Joe Manchin: The Ghost Of Christmas Past AND Present

A coal baron who lives on a yacht and drives a Maserati is holding America hostage

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) finally put the nail in the coffin of the Biden administration’s ambitious $1.75 trillion Build Back Better spending package, declaring on Sunday that he was a “no” on the legislation and “can’t vote for it.”

The centrist Democrat made the definitive announcement on Fox News, of all places. He dispatched an aide to let the White House know just half an hour before going on air, Politico later reported, but the senator "refused to take a call" from them before going on Fox News Sunday, where he was asked by anchor Bret Baier what the “state of play” was for the bill.

“Well, Bret, this is a mammoth piece of legislation and I have had my reservations from the beginning, when I heard about it five and half months ago, and I've been working diligently every day, every minute of every day,” Manchin stated, adding that he’s “done everything possible” to support the bill.

But after noting that he has “real concerns” about inflation and the rising national debt, Manchin went on to say he couldn’t support the bill and then “explain it to the people of West Virginia.”

“I can't vote for it and I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation,” he added. “I just can't. I've tried everything possible. I can't get there.”

America has a history of being a country that does big things. We take on significant challenges because we believe that we have the know-how, the courage, and the ability to overcome what lies in front of us. We get shit done, so we don’t let naysayers and bumps in the road stop us.

Or at least that used to be the America in which I grew up. Unfortunately, this country has become a shadow of its former self over the past couple of decades. We’ve become so risk-averse that we’re afraid of our own shadow. If we can’t do something without knowing the outcome ahead of time…well, we can’t assume those risks, can we?

I don’t resent Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) for his cowardice, inability to see beyond risks, or refusal to see the bigger picture. I don’t even resent him for his small-minded approach to what America can and should be doing. I mean, who needs to repair roads, bridges, and sewers, anyway? Infrastructure isn’t “sexy,” so why should we spend billions of tax dollars on upgrades and maintenance?

So a few bridges collapse and a few dams crumble. What about inflation??

No, what I resent Sen. Manchin for is his two-faced dishonesty. That even the White House called him a liar after he said he couldn’t vote for President Biden’s “Build Back Better” plan is bad enough. That the Senator went on FOX NEWS CHANNEL- after refusing to take calls from the White House- to announce his decision is reprehensible.

No one should miss the hypocrisy of Sen. Manchin’s decision. He’s decided to oppose (and kill) one of his party’s biggest priorities. In so doing, he’s provided Republicans with all the ammunition they need to claim (not inaccurately) that Democrats can’t do the heavy lifting of governing.

Of course, Manchin has been allowed to indulge his massive ego trip without consequence for far too long. However, he needs to understand that his self-aggrandizing stunt will not be without consequences. Given that he’s demonstrated himself to be a Democrat in Name Only (DINO), President Biden and Democratic leaders should be unleashing a massive media campaign against him.

Americans need to understand that the reason we can’t have nice things isn’t that Democrats can’t govern. It’s because one DINO is as self-indulgent and dishonest as the day is long. It’s because Sen. Manchin has strung Democrats along for months until finally pulling the rug out from under them.

Hey, Mitch!! Look what I did!!!

Build Back Better (BBB) was intended to help everyday Americans get back on their feet during a global pandemic. Not that Sen. Manchin has reason to care; he has his coal empire, his yacht, and his Maserati…so why should he vote for family leave or anything else in BBB? But, hey, $1.75 TRILLION’S a LOT of damned money.

And what about inflation??

Except that, given America’s current state, it would be helpful if Sen. Manchin could look at that $1.75 trillion as an investment instead of merely an expenditure. Investing now in infrastructure and the American people will pay dividends now and for years to come, but all he sees is the price tag. Joe Manchin is the poster child for the narrow thinking and small minds now populating Congress- on both sides of the aisle.

There are times in our history when circumstances call for having the courage to take risks and do big things. If a global pandemic isn’t one of those times, I don’t know what would be. But, sadly, Sen. Manchin lacks the courage, vision, and resolve to do the right thing for the country and the American people.

Joe Manchin is why we can’t have nice things, America.

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