Leaked Audio of Sen. Joe Manchin Call With Billionaire Donors Provides Rare Glimpse of Dealmaking

[PoliticAverse]

on Filibuster and January 6 Commission

West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, in a private call on Monday with a group of major donors, provided a revealing look at his political approach to the most thorny issues confronting lawmakers.

...

The call included several billionaire investors and corporate executives, among them Louis Bacon, chief executive of Moore Capital Management; Kenneth D. Tuchman, founder of global outsourcing company TeleTech; and Howard Marks, the head of Oaktree Capital, one of the largest private equity firms in the country. The Zoom participant log included a dial-in from Tudor Investment Corporation, the hedge fund founded by billionaire Paul Tudor Jones. Also present was a roster of heavy-hitting political influencers, including Republican consultant Ron Christie and Lieberman, who serves as a representative of No Labels and now advises corporate interests.

...

The wide-ranging conversation went into depth on the fate of the filibuster, infrastructure negotiations, and the failed effort to create a bipartisan commission to explore the January 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol, and offers a frank glimpse into the thinking of the conservative Democrat who holds the party’s fate in his hands.

Manchin told the assembled donors that he needed help flipping a handful of Republicans from no to yes on the January 6 commission in order to strip the “far left” of their best argument against the filibuster. The filibuster is a critical priority for the donors on the call, as it bottles up progressive legislation that would hit their bottom lines.

Read the rest at: https://theintercept.com/2021/06/16/joe-manchin-leaked-billionaire-donors-no-labels/

[gohuskies]

1. So the truth about Manchin's agenda is out of the bag

He is beholden to dark money interests like there is no tomorrow and not for the interests of his constituents. He is not an honorable man.

[TheBlackAdder]

2. Well, well, well. Manchin needs 'help' flipping some "far left" of their filibuster argument.

[ShazzieB]

16. Oh what a tangled web...

"Manchin told the assembled donors that he needed help flipping a handful of Republicans from no to yes on the January 6 commission in order to strip the “far left” of their best argument against the filibuster. The filibuster is a critical priority for the donors on the call, as it bottles up progressive legislation that would hit their bottom lines."

He was asking for help flipping Republicans, not Democrats, to vote "yes" on the Jan. 6 commission, thereby getting the Dems off his back about abolishing the filibuster? Well, we all know how well THAT went.

Seems kind of disingenuous of Manchin to think those donors would help him with that, or with getting Repukes to vote for anything they obviously see as a threat to themselves. Is he really that naive?

I don't know what to think at this point. I always assumed there was a method to his madness, but now I'm questioning whether he really understands who he's dealing with (both in terms of these donors and his GQP Senate "colleagues."

[LakeArenal]

3. Sigh. At least he's trying to flip Republicans.

[budkin]

4. This is disgusting.

Regarding Blunt, Manchin appears to be suggesting — without, perhaps, quite explicitly saying so — that the wealthy executives on the call could dangle future financial opportunities in front of the outgoing senator while lobbying him to change his vote. Senate ethics rules forbid future job negotiations if they create a conflict of interest or present even the appearance of a conflict of interest. Manchin, notably, doesn’t suggest that the donors discuss a job, but rather says that people who Blunt may later be working with would be likely to have significant influence, reflective of the way future job prospects can shape the legislative process even when unspoken.

[wellst0nev0ter]

5. Meeting Hosted by Joe Lieberman's No Label's group

Poetic.

[madinmaryland]

8. Fucking Lieberman is still pulling this shit. Fuck him!

[robertpaulsen]

10. Ah, that's where Tom Tomorrow's Jedi Master came from.

[ms liberty]

23. Tom Tomorrow can always be relied upon to nail it. n/t

[questionseverything]

6. Early in the article it said he objected to automatic voter registration at drivers

Stations

Later it says he objects to same day registration

Does anyone know which it is?

