Oh No, Joe Manchin's Talking About a Deal Again

[babylonsister]

Oh No, Joe Manchin’s Talking About a Deal Again
The umpteenth iteration of what Manchin wants out of the Biden agenda is here: some energy investments, paid for by tax and prescription drug reform.
by David Dayen
March 7, 2022


It is with great regret that I have to once again discuss Joe Manchin’s thoughts on the Biden agenda. I have lost count at how many different iterations of what was once called the Build Back Better Act Manchin has formulated, but last week a new one emerged, a bare-bones version where half of whatever revenues were raised in the legislation would be set aside for deficit reduction.

There have been so many mutually contradictory offers and objections from Manchin that it’s admittedly hard to muster up the energy to take this latest one seriously. Remember that Manchin signed a document last July with a host of red lines for a party-line package accomplished through budget reconciliation. Substantially all of those red lines were honored in the Democrats’ version of Build Back Better. Then Manchin said the real problem was budgetary gimmicks that hid the true cost of the programs in the bill. At the same time, Manchin led the way on passing a bipartisan infrastructure law that is pretty much only funded through budget gimmicks.

Then Manchin offered a $1.8 trillion package privately to the White House, but got mad when some administration officials blamed him for the impasse, and withdrew the offer. Then he said the biggest issue was that Senate Democrats didn’t go through the committee process to mark up the bill, although that’s not part of his demands now. Then he said the problem was encouraging unionization at electric-vehicle companies, or a provision that would end offshore drilling.

The whole sorry song and dance tends to suggest that Manchin has been dishonestly advancing one pretext after another for a year to cover for his unwillingness to move forward on the Biden agenda.

more...

https://prospect.org/infrastructure/building-back-america/oh-no-joe-manchins-talking-about-a-deal-again/

[leftstreet]

1. Has no one threatened to strip his committee assignments?

[tritsofme]

9. That would be a pretty dumb idea, when Manchin can strip us of the majority.

[leftstreet]

18. He's already doing that apparently n/t

[PortTack]

20. He's is voting for judges..the most important one coming up

[tritsofme]

22. If McConnell was majority leader, KBJ wouldn't even get a vote.

If you’re ok with that….

[leftstreet]

29. Manchin would NEVER give up his committee seats

Those are a direct route to industry donation$

He can easily be threatened into compliance, on anything from BBB to SC judges

[tritsofme]

30. He wouldn't have to. McConnell would gladly restore them if he handed Republicans the majority.

Manchin cannot be “threatened into compliance” on anything, let alone “easily” because without him, McConnell is in charge. It’s really quite simple.

Schumer is no shrinking violet, he just doesn’t have the sort of leverage that apparently only exists in your imagination.

[DarthDem]

2. Get whatever you can out of him

To promote midterm wins and the election of better Democrats.

[allegorical oracle]

32. Any such thing as a mental laxative? Joe's mentally constipated.

[DarthDem]

33. Lol

Enema maybe.

[bigtree]

3. more complaints, cuts on legislation he won't commit to vote for.

[Walleye]

4. His true nature comes through sometimes. He really is this tightwad conservative

So now he’s playing Republican games

[dchill]

5. Sometimes?

[Walleye]

6. I guess I was trying to be polite he is a Democrat, so he says

[dchill]

7. Not to point out any political party or individual...

...but conservative liars suck.

[Walleye]

8. I think they just call themselves conservatives because it sounds good and sort of Calvinist

If they were conservative they would be into the environment and conservation.

[dchill]

14. "Conservative" is just a good cover word...

...for all the mean, stingy, hateful shit they really believe.

[Walleye]

15. Yep. Like those who sadistically brutally punish their children because it's "good for them"

When in fact they just like inflicting pain on weaker people

[pandr32]

11. Yet he sat with Republicans at the State of the Union

He may call himself a Democrat, but he seems to work to undermine our agenda--and weirdly (sarcasm) aligns himself with Republicans'.

[Walleye]

12. Sitting with the Republicans was just a thumb in the eye of every Democrat

I really take it personally. I love the Democratic Party. I don’t know what this asshole’s game is

[pandr32]

24. He is a monkey wrench

BUT--at least he kept McConnell from being Majority Leader.

[kysrsoze]

10. With all the focus on Ukraine, he must be starting to feel irrelevant. Needs an ego boost.

[Walleye]

13. 👆I think maybe you hit the nail on the head there

[Elwood P Dowd]

21. Yep, Joe misses the TV reporters fawning all over him for his

latest bait and switch.

[Bettie]

16. Is this where we are supposed to intone that

Joe Manchin is the best of all senators, a real stand-up guy who works for his party instead of against it?

Because that just feels like it isn't true. Not even a little bit.

Who knows, maybe he'll deign to vote for Biden's SCOTUS pick, but I'm not holding my breath.

[samsingh]

17. He should be told to go away. The midterms should be fought on the gop support for putin

and his crimes in the Ukraine.

trump should be indicted.

machin can go f himself

[comradebillyboy]

19. Rep Jayapal has talked about engaging with Manchin

to make whatever progress is possible. I am becoming more and more impressed with her desire to make progress even when she can't get everything she wants. I hope she has some success here.

[JustAnotherGen]

23. I hope its off the table right now

He's not going to vote for ANYTHING. He won't - except to block Russian oil so he can make a big chunk of money off domestic energy.

[Demovictory9]

25. I hate him and simena

[ZonkerHarris]

26. Lucy is holding the football again Charlie Brown.

[Deminpenn]

27. He needs to have his staff write the

bill's language he supports.

[kacekwl]

28. Tell him to do whatever the help he wants cause he's got

us by the balls. But remind him we will remember if we take a proper majority, if he cares. Then he can switch to the party of the stupid.

[BlueIdaho]

31. Don't waste your time on ManChin

In a couple of days he’ll come out against his own agenda. He is a master of circumlocution.

[Celerity]

36. Exactly!

[tavernier]

34. Someone get him a karaoke machine with canned applause.

We just don’t have the time to give him all the attention he craves while there is a war and a pandemic going on.

[Volaris]

35. Oh, bleeding christ...if manchin wants to nail himself to this damn GOP complaint

of debt and deficit, the following should shut him the hell up:

National Debt Tax. Round every single retail transaction in america (including stock trades) UP TO THE NEXT DOLLAR, and use it to pay off the debt. If it takes 30 years, it takes 30 years.
Fuck this nonsense, I'm tired of them using it as a club. Let's call their bluff for once.

Besides, no more counting fucking pennies in the change drawers for the fools who apparently need a calculator to do it anyway.