Joe Manchin Deals Blow to Democrats' Stimulus Plan, Won't Support It Without Bipartisan Agreement

[Polybius]

Source: MSN

Democratic Senator Joe Manchin said Tuesday he is opposed to passing an economic relief bill without bipartisan agreement.

Asked by reporters if he would support a budget resolution to pass the legislation, Manchin said, "I will only support moving in a bipartisan way." He added, "That means an open process. I've been very clear about that."

Manchin also released a statement on his stance, where he said, "I will vote to move forward with the budget process because we must address the urgency of the COVID-19 crisis. But let me be clear--and these are words I shared with President Biden--our focus must be targeted on the COVID-19 crisis and Americans who have been most impacted by this pandemic."

"The President remains hopeful that we can have bipartisan support moving forward. I will only support proposals that will get us through and end the pain of this pandemic," the statement added. "For the sake of the country, we must work together with laser focus to defeat the COVID-19 crisis, support our neighbors and communities who continue to suffer and get back to a more normal life as quickly as possible."

Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/joe-manchin-deals-blow-to-democrats-stimulus-plan-won-t-support-it-without-bipartisan-agreement/ar-BB1dkqMC?li=BBorjTa&ocid=U452DHP

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He's always been a conservative Democrat, but the past weeks leads me to fear that he might be switching Party's.

[msongs]

1. how low can joe go? stay tuned nt

[NoMoreRepugs]

2. Manchin trying to be relevant??

[brush]

3. What a pain in the butt. Even the republican governor of his state...

is for the stimulus, as are the people of his state. If he wants bi-partisan support why doesn't he try to get it by lobbying Romney or Collins.

[iluvtennis]

7. +++ agree brush. nt

[montanacowboy]

4. This Vindictive Asshole has got to go

Always seeing himself as the King Maker, always fucking over the people of WVA who for some unknown reason think he is a real Democrat.

Watch out, Jim Justice might want your seat and he could probably get it. Goodbye Joe.

[Blasphemer]

5. Probably can't get rid of him but we can work to get more Senate seats in 2022. nt

[regnaD kciN]

39. True, sadly...

..the only Democrat who's going to get elected in WV is a DINO. If it wasn't Manchin, it would be sure to be a Republican, and probably a Taylor-Greene clone.

[quakerboy]

49. Not if we fail to accomplish what the citizens of the country need

our elected democrats made promises. if we dont come through, its gonna be aweful hard to sell people that they should be re-elected, much less enlarged.

Manchin must be brought to heel somehow. I have no idea how, but its literally life or death for a lot of people.

[Polybius]

6. Manchin is more popular than that idiot Justice though

Smarter too. I think he's crush him in a Senate race.

[MN2theMax]

8. This is why we can't have nice things

What in bloody hell does he think that is going to prove? His constituents probably need this Bill more than anyone else in the country. FU Joe Manchin!

[ForgoTheConsequence]

9. Bipartisanship is more important than ending the "pain of this pandemic"?

We knew he was going to play kingmaker. Fuck him, let him lose his seat, and let the DNC spend the money they would on him elsewhere. Iowa has a better chance of going to a moderate.

[LymphocyteLover]

57. Bipatisanship is not the fucking end goal-- helping Americans is

Manchin is a pompous ass

[PatrickforO]

10. Perhaps West Virginians should put Senator Manchin on their speed dial and

call his office every ten minutes until he relents.

[PA_jen]

11. Some don't like me using Rino for him. In my mind he is worse than the definition of a Dino

This a sum only cards about himself. If he could have won his seat as a Republican he would gladly have that R beside his name. We need a word for ass like him. DRino?

[Polybius]

19. Dino is more frowned upon here, but I've heard it

A Rino is a Republican who acts like a Democrat (what Republicans call Vermont Governor Phil Scott).

Rino definition

Dino definition

[RDANGELO]

13. "That means an open process. I've been very clear about that."

He is not saying there has to be a certain amount of Republican votes.

[quakerboy]

50. fool us once, shame on him

Fool us twice....

[The empressof all]

14. Seriously...This is his schtick

In the end, he will not die on this hill with being the only Democratic hold out. He's like so many others of his ilk just needs some attention with his virtue posturing.

[hatrack]

15. Max Baucus 2.0

Just what we fucking need as we move briskly towards half a million dead.

[Polybius]

23. Baucus had him moments

More like Zell Miller 2.0.

[VarryOn]

16. Our 'Lisa Murkowski' nt

[Polybius]

24. Maybe we can trade

I'm sure Republicans would agree too.

[SamsDrink]

17. And some here don't want to primary him from the Left

What good is he if he sides with the Republicans? He’s neutering the slim Majority and needs to be a Team Democratic Party Member or let a true Democrat try and hold his seat.

[Polybius]

25. We can't

It's an automatic win for any Republican. Even Trump won with over 68% of the vote.

[oasis]

26. Hearing rumors of "progressives" pondering his fate may push

Joe to flip to GOP if he believes it will put him in a more secure situation.

"leave him be".

[pnwmom]

32. He votes with progressives about 60% of the time. Why would we be better off

with a Republican voting with us 20% of the time?

His state in 2016 gave more votes to Trump than any state in the country.

