HOW IT'S DONE: Katie Porter SLAMS Corrupt Joe Manchin AND His Donors

[BigBearJohn]

[George II]

1. "Corrupt" Joe Manchin? REALLY?????????????

[berni_mccoy]

2. It's pretty clear at this point that he's been corrupted.

You must be one of those people still hoping he’s going to support the reconciliation package. Here’s some news: Manchin and Sinema are not going to cooperate to meet the Oct 31 deadline that Pelosi backed up to. We will be right where we are in December with the debt ceiling that we were at the end of September.

[George II]

5. So what's your solution? He's THERE now and will be until he runs for re-election. Do you know....

....of a Democrat in West Virginia that has a chance to win a Senate seat in that state?

Should we give up a Democratic Senator who votes mostly with Democrats and replace him with a republican who would vote with Democrats ZERO percent of the time.

People like to bash our Democrats in the Senate but never look at the grim alternative.

Back to my first question - what's your solution?

[azureblue]

7. better yet

what is yours? It's easy to criticize when you have nothing to offer yourself. Tell us how you would solve it.

He has an Achilles heel and that is his daughter's corruption - vastly raising drug prices for no otehr reason than to make more money off of people whose lives depend on the drugs. So, isn't it time to investigate her, and make a big splash about whose daughter she is? You think daddy would come running to try to head it off? and there is your leverage..

[Jon King]

9. The solution is to run in 2022 that Dems need 2 more real Dem Senators to make him irrelevant.

Its the only solution. Democrats need to run in 2022 that if voters give them 2 real Democratic Senators they can accomplish much good for the country.

Basically use Sinema and Manchin on the campaign trail as a reason we need more Dem Senators.

[reACTIONary]

19. +10 nt

[George II]

10. I've already offered my solution in the post to which you responded.

[berni_mccoy]

15. Criticizing a poster is going to change Manchin's mind?!?

Tell me more…

[reACTIONary]

20. The point is...

... there is no solution that involves smearing democrats. M is part of the big tent Dem caucus. The only "solution" is to expand the caucus.

And, by the way, to do that, you will need more M's. So better get used to it.

[berni_mccoy]

22. The truth is not a smear.

[reACTIONary]

25. While a fact is the truth...

... a judgement based on the fact is an opinion, and if that opinion is not warranted may be considered a smear.

"Corrupt" is a judgement, and a harsh one. If he did something illegal, was charged, and convicted, I would move it towards the fact category. As it stands now, its a smear.

[berni_mccoy]

33. His donors are well known

His purchase by Big Oil and Coal is no secret.

[George II]

30. If the "truth" is that Manchin is corrupt, he'll be charged and tried as a corrupt politician....

The fact that that hasn't happened makes calling him "corrupt" is a smear.

And remember, he IS a Democrat, like it or not.

[berni_mccoy]

32. You're kidding yourself if you think corruption is always prosecuted

The SCOTUS ruled in Citizens United that bribery is free speech. Manchin can be bought without ever breaking a law.

[George II]

34. I don't think you understand what the Citizens United decision really was.

[berni_mccoy]

35. Based on your track record of posts and being right

Your doubt does not concern me

[George II]

36. You're implying that the Citizens United decision allows unlimited corporate money to go...

....to candidates' bank accounts. Not even close.

And I'm correct, not right.

[berni_mccoy]

37. Straw man argument

Please proceed

[George II]

38. "Straw man argument" - how so?

[berni_mccoy]

39. You know. I can explain it if you like

But that would be a waste of time for both of us now wouldn’t it?

[George II]

40. Give it a shot. Thanks!

[Eyeball_Kid]

16. What Pro-Dems like Porter are doing and need to do more of:

Continue to BRAND the GOP as TOXIC. There is plenty of evidence that the GOP IS Toxic. They are an insurrectionist party. Right now, it's an expedient move to pressure the corporate Dems to vote for reconciliation and voting rights. But the medium to long game is to solidify for the rest of the voting public that the GOP is a disloyal, corrupt, and criminal enterprise that NO ONE should be currently invested in. The mere fact that they are coddling an insurrectionist former president and lifting him up for another run in 2024 should be reason enough to send the GOP packing. All of them. They are NOT a loyal opposition. They are a foreign-backed adversary. And that point needs to be driven home. Every GOPer who entertains the notion that the 2020 election was something other than authentic needs to go. Now.

Yes, the 2022 election should make Sinema and Manchin irrelevant. There are plenty of scenarios that bring the Democratic Senate to a good number.

[TheRickles]

21. Good idea, though the story of her corruption has been out there for a while.

He defended her publicly on CNN (and elsewhere) when this came out in 2016: https://www.cnn.com/2016/09/07/politics/manchin-defends-bresch-mylan-epipen-price/index.html

But a Congressional investigation, or the threat of one - that could really get the Senator's attention.

[reACTIONary]

23. So your solution is to run a dem against him...

... that doesn't have an Achilles heel? You would either get another M or a Repug. Take your pick.

[berni_mccoy]

14. I've been hoping the "I have faith in Pelosi" crowd knew the solution

They keep telling me to shut up and trust her.

[fwdthinkingdem]

18. Grim alternative?

If a "democratic" senator isn't trying to pass a voting rights bill unless his friends help. He is the grim the alternative...

The grim reality is happening now. Voting rights isn't only for presidential elections but the house and senate.