I ask because we could give up automatic registration as long as we have same day registration

[Budi]

9. Unless Ryan Grim has a video of that private Zoom call he somehow hacked into

...expect to be enthralled by the embellished & often contradictory musings of a proverbial loose cannon, dying for celebrity status among the many journs he's already pissed off because of his propaganda & flat out lies.
And those people weren't exactly pro-Democrats either.

[JoanofArgh]

25. Ah, Ryan Grim, the guy who brought us Tara Reade. He's posted a bunch of stuff that hasn't

been well-sourced.

[George II]

42. I'm wondering how Grim got this "leaked audio" of a private meeting? Seems convenient to me.

[JoanofArgh]

78. To me as well.

[questionseverything]

38. If you actually read the intercept article and/or listened to the recording

You could hear exactly what the article states is true

Or certainly seems to be

Shrugs

Why don’t you use your real life name while you are seemingly slandering these reporters?

[Budi]

39. Ryan Grim is not a reporter. He gave us the Tara Reade sensationalism-as-news

He concocted a media lie built around another set of lies with a player who now guest hosts on Russia Today., to destroy the credibility of a candidate who was running laps around Grim's candidate.

My Real Life name is not a requirement to be a posting member on this site.

You state:
"Why don’t you use your real life name while you are seemingly slandering these reporters?"

Telling the truth about a 'reporter' with a proven "shady" hit-style isn't slander. It's called telling the truth.

[questionseverything]

41. You have written paragraphs and paragraphs about an article you clearly did not read

And an interview you did not listen to

You don’t even know it is the intercept and lee fang that have the recording….this other guy you hate for whatever reason is doing the interview

Even if a reporter has been wrong about something in the past, it doesn’t discredit anything and everything they say

[Budi]

48. Well that's rather damned accusatory.

You claim to know I didn't read the article?
Gee wiz!!

Excuse me here. He wasn't just wrong about something in the past, Grim WROTE the media play-by -play for that Tara Reade bullshit story.
To damage the image of a candidate who was not his own preference.

THAT is blatant lying via the Media to sabatoge the reputation of a targeted candidate.

He shoved that Tara Reade lie he helped concoct, rapid speed out to every MSM & Social Media market he could.

And where's the lying Ms Reade now?
She's a guest host on Russia Today.

Where & however DID Ryan Grim meet up with the lovely Tara Reade in the 1st place?

He wasn't just wrong about 'something', He Created The Lie.

And people protect him. Geezus krrriiist.

[questionseverything]

52. So I googled tara Reade

May 8 there was a guardian article by lauren gambino

April 19 npr has an article

Same with pbs may 15

May19 cnn

May 3 bbc

May 8 vox

Sept 38 nyt

All repeating same accusations

Grim wasn’t shown to be associated with her in any of those so I still don’t understand what connection you are so worked up over

I will defend the guardian as one of the best investigative mags

[Budi]

55. He most certainly was. Try again.

I followed that bs hit on Biden & Grim was right there in the middle of it, like a fast frenzy.

He was shoving it everywhere he could.

What's Grim's end game here? We already knew of Manchin's RW ties in his state.
That's never been a secret. Its why he is the only D to win that District.

Does Grim want Manchin to ditch the D party for McConnell to step in as Majority?

It's not the 1st time he's played the opposing side from the Democrats.

Grim's darling of scandal now works her magic on Russia Today.
Is his end game to get Manchin to flip parties & hand the Majority to McConnell?

That would not surprise me at all.
Considering Grim will go play wherever he can do the most damage to Democrats.

THAT is Ryan Grim's endgame.
Congrats. 🙄

[questionseverything]

60. Listen to the recording

Listen to the recording

Listen to the recording

Listen to the recording

[Budi]

64. How'd Grim get the audio?

Same way Russia Today's Tara Reade lie somehow was 'leaked'..

What's his endgame this time?
Same as last time?

Does he want McConnell to have Senate Majority?

