Sen Manchin And The Leadership Vacuum
With Presidednt Biden out of the country and dozing off on the world stage, Sen Manchin picked a most peculiar time to hold a press conference. According to the Washington Examiner , Sen. Joe Manchin hit the brakes on a newly touted social welfare spending deal, arguing it needs much more work and consideration before he throws his support behind it. . . . He accused Democrats of playing “shell games” with the cost estimates of the latest deal, which is half of the initial $3.5 trillion Democrats hoped to spend. . . . “How can I in good conscience vote for a bill that proposes massive expansion of social programs when vital programs like Social Security and Medicare face insolvency, and benefits can start being reduced as soon as 2026 in Medicare and 2033 in Social Security?” Manchin said. “How does that make sense? And I don't think it does.” Manchin said he would not decide whether to vote for the bill until the text of the measure is written and, in the meantime, demanded...