Replies to post #61437 on LEE KRAMER'S ROOM: With Views

[PegnVA]

Trump isn't going to Alaska - I agree. Trump is all-talk; he'll attack from his FL country club. If necessary Murkowski will be a write-in candidate - she did that in the past and won and face it, the name "Murkowski" isn't the easiest to spell/write-in.

Fox News host Chris Wallace on Sunday called out Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) for enjoying his "position of power a little too much." - I guess Manuchin was on most Sunday morning shows...CNN's Jake Tapper interviewed Manchin this morning and frankly the senator did not come across as being a smart person.

[BullNBear52]

Manchin said pretty much the same thing on MTP this morning.

I am in that common-sense middle. That's who I am."

During the UI vote debate...

Days prior, Manchin had committed to backing an alternative plan by Portman, who proposed extending jobless benefits to $300 a week through July, reducing the benefit by $100 in the bill that passed the House.
But Democrats, fearful that the Portman plan would pass, worked privately behind the scenes to move forward with their own proposal to head off the Portman plan. The new Democratic plan would also reduce the benefits to $300 but extend them through September. And in order to head off backlash from the left by simply slashing back on the benefits, they added a sweetener: Ensuring that the first $10,200 would not be taxed.
By mid-morning Friday, Democratic leaders were feeling confident with where they were heading. They believed Manchin had signed off on the proposal, after his conversations with a fellow swing vote, Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, and Delaware Sen. Tom Carper, the lead sponsor of the plan. But Manchin said Friday morning he had no knowledge of the tax provision. It's unclear how the message was lost in translation.

https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/06/politics/joe-manchin-covid-relief-negotiation/index.html

Manchin got a little too cutesy. He backed Portman's amendment only to realize the Dems were going to propose their own UI amendment.

And his plan might have worked except one GOP senator had gone home to deal with a death in the family. Which meant Harris would have been the tie breaker and the AZ senator wasn't going to support his vote for Portman's amendment.

So Manchin turns around and votes in favor of the final Dem amendment.

The WV governor was on FTN and he is not exactly happy with Manchin.