For Manchin, It’s Not Personal

Politico: “The Democratic Senate has hit its first roadblock in its path to confirming President Joe Biden’s nominees. But if you ask the West Virginia Democrat who seemed to have delivered the kiss of death to Neera Tanden, he professes no villainous intent toward his party.”

Said Manchin: “I’m all about bipartisanship. I really am. I told her that: This is not personal at all.”

“It’s easy to see why the GOP-friendly Manchin would come down against Tanden despite his previous votes for polarizing Trump nominees. Simply put, Manchin represents a deep-red state and is invested in holding Biden to his pledge to be civil and reach across the aisle. He might seem like a Slytherin in the Democratic Party’s Hogwarts, but Manchin’s no on Tanden doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll soon turn against nominees like Xavier Becerra (HHS) and Deb Haaland (Interior). At the moment, he is a ‘maybe’ on both.”

For members: Joe Manchin Is the Guy In Charge of the Butter