Manchin says he's 'not a roadblock' for Biden's priorities

[SouthBayDem]

Source: CNN

Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin said Sunday that he's not a "roadblock" for President Joe Biden's legislative agenda, even as he uses his key position in the Senate to push against some aspects of Biden's massive infrastructure proposal.

"I'm not a roadblock at all," Manchin, a moderate from West Virginia, told CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union" when asked about those in his party who view him as a challenge to accomplishing some of the President's agenda. Manchin wields significant influence in the Senate as a result of his party's slim majority.

But as he sought to dismiss criticism from members of his party, Manchin told Bash that he supports a "more targeted" version of Biden's roughly $2 trillion infrastructure plan, flexing his potential veto power in the negotiations over the package. Biden's proposal includes less traditional infrastructure items, like $400 billion to bolster caregiving for aging Americans and those with disabilities.

"I do think they should be separated," Manchin said. "Because when you start putting so much into one bill, which we call an omnibus, it makes it very, very difficult for the public to understand."

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2021/04/25/politics/joe-manchin-joe-biden-infrastructure-bill-cnntv/index.html

[Champion Jack]

1. joe takes his marching orders from ALEC

what does he know about what is "very, very difficult for the public to understand"?

[George II]

7. On what do you base that?

[TiberiusB]

36. This help?

West_Virginia_ALEC_Politicians

manchin-mocks-sanders-15-wage-bill

Manchin under fire for prioritizing business by threatening to block infrastructure bill over corporate tax hike

manchins-objection-to-infrastructure-bill-may-be-motivated-by-corporate-donors/

joe-manchin-biden-infrastructure-bill-lawyers-donations-corporate-law-tax-breaks/

[Roisin Ni Fiachra]

43. ALEC is a hard core fascist organization.

After finding out that Manchin has ties to ALEC, I don't expect he will allow Democrats to pass any more significant legislation, as long as he can help maintain the filibuster and block reconciliation.

[George II]

52. No. Only the first refers to ALEC. Plus:

1. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), ALEC Senate Initiatives[1] Click [1] "Page not found"
2. Opinion piece, when did Manchin actually BLOCK the bill? (hint, it hasn't come up for a vote yet)
3. Opinion piece, "may be motivated, yadda yadda"
4. a. Candidates are forbidden by law from taking corporate money. b. Show me a single candidate that doesn't accept private contributions from business people, lawyers, CEOs, etc.

I think it's time for Democrats to stop bashing Joe Manchin, who through a review of his 2020 votes shows that he voted WITH Democrats more than some so-called "purer" Democrats.

Remember folks, if it's not Manchin sitting in that Senate seat, there's a 99% chance there would be a republican.

Which option is preferable?

A. Democrat who votes with Democrats 70-80% of the time
B. republican who votes with Democrats 0% of the time

[Stargleamer]

2. Does he stand in the way of DC statehood?

If so, he’s a roadblock

[ancianita]

17. Not yet. He says he's willing to discuss.

He voted to convict Trump. He said Trump was responsible for the riot, and Republicans -- North Carolina’s Richard Burr, Louisiana’s Bill Cassidy, Maine’s Susan Collins, Alaska’s Lisa Murkowski, Utah’s Mitt Romney, Nebraska’s Ben Sasse and Pennsylvania’s Pat Toomey joined Democrats in voting to convict.

He could have joined the Republicans in 2017 when WV's D governor switched to R, but he didn't. There's a reason for that, especially when WV has been the most trumpian state in the country.

[Beastly Boy]

18. Apparently, he doesn't

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/1/11/2008236/-Holy-crap-Joe-Manchin-is-open-to-DC-and-PR-statehood

But he has the power to create roadblocks in other ways. Evidently, he also has the power to remove them (he wasn't open to a DC statehood a year ago).

[Stargleamer]

58. Apparently he does

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/manchin-dc-statehood-amendment/2021/04/30/39fab2ae-a9dd-11eb-8d25-7b30e74923ea_story.html

[Beastly Boy]

60. Apparently he changed his mind since I posted.

Let's see what the next five days will bring.

[Calista241]

50. He says he supports DC statehood

But the filibuster blocks everything.

