USA News and Discussions

[Yuli Ban]

[caltrek]

A Surprising Share of Americans Wants to Break Up the Country. Here’s Why They’re Wrong.
by Rich Lowry
October 6, 2021

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/ ... ong-515443

Introduction:

(Politico) Divorce usually isn’t a good idea, and that’s especially true of a nearly 250-year-old continental nation.

The notion of a national breakup has long simmered as a fringe argument, but it is increasingly popular in certain precincts of the political right and has gained at least some traction with partisans of both sides. A recent survey by the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia found that about 50 percent of Donald Trump voters and 40 percent of Joe Biden voters agreed to some extent with the proposition that the country should split up, with either red or blue states seceding.

Last year, there were dueling secession books. From the right, George Mason University's F.H. Buckley published American Secession, arguing that “the United States is ripe for secession” and “there’s much to be said for an American breakup” (although Buckley favors what he calls “home rule” for the states, a new constitutional compact giving them much more authority). From the left, The Nation’s Richard Kreitner wrote Break It Up, contending that “we must finally finish the work of Reconstruction or give up on the Union entirely.”

But a cadre of apocalyptic writers on the right, who believe the country is too far gone to save, has become obsessed with a Secession 2.0 that would cleave red America from blue and allow the former to escape the ever-rising tide of woke insanity.

Substacker David Reaboi wrote a post the other day titled, “National Divorce Is Expensive, But It’s Worth Every Penny,” urging “Red America to think about economic and cultural autonomy for itself, and what it would take to get there.” Texas state Rep. Kyle Biedermann has been agitating for so-called Texit, and Allen West, the former chair of the Texas GOP and now a candidate for governor, has talked of secession.

[Cyber_Rebel]

Wasn't going to touch on political jargon and whatnot anymore, but in regards to this particular issue, I actually lean more towards the idea of balkanization now than I did in the past. Certainly the idea of an America breakup, Soviet style fall, and the resulting emergence of new countries is one of the more interesting geopolitical futurist possibilities, no?

The current political system in the country is broken, with an over slanted Supreme Court and poor actual representation for a vast majority of people in the electorate. The situation is not going to get better unless there is a massive overhaul in how the U.S. system works, and really given how special interest groups and culture war nonsense drive the narrative along with an over-bloated military, it's not surprising if nothing changes as long as the country "pretends" to be united.

Splitting it up regionally or even provincially like in Canada would be better assuming the U.S. adopted that particular system, but I can see issues there as well unless the Constitution itself is amended. What full balkanization on the other hand would provide is a chance to start over. New constitutions updated to todays standards could be drafted along with the emergence of new political parties. I could see areas like "New England Commonwealth" or "New Californian Republic" adopting parliamentary democratic systems with many political parties, even real actual LABOUR parties. The Dems would be sorta like Angela Merkal's party in Germany, functioning as the "Liberal Conservative" old guard of sorts, and indeed the Democratic Party would be seen as center-right Tories in most of the civilized world anyways. Being freed up from the GOP would mean there's little else holding back moving the Overton window more in alignment with the international consensus, allowing a stronger response in turn to issues such as wealth inequality and climate change. Prime Minister Bernie or Ocasio would no longer be (wrongly) considered "radical" or unrealistic.

On the other hand, the Christian Republican Union down south will probably get even more nasty, as human rights can be curtailed even more so. They'd be defined as very low taxed, gleefully socially conservative, nationalistic, quasi theocratic police states states. They'd probably end up like modern day Poland or Hungary, though it's worth noting even these countries possess universal health care. While the social climate is conservative, I could see there being a break of sorts in standard American "conservatism" and the more big government prone one in Europe. We already see this in real time with the standard GOP and the Trumpublicans, the latter operating more as ethno-nationalist. The "left" in these new countries would likely be socially conservative minorities who attempt to tap into labor issues rather than social ones. The Mormons country of "Deseret" I actually could see adopting a universal health care system along with stronger stances on environmental issues, as I understand their theology allows a different "conservatism" than described above, being based in conservation.