[aocommunalpunch]

66. The endgame is to pressure Manchin to actually vote on this stuff.

It's not too much to ask him to do his job. If this leak is persuasive in getting him on board with the Biden agenda, I'd call that a win.

[Budi]

68. Vote on what stuff? Who else is voting NO besides Manchin & Sinema?

I hear a 3rd just joined the fray.

Maybe Grim can work his magic on the other 2 now.

[questionseverything]

67. I will keep playing this game because every exchange kicks the really important guardian article

As to how the

Guardian got the recording idk yet

But I find it fascinating that we can hear millionaires voices, outing themselves


Your turn to bump

[ShazzieB]

18. Why not both?

Is there any reason not to assume he objects to both same day registration and dmv registration?f

[Budi]

7. 1st of all, it's The Intercept. 2nd, it's from Ryan Grimm

Article by:
Lee Fang, Ryan Grim

Ryan Grimm has ZERO credibility.
He lost that by publishing hit pieces that were deceptive & flat out lies.
He has even lost the support of JIMMY DORE. Hiss in time collaberator in all things Anti-Democrat.

How exactly did super sleuth & discredited poster for everyone but the Intercept, happen to snoop in on a private Zoom call?

Now I'm no fan of Manchin nor the Corp RW that he associates with, BUT before I put money on the truth of this article from the Intercept & written by a completely discredited (within his own circle) shlub like Ryan Grim, I'll be believing the exact truth of this read is just more of Grimm's half-trutheristic sensationalism he has used everywhere else he's attached himself to, to make a living.

Ryan Grim is a propagandist & I'm not surprised the last place that would hire him is The Intercept.

The guy's work is a fraud. He's been booted off the most anti-Democratic sites because he makes even them look bad.

How did Ryan fking Grim end up hacking into this private Zoom call? And how do we know for certain the story he tells isn't embellished up the wazoo to Grim's preferred bias.

Even Jimmy Dore told Grim to take a hike.
And Grim signed in to The Intercept. 🙄

Last time I saw Grim he was tweeting on Nina Turner's page applauding & retweeting her, " Joe Biden's a bowl of shit" self demolition crusade.

[ancianita]

12. I used to think the Intercept was too libertarian. But it's not rated as right wing.

https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/the-intercept/

Overall, we rate The Intercept progressive Left Biased based on story selection that routinely favors the left. We also rate them Mostly Factual in reporting, rather than High due to previous fabricated work and censorship of writers.
Detailed Report

Bias Rating: LEFT
Factual Reporting: MOSTLY FACTUAL
Country: USA (45/180 Press Freedom)
Media Type: Website
Traffic/Popularity: High Traffic
MBFC Credibility Rating: HIGH CREDIBILITY

As for Grim, thanks for exposing everyone to him and his history. We need to grow more aware of how perception management works in journalism.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

22. Right/left are stupidly limiting pigeonholes & should be dropped. Politics is multi-dimensiona. . nt

[George II]

32. There's also this about the category in which Media Bias Fact Check places them (Left Bias):

These media sources are moderately to strongly biased toward liberal causes through story selection and/or political affiliation. They may utilize strong loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by using appeal to emotion or stereotypes), publish misleading reports, and omit information that may damage liberal causes. Some sources in this category may be untrustworthy.

Inasmuch as this is a "leaked" audio leads one to wonder how credible this report is overall.

[choie]

15. so what - you think the call was made up?

The proof is right there for you to hear. He's a POS. "The far left" my ass.

[Budi]

34. If Ryan Grim can produce the actual video to go with his own personal "play-by-play", then sure.

Considering everything else Grim has hit the OMG! headlines with to damage a Democrat, why would anyone give credibility as to the truth of his OMG!! WE SECRETLY SAW THE PRIVATE ZOOM and HERE, LEMME WRITE DOWN IN THIS INTERCEPT SPACE WHAT I HEARD THEM SAY. !!!

Did Grim hack into & Secretly Record a Private Meeting??