[Stargleamer]

59. He was deceptive

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/manchin-dc-statehood-amendment/2021/04/30/39fab2ae-a9dd-11eb-8d25-7b30e74923ea_story.html

[mucifer]

3. I'm so tired of his see saw ways. He will say the opposite tomorrow.

[CrispyQ]

6. If he did that he would become irrelevant in a snap.

He loves the attention he's getting now. As an R, he would be just another moderate asshole who votes with the party.

[Marthe48]

8. true

He doesn't wear a cape like his uncle did, but manchin is still a drama queen

[CrispyQ]

15. I had to look him up--A. James Manchin.

Wow! What a character.

29 Years Ago Yesterday, Joe Manchin’s Uncle Had To Resign For Incompetence

Rob Cornelius
Jul 10, 2018·4 min read

https://medium.com/@robcwv/29-years-ago-yesterday-joe-manchins-uncle-had-to-resign-for-incompetence-14b1e6ad6129

snip...

Manchin, yes, Joe’s uncle, had been elevated through public service. Initially he was elected to House of Delegates at 21, before being elected statewide, as Secretary of State and then, State Treasurer.

His claim in a 1984 campaign ad that he had financial expertise and could “do the job” proved sadly false to West Virginians who still today pay for his failure with higher taxes and smaller monthly benefits in retirement.

Under his watch, the state’s Pensions were gutted, losing likely more than $300 million dollars in the late 1980s. Manchin, charged with their supervision, turned over control of all the investments to an office full of clueless 30-somethings who traded bonds like Monopoly money.

It didn’t go well. Manchin had no clue how to read a balance sheet, testifying at one point that he had no idea that numbers which occurred within parentheses, were negative. Just an example that he had no idea what was going on with the pensions and made no real attempt to stop it.

at the bolded part.

[peppertree]

12. That he does.

He feels so good, he'll be needing an Epipen jab.

[PSPS]

5. "very difficult for the public to understand" claims senator 2%

The public understands quite well. Overwhelming bipartisan support among voters. But senator "I represent 2% of the country's voters" decides he knows better than the other 98%. So the anti-democratic senate continues its role to impose minority rule and further destroy the country.

[rlegro]

9. What we understand, Sen. Manchin:

You're trying to be the fancy-handled lever that pulls the Senate, and you're trying to keep the wingnuts among your West Virginia constituents from going Old Testament on you.

[Mike Nelson]

10. I think...

... he will "push against some aspects of Biden's massive infrastructure proposal" now, but Joe Manchin will vote for the final version of the bill.

[ancianita]

14. I think Manchin remembers when in 2017 pendejo called for eliminating the filibuster, which many

of us forget. So I'm with you, I think so, too.

The filibuster seems archaic and was based on a racist deal, but it has also been considered by democracy experts to be a guardrail norm that has required more deliberation and has, surprisingly, led to eventual bipartisanship bill passage.

The 117th is part of a long game, and though he goes for deliberation (I think he's trying to be thoughtful), he's a Democrat at vote time.

[George II]

16. He always does. He winds up voting for such bills and with the Democratic position a lot more....

....than he gets credit for, and votes so more than some other Democratic Senators.

Quite honestly, it's tiring to see all this bashing of him. We're not talking about New York, Illinois, or California. We're talking about West Virginia.

[OnDoutside]

20. Yes exactly. The time to judge him is when the rubber hits the road

and he actually has to vote against Dem bills. All the rest is just performance.

[George II]

21. Last year he voted with the Democratic position far more times than some others. I don't know....

....of any notable votes for which he didn't.

[OnDoutside]

23. In a way he is the Democrats Susan Collins and they need to give him the

space to get there in the end.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

26. I wonder how many keyboard warriors who attack him

Put any effort into trying to contact the 50 Republican Senators who are the real roadblocks.

[TiberiusB]

37. yes, because we all know the GOP is open to reason

Maybe his past Trump support is why many are fed up with him.

60.5%

Or maybe it's the realization that without reconciliation and the abolition of the filibuster, Biden's agenda will collapse and the next elections, thanks to suppression and gerrymandering, could be a bloodbath. What does Manchin think will happen? It's hard to be supportive of someone who seems so openly intent on bringing his party, and democracy, to ruin. Both he and Sinema have obvious agendas. Preserving Senate tradition and claims of restoring bipartisanship are nothing more than disingenuous smoke screens.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

39. Since you're the expert on his voting record

When has he been the deciding vote AGAINST Democrats? Or FOR Republicans?
Go on, you can do Sinema too, since you seem to enjoy trashing Democrats so much.
I'm curious what their agendas are too? Do you have some inside knowledge, or are you just not willing to put blame where it belongs, on Republicans?

