Joe Manchin is the skunk at the Democrat’s garden party.
After single-handedly derailing President Joe Biden’s economic agenda, the West Virginia Senator has been the target of his party’s vitriol and contempt.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal, the powerful leader of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, verbalized the prevailing sentiment among the party’s left flank, saying “We can’t trust Senator Manchin’s word.”
Even Biden’s White House, which has prioritized the type of civil tone abandoned by the previous presidential administration, bared its teeth at Manchin earlier this week, accusing him of “a breach of his commitments.” In a statement, press secretary Jen Psaki implied that Manchin was intentional misrepresenting the Build Back Better bill.
But Manchin has been unflappable. In September, he said the Democratic party should “elect more liberals” if it hoped to pass a large social spending bill. “I’ve never been a liberal in any way, shape, or the form,” he added.
So we know that Manchin will never be a progressive. But what about a Republican?
“Senator Mitch McConnell is extending an open invitation to Senator Joe Manchin III — come on over to our side,” reports The New York Times. The outlet adds:
Mr. McConnell, the Kentucky Republican and minority leader, said on Tuesday that he was astonished by the angry response that Mr. Manchin of West Virginia elicited from the White House and his fellow Democrats with his Sunday bombshell that he would oppose President Biden’s signature domestic policy bill.
“Why in the world would they want to call him a liar and try to hotbox him and embarrass him?” McConnell asked in an interview. “I think the message is, ‘We don’t want you around.’ Obviously that is up to Joe Manchin, but he is clearly not welcome on that side of the aisle.”
McConnell added that he’s been trying to recruit Manchin to the GOP for years.
“Obviously we would love to have him on our team,” he said. “I think he’d be more comfortable.”
If Manchin flips to the Republican Party, Democrats would lose their barely-there majority in the Senate.
The Times points out that Manchin and the GOP share similar views on hot button issues like guns and abortion, but that Manchin prefers a more expansive government than what most Republicans find palatable. Manchin also twice voted to impeach former President Donald Trump, which is considered a cardinal sin in the modern day Republican Party.
The Times adds:
Mr. McConnell said he believed his party’s performance this year and the struggles of the Democrats were setting Republicans up for a strong midterm election next year and his potential return to running the Senate no matter what party Mr. Manchin is in. Despite Mr. Trump’s efforts to encourage candidates he favors in key Senate races, Mr. McConnell said he was intent on avoiding the type of primary contests that in the past have hurt Republicans by saddling them with primary winners who falter in general elections.
“I feel good about how we handled ourselves this year and I feel good about how the American public is reacting to what they are trying to do,” he said of the Democrats. “I believe it will be an excellent environment for us.”