[certainot]

28. one solution: make clear to manchin sinema with limbaugh gone they're commit political suicide

dems/progressives need to signal the end of the RW radio monopoly - the only unique 'advantage' they've had in the last 30 years of our rightward drift.

RW radio is the major reason conservadems can look 'principled' while pointing to made-to-order pro-corporate constituencies to enable them

it was rw radio that allowed the GOP and fox to continue to deny global warming and then covid. it wasn't facebook.

signal the left will put effort into using artificial intelligence to digitize political talk radio. once it can be searched, studied and factored into political analysis it won't be a secret weapon/advantage anymore and retroactive analysis will show putin's been using limbaugh/talk radio since at least 2008 (manafort/limbaugh/palin), 2009 (climategate'), 2011 (pushing debt default how many republican millionaires want that?) and on and on. the extension is that putin's also been using it to push authoritarian chaos and migration emergencies in many other parts of the world

make clear to conservadems and GOP that before the next elections it will become commercially and politically miserable for any advertiser, ad company, university, and pro sports team to associate with the 1500 locally coordinated radio stations that serve GOP, corporate, and putin interests and deny global warming, covid, stoke racism, push anti abortion regression, and sell voter suppression legislation.

not only will west virginia and arizona become irrelevant for holding and growing a dem senate majority and passing a progressive agenda, the only place for manchin and sinema will be the GOP, which without all that free daily lying to enable them, will become a cesspool of infighting losers.

trumpism rots with limbaugh. to stay in the winning party they will cave.

[magicguido]

3. Let him keep his Luxury Yacht; Seniors just want Dental Care

[mopinko]

4. stephanie ruhle.

he's totally mischaracterizing her.
she's nodding her head when porter talks about taxing the rich, and unger is surprised? dude. she does that all the time, and right to ceo's faces.

a corporatist? rly? gimme a break. yes, she thinks not everyone w money is a monster. yes, she was on wall street before news. she can talk that side of the argument. but i've seen her mannnnyyy times rant about the rich who dont pay. to their faces.

[Baitball Blogger]

6. Joe Manchin is a Republican Sleeper. We are seeing his true colors, and it isn't blue.

[Tommymac]

8. Katie Porter is a Superstar.

I love her.

[Magoo48]

12. Yes, she is a superstar. She's our rep and we're quite proud of her.

[George II]

13. Are you aware of what your superstar tried to do with Chairwoman Waters and her Financial Services..

...Committee?

Worth looking into.

[SharonClark]

17. A kerfuffle about rules and how Porter tried to upend them.

Waters' ego was bruised, Porter didn't get what she wanted.
No big deal.

Porter is smart and articulate and I'm glad she's there.

[George II]

26. It was more than a kerfuffle about rules. She went behind Waters' back, not telling her at all....

....about what she was going to do, and tried to get Waters' committee downgraded so she could be on two top-rated committees.

All representatives submit their top two choices to the Steering Committee. She didn't do so, instead tried to get on the Financial Services Committee through the back door.

It wasn't just a "bruised ego", it was disrespectful to Waters and the other members of the Committee. It showed me quite a bit about her.

[Jon King]

11. Plenty of swing Senator opportunities in 2022 to make Manchin and Sinema irrelevant.

At some point Dems have to go all in in trying to get 50 real Democratic Senators. We need a miracle of getting 2 additional seats in 2020 so Manchin and Sinema are no longer able to have this much power.

[Old Okie]

24. Manchin

What are the rules here anyway? Is it forbidden to say negative things about any Democrat? Are we supposed to believe that there are no corrupt Democrats or corporate Blue Dog Democrats? Have not been a member long but won't stay if that is the case.

The fact that no other Democrat could be elected in WV is irrelevant if he will not vote for the Democratic agenda. The only real solution is to elect more Senators in 2022 and make him irrelevant.

For now, we either have to pay him off or threaten to investigate him and his daughter for corruption, I don't care which. Between his family business of coal mining and his daughter's role in Pharma; he is totally compromised.

[George II]

27. Speaking of voting for the Democratic agenda, Manchin has voted 100% with Biden's agenda....

....so far. 100%.

Of the 50 Senators in the Democratic caucus - 35 have voted 100% with Biden's agenda, including Manchin (and Sinema, too)

Here are the 15 who have not:

[reACTIONary]

29. It is not irrelevant, even if...

... even if didn't vote with the caucus, although he does, his dem affiliation would be important. That's because it gives us the senate majority, which gives us the power to set the agenda and control the committees. Without him . Mc Turtle would be in charge.

[Ligyron]

31. Absolutely and we can keep the House and even expand our majority there.

We’re often told it’s just not possible when it totally is. We just need to make sure every Democrat can vote and actually does so in spite of the Republican’s attempt at suppression.

We have an entire year to make that happen and every Democratic voter needs to make it their personal responsibility to check the voter rolls in their state and make sure they’re on there right up until the election itself.

The repuke’s new state laws enabling them to overturn the results of elections unfavorable to them will be destroyed in court. I don’t even think the supreme court will uphold them because those laws are, first of all, unconstitutional and are also liable to cut both ways with there being a lot more Democrats than Republicans.

However, the main reason I feel we will prevail is because we absolutely have to or democracy itself is dead. Even the majority of independents can see that and have no desire themselves or for their children and grandchildren to live in an authoritarian coporatocracy.

We will prevail.