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Joe Manchin Is Now Poised To Switch Parties
Democrats are melting down Chernobyl-style this weekend after U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., declared an end to negotiations over President Joe Biden’s “Build Back Better” budget reconciliation bill.
No one should be surprised. The bill was strewn with political paybacks, pork, and budget gimmicks that would have made Jeffrey Epstein blush. A massive tax cut for wealthy homeowners in high-tax states. Tax subsidies for the news media and trial lawyers. Billions for “tree equity” in reliably Democratic urban enclaves. Billions more for electric charging stations installed based on “equity,” likely where residents can’t afford or don’t own electric vehicles. A federal government takeover of prekindergarten child care, coupled with generous child tax credits whether you work or not. Luxurious tax credits for electric vehicles based on whether they were union made. Chevy Bolts and Nissan Leafs would qualify. Nonunion Teslas, not so much. Elon Musk predictably opposed the bill.
And don’t forget hosing down the economy with trillions more dollars, with inflation hitting 40-year highs.
Democrats tried mightily to add a massive immigration amnesty provision that would never pass muster with Senate budget and reconciliation rules.
The real killer, in my opinion, was this: How U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., the ranking Republican on the Senate budget committee, asked the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office to “score” the bill over 10 years. Why? Because no one expects new entitlement programs to end in three or five years. Name one that has over the past five decades — the cost: over $5 trillion. In reality, it would have been even more. Fortunately, we may never know.
But what interested me was not Manchin’s predictable knife blow to the bill’s prospects nor the Democratic meltdown that ensued. Manchin delivered the blow before a national audience on a GOP-friendly network, Fox News, just a couple of days after Congress adjourned for the year. Coupled with poll numbers in his native West Virginia — a deeply red state — showing strong support for Manchin’s position, Manchin may be preparing to begin the new year as a newly minted Republican. Or at least an independent senator who caucuses with Republicans, as independents Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vermont) and Sen. Angus King (Maine) now caucus with Democrats.
If I were a U.S. senator on the opposing end of his party’s major legislation, I would not go on national television to cut the cord. I might issue a statement. I would certainly make phone calls to the president and certain colleagues on my decision. I would not go on national television and launch a salvo unless I had something else in mind.
Manchin so much as challenged Democrats to drive him out of their party.
Senator Joe Manchin (D., W.Va.) on Monday dared Democrats to push him out of the party if they are unhappy with his views, one day after he announced he will not support President Biden’s “Build Back Better” agenda, effectively killing the bill.
Asked on Hoppy Kercheval’s West Virginia radio show if he believes there is still a place for him in the Democratic party, Manchin replied: “I would like to hope that Democrats feel like I do. I’m fiscally responsible and socially compassionate.”
“Now if there are no Democrats like that, they ought to push me where they want me,” he added.
Predictably, one of CNN’s reliably Democratic analysts, Kirsten Powers, called for him to go. For once, I agree with her. I will enjoy calling Sen. Mitch McConnell “senate majority leader” again while Republicans assume the chairs of every committee. Manchin no doubt would keep his perch atop the energy committee. Bills to federalize and undercut election integrity and “pack” the Supreme Court with up to six new seats would fade. Supporters of the senate’s “filibuster” would rest a little easier.
Manchin may have lit the match with his Fox News venue, waiting to see the response before making that decision. Given the vitriolic responses from even the White House, the stage is now set to move Manchin’s Senate desk to the other side of the chamber. Especially if Manchin, age 74, still has ambitions to seek another term in 2024 or perhaps another run for the governor’s office he once held. Some think he may run for president, but that is unserious.
Amateur hour at the Biden White House, whose response to Joe Manchin is essentially to call him a liar for opposing Build Back Better.
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I think I’d prefer he stay a Democrat. I wonder if having a slightly sane Democrat in the Senate helps others with less spine find some courage to stand up to the forces of the left. If Manchin (or Sinema) left the Democratic Party, who of the remaining would provide a check on the rest of the nutcases?
No. Bring him to GOP. 51-49 is not 50-50. 51-49 prevents us from becoming Commies. Give him whatever he requires, whatever committee chairmanship, whatever cushy assignment. Correct Mr Trump’s faux pas in sacrificing two seats in Georgia.
It’s quite possible that was more election fraud, not Trump.
Of course it was fraud, they pulled out all the stops when they saw it would get them closer to control of the Senate. But I’m afraid Trump didn’t help. I admire him but he’s not perfect…which is OK because I don’t expect perfection. The last few years have shown us the difference between just OK and really bad.
I was thinking when I was reading through the various reports while waiting for the doctor today that Manchin might switch after the 2020 election, if it’s the blowout that it could be. Right now, I think being a West Virginian matters more to him than being a Democrat or a Republican.
I kinda respect him for that.
No argument. But it’s easier to steal an election from a 2% margin than from a 5% margin.
Let him be. The D’s won’t be able to resist engaging a bit of damage control to mollify the donor class and they’ll push him away.
Given Mitch McConnell’s polling, it might be the smartest thing the D’s can do ahead of the midterms. Yes, I’m aware he has done some good things, but he is one of the last people the GOP should want out front right now.
And if you need more evidence that the old Republican party is dead and there is no putting it back together, you only need to look at Bill Kristol’s reaction to Manchin’s vote. McConnell cannot be a standard bearer in the new coalition.
