Member-only story
In Congress, There’s Always Going to be a Joe Manchin.
And the left should prepare for it.
It’s been nearly three months with Joe Biden as President, and Americans are finally beginning to receive the desperately needed survival checks in the Covid relief package that had been promised “immediately”. Of course, there were a number of reasons why the relief and the bill itself has taken so long to pass, but none of it has to do with Republicans. Considering the fact that one of the first moves that Democrats made when they took control of the Senate was to vote to pass the bill through reconciliation meaning they would not need a single Republican vote, it’s been interesting to consider the various conservative, corporate friendly Democratic voices behind the scenes who were flexing their political muscle to get their will. Namely, West Virginia’s own Joe Manchin.
Frankly, it’s been incredibly easy to make Joe Manchin out as the scapegoat for the reason why it’s going to be next to impossible for progressives to get their policy goals implemented. Whether it be the $15 minimum wage, enhanced unemployment benefits, or even doing the bare minimum to ensure Democrats can be effective in congress like abolishing the filibuster, Manchin has willingly volunteered himself to be the face of barriers to progress. Especially with the killing of the minimum wage so…
