Posted on 10/04/2018 12:21:37 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Brett Kavanaugh may have the support of at least one Democratic senator.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) now seems to be leaning towards voting "yes" on Kavanaugh, according to a new report from Politico, which also says Manchin "certainly is gettable" for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky). Kavanaugh needs at least 50 votes to be confirmed (Vice President Mike Pence would break the tie), and since there are 51 Republicans in the Senate, a "yes" vote from Manchin could make up for a "no" vote from another swing senator like Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) or Susan Collins (R-Maine). President Trump clearly sees Manchin as gettable, as Politico reports the two have spoken about the confirmation.
However, there's a catch: Politico notes Manchin "doesn’t want to be the 50th vote for Kavanaugh," but he's okay being the 51st or 52nd vote. In other words, Manchin seems fine with voting for Kavanaugh in a scenario where GOP senators don't defect and Kavanaugh's confirmation is assured. But if it becomes clear that he's the deciding vote, that's where he's more conflicted. Manchin is up for re-election this November in a state Trump won overwhelmingly in 2016.
Though Manchin hasn't made many public remarks about Kavanaugh, and while he told Politico that he's still undecided, he also noted that he sympathizes with Kavanaugh and is "not hearing anything [disqualifying] from the 30 years as an adult, in his professional life." Manchin also recently told Al Jazeera that he is "looking at the gentleman as an adult from 22 to 53" and "trying to put the human side to it." —
Guaranteed to support Schumer in January as Leader.
Can anyone ask him if he wants Democrats to win the Senate? If the Senate ends up 50-50 is he a Democrat?
I’ve been telling EVERYONE THIS FOR WEEKS!!!
No democrat wants to be the one who puts him over the line... but a few will vote for him once they know he has the votes...
Manchin was ALWAYS a yes.. the ONLY way he was going to vote no was if there weren’t 50 votes in front of him.. because he knows a NO vote ends his political career.. but a YES VOTE, if that makes the 50th vote, ends his place in the Democratic party politics.
This same truth is true for a few more Dems... now that its obvious the GOP have 50 votes a few more will join to confirm.
This was ALWAYS a 52-55 vote confirmation....
I always vote in the morning ... gotta make sure I'm sober. Us hillbillies don't start sucking down the moonshine until after noon.
The Senate is not going to wind up 50-50 even before this Kavanaugh fiasco, GOP was going to gain 6 or so seats in November... with the Kavanaugh fiasco... GOP could see 10 or more.
He's in tears, begging for Coons to forgive him. Coons is going to slap him into submission.
It’s not “Democratic”. It’s “Democrat”!!
Who agrees or disagrees?
Of all the things I hate about modern politics, this is at the top of the list. Vote-trading, vote-selling or vote-shifting … whatever name you want to give it. They have to know the final outcome before they can commit. How about voting for the person or the legislation just on their respective merits. But no, they have to weigh the effect on their re-election or whether they are angering their leadership by voting “wrong”. If Manchin were the 50th confirming vote, I would have a lot more respect for him then if he weasels to be no. 53.
Give Murkowski her bridge or her drilling or whatever the heck she wants before or after the election and let lil Jeffy keep playing his games with bestie Chrissie because we don’t need him.
A man of conviction!
Are they up for election this year? I don’t think so...
With Manchin coming on board, Heitkamp might flip back to Yes.
If both Manchin and Flake vote no, are there enough votes to get Kavanaugh confirmed?
Let's see if that comes true.
Even without Flakey the Clown and Munchkin, we still win, assuming Collins and Murkowski (who both like their jobs) vote yes.
Lean into it Joe!
If he is waiting until BK has the votes, who the heck cares?
A real ‘Profile in Courage’, he is.
Barting your vote is part of politics and always has been.. don’t have to like it, but that’s the reality of it...
In this case its not really a barter of the voter, as much as, serving one master, while pretending to serve another...
80% of WV wants Kavanaugh confirmed.... Manchin knows his state is now a solid red state... but he’s managed to survive as a hold over from when Democrats weren’t completely insane.... But WV has been lost to Dems since 2000..... In fact, you want to know why we had a president Bush... it was ALL about WV.... NO FL...
The Dems threw WV away during the Clinton years... It had been a reliable D state... but the Dems decided we don’t like coal and we don’t need 5 measly EC voters... so its better to sell off those hicks to pander to bigger state liberals....
Had WV stayed blue in 2000, Al Gore is the president regardless of FL....
Since then then WV has moved more and more solidly red.. and Manchin knows it... he knows he’s fighting the tide... But he also knows his state Loves Trump... and MAGA and while he’s voted against some of Trump’s policies (such as the tax cut) he’s also not stupid and doesn’t openly attack Trump. He’s always been one of the 52-55 votes that were going to go Kavanaugh...
The problem is, his second master is Schumer and the DNC.... and they are frankly INSANE... If Manchin votes like his constituents want him to vote, he will face the wrath of the D and their crazy coastal elite whackadoo base... His committee seats will be taken, his power will be lessened, and whatever power he does wield to try to help his state is gone, even if he remains in office.
So he knows, HE NEEDS to vote for Kavanaugh for his political life to continue in WV... but he also knows if his vote puts Kavanaugh over the top, he may not be voted out of office, but his career is effectively over as well.
So, he simply holds out, he’s ALWAYS been a yes... and I’ve tried to tell people this... There are a few more D’s exactly like him... they WILL vote yes, but they won’t if their vote would put him over the top.
This isn’t anything new... not in the least..
The key to Kavanaugh confirmation has always been the GOP getting 50 votes... as long as they had 50 votes whey will get a few more... but if they don’t whip 50 voters in the GOP alone, the Dems won’t cross to put him over.
This is politics my friend, EVERYTHING is always WEIGHED in the larger political framework... always has been... Are you old enough to remember the Democrat openly crying as they voted for Clinton’s tax increases???? They didn’t want to do it, knew their career was over the if she did, Knew it wasn’t the right thing for their state, but also knew their career was just as over if they didn’t!
They cast the vote, the tax increase passed, 50-50 with Al Gore breaking the tie, and they were subsequently voted out of office.
I can’t recall that Senators name... but this sort of thing isn’t new... Its politics...
This d-bag.
The party leaders will let him vote for Kavanaugh IF KAVANAUGH HAS THE VOTES.
DITTO HEIZEKAMP.
HOPE VOTERS ARE SMART ENOUGH TO SEE THROUGH THIS!!!
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