Joe Manchin, fresh from stabbing West Virginians in the back with a knife on Saturday, tried to complicate the situation. He appeared on various Sunday news shows vainly attempting to explain his sudden decision to support a reconciliation bill that raises taxes on the middle class and spends $400 billion on “climate change” initiatives.
As RedState reported, things didn’t go well. Manchin was hesitant to support Joe Biden 2024. He looked as though he couldn’t play moderately after Friday’s events. While his other explanations varied from bizarre to brazenly false in interviews, it was Nick Arama’s comment that caught my attention.
But what if it doesn’t?
Manchin on Fox News: “There will be consequences”
— Burgess Everett (@burgessev) July 31, 2022
That was the first time I had read it. Here, we have Joe Manchin attempting to play tough guy, as if he’s at all in control of the situation in Washington. I hate to break it to the West Virginia senator, but he’s nothing but a useful idiot for the radical party he calls home. That’s the only explanation for him trusting Chuck Schumer to make a deal that sells his own state down the river.
But let’s dive a little deeper, shall we? This is the background. Manchin allegedly received a guarantee from Senator Chuck Schumer in return for his reconciliation flip. The idea would allow domestic oil drilling to expand and increase transportation. Theoretically because, regardless of any reforms that are implemented, it is possible to bet that the president (i.e. Joe Biden) still has the executive power to crush America’s energy market.
Isn’t that exchange the first red flag, though? Manchin, himself lying to get back his signature on the Democrat reconciliation legislation. But we are supposed to believe Schumer’s word is as good as gold in the process? That would seem like a rather bad bet given the majority leader has a long history of betraying his word when he makes “deals.”
For example, the Senate is currently locked in a grotesque fight over legislation dealing with military “burn pits.” Schumer originally promised Republicans that he would allow an amendment to the bill that would remove hundreds of billions in unrelated discretionary spending. Schumer pulled out all the stops when the GOP agreed to sign on and used the media (and Jon Stewart specifically) to make it seem that Republicans don’t hate veterans.
Schumer has a long history of such. Anyone trusting Schumer at this stage is a complete fool. And that’s the guy that Manchin got his “guarantee” from on permitting reform? It’s laughable. More than that, it’s objectively pathetic.
As to Manchin’s threat that there will be “consequences,” what consequences? How could Manchin do damage to Democrats if they renege on their promises? The answer is that he can’t do a dang thing. Further, even if he could do something, he wouldn’t because Manchin is all talk. There is nothing in his history that suggests he’ll actually hold his colleagues accountable for their misdeeds. You can expect him not to be as lenient and resolute in his actions.
Manchin is yet again a useless idiot. He’s bending the knee to the very climate hysterics who have accused him of ending humanity. What? There will be a few more tepid backslaps to go before the Republicans picket Manchin’s houseboat. Republicans made a huge mistake by giving Manchin coverage and allowing him to reelect himself in the most red state in the country. Let’s hope that mistake is remedied soon enough.
It is clear that the West Virginia senator must now be persona nugra among GOP senators. And any Republican giving him time should also be held responsible.
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