Biden Makes a Eye-Raising Move Involving Manchin, and It Has Everyone Talking

It’s no secret that Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) is frequently considered by Democrats to be a stumbling block in their way of grabbing complete power, given the balance of power in the Senate is so tight. They’re desperate to have Manchin vote yes to get their agenda passed. But Manchin, being from West Virginia, tends to be a more moderate Democrat, who at least expresses some concerns for the Constitution and the law.

Manchin’s opposition to Biden’s nomination of Neera Tanden for the head of the Office of Management and Budget killed the nomination.

That said, Manchin has also disappointed and should never be regarded as a reliable stopgap for principle, as we saw him vote for trumped-up impeachment charges against President Donald Trump.

But he’s made it clear that he’s not a fan of the latest move by Democrats to grab and consolidate more of their power: the effort to kill the filibuster.

Manchin told me "no" he won't support gutting 60-vote filibuster rule even if Manchin-Toomey bill is blocked again

"We got to work together here. Why don't you ask people when was the last time they took time to talk to some of the people on this side…https://t.co/38nfcoFFPR

— Manu Raju (@mkraju) March 23, 2021

As I wrote yesterday, they’re in all-out, assault mode to eliminate it, despite the fact that Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and other Democrats were all for it in the past, indeed using it 327 times last year. So if it’s supposedly from the “Jim Crow era” now, why were they so busy using it last year? Of course, the reason is that it was to protect minority rights, so that the majority didn’t just steamroller over the minority. So when they were in the minority they wanted it; now that they have a slim advantage, they want to do away with it.

So, how are they going to get around Joe Manchin?

Sounds like Joe Biden just threw his bribe, excuse me, “offer” out there to get Manchin’s vote.

According to reports, Biden is nominating Gayle Manchin, Joe Manchin’s wife, to be what it calls a “key member” of his administration: the Federal Co-Chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission.

Nifty $165K/year for Manchin's wife. https://t.co/fjvxRPcVkW

— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) March 27, 2021

President Biden is nominating Gayle Manchin, Sen. Joe Manchin’s wife, to be what it calls a “key member” of his administration. pic.twitter.com/a79KvyBuxj

— Daniel Lippman (@dlippman) March 26, 2021

Now, I’m sure that this nomination is just a coincidence at this time — and it’s more than a little concerning that it apparently wasn’t turned down.

From The Hill:

The White House on Friday cited Gayle Manchin’s career as an educator and her service as the first lady of West Virginia, when Manchin was the state’s governor from 2005 to 2010, as reasons for her nomination. Gayle Manchin also previously served as president of the West Virginia Board of Education and the West Virginia Office of Education and the Arts.

It isn’t a question of whether she’s qualified or not, given the present factors in the Senate. How can we put this bluntly? It smells to high heaven. If Manchin now flips his vote, it would appear that we know his price. Talk about the appearance of impropriety.

If Trump had done this, Democrats would be screaming to the rafters and already preparing paperwork for a third impeachment.

The #Democrats need to roll two people to end the filibuster and commence with one-party tyranny, Manchin is one of them. If we had a real media, the spousal sponsorship happening on the left would be a scandal. https://t.co/yVNyWLr1uE

— Collective Stock (@collectivestock) March 26, 2021

What was that word we heard again?