"Joe, why do you think they invited you for dinner?"

[kentuck]

Joe Manchin (D-WV) says he was invited to dinner last night with Ivanka and Jared Kushner?

Why does he think he was invited? Because they like him so much?

No, because they see him as a useful tool in their quest for their taxcut for themselves. He is being used and he doesn't have the sense to know it.

[spanone]

1. k&R...

[Irish_Dem]

2. No one with any sense would associate with this toxic family, unless there is a huge bribe??

Wonder what they are offering him?

[montanacowboy]

3. Manchin is an Opportunist

He is always looking out for himself
I hate this POS

[Demsrule86]

10. I save my hate for Republicans...I consider Democrats to be on my side...and Manchin has been great

since Trump.

[gratuitous]

4. If you can't eat their food and drink their booze, then vote against them . . .

You have no business in politics. I'd like to think that's what Manchin is doing: Getting a free meal from the people he's going to vote against. Unfortunately, based on his history, that's probably not the case.

Manchin, McCaskill and Heitkamp's Democratic colleagues in the Senate need to sit down with these three and make sure they know which side of the bread has the butter.

[imanamerican63]

5. Chuck and Nancy too!

[Bantamfancier]

6. If you're sitting in a poker game,

the first thing you do is figure out who the "mark" is.
If you can't find him, it's you!

[Demsrule86]

7. Go after Dems...once again...he comes from a red state...but thus far he has held strong.

Of course I am sure...that a Republican would be so much better.

[Staph]

8. Thanks, Demsrule86!

I'm so tired of preaching to the rest of DU. Manchin is doing what he must in order to keep his job. If you would rather have a Republican in that senate seat (the current choices are Congressman Evan Jenkins and Attorney General Patrick Morrissey (whose wife's lobbying firm works for opioid distributor Cardinal Health), go right ahead and yell at Joe Manchin.

[Demsrule86]

9. Exactly...let's try to keep all of our Senators. I don't think

these folks realize...the likelihood of getting a Dem in WVA if Manchin goes is ...between never happen and impossible.

[JCanete]

12. that's always the only choice, right? Weak democrat or republican? It will always be the only

choice if we don't build any actual democratic enthusiasm in these states. How do you get people to start considering a different narrative if you don't even have a ground game promoting it in their state?

[Demsrule86]

13. You won't ever get West Virginia to turn progressive...but you can get moderates elected...reality

bites...but losing is worse.

[JCanete]

14. The issue with that kind of thinking is that it assumes

that good ideas themselves can't be infectious...that they can't win over bad ideas by virtue of them actually being stronger and holding up better. We need the next generation of voters in these states. We can't get them by not inspiring them.

[Demsrule86]

20. We need to keep manchin in 18...desperately...sure start some grass roots

stuff...start with local races...but leave the national ones alone.

[lagomorph777]

11. Because Manchin was the main course?

[SaschaHM]

15. For all this complaining about Manchin from the left, he's surprisingly stayed strong

He could become a republican and easily sail to reelection given his name recognition in WV, instead he's stayed a Dem, voted to keep Obamacare in place, and is polling higher than his republican challenger.

Will he and the other red state dems vote for a Trump tax plan, maybe. That depends on how well our counter messaging is.

So I honestly don't see what's wrong with him being cordial to people his constituents actually like if he is holding strong on issues that Dems care about.

[Demsrule86]

19. This plan kill Medicaid...Manchin won't vote for it.

He just has to appear to be cooperating.

[Hortensis]

16. They have serious financial and legal issues and need to suck up to all

the powerful people they can. Nothing to do with personal "tax cuts."

Btw, Sen. Manchin is a very powerful man with more invitations to dinner than stray cats have fleas. Of course he knows why.

[UCmeNdc]

17. Joe , don't do it.

You will be left holding the bag.

[Iggo]

18. He knows it.

He thinks you don't know it.