[TiberiusB]

42. Nice over reaction to a legitamite point

You sound like fun. This is like screaming about how the Nazis are to blame, not their sympathizers and enablers. Well, calling out evil to evil's face is massively effective, as we have seen for literally decades now. Why does he have to be the deciding vote? Why is voting with the Democrats on some issues win blind support on others? The GOP is not going to budge on H.R. 1. Manchin and Sinema are actively threatening to block reform. Having that "D" by their name doesn't make them heroes by default. If the GOP successfully engineers the electoral college via their current barrage of regressive legislation, it won't matter what Manchin or Sinema supported as it will all get torn down, or did you miss the how well the Obama administration's legacy was treated the second Trump was in power?

Here's an idea, how about YOU explain why Manchin and Sinema oppose abolishing the filibuster, or even reforming it. Why does Manchin suddenly develop grave concerns over bill provisions the second corporate tax increases are on the table? How about when he mocks a $15 minimum wage to a group of industry executives (or Sinema's bold thumbs down).

Convince me this is all smart politics.

[AZSkiffyGeek]

44. Why?

Because we are a nation that is divided pretty close to 50/50. And when one party overreaches, things swing from one side to the other.
Get rid of the filibuster and we can jam through some legislation. And lose the house and Senate in 2022. And then get nothing done. Which will lead to an opportunistic Republican who isn't a complete dolt taking power and doing far worse than Trump was able to. And then the Democratic minority won't be able to stop them.

You know, kind of how when the filibuster was eliminated for the Supreme Court.

The fact is we have to involve the Republicans in some way. We at least have to try. If they want to block it, then run against them and defeat them. Don't attack Democrats for wanting to actually govern rather than rule, attack the ones who are actively obstructing things.

But what I've seen is that the left isn't opposed to tyranny of the majority, as long as they're the majority. Then it's perfectly fine to treat Republicans exactly the same way they treated us during the Trump era.

[TiberiusB]

57. A bit hyperbolic, but a much more reasoned response, thank you

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/why-joe-manchin-is-so-willing-and-able-to-block-his-partys-goals/

I think this is a decent analysis, though I think it ignores the corporate support he gets, which ties into his opposition to the $15 minimum wage. Joe Manchin is not a young man. At almost 74, he is close to the end of his career, so straining to hang on to his seat may be a lost cause, even if you put aside his narrow win in the last election (3%). I believe he is up again in 2024. That's a Presidential election year. That doesn't bode well for any Democrat.

As for the filibuster, I can guarantee that the GOP will eliminate it the second they take power again, should they find themselves unable to meet the 60 vote threshold. Preserving it now will not win any points for the Democrats. It won't stop the gerrymandering or the voter suppression. The GOP has no illusions as to their popularity. They cannot win without tilting the playing field, so they do, brazenly now, and they only care about the electoral college which Biden very narrowly won (look at the vote totals, not the electoral count). So long as only the Democrats play by the rules of a system badly biased in favor of the Right, they risk becoming the permanent minority in government where they represent the majority of the citizens.

But isn't "tyranny of the majority" another term for democracy? Is that how you view elections? We're not talking about forcing conservatives into labor camps. Obama reached out and got burned for four years. Mitch McConnell and the GOP have openly stated that they are prepared to block all of Biden's initiatives. How many recent votes have struggled to pry free even one Republican? How many have succeeded in winning over none? Can you name 10 who would cross over and risk a primary? Which party has censured those of it's members that dared to support the outcome of the election? It's a relief that some now recognize that when only one party is interested in bipartisanship, it's not compromise, it's capitulation. Decades of rightward drift have landed us in a world where attempted insurrection is dismissed as patriotism and all attempts to benefit the working class over the wealthy is labeled socialism. The GOP are pushing forward hundred of bills to suppress the vote. They've already tainted the census and packed the courts. The party is moving ever rightward, with some members actively looking to overturn the last election, and others openly supporting dangerously violent extremist groups like the Proud Boys and QAnon.

Opposing this and fighting to preserve even the tattered semblance of democracy left in this country looks like "tyranny"?

[AZSkiffyGeek]

40. It's funny how the same people who trash Manchin and Sinema seem to get excited

By Collins and Murkowski becoming Democrats. They can't even comprehend the ignorance of their position.

