Sen. Joe Manchin, while overwhelmingly a loyal Democrat, has been a thorn in the side of his party and Joe Biden for not playing along when it comes to ending the filibuster, excessive spending, radical abortion policies, election reform, or packing the court. Last year he also joined with Senate Republicans to pass an amendment banning the use of federal funds to teach critical race theory. It’s not often that he breaks with his party, but it’s enough.
This week, he once again earned the scorn of his party by refusing to support Joe Biden’s originally $3.5 trillion (now $1.75 trillion) Build Back Better plan if it includes any climate change provisions or tax increases.
But Manchin couldn’t care less about what the radicals in the Democratic Party think of him.
“Political headlines are of no value to the millions of Americans struggling to afford groceries and gas,” Manchin spokesperson Sam Runyon told Politico. “Sen. Manchin believes it’s time for leaders to put political agendas aside, reevaluate and adjust to the economic realities the country faces to avoid taking steps that add fuel to the inflation fire.”
Perhaps this shouldn’t shock the left, as Manchin has been remarkably consistent that he won’t support a bill that will contribute to inflation.
“All of our efforts should be: How do we reduce the gas prices, the high prices of energy, the high prices of food, all of these things: that’s everyday living. And everyone’s talking about everything except though things,” Manchin said earlier this week. “Unless you can get your financial house in order, you’re not going to get inflation under control.”
Nevertheless, Democrats are acting like petulant children.
“We’re all going to die,” House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth (D-Ky.) said when asked about Manchin’s demands.
“It doesn’t matter what I advise,” Yarmuth told NBC News. “The Senate’s the Senate. It doesn’t matter what any of us do. Apparently, it doesn’t matter what the administration does. We’ve got one person who’s trying to dictate policy for the entire country and that’s a shame.”
Yarmouth also said there is “incredible frustration” within the party.
Which, of course, is their fault. Democrats assume that a majority, no matter how slim, is a mandate to pursue the most radical agenda. It clearly is not. Manchin represents a red state, and his duty is to his constituents, not Chuck Schumer or Joe Biden.
While I’m sure there’s a lot of resentment towards Manchin from the radical left, can they really afford to ostracize him? Last October, there were rumors that Manchin was considering leaving the Democratic Party. Manchin dismissed the rumors, saying, “I can’t control rumors, and it’s bulls—.” However, he did acknowledge that he’s approached “every day” about switching parties and has said that it probably would be “easier” to join the GOP than remain a Democrat. Still, he has not switched and, aside from a few votes, has been quite loyal to the Democratic Party line. Even though Manchin wasn’t interested, he was reportedly swayable. He may not leave the party, but their presumption of a mandate to impose a radical agenda hasn’t exactly been working out well for them, has it? Joe Biden’s numbers are in the toilet, and Republicans are favored to take back the House and Senate.
Had Joe Biden governed the way he promised during the campaign, the Democrats would be in a much better position now. Had Biden and the Democrats accepted the reality of having a 50-50 Senate with two moderate Democrats from red states and dialed back their wishlist a bit, they may have had a chance in November. But they just can’t help themselves. They’re always greedy and will assume that even the slimmest majority is justification for ramming through their extreme agenda.