Ryan Grim has a habit of sensationalism & putting together a Gotcha Headline cuz he Sooo wants to be loved & paid well by someone.
Problem is, Grim is prone to half assed GOTCH's that lose him credibility after the bomb is lobbed to the drueling media.
But perhaps that's his whole intent.
It doesn't have to be true, because there's a whole bunch of Democrats his peeps love to hate & that is what Grim lives for.

Ryan Grim's biggest OMG!! Was pushing the TARA READE fiasco into every media market he could find ..HE was Somebody!

Well until Tara Reade story he concocted proved to be a big fat lie.

Guess what. Biden is President of the USA, Reade guest stars on Russia Today, & Grim has moved on from that humiliating fall from credibility among his former media pals, & apparantly 'rewriting his version of play-by-plays' found while hacking into a private Zoom.

He either produces the video or he's as believable as he was with the Tara Reade GOTCHA that wasn't.

[Fiendish Thingy]

46. I don't care about Grim, it's the audio that matters

The audio shows Manchin’s candid thoughts when the public isn’t looking. That’s quite valuable, IMO, regardless of the messenger who brings the information.

[Budi]

49. It's not the 1st time Grim has done a sleazy dirty deed with half ass 'reporting'.

I believe not even half of what he wrote to claim celebrity.
He's made that discredited reputation all by himself.

He brougt the country Tara Reade ffs.
He can take a hike.

Who has Grim's preferred party have to primary Manchin in WVa?
So to hand over the Majority to McConnell would be Grim's desired outcome?

We already knew Manchin was in deep with R's in his state.
So what's Grim's end game?
Mitch McConnell?
With Grim's reputation for botching up his GOTCHAs, he may hand the Senate over to McConnell.

Happy?

[SunImp]

51. Same

[aeromanKC]

11. Is even more important to get +52 in '22 in order to reform the filibuster!!

D's need to hold their own in NH, GA and AZ while gaining seats in WI, PA and even FL, OH We can do it!!!

[notpolltested]

13. If we had term limits maybe we wouldn't be so dependent on divas to to the right thing nt

[Progressive Jones]

20. I get your point, but we have term limits. They're called elections.

Term limits are a rightie fantasy.

[JoanofArgh]

28. I'm absolutely baffled as to why people think term limits will solve anything.

If a corrupt person is elected, they'll start being corrupt in their first term. Manchin lives in Trumplandia. Chances are a Republican would replace him if he could no longer run. I get frustrated with him and Sinema too, but it is what it is.

[notpolltested]

57. Great, I'll gladly take Susan Collins Maine seat replaced

with a real Democrat in exchange for Manchin.

[Midnight Writer]

14. Is there audio of Manchin talking to any regular people? Like maybe his constituents?

[Trailrider1951]

24. Don't be silly, Midnight Writer

Those people he was talking to ARE his constituents...the ones that really matter. The people of WVA are of no real concern to him, unless they can be bribed by a few crumbs into voting for him again.

[OnDoutside]

17. The only good thing about that is Dems now know where he actually stands. When Mitch continues to

say No, it will actually add to the pressure on Manchin, and that's good to know.

[LiberalArkie]

19. Another good write up is at KOS

https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2021/6/16/2035633/-Leaked-Audio-of-Joe-Manchin-talking-to-Dark-Money-in-private-is-different-from-Joe-Manchin-in-Public

[LiberalArkie]

21. The ethics of his daughter always told me a lot about his.

[kimbutgar]

26. I wish someone would just ask him how much of a donation he needs to end the filibuster

Just ask him his asking price.

[George II]

27. Apparently Manchin (STILL a Democrat) is whipping votes in an attempt to flip republicans...

...to get 60 votes to overcome a filibuster.

What's wrong with that?

