will help West Virginians and all Americans. Even the Coal unions are asking him to do something. Encourage him to find a way to get something done. As an independent voter (and former member of both tribes), I understand concerns about the debt and deficit. But, both parties are to blame for our debt and deficit. Full stop. My Republican friends seem to be less concerned when they occupy the White House, but Democrats need to be concerned as well. We do need to be mindful of budgetary implications, but we also need to invest in America. Most businesses invest in some areas, while cutting back in others as a standard operating procedure. Keith
If Manchin was truly concerned about inflation, he should have passed build back better. Did you see the revised projections from Goldman Sachs that came out when Manchin killed a bill?