Surely You’re Joking, Sen. Manchin

I agree with the editors’ of the Wall Street Journal’s assessment of the thinking of the Congressional Democratic leadership regarding Joe Manchin’s vote on the “Build Back Better” bill:

Politico reports that some Democrats are pushing Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to bring the climate and social-spending behemoth to the Senate floor, daring Mr. Manchin to kill it. “People have to face the reality of yes or no,” Majority Whip Dick Durbin told Politico, adding Mr. Manchin’s had “more than enough time.”

Basically, they think either a) he’ll vote for anything or b) that if they sweeten the deal enough Sen. Manchin will vote for whatever bill of whatever size and whatever structure they bring to the floor.

Here’s how the editors summarize Sen. Manchin’s issues with the bill:

Mr. Manchin hasn’t committed himself either way on the bill, but he has been consistent in what he wants. He made that clear in a memo he wrote in July in private talks with Mr. Schumer that later leaked to the media. His top-line spending amount for 10 years was $1.5 trillion, which he later increased to $1.75 trillion.

He has also been consistent in his calls to “pause” to evaluate the growing threat of inflation and has been equally consistent in seeking a bill free of budget gimmicks, fossil-fuel penalties and new entitlements that aren’t means-tested or don’t require work.

I have no insight whatever into the workings of Sen. Manchin’s mind. I do know that he won re-election in 2018, defeating a primary challenger decisively, is not running for re-election in 2022, is popular in West Virginia, and that BBB is very unpopular in West Virginia. Make of that what you will. Sounds like it’s a formula for considerable independence on Sen. Manchin’s part but I have no idea what that implies.