Sen. Manchin has an opportunity to be a hero of the People and of the Democratic party. He can repaint and seal his legacy for all of posterity. It’s an easy step. Just vote for what the nation and his constituents want. Yet, he prefers to play villain, he seems to revel in the sabotage of the Democratic agenda. The stakes are so high for the future of the nation and yet he fiddles.
On Fox News Sunday with guest host Bret Baier, Manchin bluntly announced that he will not allow President Joe Biden's Build Back Better agenda to go forward.
Yeah, he made the announcement on Fox -
Some snippets from the interview —
I've always said if I can't go home and explain it to the people of West Virginia, I can't vote for it. I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation. I just can’t. I’ve tried everything humanly possible. I can’t get there.
This is a no on this piece of legislation. I have tried everything I know to do.
Inflation, Omicron, blah blah blah …
What exactly is he talking about what he tried?
Some more mind-boggling lines (from his full statement at www.scribd.com/...) -
My Democratic colleagues in Washington are determined to dramatically reshape our society in a way that leaves our country even more vulnerable to the threats we face. I cannot take that risk with a staggering debt of more than $29 trillion and inflation taxes that are real and harmful to every hard-working American at the gasoline pumps, grocery stores and utility bills with no end in sight.
If the bill is enacted it, it will "risk the reliability of our electric grid and increase our dependence on foreign supply chains."
Did McConnell or some right-wing think tank dictate these statements?
Bernie Sanders is livid, as he should be.
The reactions range from anger to despair.
Was separating BBB from the infrastructure bill a mistake? Or is half a loaf better than none?
Manchin’s talking points do not hold water -
White House pushes back -
Senator Manchin’s comments this morning on FOX are at odds with his discussions this week with the President, with White House staff, and with his own public utterances. Weeks ago, Senator Manchin committed to the President, at his home in Wilmington, to support the Build Back Better framework that the President then subsequently announced. Senator Manchin pledged repeatedly to negotiate on finalizing that framework “in good faith.”
On Tuesday of this week, Senator Manchin came to the White House and submitted—to the President, in person, directly—a written outline for a Build Back Better bill that was the same size and scope as the President’s framework, and covered many of the same priorities. While that framework was missing key priorities, we believed it could lead to a compromise acceptable to all. Senator Manchin promised to continue conversations in the days ahead, and to work with us to reach that common ground. 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.
...
What’s the matter with Joe Manchin? What does he want? Is Manchin negotiating for something, trying to extract some goodies from Biden for his buddies, is this a power play, is it personal animosity towards Biden, is he just a puppet of his donors and enablers, will he turn around in due time or is he really a republican at heart?
What kind of pressure will make Manchin bend? How do we salvage something out of this mess?
What do you think will happen next?
Also, please push back on the gloom-and-doom folks here who will want to blame and dump on Biden, Schumer, Pelosi and Obama, and attack each other and the Democratic party; some will even suggest leaving the Democratic party; some are well-meaning but fearful folks, but some are trolls, who regularly stalk this site. Let’s suggest constructive ideas, let’s strategize for the good of the American people, let’s not give up, let’s heed Joyce Alene’s words of wisdom -
Let’s remember and let’s keep reminding everyone that the real villains here are the republicans, who not only are against anything that benefits the People, but are ready to dissolve our Democracy into an iron-fist Putin-style oligarchy.