For months now, Democrats have been lambasting Joe Manchin for not rubber-stamping Joe Biden’s massive, nation-transforming “build back better” reconciliation play. The attacks have come from the highest levels, with some House members even accusing him of corruption for daring to have some fiscal sanity.

But here’s the thing: Joe Manchin does not care.

That was the message he delivered today, in a press conference that was so satisfying that you’re going to want to inject it straight into your veins and have a cigarette afterward. If anyone thought Manchin was looking to fold, he’s not only doubling down on his opposition to the budget bill, but he’s bringing the snark as well to make that point.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV): "I've never been a liberal in any way, shape, or form," so if progressives want a bigger reconciliation bill, "elect more liberals." pic.twitter.com/Xkf7NLRMtp

— The Recount (@therecount) September 30, 2021

Someone wants to get re-elected in West Virginia, and honestly, good for Manchin for being one of the few senators in Washington, at least on the Democrat side, who recognizes that he serves his constituents and not the nationalized interests of the far-left. What incentive does he have to dump more inflation on the heads of the people in his state? Or to crush his state’s top industry with pointless climate change provisions?

The broader Democrat party does not see it that way, though. They believe all Congressional members exist only to give ideologues in New York and California what they want. That’s led to the entertaining civil war we are now witnessing. Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer are not used to being defied. Joe Biden probably doesn’t even know what’s going on, but he knows he wants to be the next FDR, and Manchin is standing in the way.

And as if his comment about not being a liberal wasn’t enough, Manchin then said something that will have left-wing heads exploding across this great land.

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) says his maximum number for reconciliation is $1.5 trillion because he wants to avoid "changing our whole society to an entitlement mentality." pic.twitter.com/ylwVUrCf7H

— The Recount (@therecount) September 30, 2021

Manchin is not only blocking Biden’s agenda, but he’s using Republican talking points to do it. It doesn’t get any more based than that for a Democrat.

It’s also worth noting that Manchin’s opposition is not sheerly symbolic here. He’s not negotiating over a few hundred million in order to hand his party most of what they want with a $2.9 trillion bill. Instead, he’s standing firm on his original $1.5 trillion offer that is less than half what the White House and Democrat leaders want.

That is driving the left insane. I won’t post the tweets here, but Chris Hayes is currently in the midst of a mental breakdown over Manchin’s machinations. Joy Reid went berserk on Kyrsten Sinema last night. This is as much chaos and disarray as I’ve ever seen in the Democrat Party, and you absolutely love to see it.