How Joe Manchin Knifed the Democrats -- and Bailed on Saving Democracy

[ificandream]

Rolling Stone/Andy Kroll

“Giddy” is not a word people use to describe Jon Tester. The towering senior U.S. senator from Montana is blunt and pragmatic. In the halls of Congress, he’s one of the last surviving rural Democrats. When he’s not in Washington, D.C., Tester runs a dirt farm in Montana that’s been in his family for three generations.

A dirt-farming rural Democrat knows better than to overhype. So it came as a surprise when, one day this winter, Tester showed up visibly excited at the office of his friend Michael Bennet, one of Colorado’s two Democratic senators, to share a tantalizing piece of information.

“I think we’re gonna get this voting-rights thing done,” he said to Bennet.

“You got to be kidding me,” Bennet said.

Read more: https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/joe-manchin-biden-filibuster-voting-rights-1334582/#recipient_hashed=343cd82b65085ef1666aa5d5e417dc33ae72e7edfab338feb9bf59e12dc0fa95

[FoxNewsSucks]

1. An excellent article. Every defender of the Maserati-driving Manchin

should read every word, then apologize to those who were on to him and Sinema the whole time.

Between this piece, and the continuing news of his corruption, I don't know how anyone can be surprise by his actions or defend them.

[FoxNewsSucks]

4. a reminder. . .

[LaMouffette]

2. Excellent (if devastating) article! Thank you for posting.

Manchin and Sinema are beyond hope. The only way we will get around their loyalty to the Republican Party and get a voting rights bill passed is by electing a super majority of Democratic senators.

[dsc]

3. This is so infuriating

The fact is Manchin, Sinema, and Biden all have blame here. Sinema's unprofessional behavior above all was like my students when they were on remote instruction.

[lagomorph777]

11. Biden?

Fuck no.

Unless you mean he should apply very painful pressure to SineManchin. I would agree with that.

[dsc]

12. He didn't apply enough pressure if the article is accurate

and to be fair the evidence suggests it is accurate in that regard.

[Mad_Machine76]

17. How much pressure?

Manchin and Sinema could have bolted over to the GOP and then we wouldn’t have Jackson (or anybody to replace Breyer)

[lagomorph777]

19. I know.

But if the GQP takes control thanks to their unchecked theft efforts, it's all for naught.

[Mad_Machine76]

22. They screwed us badly no doubt

but there's not much that can be/could have been done I don't think. Manchin and Sinema strung us all along last year. Best we can hope for is to increase our representation in the Senate so that they are not able to preen and pose for the cameras while they kill the Biden Democratic agenda.

[Celerity]

5. It's almost impossible to read that and not emerge with a deep, seething anger in regards to

[dsc]

6. I am appalled by Sinema's behavior and demeanor as a Senator

I literally think she is behaving like a teenager. I will say, I used to have less problem with Manchin who I considered a misguided but overall straight playing politician. Turns out I was wrong on that score. Biden does deserve some blame here, for not making voting rights enough of a priority but clearing Sinema was never going to listen let alone budge. Equally clearly Manchin was not going to make her stand alone, though I think Biden could have worked him harder and convinced him on voting rights. But Manchin didn't play this straight.

[Lunabell]

7. If I can't criticize a Democrat,

can I at least slut shame him?

[LetMyPeopleVote]

8. Manchin voted with Biden 95.5%

Without Manchin, Judge Jackson would not have been confirmed by the Senate

Link to tweet

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-congress-votes/?cid=social_twitter_abcnp

[lagomorph777]

13. But when it came down to the most vital votes, he said FUCK YOU AMERICA.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

16. Joe Biden has successfully appointed a record number of judges the federal courts.

Without Manchin, few if any of these judges would have been confirmed

Link to tweet

[lagomorph777]

18. I know. But when Biden said "Let my people vote" Manchin told him to pound sand.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

21. So you would be happier if Joe did not get any judges confirmed?

Manchin is the only Democrat who could win in West Virgina

Link to tweet

[lagomorph777]

25. Hilarious.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

27. LOL You do realize that MVP Harris has broken 16 ties so far

MVP Harris is on track to break the most ties in history

Link to tweet

[lagomorph777]

36. Don't know why you made that preposterous statement about what would make me happy,

but what would make me happy is a Dem who votes in the interests of his constituents, rather than his fossil fuel business and big donors.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

37. Attacking Manchin serves no purpose unless you want him to change parties

Manchin is the only Democrat who could win in West Virginia and I am glad that he is voting for judges and with Biden. Without Manchin, MVP Harris would not be breaking ties in the Senate.

Do you really want Manchin to change parties? What purpose does your complaints serve in the real world? Why would Manchin care about your complaints? I am really curious.

[lagomorph777]

38. It's not only about the stick; there can be carrots too.

For example, we know that Manchin's main motivator is naked greed.

