The WH has nominated Gayle Conelly Manchin, wife of Joe, to co-chair economic development board

[Nevilledog]

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Tweet text:
Josh Wingrove
@josh_wingrove
The White House has nominated Gayle Conelly Manchin, a former state cabinet secretary who is the spouse of the West Virginia Democratic senator, to co-chair an economic development board:

Biden Names Wife of Pivotal Democratic Senator for Federal Post
President Joe Biden plans to nominate Gayle Conelly Manchin -- an educator and the wife of Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, a key swing vote -- to a regional economic development position after the...
bloomberg.com
8:05 AM · Mar 26, 2021

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-26/biden-names-wife-of-pivotal-democratic-senator-for-federal-post

President Joe Biden plans to nominate Gayle Conelly Manchin -- an educator and the wife of Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, a key swing vote -- to a regional economic development position after the lawmaker has emerged as a key swing vote in the chamber.

The White House said Friday that Gayle Manchin is Biden’s pick for federal co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission, an economic development partnership between the federal government and 13 states, including West Virginia, where the senator and his wife reside.

Gayle Manchin has served previously on the State Board of Education, and chairs Reconnecting McDowell, an initiative in West Virginia run by the American Federation of Teachers. She also served as secretary for the West Virginia Office of Education and the Arts and holds two graduate degrees. She and the senator have been married for 53 years.

Senator Manchin is the foremost Democratic swing vote in the chamber, which is evenly split between the parties but is controlled by Democrats because Vice President Kamala Harris breaks ties. As a result, Manchin holds significant sway in Biden’s ability to pass legislation.

*snip*

[PA_jen]

1. No! This is bad.

[Demsrule86]

4. No it is not...it is called politics. Biden is smart.

[PA_jen]

6. Biden will be at Manchin's mercy. In my humble opinion extremely bad idea.

[Thrill]

8. He already is. And so is the whole Senate. What's new?

[PA_jen]

11. True but this is a huge mis-step.

[Thrill]

12. You're going to have to give the guy something

So he supports your agenda. That’s just reality. No way around it

[markpkessinger]

54. No, actually, it isn't a misstep at all . . .

Look, I am as exasperated with Joe Manchin as anyone. But the co-chair of a regional (not even national) economic development board does NOT have leverage over the President of the United States. In fact, this move gives Biden leverage over Manchin!

[lagomorph777]

30. This gives Biden some leverage. Smart move.

[msfiddlestix]

37. No, actually the reverse will the case

Manchin will be at this administrations beck and call. A Brilliant move albeit out of necessity.

Good job Biden!

[markpkessinger]

61. A co-chair of a regional economic development board hardly has leverage over a President . . .

. . . This isn't even a cabinet-level position, for God's sake.

[TheBlackAdder]

43. If she messes up, she can get charged for crimes, and that's leverage.

.

Be careful of what you ask for. Joe Manchin might have some insulation from illegal acts, his wife won't.

Not saying they could be intentional or not, but the exposure and risk exist.

.

[Miguelito Loveless]

2. Seriously, is this what it is coming to?

Naked quid pro quo?

[Demsrule86]

5. I have no issue with it if it helps get his vote on important legislation...ever hear of Earmarks

[Miguelito Loveless]

10. Earmarks,

which benefit the senator's state, are a different animal than a job which benefits the senator's wife. It crosses a moral line. Once we cross it, then the line is erased, and that is how we are where we are.

[lagomorph777]

31. Manchin long ago crossed the line.

Scruples are not helpful when trying to save the country from the likes of him.

[triron]

40. BFD!

If this helps get major legislation passed, hallelujah.

[Miguelito Loveless]

58. Of course,

the ends justify the means.

We just keep doing favors for people, proving their power, so they can continue to withhold what we need, and make more demands.

[markpkessinger]

57. Try to maintain a little perspective here . . .

. . . This is a position as co-chair of a regional, not national, economic development board. Yes, it's political patronage -- welcome to the real, grown-up world of poliktics!

And no, this isn't "what it's come to": -- it's what politics has always been!

[PA_jen]

24. So going by your thinking the Voters Right Act S1 isn't that important

and you are completely fine with Manchin not voting for it because Republicans won't vote for S1?

[Crunchy Frog]

66. Could you spell out your reasoning on that?

[JI7]

20. Read the article. It shows her background and why she would be a good

pick for this position.

