Manchin 'refused' a call from W.H. before killing BBB

[Polybius]

Less than 30 minutes before he killed the Democratic Party’s most important piece of legislation, an aide was dispatched by Sen. JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.) to give the White House and congressional leadership a heads up.

At the White House, there was panic and disbelief. He sent an aide to tell the president of the United States that he was about to go on Fox News and put a bullet in BBB?

Top White House officials scrambled to call the senator and talk him out of what he was about to do.

“We tried to head him off,” a senior White House official told Playbook, but Manchin “refused to take a call from White House staff.”

Read more...

[MFM008]

1. Just this

[Blue Owl]

2. Joe. Fucking. Manchin.

He’s joining the ranks of a Ted. Fucking. Cruz.

[UCmeNdc]

3. Maybe they will listen to AOC next time and act accordingly to save the agenda.

[Walleye]

5. You really think listening to AOC would have saved the agenda?

Would’ve, could’ve, and should’ve are an alternate universe that it is unhealthy to live in

[PTWB]

9. It wasn't just AOC saying it.

Giving up the leverage we had made it more difficult to pass the BBB. Common sense should tell you that negotiating from a weaker position is more likely to yield an unfavorable result.

It's not a difficult concept.

[Walleye]

10. It doesn't work with people who are negotiating in bad faith

Do you think Manchin could’ve been leveraged into voting for this? He’s been lying the whole time, you don’t expect this from a member of your own

[PTWB]

11. Yes, I think he could easily have been leveraged into voting for this.

We abandoned our leverage early on in the negotiations. Once we did that, though, no, I don't think we had any chance of gaining his support for Biden's BBB.

[Walleye]

12. Well I won't argue with you, but this is all speculation

[SMC22307]

32. FFS, did we learn nothing from Lieberman?

Zell Miller? I feel like I'm in a time warp.

[Walleye]

44. Yes. They pull this shit and then the Democratic Party takes the blame

[quakerboy]

55. You do if you accept

early on that hes actually not a member of your own, and negotiate accordingly.

[Walleye]

56. If he's not going to keep his word it doesn't matter what party he's in

[quakerboy]

59. It sorta does

Its the difference between "hey, voters, you need to give Democrats control of the senate, because 51 republicans are blocking everything you elected Biden to achieve" and "hey voters, Democrats wont actually accomplish what you elected them to do even if if you give them a majority".

[Walleye]

60. I get that.I'm just afraid that campaigns and elections don't work the way they used to

[TDale313]

17. Well, if the I told ya so gets them to listen the next time

Then sometimes it’s worth it. Plus, Dem leadership needs to remember who got in line and and who screwed them over.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

23. ☝️ THIS RIGHT HERE ☝️ AOC is a leader we need right now!!

[lame54]

61. Zero proof their theory would have played out...

Manchin may have gone on Fox and rat- fucked both bills

Not appreciating their I told you so tour

[Nay]

4. I don't know if there is anything the Dem leadership can do to make Manchin's life

miserable, but they need to start doing it now. Oh, and at least stop acting like this turncoat is any kind of Democrat, because he isn't.

[moniss]

53. The Pittsburgh Post Gazette

ran an article months ago about Manchin running interference for a Ukranian oligarch who has been laundering money through purchases of run down steel mills and Manchin protecting him from safety and environmental enforcement. That oligarch is known to have looted the main Ukranian bank for hundreds of millions of dollars. I wonder how much found its' way to Dirty Joe and his crooked family. Long past time to also raise the visibility about his crooked daughter and her involvement in a pharmaceutical company raising prices to astronomical levels. This man and his family are human garbage.

[Stuart G]

81. Thanks for that post and the information therein.

[SergeStorms]

6. Well, it was damned nice of Manchin....

to give Biden a "heads-up" before he plunged the knife into his ribs.

Joe Manchin is a worthless piece of shit. If I were Biden I'd redirect any aid intended for West Virginia to the nearest blue state. West Virginians have to learn that voting for assholes has consequences.

[MustLoveBeagles]

30. He shanked our President

This was the straw for me.

[Ilsa]

52. Me too. Manchin is not trustworthy.

He's thinking only about his big money donors and keeping them happy.

