Dem Senator Doesnt Know If He Will Vote For Obama WASHINGTON (AP) Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin says hes unsure whether hell vote for his partys leader, President Barack Obama, or the likely Republican nominee Mitt Romney. In a statement Friday, the West Virginia lawmaker said he had some real differences with both leaders, finding fault with Obamas energy and economic policies while questioning whether Romney could understand the challenges facing ordinary people. I strongly believe that every American should always be rooting for our president to do well, no matter which political party that he or she might belong to, Manchin said. With that being said, many West Virginians believe the last 3 ½ years havent been good for us, but were hopeful that they can get better. Manchin, one of the more moderate Senate Democrats, has broken with his party on several issues as he seeks re-election this year. His state has backed the Republican candidate in the last three presidential elections, and Obama did not fare well in 2008. Obama lost to GOP nominee Sen. John McCain, 56-43 percent, and was overwhelmed by Hillary Rodham Clinton in the Democratic primary, losing 67-26 percent. Manchin, the former governor who won the Senate seat in 2010, remains popular in West Virginia and is not considered vulnerable in his rematch against Republican John Raese. In an interview with National Journal published Friday, Manchin said he will look at the options in casting his presidential vote. Elaborating in Fridays statement, he criticized Romney, saying there are many West Virginians who believe that hes out of touch, especially because of his plan to end Medicare as we know it and privatize Social Security. He added that like many West Virginians, he has concerns about the Obama administration when it comes to energy coal in particular and the need to get our financial house in order. The administration has angered some in West Virginia with its increased scrutiny of the destructive practice of mountaintop coal mining, which is concentrated in Appalachia. It announced in 2009 that it would eliminate expedited reviews of the practice, take a closer look at 150 to 200 water pollution permits granted by the Army Corps of Engineers and reverse a Bush-era rule that let the rubble be dumped near streams. In January 2011, the EPA took the rare step of vetoing a Corps permit but recently a judge overturned that decision. In addition, electric power producers have blamed air pollution regulations adopted by the Environmental Protection Agency for helping to shut down older coal-fired power plants, which were already struggling to compete because of cheap natural gas. Manchins possible break with the party and the president would not be a political first. In 2008, Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., backed McCain although Lieberman had been the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2000. http://washington.cbslocal.com/2012/04/20/dem-senator-doesnt-know-if-he-will-vote-for-obama/ Ah, nothing says failure like the manning of the lifeboats. Who's next? Who will retire? Switch parties? Blue dogs, you are welcome in the GOP. Leave the progressives to their grim fate. _
We have moderates in congress? Imagine that. In that case, instead of voting on party lines, vote for who you want to be in. I don't care if it's a GOP or a Dem, just get the best person in.
Running for reelection in a state full of people just like you. He's obviously failed to learn the lessons of 2010.
Manchin is a conservative Democrat...a blue dog...an increasingly rare occurance in a party infiltrated by statists and authoritarian collectivists.
Actually, he did learn, and he wants to stay in office like all politicians. I expect the Blue Dogs to abandon the Blue Party this fall. _
As you stated earlier, this guy is from the old democrat party - the one that existed before the left wing nutcases took it over. It's no longer the party that my dad belonged to. I think that the dems are going through a crisis of character and I think a whole lot of them will start moving into the Independent party. I'd love to see the stats on that after November.
You mean no longer the party of George Wallace, Lester Maddox, and Strom Thurmond? Yeah, the racists of the old south now dominate the Republican party. Manchin is trying to swing the votes of those who would never vote for him while he tosses away the votes of those who would.
Democrats know that the Obama ship is sinking and they are grabbing their life vests and jumping off. Its every man for themselves at this point and Obama will be the captain riding the sinking ship to the bottom of the sea. The mass exodus of democrats from Obama is beginning.
I think the problem for Ubama this next election is people know a hell of a lot more about him than they did before his "first election". Remember it was the discouraged Bush voters and the whites who put him into office, but even now some democrats who haven't been corrupted by the commies, Marxists and Statists have a choice this coming November between someone more like one of those-Ubama ..........or...........one that could at least be more in line with the Constitution-Romney. A lot of voters are going to be willing to take the chance on someone NEW, rather than what they already know about how Ubama will govern and I'm sure those voters are also aware the with this being Ubama's "last election"...he will govern with unrestrained authority.
Indeed he will. You have that so right, 'zel. Remember what he said to the Russians ---- "After this election, I'll have more flexibility."