[Fiendish Thingy]

45. He's whipping votes because if the filibuster blocks the commission:

1) Pelosi will form an HSC with more power than the commission, and the GOP can’t block subpoenas, and
2) Schumer will aggressively move to kill the filibuster rule, and force Manchin to take a public vote on the rule change

[George II]

50. I don't psychoanalyze people. Regardless of what happens in the Senate, Speaker Pelosi will still...

....create the Commission and investigate this.

Schumer will do what he feels is right, and again I won't predict what he'll do. He's smart and a clever manipulator.

[LudwigPastorius]

29. He's a DINO, but there's nothing cute about him..

[George II]

30. He's a Democrat, probably the best Democrat we can expect in the state of West Virginia.

[Budi]

37. Waiting for a Ryan Grim affiliated candidate to Primary Manchin.

Its down to, put up or shut up.

Who they got to go up against a Republican in WVa?

No one.
Not one single replacement to hold the Dem majority.
So its all talk. No action.

Got it.

[BGBD]

75. She already tried...

and got obliterated.

[Budi]

76. Who tried & got obliterated. ?

A primary in WVA?

If she ran as a D, yes. That's the point with Manchin. As a D he has to play the game WVA runs.
If all he's giving us is the Senate Majority then it's still more than we'd have today if he had an R behind his name.

Ignore Manchin & spend the energy on going after a flippable seat to give us the Majority, and take Manchin's power away.

The only way we relegate him to the fringe, is not to try for his seat, but to put our enrgey into electing more Ds.
It makes Manchin irrelevent.

[BGBD]

80. Paula Jean Swearengin

She ran against Manchin in the 2018 primary. She is in the Bernie camp and even Co starred in the Knock Down The House documentary that AOC and Cori Bush were in. Big difference is Manchin beat her by 40 points in that primary. In 2020 she got the nomination over Richard Ojeda and then got beat by Capito by another 40 points in the general.

She is a good example of why leftist candidates aren't viable in WV.



That's why polls trying to show how WVians support progressive issues x, y, and z shouldn't be trusted. Those same voters had the option to vote for a candidate who supported them all and she was roundly rejected.

[TheFarseer]

56. I accept this argument when

We are talking about confirming conservative judges or a controversial health care or tax bill. But I do not think voters in West Virginia demand their representation take contributions from outsourcing firms and the most disgusting private equity pirates in the country.

[George II]

58. That stuff about accepting contributions is not true, candidates have limits on how much....

...they can accept from individuals and PACs, and are prohibited from accepting contributions from "outsourcing firms" and "private equity pirates".

Can you name any?

MOST importantly, if Manchin is defeated by a republican then McConnell becomes Majority Leader. Do you want that?

[TheFarseer]

62. So Joe Manchin has a big meeting

With all those Billionaires so he can get a whole $2800? Come on, don’t treat us like we are all stupid. You’re living in a fantasy world if you don’t think money talks in DC. Please use a reality based argument.

[George II]

69. You're telling me he openly violated campaign finance laws?

[TheFarseer]

71. No

I’m telling you campaign finance laws are a joke. Outside groups regularly outspend the candidates themselves. Do I honestly have to explain PACs to you? For instance, the Koch brothers spent $900 million on political contributions in 2016. You’re telling me they spent that $2800 a shot on 321,428 candidates? Who are you trying to fool?

[Budi]

77. Rofl... Manchin ain't the only one with big private PAC funders

Thre are others that play the game of hiding donor funds just out of the watching eye of the FEC.

Ya. I agree. The whole thing should be pulled apart & simplified.
Citizens United needs to be kicked to the garbage bin.

No wonder McConnell's main mission was seating RW SC judges.

[TheFarseer]

79. Yeah obviously he's not the only one

Someone was trying to convince us, for God knows what reason, that no one can donate over $2800 to a candidate and there’s no way around that!

[Crunchy Frog]

59. Best Democrat Koch money can buy.

[George II]

70. He's a DEMOCRAT, the best Democrat WVA can provide. PLEASE don't bash him. Thanks.

[Budi]

40. There's a few DINOs in the House & Senate. Flipfloppers too!

Lets not stop with Manchin!