[OnDoutside]

48. As if the last 20 years of polarisation never happened....

[AZSkiffyGeek]

51. Two wrongs make a right - got it.

[rickyhall]

13. Then get out the way.

[2naSalit]

19. Ummm...

"Because when you start putting so much into one bill, which we call an omnibus, it makes it very, very difficult for the public to understand."

Actually Joe, the vast majority of us we understand quite well and part of that understanding is that you are standing in the way.

[OnDoutside]

22. I didn't realize you are a WV right of center Manchin voter, because

That's who he's talking to. He won by only 19,000 votes in 2018.

[2naSalit]

24. Doesn't matter if I am...

He is adversely affecting us all, that's what matters. We don't deserve the extra added stress this creates. Expediency is what we need right now and he is obstructing.

[OnDoutside]

25. He's not answerable to you though. I agree it is a complete pain

in the ass, but at the same time to there's nothing to vote on....this is all moot until they bring the bill to the floor, and currently the infrastructure bill is working its way through the system. I'm far more concerned about S1 but there's no push from Senate leadership to push this before Infrastructure (which I think could be a catastrophic mistake). So all the stuff Manchin is talking about is meaningless at the moment, except for his voter block.

[Mad Kirrua]

27. Of Course You're Not, Joe!

As a Native-American man, I naturally trust everything a white guy says.

[FailureToCommunicate]

46. Welcome to DU!

[ArizonaLib]

28. A 'Roadblock' meeans nothing passes

Noone understands his need to delay for everyone who benefits in favor or targeting (which is word twisting for restricting funds for some where it is not necessary). What does he care that the public not understand it? He gets to explain it to a national audience anytime he calls a national media outlet.

[aocommunalpunch]

29. LMAO

He's on the side of legislative literacy comprehension? GTFOH.

[dsc]

30. He is actually correct about the fact bills shouldn't have bunches of unrelated provisions

but the filibuster is a huge part of the reason so many bills are omnibus bills. Since we now need 60 votes to so much as name a post office thanks to that stupid provision, then all the bills that can be passed whilst bypassing this requirement end up having everything but the kitchen sink in them. In essence you get a limited number of shots at passing such bills making each one a unicorn upon which you put every think you wish to pass. The only other way around it is to have unrelated items put in must pass bills. Instead all bills should be able to pass with a simple majority and be much more limited.

[LiberalLovinLug]

31. The public understands just fine

"Because when you start putting so much into one bill, which we call an omnibus, it makes it very, very difficult for the public to understand."

The public is behind Biden's plan. Manchin would probably get a bump in his own State. No, he's only interested in having that kind of power to wield.

[Grokenstein]

32. "I'm not a roadblock at all!"

"A roadblock doesn't throw itself in your path then stay there until it gets its way. I'm a toddler."

[Carlitos Brigante]

33. "... it makes it very, very difficult for the public to understand." There

it is. That's what he thinks about his constituents.

[GB_RN]

34. He's Not A Roadblock.

Just a huge speed bump, bordering on a roadblock.

[JustAnotherGen]

35. For HIS voters to understand

He has a large population of voters who are mired in only what personally effects them.

On the other hand - I have two Senators in NJ who will have to explain why ONCE again their voters.pay taxes to Fed . . .that never come back to them. Or go to square state nonsense . . . Like - not even managing to keep health centers open.

He's with Senators who represent 41.5 million more people than the GOP. He's going to have to explain to his people that its for their own good.

[msongs]

38. look joe manchin has found 10 bipartisan republican senators....not nt

[Trueblue1968]

41. i think Manchin's awful. He is obstructing. LET JOE PASS HIS BILLS !!!!!

[mountain grammy]

45. he means hard for him to understand.

I'm the public.. I understand just fine.

[mysteryowl]

47. This is tragic! We got rid of Moscow Mitch and now we have Manchin holding up passing bills.

We are about 12 years over due on legislation. This is tragic!!!

[CaptainTruth]

49. Cool story bro...

[ananda]

53. Are we parsing language now?

How about barricade, blockade, or obstruction?

.....

[marble falls]

54. Hard to believe how resistant to Manchin is.

[bringthePaine]

55. not just a roadblock - a denialist asshole heading toward turncoat

[electric_blue68]

56. Pah! If'd I'd been drinking something it'd been spit out.