Tuesday, February 02, 2021
Sen. Manchin criticizes vice president’s interview with W.Va. station, highlighting Biden’s tricky Senate balancing act
Vice President Kamala Harris is facing blowback after a Jan. 28 interview with a West Virginia TV station about the administration’s pandemic relief package, highlighting the complicated politics surrounding the issue and the Biden administration’s precarious position in the Senate.
During the interview with NBC affiliate WSAZ-TV in Huntington, Harris noted that the pandemic has hit the state’s economy hard and spoke about finding work for laid-off coal miners in reclaiming abandoned mines (though she misspoke and said “abandoned land mines,” which spawned social-media mocking). Sen. Joe Manchin, the only Democrat elected statewide in West Virginia, complained to the station the next day that the White House hadn’t asked his advice about persuading West Virginians, Cleve R. Wootson Jr. reports for The Washington Post. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the administration has been in regular contact with Manchin for weeks and will continue to be, but said the administration also wants to make a case for its recovery plan directly to voters.
Though Harris had a very liberal voting record as a senator, her appearance “seemed to be part of an effort to pressure moderate senators, since she also spoke to a news station in Arizona, home to Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, who like Manchin is a centrist Democrat,” Wootson reports. An evenly split Senate means “means centrist Democratic senators, who are most likely to defect, will often control the fate of Biden’s initiatives.”
An anonymous Manchin adviser said the senator is not unaware of this power, Wootson reports. But Manchin has made his name — and kept his seat — by cultivating a reputation as a maverick, according to West Virginia-based political scientist Patrick Hickey. So an early clash with the Biden administration could be a “political boon” for the senator.
At any rate, the dust-up, “while minor in many ways, makes it clear how difficult it may be for Biden to achieve the unity he has called for — even within his own party,” Wootson reports.
Sen. Joe Manchin needs to realize who he represents. He was a popular Governor, but as a senator he voted with the liberal trash in Washington D.C. He votes with them thus against the good of America. It’s past time for him to go. , he’s Nancy Pelosi with a hunting rifle. I hope the people of West Virginia will eventually realize that.
And he has won 2 senate races in WV what’s your point Charlie
The only way KAG could understand a point, is if you poked her in the eye with a pointed stick, then I have doubts!
Charlie he has won 2 senate races and more than likely a third so what’s your point ?
Joe M. is as two faced as they come, period. This is the same guy who tried to push a bill through that would require Epi-pens on all airlines. Guess who was selling the Epi-pens? Mylan drug Co. whos CEO was his daughter. Sounds like a Biden (Hunter)deal. BTW she raised the price from $100 to 600/pen. Yes he is a full fledged Democrat.
Thank you for that info Conservative, I didn’t know that, but I believe it!
I could have sworn I posted some other stuff?