[monkeyman1]

31. new congress bill : congress people can be removed by their district at any time .no wait clause

[bdamomma]

33. Manchin

is in it for dark money, Heritage Foundation, Chamber of Commerce, these agencies are doing laps about Manchin being an obstructionist. He is in it for the money.

[Budi]

35. Who pays Ryan Grim?

Plenty of dirty dark money out there.

There's no such thing as purity in that political game.

[TeamProg]

36. Hey, he's 'listening to his CONSTITUENTS!' - the wealthy ones..

S.N.A.F.U.

[andym]

43. Manchin is more savvy then he lets on

asking these rich influential men to put pressure on Republicans to get the 1/6 commision approved was smart. Didn't work though.

[Fiendish Thingy]

44. You buried the money quotes:

Manchin’s openness for filibuster reform on the call is notable given it flew in the face of many attendees’ hopes. Asked about a proposal to lower the threshold to beat back a filibuster to 55 votes, he said that it was something he was considering, but then quickly referred back to his earlier idea of forcing the minority to show up on the Senate floor in large enough numbers to maintain a filibuster.

“That’s that’s one of many good, good suggestions I’ve had,” he said of lowering the cloture total from 60 to 55. Manchin went on to discuss the last time the cloture threshold was lowered, in the 1970s.

“I looked back … when it went from 67 votes to 60 votes, and also what was happening, what made them think that it needed to change. So I’m open to looking at it, I’m just not open to getting rid of the filibuster, that’s all,” he said.

“60 is where I planted my flag, but as long as they know that I’m going to protect this filibuster, we’re looking at good solutions.”
Manchin acknowledged that publicly he had drawn a line at 60, but said that he was open to other ideas. “Right now, 60 is where I planted my flag, but as long as they know that I’m going to protect this filibuster, we’re looking at good solutions,” he said. “I think, basically, it should be [that] 41 people have to force the issue versus the 60 that we need in the affirmative. So find 41 in the negative. … I think one little change that could be made right now is basically anyone who wants to filibuster ought to be required to go to the floor and basically state your objection and why you’re filibustering and also state what you think needs to change that’d fix it, so you would support it. To me, that’s pretty constructive.”

Kudos to whoever leaked the audio, and…Fuck.Joe.Lieberman.

[questionseverything]

53. Good point

[Beetwasher.]

54. So, He's Actually Much More Thoughtful and Nuanced Than One Might Think from Recent Reports

That's encouraging.

[BGBD]

47. Oh, the horror!!!!!

Manchin pressuring bug money donars to help flip Republicans to vote for items on the Democratic agenda.

The fact that some of you are upset about this is baffling. It's exactly what he should be doing.

"If you can't get some Republican support for these bills then I won't be able to stop AOC from getting her way." Is essentially what he's saying.

[aocommunalpunch]

61. No, it's literal.

It just really emboldens the far left, saying, "How's that bipartisan working for you now, Joe?" Those are the hard things. That's where I need help, man.

Poor guy can't keep up his fantasy, so he's begging for bribes.

[BGBD]

74. Manchin isn't a leftist

and he's never pretended to be. The people he was talking to aren't big on the stuff AOC and Co. would like to do either. How is it a problem that Manchin is using that to get their help to pass bills that democrats want to pass?

[LudwigPastorius]

63. So, he's playing 4-dimensional string theory chess against the Republicans?

Hmmm...but, if this is all his secret strategy to advance the Democratic agenda, he could also...you know...just vote for Democratic bills when they come up in the Senate.

[aocommunalpunch]

65. It appears he doesn't want to be on the record.

It's one way to appear clean on the outside.

[BGBD]

73. What's the dirty part?

Asking donors to help get republicans to support a democratic bill?

[BGBD]

72. He does

[MineralMan]

81. The Intercept: Disregard Completely.