[MustLoveBeagles]

67. He's a Democrat in a Ruby red state

So I could understand the position he was in. Unlike Sinema, his behavior at least made sense. Also four years ago this month he was one of the few Senators that stood by Al Franken so I've cut him a lot of slack as a result. He's been increasingly trying my patience lately but I was hoping he was dealing in good faith with the President and that the BBB would pass. Real people are going to be hurt by what has happened. I've had enough.

[Stuart G]

7. Joe Manchin is "Evil"

[LonePirate]

8. I'd like to hear from anyone who thinks he still acts in good faith.

Anyone?

[Walleye]

13. I proclaim him to be a lying sack of shit at this point

[ShazzieB]

39. That seems like a fair assessment to me.

[Polybius]

16. They're still here

I won't call him out, but I've seen posts defending him today. Even after this.

[onecaliberal]

25. They are here even today defending him now.

[Mr.Bill]

35. He acts in good faith

to his donors.

[uponit7771]

64. +1, ... and I don't even fully know what Manchin did recently yet. I just know he's not been honest

... with Biden and democrats and that's fucked up

[radius777]

14. Charlamagne was right, Manchin thinks he's the President.

As many of us said, the Dem party long ago should've played hardball with Manchin and Sinema. Their voters do in fact as polls show support BBB and the policies therein - it is a total lie that they are 'serving their red states' - no they are serving donors and helping to kill the Biden/Dem agenda and make the RW happy.

The idea that we need to be scared of Manchin and Sinema and walk on eggshells is bullshit. Play old school hard ball politics. Send operatives to WV and AZ and keep digging until you find something. Everyone has skeletons in the closet. Show them who's boss, play a game of chicken and let them know we are willing to lose their seats/allegiance as long as it means destroying them also in the process.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

15. I'm getting more curious about how, specifically, Biden has been working with Machin to get this

thing done. Biden ran on getting things done and being able to find pragmatic solutions. How has that looked wrt Manchin, and where does Biden go from here, now that it hasn't worked? What's his next step, if what he says he can do doesn't work?

[BlackSkimmer]

36. This.

I was afraid he’s just been too optimistic. And apparently he was.

This isn’t good.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

75. I do find it interesting that we passed on other Dems

because Biden would be able to reach across the aisle and get things done. That we needed to not have all the things we wanted right now in order to get some of the things. And then that didn't work. But I'm sure the next time we will be told the exact same thing. And then people will wonder, again, why we can't have nice things.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

78. Exactly my thoughts.

And I didn’t even love ANY of the candidates!

[RKP5637]

18. And then he collected more of his bribery checks from the GOP and those that are

anti-democracy corporations. Manchin has an agenda to suck in as much cash and power as he can from wherever, and the hell with the country and the populace. He's a republican-type in disguise destroying the democratic party, the country and its future, and the populace which he does not give a flying F about.

[LowerManhattanite]

19. And THIS...

…is all you need to know.

There was NO good faith.

He ran to a GOP propaganda arm to do it.

Couldn’t call the president himself. That’d be the stand-up move.

Sent an aide and then turned off his ringer.

A true “Profile In Courage” in “our” senator from West Virginia.

[Groundhawg]

20. I'm not fond of this decision but joe has been a 98% solid democrat and I remember that.

[Autumn]

29. Yeah real solid voting to confim Kavanaugh to the SC.

[SMC22307]

34. 98%? Where are you pulling that number from? (n/t)

[Lucky Luciano]

40. It may be true, but would likely include votes to name a post office.

If there as a quantitative way to apply a weighted average where the weight is based on the importance of the bill, he’d be a long fucking way from 98%.

[Groundhawg]

73. Oops, looks like it's higher than that

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/ap-fact-check-manchin-sinema-vote-gop-78048210

[Triloon]

41. Your kind remembrance

Became nothing more than nostalgia as of this morning.

[Groundhawg]

74. I think he will continue to support us after this

He has a very solid record for us

[I_UndergroundPanther]

21. Manchin

Needs a swift kick in the ass. I'm willing to do it.

Fucking Dino

[AngryOldDem]

22. Who the fuck does this guy think he is?

He’s been disrespecting Biden and the White House for months. Not only is it a total, abject insult to the office and the party leader, it pretty much shows where his true allegiance lies.

I’ve had enough of this DINO. Just GTFO already.

[leftstreet]

26. I thought Biden and Manchin were communicating all this time

It's starting to feel like maybe they weren't

[Rebl2]

49. How about

manchin was just lying to Biden all along.