[Miguelito Loveless]

21. Perhaps, but imagine the other side did this,

for the wife of, say, the senate majority leader.

[PA_jen]

25. And when the Inspector General wanted to Bring Charges against Mrs Moscow Mitch

he was fired.

[msfiddlestix]

41. When Needs Must....

You bet your sweet bumpkins.

It is absolutely paramount that we keep Manchin not just on our team, but in our nest in order to get anything vital passed and overcome the issues with the filibuster and other obstruction whether on Voting Rights, and on a myriad of other legislation vital to our democracy.

So yeah, it's hard ball politics, and this is how it's done. Whatever the effin hell it takes.

Go Biden! Brilliant move!

Now Fire Saul & Black, Dejoy today please.

[Miguelito Loveless]

50. Manchin knows this

and will never give us what we need, he will just keep making demands to flex his power.

[msfiddlestix]

52. Happy to accommodate if it improves WV voters lives

Wouldn't it be a welcomed development for voters in West Virginia to help turn WV away from Rethugs Party and bolster electoral votes to the state and Congress, and the next Presidential Election in favor of Democratic Electoral Victories?

I'm thinking that's a win no matter how it is we get there.

[Miguelito Loveless]

55. I have family in WV

and they are some of the RARE liberals in the very RED state. Manchin is only elected because he is in essence a de facto Republican. I don't know that he will survive the next election, even catering to the Trump agenda.

[msfiddlestix]

56. It's interesting, when is Manchin's next election scheduled?

Could be he's straddling the fence for political pay off, either by re-election support or getting his grubby hands on some pork for himself. I think that's obvious.

I'm just thinking, once his wife is appointed, that should help grease the path to supporting S1 sans filibuster, and then goodies in the Infrastructure bill for West Virginia should be everything he needs for background checks, bans on assault etc etc.

[Miguelito Loveless]

59. Next year, which means he will pull

a Q challenger who has a good shot at taking him down.

[msfiddlestix]

63. jeeze. that sucks. can we take the q creep down?

[Miguelito Loveless]

67. I really don't know.

know. Since Manchin is making a point to be utterly useless to us by serving the Right's agenda rather than ours, it seems to me it might be better to simply cut him lose, and take money we would use to prop him up in the election, and spend it somewhere we have a better chance, say NC.

At some point, there has to be a penalty for constant betrayal.

[msfiddlestix]

76. I say we do both and every other seat available. we go for all of them

and we keep the grifter from West Virginia, until we most assuredly do not need him anymore.

[Crunchy Frog]

69. He was reelected in 2018. He's not up til 2024.

[Miguelito Loveless]

72. When I looked him up it showed him in office since 2010

So, i assumed he was re-elected in 2016, but he may have filled an incomplete term. In any case, he is pretty much useless to us.

[Crunchy Frog]

74. There was a special election with a partial term.

[Miguelito Loveless]

77. That explains it

Thanks!

[Ferrets are Cool]

3. Whatever it takes. Even something this blatant

[agingdem]

19. you bet...

Biden is an experienced pol...this isn't his first rodeo....we as a country need what Biden is "selling"... economic recovery, the infrastructure bill...and if he has to "buy" Manchin to repair the poison the orange maggot and his equally rancid "all the best people" inflicted us then so be it

[PA_jen]

26. So where is Manchin's support for the Voter's right act?

[agingdem]

28. Biden will either get Manchin's vote or not need it...

every day Manchin is looking more and more like McConnell 2.0..in a few short months he has shrunk in gravitas as a senator and as a man...there will come a time when Manchin wants something big for West Virginia and he'll need all those Dems he pissed off to get it for him.. he'll need to beg...should be fun...

[lagomorph777]

33. Biden will get Manchin's vote, or fire his wife.

See how that works?

[agingdem]

39. not fire her but

make his life, both professional and domestic, extremely uncomfortable and publicly so...

[BeyondGeography]

23. Agreed

This makes it much harder at the end of the day for Manchin to saunter across the aisle. Good move.

[2 Meow Momma]

7. I'm for it if it'll bring him to a yes to change the filibuster and

save the democracy. I’m sure she’ll do a good job.

[PA_jen]

27. Manchin can save democracy by showing support for the voters right's act.

He is refusing to support it.

[EYESORE 9001]

9. I wish the President would just say it publicly

‘What’s it gonna take for you to stop posturing and get with the program? Name your price already!’

