Thursday, July 21, 2022
Political Mayhem Thursday: Manchin
Once again, Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia has abruptly upended President Joe Biden's plans, this time by pulling his support for tax and climate plans he had worked on for months with the White House. Because the Senate is evenly split and Republicans are loathe to support Biden's ideas, those legislative proposals are done with.
There is a lot going on here:
-- The split Senate makes Manchin a very powerful man, and he knows it.
-- Manchin represents West Virginia, a very red state, and is up for re-election in 2024. His actions are probably popular with his constituents.
-- Some people think he should be thrown out of the Democratic Party, but that is a terrible idea. Without him, Dems lose control of the Senate and the ability to get anything at all done, not to mention the chairs of committees.
-- In reaction to Manchin's obstructions, the Biden White House is once again drafting up executive orders. That's troubling, too-- these are issues that should be resolved through legislation, and constant unilateral decision by the White House brings always more power to that branch.
-- Finally, I think Manchin is someone who might actually say "AAAAAGH!"
I'd love to know IPLawGuy's thoughts on all this, but he is headed someplace in his unrestored 1971 AMC Javelin. I know, because he called me last night asking for recommendations for gas station chicken.
