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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI'm Starting To Think THIS Was The Actual Intent of Harris' WV Interview.
Hey, MANCHIN!I'm beginning to think that the Biden Administration deliberately did an end run around Joe Manchin, getting the Republican Governor of West Virginia on board with the $1.9 Billion Covid relief bill just as Manchin was trying to position himself as the 'centrist,' Republican-light, king maker. Getting the REPUBLICAN Governor to support the $1.9 Billion relief bill, instead of the (guaranteed to fail) $0.6 Billion Collins bill before Manchin could claim his position essentially chopped the legs out from under him.
It was a pretty clear message that he can either get on board and be part of the solution, or he can continue to do what he usually does, and be part of the problem. And that his chances of keeping his job are better if he does the former.
If that was the strategy, I'm pretty pleased with it so far.
Step 1: Manchin starts making noises about a much smaller Covid bill, Biden/Harris say "who asked YOU for an opinion about it? Either get on board, or get out of the way; but we're not yielding to BLACKMAIL this time, Ferret-Face!"
Step 2: Ten Republican 'moderates' go to the White House to dangle the 'bipartisanship' carrot in front of Biden. Essentially saying "we MIGHT vote for a really small, ineffective, useless bill. Provided it fails, and once again, makes it look like a Democratic President can't accomplish anything. Again, Biden/Harris said "Are you aware of something called VIDEO? Well, we've just been watching the VIDEO of what you all did in 2009, and we're not falling for THAT shit again. Get serious, or get out!"
And BOOM! NEXT DAY they're taking the vote! I'm impressed.
Wounded Bear
(58,584 posts)onetexan
(13,019 posts)"Go Big", right away it made sense to me why the administration sent Kamala there. Great move by Dems.
The #1 & #2 were the good ol' one-two punch that made it happen
Irish_Dem
(46,417 posts)Boxed him in with Harris on one side, the Governor on the other.
Right out of a West Wing episode.
Raven123
(4,774 posts)I also think Biden was upset with Manchin for talking to The media before Biden
Staph
(6,251 posts)and I haven't seen any such ads.
OAITW r.2.0
(24,266 posts)Turns out that a Republican governor can be more responsive to the needs of his/her state, then a Democratic Senator in DC.
Minor note, the total numbers are Trillion, not Billion.
BlancheSplanchnik
(20,219 posts)WA-03 Democrat
(3,037 posts)a working government!
LizBeth
(9,952 posts)StarfishSaver
(18,486 posts)We don't know what they know and we don't always understand their strategy. Snarking and calling them misguided, slow, clueless and cowardly because they're not doing what we think they should be doing minute-by-minute is ridiculous.
stillcool
(32,626 posts)at the latest threads and I'm in the weeds.
tblue37
(65,212 posts)MyOwnPeace
(16,913 posts)Yesterday on various sites I found columns stating that "Biden's First Big Mistake" was having VP Harris go to W.VA and talk without "checking in" with Munchkin first.
Talk like that is what we should expect after 4 years of "Pinball 'Leadership'" from BunkerBoy. The press is primed to jump on ANYTHING and claim it is a mistake by "Sleepy Joe" - only to get smacked in the face by reality.
I'm LOVING the new game - GO JOE!!!!
Response to TrollBuster9090 (Original post)
WVGal1963 This message was self-deleted by its author.
Demsrule86
(68,454 posts)k8conant
(3,030 posts)Joe Manchin will come around for us West Virginians now.
calimary
(81,085 posts)Seems to me Manchin should be appreciative. Biden has handled this rather deftly and didn't make a public fool out of him, methinks.
Dem2theMax
(9,636 posts)That's exactly what I've been thinking.
And I'm so happy it didn't work.
Fiendish Thingy
(15,544 posts)Manchin wont vote for the relief bill unless it gets bipartisan support, which wont happen unless Dems make deep cuts, drop min wage, etc.
Kamalas gonna need to keep kicking Manchins ass...
Demsrule86
(68,454 posts)Fiendish Thingy
(15,544 posts)The bill wont pass unless it is significantly watered down, including dropping the $15/hr min wage to $11.
SayItLoud
(1,701 posts)Blue_true
(31,261 posts)It is more like three states in one now, the outer DC/NVa suburb state, the college town state, and the coal extraction state.
moose65
(3,166 posts)One of the reasons why Virginia turned blue was the growth of the northern Virginia suburbs of DC. Maybe with time, that growth will spread out toward eastern West Virginia. If I recall correctly, its only about an hour from DC to the nearest point in West Virginia.
Didnt Robert Byrd get some federal agencies moved to West Virginia?
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)But an hour commute west is likely shorter than driving on the DC Beltway at rush hour. In fact, part of the commute is likely by the DC Metro, so the actual drive to and from home would be less than an hour.
Staph
(6,251 posts)VP Harris didn't come to West Virginia, though I really hope she does once travel opens up. She gave online interviews to one television station and several newspaper groups.
I think she'd be awesome here in person. The television station plugged her appearance like the superstar she is!
Lucinda
(31,170 posts)jybarz
(34 posts)Correction: $1.9 Trillion not $1.9 Billion.
dflprincess
(28,070 posts)people aren't used to Democrats doing that (including other Democrats).
Stinky The Clown
(67,757 posts)That sort of bareknuckles/sweet talk is how Johnson got us his Great Society.
dflprincess
(28,070 posts)And I love that picture.
grobertj
(187 posts)Joinfortmill
(14,375 posts)Fiendish Thingy
(15,544 posts)Manchin is still opposed to any bill without bipartisan support, which wont happen unless Dems cave and make deep cuts, drop minimum wage, etc.
Keep Kicking Kamala!
BGBD
(3,282 posts)Is that Manchin was always going to vote for this. He was positioning himself to not look like he was a rubber stamp.
He is using the Susan Collins approach of act concerned and then vote party line anyway. Harris going on TV makes it look like he is caving to pressure from her and it will be used against him by Rs.
It wasn't a very tactical move considering that Manchin would win support at home by defying Biden and Harris in any way.
rpannier
(24,326 posts)This vote will mean next-to-nothing by then
radius777
(3,635 posts)If Biden's policies defeat the pandemic and help the economy then it helps Manchin also. Voters don't care about 'how' something gets done only that it gets done.
BGBD
(3,282 posts)But voters, for the most part, don't care about results.
BGBD
(3,282 posts)but that doesn't mean the narrative won't.
ecstatic
(32,641 posts)If so, bravo! They really know what they're doing.
Jon King
(1,910 posts)Worthless interview. He just likes the attention and power. He basically gave nothing concrete about anything. Same old nonsense.
My hunch is 2 weeks from now and 2 months from now we will be stuck in the same spot. Manchin and others are trying to wait it out and have nothing substantial pass. Manchin is about one thing, he is a big deal right now and he likes it.
radius777
(3,635 posts)we had to deal with during the Obama era, that simply watered down and obstructed everything.
camartinwv
(50 posts)Hahaha