Manchin just voted "aye" for Sessions!

[George II]

Hope all Democrats remember that, among other votes of his.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

1. do you think Manchin will get replaced by someone more progressive than him from WV?

because i dont

[Va Lefty]

8. Sadly, not any time soon.

[George II]

16. Ever hear of Senator Jay Rockefeller?

[former9thward]

25. Do you have a Democrat in mind who can throw around money like Rockefeller did?

He spent $12 million back in 1984 to win the Senate (just barely) back when $12 million was a ton of money in a small state like WV.

[pkdu]

31. How about his son

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Rockefeller

[alp227]

33. So we could have the second father-son US senate duo...

https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/briefing/Facts_Figures.htm

First (and only) father and son to serve in the Senate simultaneously: Henry Dodge of Wisconsin served in the Senate from 1848 to 1857, and his son, Augustus Dodge of Iowa, served from 1848 to 1855.

[Uponthegears]

20. No, what will happen

Is that he will, despite his betrayal of everything our party should stand for, be replaced by a Teapot!

The old saying "Better to die like a lion than live like a lamb" isn't what we're talking about in West Virginia, it's "Better to die like a lion than be slaughtered like a lamb."

Come next election, Joe will just become the latest lamb to be sacrificed on the altar of moderation.

[Eliot Rosewater]

26. Simple process, either you vote for whoever the Dem is on any ticket or you give

fascists more power to kill you.

Manchin is a prick, but if he is the Dem on the ticket, he is our prick.

[yallerdawg]

35. There it is.

Manchin is playing it like an Independent.

How the hell would Manchin's vote change one damn thing?

I've seen much worse Blue Dogs - and back in 2010 we purged a lot of them.

46 Democrats. We can't start by us picking off our own!

[still_one]

39. What you are asking is an extremely important point. Different states have different values

The question is what do we as a party stand for?

I believe Sessions at the minimum has racist views, if not being a bonafide racist.

What are we as a party willing to compromise on in order to get a Democratic majority?

The republicans sold their soul for the Southern Strategy, I would not want our party to do the same

I believe there are issues as a party we can disagree on, but I also believe there are certain fundamental issues that are non-negotiable.

Civil rights, women's rights, social security, medicare, healthcare for all Americans are issues we cannot compromise on, and still remain as a party

Would we feel the same way toward a Democrat if David Duke was trump's appointment for AG, and they voted for him?

[Uponthegears]

46. You're missing the point

Manchin is going to lose in 2018. The Republicans will run a Trumpster and he will wipe the floor with Manchin. Trump beat Hillary by 40 flippin percent. He outperformed Romney by 15 points. The people saying "We're such realists and adults because we understand that sometimes you have to compromise to win" are living in the ultimate fantasy world . . . the one where Manchin has a snowball's chance in he'll in 2018.

Manchin had a chance to stand for something before the inevitable happens in 2018 and he stood for a racist MF named Jefferson Beauregard Sessions.

[mopinko]

27. methinks the past is no longer prologue.

we are in a new universe. some old rules might apply, but not sure how many.

[SaschaHM]

40. The current Dem gov was a Republican until 2015 and is an Ex- Coal Mining businessman.

In 2012, 40% voted for a Felon in the Democratic Primary instead of Barack Obama. Not to mention the state went to Trump by a margin of 47%.

Manchin is more or less in the mold of the Dems that get elected in that state.

[golfguru]

29. Nope. Manchin is secure in WV

He voted to gain maximum political advantage for himself.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

55. Yes, but had he boted no it would not have mattered

Same result

[CanonRay]

2. Birds of a feather....

[Barack_America]

4. Klan together?

[Chasstev365]

3. Primary His Ass!

Dinos Must Go!

[Ace Rothstein]

6. Manchin is the best we're going to get from a deplorable rich state like WV.

[oasis]

21. Since the late West Virginia Sen. Robert Byrd (D) got a pass on his KKK

ancient history, Manchin would look like a hypocrite if he used Session's racist past as an excuse to vote against him.

That's the first thing West Virginians would throw up in his face.

[Chasstev365]

24. Good Point!

[La Lioness Priyanka]

9. sure. because from WV you are really likely to get a Russ Feingold elected

[JI7]

15. this is a state where someone in prison got over 40 perecent in a DEM primary against

Obama in 2012.

[Angry Dragon]

5. idiot

[theglammistress]

7. Of course he did

Frankly I was stunned when he voted against DeVos.

Machin is worthless and in some ways I think it would be better if he just because an R already.

He's going to lunch at the White House so Trump can schmooze him on Gorsuch too. Basically, in the end, we're screwed when we can't count on the people on our "side."

[octoberlib]

10. Heitkamp , Manchin's partner in crime. is actually voting against. I saw her press release earlier

on Twitter.

