Why Hasn't AG Garland Arrested Manchin Yet?

[MineralMan]

What's he waiting for? I mean, everyone knows he's a traitor....

[peppertree]

1. Or at least, jab him with an Epipen

Manchin likes that, you know.

[TheBlackAdder]

33. Perhaps his daughter should be investigated for possible crimes, instead of being shielded by dad.

[peppertree]

37. Nevah

She and her ilk are above the law, don'tchaknow.

[PortTack]

2. Sinema too!

[MineralMan]

3. One thing at a time. We all know that Garland can only handle

one issue at a time, right?

[Scrivener7]

4. Is it shit-stirring time again already?

[MineralMan]

6. I don't know - It's so hard to tell.

Especially on those damned analog clocks with Arabic numerals. I mean, sometimes 8 just means 8, and some times it means 40, or 20. All of that algebra nonsense involved with time-telling. I need some alcohol.

So, it might be that time, or it might be 20 'til that time. Who can say?

[bluewater]

20. Apparently we have all, well most of us, been too hard on Senator Manchin...

[LetMyPeopleVote]

5. The attacks on Manchin are getting annoying

[leftstreet]

7. His attacks on BBB are worse n/t

[MineralMan]

8. I'm sure they annoy Manchin, in particular.

He might be wondering if it's all worth it, you know. No doubt, the GQP would praise him if he switched parties, after all. Being a Senator sucks sometimes.

[Bev54]

9. Manchin is getting annoying

[MineralMan]

11. He has always been annoying. That happens when you run

as a Democrat in a red state. If they elect you, they still want you to do what they want, somehow. If you don't, they don't elect you again. So, if you're a Democrat, you have to sort of straddle the line quite often. It's easy to understand, but many people have trouble understanding even easy things.

So, right now, Manchin is in a straddling mode. The problem is that he'd like to be re-elected next time. However, if he votes for a really progressive bill, it will be difficult for him to do that. So, he's trying to please two hugely different sides at the same time. Why? Because being a Senator is a really, really good job for a guy or gal. It's a job that offers a lot of power and plenty of opportunities to parlay that power into tangible benefits for yourself.

So, that's what Manchin is trying to do, just like many, many other Senators, now and throughout the history of this country. Being very selfish is one of the primary qualifications for political jobs like that.

Now, personally, I think people who get elected to federal high office should put re-election aside and vote the way that benefits the most people in the country. But, that's just me. That isn't how people who seek high elective office think, really. It's such a great job for a gal or guy that keeping that job quickly becomes the highest priority. Maybe Senators should only be eligible to serve one 6-year term and not be able to run for multiple terms in the first place. Maybe. But, that's not our system, so...

[DFW]

25. Supposedly, winning elective office, and holding it, is very addicting.

I wouldn't know, but I have (and have had) friends who have held (and do hold) seats in Congress, as well as acquaintances that have gone "higher-up," and not a one of them walked away muttering "this is NOT for me." Three friends of mine are recent additions to the Senate, one of whom must face election to a full term next year already. Since his state is purple at best, he knows that the Republicans will throw everything at him up to and including used Soyuz booster rocket casings. But he went for this job from having one of the most "non-profit" jobs there is (astronaut), and so far is loving the challenge of this one. Some see the Senate as a "for-profit" position. This particular Senator does not.

[MineralMan]

26. Power is almost as addicting as money, actually.

Plus, believe it or not, there are elected officials who seek that job to do good things. Fewer of those all the time, though, I think.

Yes, it's addictive. Being one of 50 Senators or one of 435 House members puts you in a very select group of people. Those positions offer huge incentives, whatever your motivations might be. You get to be one of the "deciders." You can parlay that into whatever goal suits your temperament.

Few things a person can do are more attractive to some people.

Not me. I don't even want employees. I only want to control my own life, and that's difficult enough. I have zero interest in telling anyone else what to do from a position of authority of any kind.

I started a small software company back in the early 1990s. It was successful. It was a shareware software company. If my customers liked my software, they could pay me for it and gain some small benefit over those who did not. Some of my niche applications filled some very important gaps in commercial software, and so had lots and lots of users. A couple of the applications got reviewed in major computer magazines and did very well in those reviews. That increased sales dramatically.

Briefly, I thought about expanding my operation, which was strictly a one-person business. I was everything from programmer and marketer to order fulfillment and customer support. I also printed my own manuals for the programs, after writing and making them print ready. It was great fun, and earned me a few years of five figure profits. Cool business. But, did I want to build a company, with employees to handle all of those mundane tasks? I did not. Did I want to hire programmers? Not on your life. I was very good at software design and coding, and knew that I'd spend more time guiding someone else than it took me to do the coding myself. So, I kept producing and updating a few niche applications for several years. Finally, though, things started changing and sales started going down. So, I shut the whole thing down after doing one final update and releasing everything into the public domain. That was it. It was fun while it lasted, but would have been a cosmic PITA had I decided to expand that operation.

But, that's just me. I like doing things, but I hate managing people. So, I just never have done that. I do it myself or it doesn't get done. That's just how I am.

[DFW]

34. I know what you mean. I always regretted not being a better delegator

I have several people "under" me--inevitable as station chief for Europe. I hired all of them, although the Dutch office has an incredibly good intact, autonomous team of its own. But the rest of my team here--all natives of the countries they work in--have all been with me for over 20 years. They are are very competent, and I would be sucking wind if I lost even one of them, even though "Switzerland" turns 75 next year. He has been with me since 1984. His only negative is that he is from Geneva, a VERY "suisse-romand," and considers German, especially Swiss German (Schwyzerdütsch) to be a horrible linguistic aberration of nature. The German-speaking Swiss sense this immediately, and consider him, a fellow Swiss, to be far more of a foreigner than I am. Just a quirk of life here.