Find a way to buy out his fossil fuel enterprises in the name of green energy. Convert coal-mine-flattened mountaintops into wind farms - they are perfect for it, and WV is in the middle of a huge electricity market. Buy Manchin's thousands of leaky old gas wells, and pay his company to cap them off. Put a few creative minds on this. It's that important.

[lame54]

41. You're defending a guy who's perpetually...

On the verge of changing parties?

Nobody likes the guy who threatens to take his ball and go home

They put up with him to keep the game going but they don't like him

[LetMyPeopleVote]

42. Manchin will only change parties if forced to

I want to see as many judges confirmed as possible and driving Manchin out of the power will stop this process

There is no way that another Democrat could have won in West Virginia and Manchin may well lose in 2024. I simply do not understand the purpose of trying to get Manchin to change parties. We need to get as many judges confirmed as possible

[lame54]

44. Being personally insulted is in no way being forced...

Him changing parties would be extremely petty and selfish

You act like we should praise him for being a part time democrat

Thank you, Joe Manchin. May I have another?

[newdayneeded]

39. Let that sink in....

We have a majority in the Senate, but needed the VP to cast the tie breaker votes at a soon to be record pace!

[LetMyPeopleVote]

40. 50 Senators is not a majority.

There are 100 senators, and 50 senators is not a majority. Without Manchin's vote the GOP would have a majority.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

28. 44 days in office, Vice President Kamala Harris has now cast three-tie breaking votes,

Link to tweet

[LetMyPeopleVote]

29. MVP Harris Casts Tie Breaking Vote to Pass President Biden's $1.9T Covid Relief Bill

Link to tweet

[Autumn]

14. Yes. Just not when it comes to saving democracy, the only planet we have and the millions of

people who will die due to climate change.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

15. Without Manchen, these judges would not have been confirmed

Link to tweet

[Autumn]

23. I am of the opinion that we would be far better off if judges were not appointed. A president

appointing judges makes them political. They should have to apply and be hired or fired on their own merit. Neither coney dog or boof boy would have gotten their jobs had they not been appointed by an idiot and confirmed by assholes who have weaponized the courts. Lifetime appointment should end. When those rules were made educated people and lawyers were rare so a lifetime appointment made sense. Now they are a dime a dozen.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

30. You do realize that to change this you would need to amend the US Constitution

We have elected judges in Texas and that is a pain. The current federal system is a pain by it is not going to change without an amendment to the Constitution

[Autumn]

32. I am well aware of that. It doesn't change my opinion about it one fucking bit.

We elect judges here, nothing to it. Yes or no. We even have a web site where we can look at their history and their performance evaluations to make our decisions. I imagine that would be way too hard for Texas to do.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

34. In voter suppressed Texas, election of judges is a problem

The Court of Criminal Appeals (the highest criminal court) and the Texas Supreme Court (highest civil court) each are all GOP judges. Dallas county flipped to blue in 2006 and Harris County in 2016 and so the GOP banned straight ticket voting. With Judicial races, there were over 90 races on the ballot in Harris County.

I voted a while back on the state party and the Harris County judicial preference polls, but these polls are largely ignored by voters. I had a good friend running for a court of appeals slot (for 14 counties) who won both polls but lost because her opponent was the first name on the ballot in the large counties. We just organized a statewide organization for Democratic Lawyers and a panel spent some time developing a uniform questionnaire for judicial candidates that will be available ln 2024.

Voting for judges is no answer and would not work on the federal level

[former9thward]

24. Yes, she would have been confirmed without his vote.

The vote was 53-47 not 50-50

[dsc]

43. Only if she got a hearing

which in a GOP controlled Senate is unlikely.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

47. I agree

If MoscowMitch was senate majority leader, then Jackson's nomination would suffer the same fate as Garland's nomination

[LetMyPeopleVote]

46. You are WRONG

If Manchin was caucusing with the GOP, then MoscowMitch would be Senate Majority leader and this nomination would have suffered the same fate as Garland's nomination.

We need Manchin to caucus with the Democratic Party to keep Senator Schumer in control of the Senate

[Cuthbert Allgood]

26. We didn't need his vote on Jackson, but you know that.

He absolutely shits on the important stuff. Let's not pretend differently.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

45. You are WRONG

If Manchin was not a Democrat, then MoscowMitch would be senate majority leader and Jackson's nomination would never make it to the judiciary committee of the floor of the Senate. You do remember what MoscowMitch did to Garland?

[Autumn]

33. She certainly would have been confirmed without him. Three Republicans crossed over. He could

have sat it out, it was 53-to-47.

[Hotler]

48. Joe, is that you?????? nt

[orleans]

9. can't read it / paywall. i'm thinking of subscribing. is the article worth it? nt

[ificandream]

10. I'm not a subscriber and I was able to see it.

[Celerity]

20. Here

https://archive.ph/U4BDT

[orleans]

35. thank you! nt

[LetMyPeopleVote]

31. In just over a year, and currently, MVP Harris is in 5th place for Most tie breaking votes cast,

Link to tweet

[LetMyPeopleVote]

49. Joe is about to announce more judicial appointments today

Link to tweet