Manchin Silent on Obamacare Repeal, Obama's Tax Hikes

Weekly Standard ^ | JUL 10, 2012 | MICHAEL WARREN

[Qbert]

Democratic senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia refused to answer a question about his position on repealing part or all of Obamacare this afternoon outside the Senate chamber. Asked by THE WEEKLY STANDARD if he supported repealing any part of the 2010 health care law, Manchin then stepped into an elevator with retiring Democrat Ben Nelson of Nebraska, who laughed as the elevator doors closed.

Soon after the Supreme Court ruling in June that upheld most of the health care law, Manchin released a statement calling for Congress to take “additional action to repair” the law, “fixing what is wrong…and saving what is right.”

The House of Representatives will vote on Wednesday on a bill to completely repeal Obamacare.

Manchin was also unresponsive when asked by TWS if he supported the president’s proposal to raise taxes on those making over $250,000 a year. Manchin has voted against similar proposals in the past, and he told reporters as recently as last month that he supports the Simpson-Bowles deficit reduction plan’s tax reforms, declining to endorse the Democratic leadership’s position on increasing taxes on

Arugably the most conservative Democrat in the Senate, Manchin is up for reelection this year after winning a special election to the seat in 2010. He has frequently criticized his own party from the right.

Manchin and his successor in the West Virginia governor’s mansion, Earl Ray Tomblin, have not endorsed Obama for reelection and will not be attending the national convention in Charlotte.

[Qbert]

(Photo: Reuters)

[DarthVader]

Manchin is a lying hypocrite who is not to be trusted.

[EyeGuy]

“Manchin then stepped into an elevator with retiring Democrat Ben Nelson of Nebraska, who laughed as the elevator doors closed.”

####

Let us hope that it is, We the People who have the last laugh on the elitist, self-serving, career politican scum.

God willing.

[txrefugee]

The gullible rubes who voted for this liar will have their coal industry shut down by his buddy, Obama, as well. That is a real kick in the gut to WV.

[Qbert]

Manchin might throw Conservatives a bone every now and then with meaningless statements (or more likely, duck out on key votes so he doesn’t have to answer for them), but he’s never going to take initiative on anything.

And if he gets re-elected, eventually he’ll crack on coal, the 2A and everything else like a good little phony moderate Dem once the arm-twisting starts.

[RightGeek]

Joe Manchin is Obama’s lawn jockey

[sunny48]

West Virginians really need to wake up.

[Buckeye McFrog]

But he blowed it up reeeeeel good on the TV with that rifle n’all so we all voted fer him.....

[HamiltonJay]

Anyone who is elected from WV and voiced any sort of support of OBAMA in any way shape or form is GONE and this guy knows it.

Obama has taken what was already a poor state and turned it into a third world state by destroying the Coal industry there.

He’s going to lose that state by well over 60% in Novemeber.. but since he didn’t carry it in ‘08 he saw no reason not to run roughshod over it.

I would not be surprised to see Obama lose WV by 70%+ of the vote, and he’s going to take out democrats down the ticket there with him.

[Joe Boucher]

Hey,
The STUPIDS of West Virginia elected this turd knowing he would support obammy and his efforts to destroy coal and pass obammycare.
And they most likely will vote to re-elect this assclown come November. Cause momma and pappa voted dem the gots to.

[weezel]

So, the supreme court says that obamacare is constitional BECAUSE it is actually a TAX. BUT, it wasnt voted on in congress as a TAX, in fact, it DID NOT even pass congress, it was DEEMED passed, because dem0s did not have the votes to pass it. Is that the correct way to inflict one of the largest tax increases in the history of the nation upon us? Is it even legal?

[randita]

Update on convention and campaign skippers-yeah, Manchin's on the list:

SKIPPING DEMOCRAT CONVENTION

U.S. Sen. or running for U.S. Sen.

Richard Carmona-AZ
Heidi Heitcamp-ND
Claire McCaskill-MO
Joe Manchin-WV
Jon Tester-MT

Gov. or running for Gov.

Earl Ray Tomblin-WV

U.S. Rep. or running for U.S. Rep.

John Barrow-GA
Mark Critz-PA
Kathy Hochul-NY
Jim Matheson-UT
Bill Owens-NY
Nick Rahall-WV

SKIPPING GOP CONVENTION:

U.S. Sen. or running for U.S. Sen.

Denny Rehberg-MT

NOT CAMPAIGNING FOR OBAMA

Hillary
Slick
Barbra Streisand
Oprah

WITHOLDING ENDORSEMENT

Colin Powell

[Will88]

West Virginia should be electing Republicans to the US Senate, but I’m not sure they’ve yet nominated the right Republican candidate. Once again businessman John Raese is the candidate opposing Manchin as in 2010.

Raese lost to Manchin in 2010, but led in the polls until the week he made the statement that he “absolutely supported abolition of the minimum wage”. Some Republicans might enjoy hearing candidates say such things, and calling SS a “ponzi scheme”, but people who enjoy hearing those things should also learn to enjoy losing races to Dims, especially in a state like WV.

Maybe some other factors will swing the race in Raese’s direction this November, but also maybe Republicans need to become more skilled at picking candidates who address the critical issues in specific states.