The repercussions continue to mount in Washington since Joe Manchin’s epoch announcement on Sunday that he could not, in good conscience, support Biden’s massive social spending bill.
“I have always said, ‘If I can’t go back home and explain it, I can’t vote for it,'” the West Virginia Democrat said in a statement following the Fox interview. “Despite my best efforts, I cannot explain the sweeping Build Back Better Act in West Virginia and I cannot vote to move forward on this mammoth piece of legislation.”
Manchin’s heartfelt rational seemed to resonate favorably among West Virginians across the state.
“I absolutely support him,” one woman told Fox News. “Nothing in that bill was going to help West Virginia. In fact, it would cost us jobs, for which we, of course, would be paying as taxpayers.”
Another West Virginia resident also echoed her support for the embattled Democratic senator. “I support Joe Manchin 120%,” the resident told Fox. She said she was glad Manchin was “not backing down to Biden because West Virginia is suffering for Biden’s choices.”
Another local said, “I think it was the right thing to do, to much money going in the wrong direction.” Followed by yet another Manchin supporter, telling a local news affiliate, “We don’t need to spend the money and we don’t need to add to the deficit.”
The conservative Democrat first won the right to represent the people of West Virginia after winning a special election in 2010, vacated by the death of previous incumbent Robert Byrd. Manchin has since won two full terms as senator.
His reluctance to support Bidens signature legislation now almost guarantees he’ll be an outcast within his own party, along with a primary challenge in 2025. This is perhaps the reason why Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell offered the embattled Democrat a home within the Republican Party.
On Monday, the 79-year old Kentucky senator appeared on the “The Guy Benson Show” to discuss the ensuing dust-up within the Democratic Party, caused in part by Manchin’s explosive announcement and virtually killing Biden’s “Build Back Better” nightmare. During the appearance, McConnell offered the beleaguered senator an opportunity to switch parties, if he so desired.
Mitch McConnell says Joe Manchin 'certainly welcome' to join GOP https://t.co/wAACDeVz7Q pic.twitter.com/wiaMeipFSE
— New York Post (@nypost) December 21, 2021
During the podcast, Benson asked McConnell about the vicious attacks by fellow Democrats leveled at Manchin.
McConnell noted, “I was shocked at the vitriol. And basically it seemed to me that they were calling Sen. Manchin a liar. I think that was not smart. This is a 50/50 Senate. It’s going to be 50/50 for another year, and believe me, this is not how I would handle a disappointing vote like that.”
He went on to add, “He doesn’t fit well over there, but that is a decision ultimately that he has to make. We certainly welcome him to join us if he was so inclined.
“The American people have seen what true liberalism looks like. Actually, I’d say more accurately what socialism looks like, and we’re headed toward a very significant midterm election next year. And we should, in all likelihood, flip both the House and the Senate to the Republican Party.
“They’re in very, very tough shape, politically. I don’t see how that gets much better. No one thinks inflation is not going to still be a huge issue. We’re having a difficulty getting people back to work,” McConnell continued. “Look, the Senate is still going to be close, but I think the atmosphere in which all of our races are going to be run is even dramatically better than the last time you and I spoke.”
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