Andrew Yang uses the Joe Manchin situation to slam...Joe Biden (email)

[brooklynite]

But this episode also indicates that the dysfunction within the Democratic Party is even higher than I would have thought.

Joe Biden’s strength is meant to be his relationships on Capitol Hill. Joe Biden and Joe Manchin were colleagues in the Senate for decades as Democrats. They worked together countless times. They had a call last week that was meant to usher Build Back Better forward after months of negotiation.

Whatever happened, the meeting didn’t have the desired effect. After Manchin’s announcement on Fox, the Biden White House issued a public statement accusing Joe Manchin of going back on his word and said that he should change his mind again.

The Biden White House’s statement struck me as counterproductive – if you need a guy to come back to the table, characterizing him as dishonest publicly doesn’t seem like the right approach, regardless of what you might feel. Keep in mind that Trump won West Virginia by 39 points, so Manchin is in a position where the politics are complicated at best.

Joe Manchin said on Monday, “It’s staff driven” of the White House on a radio interview, which could easily be seen as a dig at the President.

Again, these guys were colleagues for years. Massive legislation was proposed along party lines via reconciliation because bipartisanship is nearly nonexistent. That legislation is on life support –at best - because the Democrats didn’t have the unanimity they needed. Families home for the holidays are unsure of whether the check they just received in December was the last.

[qazplm135]

1. Andrew Yang

needs to stop trying to make Andrew Yang happen.

[brush]

4. Yes, he's run for president and mayor of NYC and been rejected.

He also needs to get his facts straight as Joe Biden was VP by the time Manchin made it to the Senate in 2010 in a special election. They never served together as colleagues in the Senate.

Yang has become a big disappointment.

[ecstatic]

10. Good catch! nt

[skylucy]

6. +100

[Generic Brad]

16. He's so fetch

And we all know fetch is never gonna happen.

[regnaD kciN]

2. It's "Biden's fault" that Manchin is an asshole...?

[question everything]

3. I think that they were going to meet again

[LonePirate]

5. Andrew "Universal Basic Income" Yang chose to side with Manchin?

He's an absolute joke of a politician with no central belief system that he holds dear.

[berni_mccoy]

7. Biden bears some responsibility

He was warned by the Progressive caucus that this would happen. Progressives here at DU were sounding the alarm bells. Biden put too much faith in Manchin.

[doc03]

11. Neither one would have been passed if the Progressive caucus got their way nt

[PunkinPi]

15. +1 nt

[DFW]

8. I see Manchin's "it's staff driven" as quite the opposite of a dig at the President

I see it as an escape hatch, whereby Manchin can say he is on great terms with Joe Biden, and it's Biden's staff that went off on a tangent without consulting with Biden, himself. It leaves him a lifeline back to the Oval Office, and lets them both save face when they end up coming to their inevitable, if less-than-satisfying, deal. Then, the hand-shaking at the signing ceremony, while about as sincere as Mao and Chiang Kai Shek toasting each other in Chongqing, will let them both say they accomplished what they needed to do.

[walkingman]

12. I think you nailed it. I agree with James Carville - instead of Build Back Better

do a Build Back Differently...It might not have everything we want but could still be huge.

Pass the Voting rights act, pass Climate Change (that will be tough with Manchin), expand Medicare, and so on. Dislike Manchin but we need him to stay a Democrat.

Do not give up - Any or all will be better than we have done since ACA.....Go Biden!!

For anyone that doesn't remember we have 50 votes max (48 Dems, 2 Indep) that makes it very, very difficult to pass anything.

Peace

[Celerity]

14. I have seen nothing to indicate he will allow a filibuster carve out for the voter bills

Quite the opposite, he just said again that he will never vote to allow a simple majority to invoke cloture and move to a final vote.

Same for Sinema.

This 'talking filibuster' being kicked around is a scam, as even if they actually do allow actual debate, Manchin says it still will take 60 votes to move to a vote. even if he 'allows' it to go down to 55 (from 60) votes need to invoke cloture, it still fucks us

so

Pass the Voting rights act

(and it is more than one)

is a no go

the prospects are dire atm

I SO hope Manchin caves, but then there is Sinema, who is even more hardcore (and she wants a 60 vote threshold for ALL Senate business, ffs)

[OnDoutside]

13. Well said.

[ecstatic]

9. lol! If anything, they've been too nice to Manchin.

GMAFB! Seriously, are we supposed to walk on egg shells forever for that guy??

[maxrandb]

17. Who???