[machoneman]

53. Hey, he already did! Geez, read between the lines..................

[Crunchy Frog]

71. Why would he do that in public?

[Aristus]

13. Anybody ask if she's qualified for the job?

If she is, it's harder to make a case for quid pro quo.

[librechik]

16. she is not unqualified, as cabinet posts go. That's the one decent thing about this move.

[markpkessinger]

60. And this isn't even a cabinet level position n/t

[JI7]

17. She is qualified. Even for Senate I think she would be better

than he is.

[Kaleva]

44. The little I've read about her since the news broke suggests she's well qualified.

[Lucinda]

48. You are expecting the media to point out why she is qualified?

...rather than allude to manipulation...?

[Kaleva]

49. Biden knows she's well qualified. You may not trust him as our leader but I do.

[Lucinda]

75. So do I. That was my point.

Editing to say that it looks like I responded to the wrong post. Wasn't disagreeing with you!
Sorry for the mix-up.

[Kaleva]

78. Sorry for misunderstanding what you said!

Have a great Biden Is President Day!

[riversedge]

14. Probably good in the long run--IF Manchin votes with the Dem. caucus--certainly not ideal and

the optics suck suck suck.

[librechik]

15. me no likee. optics bad. I can understand the urge

to strangle Joe Manchin on the floor of the Senate. But this is not that.

[lagomorph777]

34. Optics schmoptics.

Like the enemy gives a SHIT about optics.

[librechik]

47. enemy doesn't care. We do. That's one difference between us..

but it's a small thing and like the rest of the thread, I/m willing to forgive, if it works,I guess. Fuckin Manchin Pig. Eww/

[Takket]

18. Let the back scratching begin. Does this mean the filibuster is gone now?

[radicalleft]

22. Ya know what

If this is what it takes to protect voting rights and a host of other good social programs, then so be it. At least some good can come of it unlike past admins who blatantly engaged in cronyism.

[BSdetect]

29. She'll be squeeky clean unlike old Elaine

[PRETZEL]

32. True but

the optics of this will give Biden critics fodder and that may not be what he really needs right now,

But it will come out that she is more than likely very qualified for this position hence the nomination.

[lagomorph777]

36. Really, the GQP wants to talk about nepotism?

[whistler162]

51. Obviously, Mitch McConnell will be

the one making the biggest objections!

[lagomorph777]

62. yeah, exactly!

[herding cats]

68. Two words here: ELAIN CHAO

18th United States Secretary of Transportation
In office
January 31, 2017 – January 11, 2021
President
Donald Trump



24th United States Secretary of Labor
In office
January 29, 2001 – January 20, 2009
President
George W. Bush

[TDale313]

35. I don't like that we're paying his ransom demands.

Me may not have much choice, but it sucks. If this gets me a hide (my first one ever, I believe) I’ll take it. Good news is it sounds like she’s qualified.

[kysrsoze]

38. This has to be the bribe he was looking for... otherwise she wouldn't go along with it.

He's such a slimy character, and an embarrassment to our party. Honest graft? Sheesh.

[msfiddlestix]

42. Go Biden!

[Sur Zobra]

45. This won't get Manchin

to “get with the program.” In fact, he’ll further entrench himself against abolishing the filibuster, against the voter rights bill, against gun legislation reforms, etc. Why? Because any kowtowing to him makes him more powerful, and it bolsters his belief that only he holds the “right” positions in the Democratic Party

[nevergiveup]

46. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

Reminds me a little of LBJ with all the arm twisting and pork doled out to get major critical legislation. If it gets the voting rights bill passed and the filibuster weakened I say "screw the optics". Go Biden!!!!!!!!!

[Crunchy Frog]

64. Sounds like a good move to me.

We're in a game of power politics to the death, and we'd better start acting like it.

[MoonRiver]

65. It's a good political move, plus she seems very qualified.

Win-Win

[Hekate]

70. Okay, Sen Manchin -- you owe President Biden, big time. Never forget. nt

[mcar]

73. Good move

[Deminpenn]

79. The Appalachian Regional Development commission

is a big deal, especially to WVa. It's not just WVa, though. It's all the areas traversed by the Appalachian Mtns. Does appointing Mrs Manchin help invest Sen Manchin in the Biden agenda? Yes. But it also gives the commission someone who is intimately familiar with the problems and issues facing WVa. Remember, when Sen Manchin was Gov Manchin, his wife was the first lady of the state. She is quite qualified for the job to which she's being appointed.