There is no point in beating up on Senator Joe Manchin from West Virginia. Not only is it pointless, it is worse. Tomorrow he could decide to be a Republican. And you know what happens then? Mitch McConnell is the Senate Majority Leader the very next day.
Like it or not, Biden has to work with Manchin get anything done. Let’s be adults.
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Absolutely, let’s be adults. Because if we were kids, we’d be screwed.
So far as I can tell, Joe Biden has no problem working with Mr. Manchin.
It’s Bernie Sanders in the Senate and “The Squad” in the House that have to work with Joe Manchin to get anything done.
It is foolishness to beat up a Democrat who holds a senate seat in a state where Joe Biden carried just 30% of the vote for opposing the radical agenda put forward by the bluest districts of the bluest states in the nation. It’s especially foolish to pay any attention at all to the insults of a cranky table-pounder from a state where Joe Biden carried 66% of the vote.
Bernie Sanders represents white kids who think they’re entitled to whatever they stamp their feet for because stamping their feet is all they’ve ever had to do.
We Democrats got WAY ahead of our skis this year, and we’ve just fallen over.
It’s time to get up, brush off the snow, rebalance ourselves, and continue down the mountain.
Having been in sales for many years, I was occasionally mocked by my peers for taking so many “short deals”. One guy in particular loved to point to the chart in the sales manager’s office that showed him to have the highest average gross per sales average and me, with the lowest. Of course, I reminded him that my net earnings for the year were also the highest of the group, his were the lowest.
He told me, “Just imagine how much more money you would have if you held your ground and went for higher grosses!” I pointed to his net earnings on the chart and said, “I don’t have to imagine it. It’s right there, isn’t it?”
Agreed. Manchin is a problem only for the, wishers, hopefuls, and dreamers. He was there before we won the White House and Senate. The political reality is without him, we’d not have the Senate. Let’s swallow our pride and take any deal we can, then move on and take another slim deal, and then another.
Amen.
This is the difference between those of us who have been in the real world for a few decades and those of us who have not.
“. . . who think they’re entitled to whatever they stamp their feet for because stamping their feet is all they’ve ever had to do” I just want to point out for any ironist reading this blog is that the person using this language is Tom of Somerville.
I love you too, Bob.
I actually think overall Sanders is behaving more maturely than the House Squad. At very least I do hope Manchin loses the chairmanship he never should have had anyway.
My gut says that a better strategy is for Mr. Biden to privately let Mr. Manchin know that the price of retaining the chairmanship is Mr. Manchin’s vote to reform the filibuster so that it:
More carrots and sticks.
A filibuster should be a rare occurrence that requires the active participation of 40 or more members of the Senate — while it is happening in real time — to continue.
I think that even Mitch McConnell would have a difficult time persuading himself and 39 of his colleagues to be present around the clock for very many items.
I think it’s important that the Senate preserve its Democratic majority, and I think Mr. Manchin’s chairmanship is an important aspect of his ability to retain his West Virginia seat.
The problem with Joe Manchin is not Joe Manchin, it is West Virginia. The best way to solve the problem is to increase the Democratic majority in the Senate so that a single Senator from a state with only 5 (or, for that matter, 3) electoral votes is unable to stall ALL legislation.
It would be Schumer who needs to have any conversations about chairmanships. The President doesn’t appoint Senate chairs. For that matter, POTUS really shouldn’t be meddling in internal rules such as the filibuster.
Oh come on, Christopher.
Do you seriously think that a Democratic president doesn’t routinely discuss chairmanships with a Democratic Senate Majority Leader? Of course the decision is communicated by Mr. Schumer — after extensive conversations between both Mr. Biden and Mr. Schumer and after similarly extensive staff dialog among all concerned.
Such conversations were routine even on West Wing.
Leadership decisions have always been made by the party conference within each chamber, and I doubt the President is usually consulted. In fact, to do so would be fraught with separation of powers implications. Not that it never comes up in small talk, but I would say this is not how it works and Sen. Byrd for one is probably spinning in his grave at your suggestion that the President try to influence this.
Of course the leadership decisions are made by the party conference within each chamber. I’ll take your word for it that the President is not “usually consulted”.
Do you remember the famous line from “House of Cards” — “You might think so, but I couldn’t possibly comment”?
When the President and the Senate Majority Leader (or for that matter the President and the Speaker of the House) are from the same party, and especially when they are friends, colleagues, and allies (such as Mr. Biden and Mr. Schumer), I am suggesting that it is frequent and even usual for the president to informally and privately offer opinions and advice about leadership decisions.
“Fraught with separation of powers implications”? Not in situations like this. I agree that if a President of one party contacted a Senate Majority Leader of the other party and made threats, innuendo, or demands about leadership positions then THAT would have implications for separation of powers.
I think Presidents and legislative leadership from the same party have been mutually strategizing about such matters for as long as there have been Presidents and legislative leadership.