Some accuse Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) of attacking the Build Back Better Plan as the Japanese did at Pearl Harbor, deceptive negotiation, secret planning of the assault, and finally, the bombshell. There may be something to the Pearl Harbor analogy, but a different metaphor is apropos ‘Joe is a dish best served cold.’ Sure, Manchin was in deep talks with President Biden over the past few weeks in what was characterized as a movement toward an accord. It was even said that Mr. Biden and Mr. Manchin had an unwritten agreement in principle, and the details just needed to be worked out. Then came his now-infamous interview Sunday on Fox News, where he said, [I] “cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation,” adding, “I’ve tried everything humanly possible. I can’t get there,”
Democrats have made allowances for Senator Manchin’s precarious position as a Democrat in a deep red state. So why would Manchin deny a child tax credit, not only for the nation but for his home state of West Virginia? Manchin’s constituents rank in the bottom five: education, childhood poverty, food security, housing, and wages. According to Factcheck. Org, in 2018, Manchin had threatened to pull his support from Hillary Clinton in 2016, over her pledge to move West Virginia away from coal and into renewable energy. Subsequently, he voted with former President Trump 60.5 percent of the time.
While Manchin has been accused of kowtowing to the money, influence, and personal gain from the fossil fuel industry, I believe his opposition to Mr. Biden is much simpler, revenge. On January 28, 2021, the newly minted and first black and female Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris, appeared on West Virginia tv to tout the American Rescue Plan. According to accounts, Manchin was furious, “I saw [the interview], I couldn’t believe it. No one called me [about it],”Manchin said. “We’re going to try to find a bipartisan pathway forward, but we need to work together. That’s not a way of working together.”
When I first read the statement back in January, the fact Manchin’s description of VP Harris’ interview as an affront to a “bipartisan pathway,” although they are both Democrats, was the first clue of his future intentions.
Less than an hour before Manchin’s damning remarks yesterday, word of his change of mind was leaked to President Biden. The President attempted to contact Manchin before speaking with Fox News’s Bret Baier to no avail. The bomb was dropped, and the Build Back Better boat took on water. At this point, it appears no amount of bailing, patching, or manning of the lifeboats will resurrect the sinking ship. Manchin comes off as the affable politician, weighing both sides, but this was a petty move of the highest caliber. He chose Fox News because he knew he would be welcomed with open arms. The Senator kept the White House in the dark so that no preparations for his remarks would be possible. He stated that he expected the angry reaction, which gave him the façade of bravery for a cowardly move.
Any successes of the Build Back Better Plan would have gone a long way to sway the 2022 midterms and may have gained a few more seats for the Democrats in the House and Senate, hence weakening Manchin’s power. Mr. Manchin has positioned himself not as a kingmaker but as a king destroyer who can serve his dish very cold.
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