[JudyM]

72. Jen/the WH say they were, and that JB believed the dialogue was going to continue in Jan.

That makes this such a stark breach of good faith.

On edit: check this out: https://www.democraticunderground.com/100216164053.

[Diablo del sol]

27. Damn AOC and the Progressives!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you imagine the outrage if AOC or the Squad did this to Biden, Pelosi, Schumer, et al.

[MustLoveBeagles]

28. +1

[SMC22307]

37. You got that right. DU's vocal minority would be apoplectic. (n/t)

[lame54]

63. The squad are not senators...

And they voted against Biden on the infrastructure bill in the House

The bill passed so they caught little flack

[Diablo del sol]

66. Outstanding point

They are elected member of the House, representing about 500k constituents.

Yet some want to point out their perceived shortcomings.

Manchin represent 3x more and Sinema 12x more constituents.

I am cutting Manchin/Sinema slack, when in fact they should be much more careful, much more thoughtful, and much more respectful.

Thank you for making me clear up my point.

[Cuthbert Allgood]

76. So they voted on what they stood for when they knew it would still pass?

Seems like a good stand to make.

[uponit7771]

65. right ?!

[SMC22307]

31. Are DUers allowed to trash Joe "He's the best we can do in WV!" Manchin now?

Jen Psaki nailed him in the White House statement. I guess that's a green light for us?

[Lucky Luciano]

42. Feel free to trash that piece of shit.

Joe Manchin is a vile scumbag piece of shit.

[SMC22307]

80. Well, you're still standing...

so that's encouraging. I guess DU isn't too happy with Manchin fucking over Biden, Harris, all of us...

[Lucky Luciano]

82. Hah...Biden himself probably called him a scumbag piece of shit!

If Biden can do it, so can we!

[SMC22307]

83. LOL, exactly. (n/t)

[fishwax]

71. I hadn't read the WH statement until seeing it mentioned in your post

Damn, that was quite the howler!

[SMC22307]

79. Yeah, they didn't hold back... and Maserati Manchin deserved every word. (n/t)

[BlackSkimmer]

33. President Biden thought he could reason with this guy.

Wrong.

[leftstreet]

38. Maybe, like omicron, they didn't see Manchin's vote coming

Snarky, but serious

I'm not sure Biden and Manchin have been communicating as well as we all thought

[BlackSkimmer]

45. Yes indeed.

Point taken.

[SMC22307]

46. LOL

I shouldn't laugh at that, but yeah. "Who knew?!"

[Cuthbert Allgood]

77. That just makes Biden's claim of being able to work with everyone

all the worse.

[Walleye]

47. Biden keeps his word and he expects others to do so. Especially Democratic senators

[Joinfortmill]

43. Coward.. Joe won't let this pass...

Gonna be an interesting week.

[BlackSkimmer]

48. What's he gonna do?

[BlueIdaho]

50. ManChin has signaled

He is a one man wrecking crew for the entire Democratic agenda over the next three years. We better figure what we can do without him because we will be opposed by him until the republicans take control again.

Then he will on Fox News and proudly put his Nazi party pin on his lapel.

[triron]

54. If pukes take control. that's it, baby. Good bye republic. Hello christian monarchy.

[ashredux]

51. Makes you want to say, Hmmmmm....... Somebody got something on him????

[dflprincess]

62. Or his daughter - she's as dishonest as he is

[Fiendish Thingy]

57. Now that's what I call a 100% loyal Democrat who supports Biden's agenda

And a fine courteous gentleman.

Just ask any member of his fan club here.

[bullwinkle428]

58. It appears that Kamala Harris spoke too soon in that interview on Friday.

[ibegurpard]

68. He's going to bolt

He burned a bunch of bridges today. Whatever his price was somone paid it. It's over except for the formal announcement and the only question is when that's coming. Breyer should have retired right after the Georgia elections.

[jcmaine72]

69. Manchin....

Should science ever discover a new species of fungi, especially one that's extraordinarily malodorous and slippery to the touch, "Manchin" would be the perfect name for it.

[Blaukraut]

70. President Biden should give a prime time address

Apologizing to the nation that the BBB bill will not pass because of Senators Manchin and Sinema. Explain the narrow majority, and the blackmail, and bad faith negotiations they had been in for months to run out the clock. Ask the public to expand the Senate majority to finish the job. Lay it all out there, Name names. Don't leave the turtle out, either. Let the people know: This is what we have to work with.