CommentsTHE EASTSIDER - I would not care about Senator Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) except for the fact that he’s personally basking in the glory of screwing the entire United States as he plays around selling his vote. Two recent articles explain what he really is, and it ain’t pretty.
The first article is by Robert Reich, and posted on the LA Progressive on 12/14.
He makes the establishment Democratic analysis:
“Why is Manchin so obstinate? I once thought he was trying to protect West Virginia’s coal mining industry and he worried that Build Back Better’s climate provisions would hasten its demise. But West Virginia’s coal industry employs only around 13,000 workers—less than 2 percent of the state’s work force. Not even Manchin’s personal financial interests in coal would be much diminished if BBB’s climate measures were enacted.”
and
“West Virginians do not have particularly good health. Of all the data I’ve come across about West Virginia, what strikes me most is that a quarter of West Virginians 65 and older have no natural teeth. That’s the highest rate of tooth loss of any state in America. Why is this? Because West Virginians can’t afford dental care. So they skip regular cleanings and exams, which are crucial for preventing infections and tooth loss.”
Reich’s conclusion is no surprise, and also has a simplistic takeaway - donors.:
“Which takes us back to the Manchin paradox. If nothing else explains Manchin’s delaying tactics on Build Back Better, what’s the real explanation? I think it’s Manchin’s campaign donors. According to campaign-finance tracking by Accountable. US, as of September Manchin had received more than $1.5 million from corporations that are opposed to the Build Back Better bill (Sinema got nearly $1 million). That’s a big chunk of change for a senator from West Virginia, and it’s only likely to get larger over coming weeks as Manchin delays a vote”
His analysis would be a lot better if it didn’t apply to most of Congress - of either party.
A Deeper Dive
Hat tip to Jerri-Lynn Scofield and NakedCapitalism, for unpacking a two part Pittsburgh Post-Gazette expose - Dirty Dollars: Trail of Deceit and Ruin.
You can find Part 1 here, and Part 2 here.
Here’s the bottom line;
“Ukraine oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky's secret stake in the U.S. steel industry
The 58-year-old billionaire siphoned millions from a Ukraine bank and moved the money into the United States, U.S. prosecutors allege, where he and his partners purchased steel factories across the country. At one time, the partners owned 13 metals facilities, including Warren Steel in Ohio — one of the key targets of the U.S. Justice Department investigation”
and
“2006: Kolomoisky and partners prepare Warren Steel for opening and acquire both Felman Production in West Virginia and Detroit Cold Rolling Steel in Michigan for $20 million each.”
Regarding how all of this ties in to one Senator from West Virginia, Joe Manchin, here’s how:
“When the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency stepped in years later to push tough restrictions on the factory — after workers were found to have been exposed to emissions — the operators of the West Virginia facility turned to some of the most powerful members of Congress to fend off regulators and keep the doors open.
West Virginia senators Joe Manchin and Shelly Moore Capito were among the lawmakers helping Felman Production steel factory fend off regulators and foreign competitors at the same time factory owner Ihor Kolomosky was allegedly orchestrating a scheme to steal millions from a Ukraine bank and plow the money into U.S. steel mills. There’s no indication the lawmakers knew of alleged crimes, but flags had been raised repeatedly by public officials over efforts by the company to conceal the ownership structure of the factory and a lack of audited financial records to show the facility’s sources of income.” ...
“Sens. Joe Manchin and Shelley Moore Capito joined other lawmakers in firing off a letter to the agency in 2015, saying the plant in their home state and another in Ohio could shut down if they were forced to install expensive equipment and submit to testing under a strict deadline.
"It would be extremely disappointing if the companies were forced to stop operating," the letter read.”
The Takeaway
There you have it. The only reason Manchin’s a Democrat is that he’s in his glory as the key vote in the Senate that the Dems have to have. He’s in heaven. If he became a Republican, he’d just be another politician that has to kiss Trump’s ass and do as he says ‘or else’, or else meaning getting beat up in a primary by a Trumpster.
As to any moral compass, or core belief in democratic institutions, get real. That’s the real Joe Manchin. He’s just another politician in a symbiotic relationship with the big time donors that own him.
(Tony Butka is an Eastside community activist, who has served on a neighborhood council, has a background in government and is a contributor to CityWatch.)