I would welcome Manchin as someone who apparently pays a lot of attention to the opinions of his constituents. What a novel idea.
But if they steal it by 10%, then 5% or 2% doesn’t matter.
Lord, I hope so. OTOH, I thought Zell Miller of Georgia would switch, but nada. Some people just “dance with who brung ’em.”
Still, I would welcome the not-so-leftist Democrat and the flaky, still-mostly-a-lefty Sinema into our party if they get tired of the hatred their own party dishes out when they don’t follow the party line.
And frankly, I wish Liz Cheney would do the same, but in the other direction . . .
Update: I saw a news article this morning that speculated if Manchin might declare himself independent. Not sure that would change things . . .
I wonder if Manchin voting No might allow some others to join him, since their Yes votes wouldn’t matter anyway.
Not exactly the topic, but can Congress stop trying to pass these gigantic multi-trillion dollar thousands-of-pages bills that nobody has read and just go back to passing simple short bills on simple short topics? That would fix a fair amount of what is wrong with our Legislative process.
To be sure, it’s a nice dream!
Very good point. I just thank God for him and West Virginia.
If only West Virginia would send someone to the Senate who wouldn’t vote twice for impeachment and all the other nonsense Manchin has done, we might not have to thank West Virginia for finally stopping SOME of the nonsense they helped create.
I don’t have any illusions that McConnell won’t be Majority Leader again. Kentucky has a D Governor, and if Mitch doesn’t get to boss the sandbox, I’m sure he’ll take his toys and go home.
No question, however, that I would like someone different, the question is who? Paul? Cruz? Cotton? Hawley? They’ve all been pretty visible. One thing I don’t want: someone who is itching for the job. That might put Rand Paul at the top of the list. Somehow, though, I don’t think that would work. He wouldn’t be Rand Paul in that role.
Barrasso and Ernst are currently leading the Senate Republican Conference. The senior senator from Utah? No, not him, the longer serving one: Mike Lee?
Who’s the best alternative by your reckoning?
There’s a lot of things at play here. At one time it was rumored that Joe wanted to go back to West Virginia and run for Governor (as a Democrat). However, that was before the crazies took over the Democratic party.
Back in West Virginia, Jim Justice, who was elected Governor of WV as a Democrat, switched to Republican. (A lot of the State has turned Red.) So, if Manchin were to switch parties, he might get elected when Justice’s term runs out in 2024 plus he would have the extra joy of getting out of Washington.
He has very little incentive to stay in the Democratic party; especially when facing the daily barrage of insults from the Squad and Jen Psaki. It doesn’t help when other Democratic Senators secretly feel the same way but stay silent because they are cowards.
I would pay attention to what political independents are preferring based on numerous recent polls. Their numbers mirror those of GOP voters. Allowing “progressives” to control their party devoid of more reasonable Democrats will drive them into a political minority. Until then, they’ll never learn. Their delusion is their demise, and they need to fully experience it.
That would be nice. The 1974 Budget Act never envisioned what has evolved. Many Congresses, D & R, never pass a budget, and the 13 major appropriation bills get wrapped up into a leadership-negotiated massive spending package sans much input from colleagues and in complete disregard to the legislative process.
I’m a McConnell fan. I know that he is not popular in some conservative circles, but one needs to understand the rules and culture of the Senate to appreciate his mastery. No one is his equal in the Senate, and his poll numbers simply do not matter. No one casts a vote based on who the Senate Majority Leader is or will be.
Assistant Leader/Whip John Thune (R-SD) would make a marvelous successor. So would previous Whip John Cornyn (R-TX). I can think of others. If Pennsylvanians had reelected Rick Santorum in 2006 and afterward, he would be the Majority Leader today.
The last time a real budget went through Congress was during the Clinton administration – it wasn’t even in this century.
Evidence? Evidence?
It was Trump who sacrificed our two Senators, and yes, I contributed to these two Republicans after the November 2020 election and urged others to do so. https://ricochet.com/826254/it-is-time-to-donate-to-the-kelly-loeffler-and-david-perdue-georgia-runoff-campaigns/
And then Trump blew it out of focusing on what he wanted instead of what the party needed.
“If it’s not close, they can’t cheat.” Unfortunately, Republicans made a lot of mistakes that caused the election to be much closer than it needed to be.
They may cast a vote based on their perception of who the apparent leader of the party is. At some point we have to ask whether he represents an image we want to project. I do not think so.
We should welcome Manchin with open arms. When Vermont’s Jim Jeffords broke the 50-50 Senate balance by becoming a Democrat on May 24, 2001, it made life so much harder for George W. Bush. Harry Reid gave up his Chairmanship of a Committee to coax Jeffords into switching. Harry Reid was then the Democratic Whip. This act of selflessness served Reid well in Democrat circles and led to him being their Majority Leader after Tom Daschle was defeated by John Thune in 2004.
America is most prosperous when we have divided government. I specifically voted for a Democrat for the House in 2018 to put a check on Trump.
I think they ruled that out with the Watergate “reforms” in the 70s.
That’s the book that got me personally involved in politics, volunteering as an election official.
What are your two favorite things that happened?
Heck, we’ve got to get Utah to send someone like that.