After years of speculation, Sen. Joe Manchin officially left the Democratic Party. The West Virginia Senator is now registered as an independent.
Manchin has long been viewed as a moderate. This helped him to survive in one of the most Republican states. It was not immediately clear whether the move was to set him up to reverse his decision to not run for reelection in the Senate or stage a late governorship bid.
On Friday, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia (D) left the Democratic Party and officially registered as an Independent.
Manchin, the former independent presidential candidate who flirted earlier this year with a run for the Senate, has announced that he will not be running. He could still run as an independent for the West Virginia Governorship or Senate if he leaves the party.
West Virginians deserve to be represented if they are fooled by this. Manchin’s “sane Democrat Act” ceased to exist in 2022, when he voted against the Inflation Reduction Act.
Manchin, for those who do not remember his brazen betrayal, promised Republicans that he would stop Biden from advancing the big-spending boondoggle using the reconciliation process. In exchange, GOP senators agreed that the CHIPS Act would be passed.
Take a wild guess as to how it’s going.
Government-mandated DEI is now causing chip manufactures to cancel American projects and build overseas because we are ruled by idiots. pic.twitter.com/PSMuYQQdf7
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) March 9, 2024
Manchin announced that he would support the Inflation Reduction Act after Republicans lost their leverage over the CHIPS Act. What was the reason? All it took to get Manchin to change his mind was a few false statements and a little ego-stroking.
BREAKING: The outside agreement reached b/w Manchin and Dem leaders to overhaul building & environmental review in the US, including pushing new WV pipeline. Offered by Dem leaders to help secure Manchin commitment for clean energy subsidies https://t.co/TdGvER5nm8 pic.twitter.com/fHi5NAOGkU
— Jeff Stein (@JStein_WaPo) August 1, 2022
The link above shows that I referred to Manchin as the “world’s largest sucker” back then. My claim was soon vindicated. Democrats refused to overhaul the permitting process for new energy projects, while the White House set money on flames in the name “climate changes” using the Inflation Reduction Act.
Manchin’s response? Manchin’s response? To go on Fox News to threaten to repeal the law he enabled. He knew that was impossible, as Biden would need to sign such an repeal. It was a kabuki show from the “moderate.”
Become an independent did not make any of these things go away. Manchin’s political career should have ended when he initially folded and voted in favor of the Inflation Reduction Act. It wasn’t that he was bamboozled. He was repeatedly warned about what he would be signing, but he still did it.
He can go on Fox News, throw up his hands, and pretend he is a reliable opponent of the Democrat agenda. But everyone knows that he has shown them the truth. He could have remained firm and refused to vote for the Inflation Reduction Act. He could have stood by his friends, who relied on him to honor his promises. He did not do these things and will now pay for it. Manchin needs to upgrade his houseboat, as he will be spending more time there after 2024.
I stand by that. Manchin is now eligible to register as a Republican. West Virginians shouldn’t give him a second vote.