At the end of the day, I have painted myself into a corner, jobwise. Great job security, in that we have not yet found anyone who could take my place. Bad for me, in that I need someone who can detect counterfeit money, both current and going back a couple of millenia, and is fully conversational in English, Russian, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Swedish, and Dutch (Catalan and Schwyzerdütsch would be a plus). I use them all in the course of my work week, and the sophistication of the conversation goes way beyond discussions of the weather. "They (for lack of of batter term)" know that if they need to talk to an American about certain subject matter, they can call me and not have to leave the comfort of their native language. My partners here like it because they know I will know what they are talking about, and I like it because it keeps my languages current and alive. Cultures, too. I love running down to Barcelona and being a Catalan, and the next day flying up to the Netherlands and being Dutch, changing to French the day after that, and so on. I was once at a meeting in Frankfurt when one of the locals made a disparaging remark about foreigners. I said, "hey, wait a minute!" He answered, "you don't count. You are one of us." He didn't mean it as a compliment, but it was nonetheless one of the biggest compliments I have ever received.

At some point, as well, my "different-country-every-day" routine will wear me down. At 69, that day is closer than I want to acknowledge. But I have been playing this game of "Beat The Reaper" with no missteps for over four decades now. Whether I go out with a sigh or a bang is in the stars.

It's not too much yet, but it will be some day.

[MineralMan]

35. Sounds like you have a wonderful job.

It may be hard for you to leave such a varied life.

[DFW]

39. Extremely hard!

A German colleague warned me many years ago that our special line of work was so enticing that retirement only came when the last nail was hammered into the coffin.

He was joking--I THINK.

On edit--I should add that last Sunday, when I woke up in my hotel room in Zürich and looked out over the lake at the Alpine scenery, contemplating the fabulous Swiss breakfast awaiting me downstairs, I thought, DAMN this will be hard to give up, no matter HOW long I've been doing it (and as of this past August, that has now been 46 years).

[dpibel]

27. Do you have any polling or other data?

It's my understanding that the programs that Manchin is fighting against enjoy broad support in the electorate, even in red states.

Do you have anything to support your hypothesis that Manchin is making his reelection more likely by opposing popular programs?

I do understand that part of getting reelected is funding campaigns. But I don't think that's what you're talking about here.

[MineralMan]

32. What is popular generally may not be popular in some specific area.

West Virginia is an unusual state in this country. Its politics are somewhat different than in most states, actually.

Joe Manchin only has to run in West Virginia. How people who live in other places probably isn't of much interest to him, except on a sort of academic basis.

He has been successful in getting elected in his state. Like all successful politicians, he know his constituency pretty darned well. So, you can count on him to give that constituency what it wants, pretty much. If he doesn't, he'll find out the next time he runs, assuming there is a next time.

I have never been in WV, except to drive through it once when I was 20 years old and on my way to my next USAF base. I did not stop in that state, actually. It seemed pretty enough, though. What I know of it comes only through second-hand information.

[Bev54]

36. I am not buying that at all, When pollsters explained what was

in the bill it had 70% approval rate in West Virginia. It is not the voters but the donors he is playing for, but his arguments are getting more and more ridiculous as they give him what he wants, he makes up a new excuse. It is enough already.

[bluewater]

40. +1000

[BlueTsunami2018]

10. Are they really?

A person seemingly ready to give the country over to the fascists for no reason other than self centered greed is above reproach?

[bluewater]

21. Some seem to think so.

Is it time for a "Leave Joe Manchin ALONE!" thread?

Or will this one suffice?

[Hekate]

22. The OP is how you can tell MM is getting annoyed. Yes, I've stopped trying to swat those flies, too

I’m trying to keep the TV off and avoid Halloween candy.

Now I’ll check to see if DFW had any luck changing the topic to breadsticks at Olive Garden or something.

[MineralMan]

29. You're very perceptive, as always!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

42. I agree with MM

[qazplm135]

24. Won't anyone think

Of the Manchin?

The poor, poor Manchin?

[DFW]

12. Well, you gotta understand

The number of "Tax The Rich" threads is approaching the maximum quota for the quarter, and we have barely broken November.

Better watch out, or someone might even remind you that there is a deadly virus going around...............

[MineralMan]

14. Maybe it's time for a circumcision thread.

[DFW]

16. You risk boring at least half of DU with that subject, and making the other half very uncomfortable

[bluewater]

23. Does this thread suffice as the "Leave Joe Manchin ALONE!" thread?

Or should someone start that formally?



All right, I'll step up!

[Nixie]

13. Manchin shot a man in Reno...

just to watch him die.

☠️

Forgot to add.

[Calista241]

15. If Garland did arrest any Dem Senators, hopefully it's not Manchin.

All we need is a Republican Governor appointing a replacement Senator.

[MineralMan]

17. Uh, did you notice my :sarcasm: emojis?

[Calista241]

19. Yeah, my response did come out a bit too seriously there didn't it.

Maybe its the perpetual disappointment in me.

[pecosbob]

18. Need a Snickers?

[MineralMan]

28. Nope. Already had one after lunch.

A Halloween left-over. Nobody came to our door, so I have plenty of candy now. Except that my wife bought way too much, so someone from some charity is coming over to pick up most of it.

But thanks!

[Torchlight]

30. I shouldn't have laughed at that. But I did.

[Scrivener7]

31. .

[Zeitghost]

38. The Manchin attacks are indeed old and very misguided

He is the most liberal electable option for Senate in the state of West Virginia. Him holding that seat is directly related to Moscow Mitch no longer being Senate majority leader. Idealism doesn't get judges appointed, etc. Something is better than nothing and sinking Manchin will result in more of the latter.

[MineralMan]

41. Yes, exactly.