Of course. Biden (the hostage) met with Manchin (the hostage taker) last week, and Manchin gets rewarded for his thuggery with the prize he most desired.
Senator Joe Manchin is already a crucial swing vote in the Democrats’ sweeping budget bill. But he will also write the details of its climate change program.
Sept. 19, 2021, 3:01 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON — Joe Manchin, the powerful West Virginia Democrat who chairs the Senate energy panel and earned half a million dollars last year from coal production, is preparing to remake President Biden’s climate legislation in a way that tosses a lifeline to the fossil fuel industry — despite urgent calls from scientists that countries need to quickly pivot away from coal, gas and oil to avoid a climate catastrophe.
…
But Mr. Manchin is also closely associated with the fossil fuel industry. His beloved West Virginia is second in coal and seventh in natural gas production among the 50 states. In the current election cycle, Mr. Manchin has received more campaign donations from the oil, coal and gas industries than any other senator, according to data compiled by OpenSecrets, a research organization that tracks political spending.
He profits personally from polluting industries: He owns stock valued at between $1 million and $5 million in Enersystems Inc., a coal brokerage firm which he founded in 1988. He gave control of the firm to his son, Joseph, after he was elected West Virginia secretary of state in 2000. Last year, Mr. Manchin made $491,949 in dividends from his Enersystems stock, according to his Senate financial disclosure report.
How humiliating and devastating to Democrats, our nation and the world. Yeah, Joe (Biden), I’d say this is
“Code Red.”<p></p>
Yep, Joe Manchin is a simple guy leading a simple life. If any legislation threatens the fossil fuel industry, he will concoct an excuse to be against the legislation. He will often dress up his objections in phony disguises, like “deficit spending” or a “need to compromise.” But the bottom line with Joe is simple: If it’s about addressing climate change in ways that diminish the use of fossil fuels, he’s against it.
Note to Joe: You’re not fooling anyone.
This is what it cost to get Manchin onboard with Biden’s plan. And, of course, we have yet to hear what the Arizona narcissist, Sinema, beat out of Biden and Dem leadership.
This is soul-crushing. The climate crisis is at the top of the heap of problems we face, and we put the fox in charge of the hen house.
Goddamn it. Somehow we knew it would come to this. The word that comes to mind is “betrayal.”
If Biden struck this deal and didn’t get Manchin to agree to reform the filibuster, then this bullshit is even worse.