What’s Happening:
Over the last two years, “moderate” Sen. Joe Manchin has used his position as a “swing” vote to get his way. When it was convenient for him, he blocked Biden’s agenda. But when it looked like he could negotiate a deal, he turned on conservatives back home and voted for Biden’s bloated spending bill.
But it looks like he’s no longer going to be in contention, now that he’s lost his tie-breaking status.
From The Washington Examiner:
However, with Warnock’s win on Tuesday, Democrats hold a 51-49 majority in the Senate, meaning Manchin’s vote no longer holds the same weight as it has over the last two years.
With Democrats gaining one more seat in the Senate, Manchin can no longer block bills to make him look good to West Virginia voters. He just lost tremendous power in the Senate. But it gets worse. The deal he brokered that led him to flush America’s economy down the toilet is also dead.
From Fox News:
Sen. Joe Manchin’s legislation to spur oil and gas drilling was left out of the must-pass national defense bill after conservative Senate Republicans and progressive House Democrats raised objections.
Manchin scored a side deal with Chuck Schumer in the summer. In exchange for Manchin voting “Yes” for Biden’s massive spending bill, Schumer would clear the way for a bill that allows West Virginia to build a pipeline.
Manchin betrayed America and his own previous statements (to stop spending) so he could score a win for himself politically. But Republicans refused to give him this gift. And progressive Democrats in the House–who hate pipelines and fossil fuels–also refused to vote for the deal.
So, it’s a lose-lose for Manchin. He probably should have switched to Republican when he had a chance. But now, with Democrats enjoying one extra vote in the Senate, they won’t even look at Manchin anymore. They will have the votes to do what they want without him.
And Manchin has no friends among Republicans, because he betrayed them to pass Biden’s bloated “inflation” spending bill (which was a rebranded “Build Back Better” socialist bill). Manchin has gone from being the most powerful senator to being a has-been.
But it’s mostly his fault. If he stuck to his moderate values and worked with Republicans, perhaps things would look very differently right now. He might still hold the tie-breaking vote or Republicans would hold the Senate (and continue to work with him).
As it stands today, Manchin is the biggest loser. The so-called “moderate” has made enemies on both sides. Will he be able to survive re-election in a few years?
It’s doubtful.
Key Takeaways:
- Joe Manchin lost big twice this week, due to his own scheming.
- He is no longer the tie-breaking vote in the Senate, making him irrelevant.
- Republicans and Democrats shut down his pipeline deal, leaving him with nothing.
Source: Fox News, Washington Examiner
