On this morning's "This Week" on ABC, Sen. Bernie Sanders lit into coal country neo-Republican Sen. Joe "Fossil Fool" Manchin for sabotaging President Biden's Build Back Better legislation, in particular the climate change-related provisions. Sanders complained that Manchin was being treated in good faith as a serious bargainer, when he was not.
Despite them being whittled down to satisfy him, Manchin refused to support the provisions in the legislation on climate change and increasing taxes on the wealthiest Americans, saying "inflation" was his concern regarding the price tag. His vote on the Build Back Better legislation would have been vital, due to the split Senate. Sanders didn't hold back:
“[Manchin] has sabotaged the president’s agenda. No, look, if you check the record, six months ago, I made it clear that you have people like Manchin, Kyrsten Sinema to a lesser degree, who are intentionally sabotaging the president’s agenda, what the American people want, what a majority of us in the Democratic Caucus want. Nothing new about this. And the problem was that we continue to talk to Manchin like he was serious. He was not. This is a guy who is [a] major recipient of fossil fuel money, a guy who has received campaign contributions from 25 Republican billionaires. [snip]
In my humble opinion, Manchin represents the very wealthiest people in this country, not working families in West Virginia or America.” (our emphasis)
Unfortunately, deeply red West (by G*d ) Virginny swallows Manchin's fake fiscal conservatism, despite having the most to gain from progressive legislation aimed at economic dislocations and inequality. Being the Senator that sabotaged climate change legislation won't look good -- to say the least -- for Manchin's already questionable political legacy.
(photo: composite via CNN)