[Jon King]

18. Someone loves attention....

If he had any morals he would vote for the full $1.9 trillion which would help his state. And if he lost his next election, so be it. He is older and has plenty of money to live out his days. He could do the right thing.

But he is much closer to a Repub than a Dem.

[Xipe Totec]

20. He's going Lieberman nt

[rpannier]

59. Joe Liebermanchin

[LovingA2andMI]

21. Bernie said the Votes were there....

Some GOPer is flipping if Bernie is right so Manchin won't be a problem. Fuck him.

[cntrfthrs]

22. manchins going ahead...

will support the democrat plan...

[SunSeeker]

47. It's the Democratic plan, not the "democrat plan."

Just like it's the Democratic Party, not the Democrat Party.

But I think you're right about Manchin. As infuriating as he can be sometimes, he does what he thinks his constituents want, and he must know his constituents want -- and desperately need -- that money.

[marie999]

52. I would write, the Democratic Party's plan or the Democrats' plan.

[Hoyt]

27. Personally, I'm not ready to bash Manchin on this. First, we need him going

forward.

Second, I don’t think $1.9 Trillion is the only amount that will help right now. The GOPer proposal is laughable, but there is likely something that will satisfy everyone.

[yaesu]

53. after years of fascists blocking everything we want I'm not concerned about appeasing fascists. nt

[RockRaven]

28. Throw in enough pork for Maine and Alaska for Collins and Murkowski to get on board...

I don't like it, but if it makes the bill pass, then at least the bill passes.

[Teddy Beer]

29. DINO Joe

Not to be confused with

[Historic NY]

30. Wait he changed again....

even his Gov. Justice said to go for it.

[Thekaspervote]

31. I'm confused! The post at the link here says the senate voted 50-49..

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100215045033

[Fiendish Thingy]

34. That vote was just to approve moving the bill to reconciliation. Nt

[Bayard]

35. I read that earlier too

What gives?

[Fiendish Thingy]

33. If he switches parties, THEN can DUers bash him without fear of being punished?

‘Cuz if I say how I really feel right now, I fear it won’t go well with a jury...

[cstanleytech]

45. Oh, we can still disagree and criticize him for his decisions and this is one of those.

[nwliberalkiwi]

36. His Daughter

His daughter was the CEO that raised the price of the Epipen! Fuck the poor. Ho many died because of her!!!

[olddad65]

37. Seeming more and more like a closet republican.

[badboy67]

38. Moscow Mitch has Munchkin on speed dial.

Deals are being made.

[angrychair]

40. At this point cut him lose

His republican virtue signaling is going to cost us the Senate and the House in 2022.

People are looking at us to actually do something and not this hand wringing bullshit.

[summer_in_TX]

41. As I read his statement it is very carefully parsed.

He's left himself wiggle room.

[SunSeeker]

48. Yep, that's how I read it too. nt

[muriel_volestrangler]

51. As I read it, he contradicts himself

"I will only support moving in a bipartisan way"

"our focus must be targeted on the COVID-19 crisis and Americans who have been most impacted by this pandemic ... For the sake of the country, we must work together with laser focus to defeat the COVID-19 crisis, support our neighbors and communities who continue to suffer and get back to a more normal life as quickly as possible"

So, which is it? Only a bipartisan way? Or the laser focus on the COVID-19 crisis "as quickly as possible"? Since there isn't a Republican senator who supports the significant COVID actions, then it's not a "laser focus" to wait until you've sweet-talked a Republican or two into seeing sense.

He hasn't left himself wriggle room; he's talking out of both sides of his mouth.

[revmclaren]

42. Bookmarking...

Will return to this post after the Democrats stimulus package passes.

[man4allcats]

43. This guy is the definition of DINO n/t

[cstanleytech]

44. Unfortunately I think he is safe for a few more years in office.

[blue-wave]

46. For all the dirt poor people in Manchin's home state

I have two words for you Manchin: Fuck You!!

[padah513]

54. I think his feeling got hurt when VP Harris

Went on television in his home state. He said as much in a roundabout way on Cuomo. Someone up-thread said it best. Now he wants to be relevant, but only after four years of Trump and him barely opening his mouth. Leiberman wannabe.

[bucolic_frolic]

55. Maybe Toomey will vote 'Present'

Maybe we can sweeten the deal. Make the back end of Stim flexible based on economic recovery, for example.

[LymphocyteLover]

56. fuck this guy-- he is hurting Americans with this BS

[rpannier]

58. Joe Liebermanchin strikes again

I'm embarrassed that I gave so much money to his re-election campaign

[backroadblast]

60. make him vote against it

and keep making him vote against it, once a week, every week
also, call him out on it, every day.

see if that works on his pea sized coal soot choked brain cell.

[zanana1]

61. He's a Republican/Democrat.

[Crowman2009]

62. With Democrats like him, who needs GOPers!

And don't give me this whole "we shouldn't primary him" argument. He's useless!

[Jose Garcia]

63. Do you want Mitch McConnell back in charge?

[MFGsunny]

64. Am pretty sure he's flagging AGAIN only covid-pandemic issues to be in this bill.

He wants an easy OUT of the $15 minimum wage position.