[Cha]

12. Wow.. that is a surprise!

[octoberlib]

18. Yes, it is! Those two usually vote in tandem.

Link to tweet

[Cha]

22. Thank you, octoberlib!

[NCTraveler]

11. This isn't too far out there.

Sessions and Manchin have a drastically different voting record. Sessions is still well within reason when it comes to Manchins constituents. Seems to be an appropriate vote for him.

[oasis]

30. +1

[JI7]

13. he isn't really worth focusing on too much

This is the best we will get from WV

[CajunBlazer]

14. We need to remember who he represents

A real progressive is not going to win in a ruby red state. Would we rather a Republican replace him?

[crazycatlady]

38. Sadly some Democrats would rather have a Republican than a Blue Dog

[BannonsLiver]

17. DINO

[Blue_true]

42. That is the best that we can get in West Virginia.

Would you rather a West Virginia republican take his seat so that we then have a person that oppose us 100% instead of work with us 80%? This purity nonsense is what kills us, especially when applied to red states.

[BannonsLiver]

56. I'd love to ask Manchin what makes him think he's a Dem.

Crickets would ensue.

[WhoIsNumberNone]

19. So? We all knew Manchin was a DINO

News Flash people: "Democrat" doesn't mean "liberal"- Ever since the 80s all it really means is "less right wing than the Republicans"

[Blue_true]

43. Some people don't get it. They prefer someone that

Will knife their guts out instead of punch them in the stomach occasionally.

[hatrack]

23. Oh, good! So when AG Mushmouth comes after medical marijuana, and pimps civil seizures .. .

. . . and shreds voting protections, and further politicizes the FBI, and toddles right along with immigrant bans, internment camps and suspension of civil liberties . . .

We can stand proud, knowing that we got to clean out the rationalization barrel in defense of a barely Democratic Senator for the remaining 18 months of his term, because after all, we're not going to get a Paul Wellstone in West Virginia.

[Paladin]

28. I'm not one bit surprised.

I want some payback for this treachery. I want Manchin to pay a price for this.

[doc03]

32. No suprise there he has to to keep his job, about 80% of

WV are bat shit crazy Trumpanistas.

[n2doc]

34. He will be gone in 2 years no matter what

West Virginia is a lost cause for now. If dems can figure out a path forwards out of the coal-based economy of theirs, they can gain the state back. But for now too many brainwashed trumpets there.

[Blue_true]

47. Actually, if republicans gut Obamacare, Manchin

Could hang on. The guy WAS a twice elected Governor for that state.

[jeanmarc]

36. Latest version of a Lieberman. Who btw...

Showed up for the Devos hearing, like the complete asshole he is.

[kevink077]

37. manchin is still better than a teabagger

He represents an ultra conservative state. Dems cannot afford to lose this seat right now. No liberal would have a chance here. I would rather have half a loaf out of West Virginia than nothing. If he was from a blue or purple state-I would say "primary him".

[SaschaHM]

41. "Big Ten Party! 50 State Party"

(unless they aren't super progressives".)

Manchin isn't my favorite Sen, but he's not some burden foisted among the Democrats in WV. WV Dems voted 40% for a prison inmate instead of Obama in the Democratic primary and the fact that Trump won by 47% means that he picked up a wide swathed of Dems. He is in the mold of Dems that they elect. Yes, they're basically the Democratic party's conservative cousin.

[George II]

44. "Democrat party"? Did you just say that?

[SaschaHM]

45. Changed it. Forgot that it triggered things here.

[Blue_true]

48. It's about purity, you know?

[SaschaHM]

50. This site's Manchin hate-on just perplexes me.

I mean he's not my favorite Senator, but they act like WV Dems are super progressives who've had this DINO foisted upon them and then in the next breath call for a 50 state party.

He's not taking votes that his constituents are raging at. Hell, his pro-Obama & gun control votes probably caused more ire among his constituents than any of his pro-Trump nonsense.

[George II]

53. Not just here. Google "Democrat party" to find the origins and use over the last 6+ decades.

[LiberalFighter]

49. Of course he did.

[bravenak]

51. Fuck him

[Freedomofspeech]

52. So disgusting.

Why doesn't he just become an repug?

[cilla4progress]

54. I'm going to call him and tell him to

just change parties FFS

[Takket]

57. A "D" that votes "R" is not a "D"

[Jake Stern]

58. He and West Virginia are pretty much lost causes.

He'll either be booted in 2018 or switch parties.

My prediction:

Sometime in 2018 or 2019 he'll put out a statement to the effect of:

"I have come to realize the Democratic Party no longer represents the values of myself or my fellow West Virginians. So after prayerful consideration and discussion with my family, I have made the decision to leave the Democratic Party so that I may better serve the people of West Virginia in the Senate."