The next biggest issue of course would be the Pentagon and the military... how would they operate? Perhaps one of the better outcomes is that this curtails the U.S. ability abroad as security "domestically" would take center stage. This would be good for keeping the nationalistic countries in check, as electing another Trump wouldn't be quite so globally devastating. I suspect the "divided states" may even become a bloc of trading partners like the EU is, which would allow them to somewhat keep what America previously "lost" while retaining their new autonomy. A separate, but equal sort of deal. In such a scenario, a future "Trump" or even the man himself just doesn't have the power to deal with multiple blocs who are opposed to his policies or strong arm tactics. Indeed, American elections themselves have less of a global impact, instead being more regionally important, which is hardly a bad outcome.

All in all, assuming if it happened peacefully and competently enough, American balkanization would set a different timeline which is in some ways potentially better and others potentially worse.

[weatheriscool]

White House: Walmart, FedEx, UPS to go 24/7 to address supply bottlenecks
Source: The Hill

Major goods carriers Walmart, FedEx and UPS will move to working 24 hours a day, seven days a week in order to address the global supply chain bottlenecks, the White House announced on Wednesday.

The White House announced the update ahead of President Biden’s meeting with stakeholders, including Walmart CEO John Furner, FedEx Logistics CEO Udo Lange and UPS President of U.S. Operations Nando Cesarone, to discuss collective efforts to address global transportation supply chain bottlenecks on Wednesday.

UPS and FedEx combined shipped 40 percent of American packages by volume in 2020, according to the White House. “By taking these steps, they’re saying to the rest of the supply chain, you need to move too, let’s step it up,” the official said, adding that Target, Samsung and Home Depot are also moving in the 24/7 direction.

Additionally, the Port of Los Angeles will move into 24/7 service. The port of Long Beach has been working 24/7 for the past three weeks, the official said. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) has made a commitment to staffing 24/7, and the terminal operators in the port will be responsible for booking the cargo movements in the off-hours.

Read more: https://thehill.com/homenews/administra ... to-address

[weatheriscool]

Social Security benefits to rise 5.9 percent for roughly 70 million people in 2022
Source: Washington Post

The Social Security Administration announced Wednesday that its beneficiaries will see a 5.9 percent increase in their benefit checks starting next year — the largest boost to benefits in close to four decades. The adjustment will be made for 64 million Social Security beneficiaries as well as 8 million Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries. Some Americans receive both benefits.

The cost-of-living increase, which will impact roughly 70 million people starting in late December and January, is tied to a measure of inflation that has surged this year as prices rise in a U.S. economy emerging from the coronavirus pandemic. Experts caution that millions of seniors will in reality see substantially less than a 6 percent bump, because Medicare Part B premiums are deducted from Social Security beneficiaries’ checks and are tied to seniors’ income.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics said Wednesday that prices rose 0.4 percent in September compared to August. Overall, prices are up 5.4 percent are up over the last year. The “cost of living adjustment” that determines Social Security payment hikes is based on a different measure of inflation, but they both capture similar phenomenon in the economy.

The Social Security benefit increase has averaged about 1.7 percent over the last 10 years. This year’s increase amounts to the biggest since 1982, experts say. “This is welcome but inadequate — healthcare and prescription drug costs have been going up way faster than seniors’ cost of living. People’s Social Security benefits have been eroding," Nancy Altman, co-director of Social Security Works, a nonprofit group.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-polic ... djustment/

[caltrek]

While it can be noted that Joe Manchin at least represents a state that voted overwhelmingly for Trump in 2020, Krysten Sinema's state of Arizona actually voted for Biden. That makes here evident betrayal all the more painful and infuriating.

Big GOP Donors Poured Money Into Kyrsten Sinema’s Campaign in September
by Russ Choma
October 16, 2021

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/20 ... egadonors/

Introduction:

(Mother Jones) Arizona Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema has spent the last six weeks under increasing pressure from progressives to stop obstructing President Joe Biden’s agenda. Along with fellow Democratic moderate Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), Sinema has all but halted the passage of Biden’s budget complaining about the price-tag for the wide-ranging piece of legislation publicly. And, according to reports, swiping at the prescription drug price provisions behind closed doors.

But angering progressives might not be a problem for Sinema. According to newly filed campaign finance reports, Sinema has found a fresh source of support in recent weeks: GOP rainmakers.

On Friday, Sinema’s campaign filed a fundraising report with the Federal Election Commission indicating that she had raised $1.1 million from July 1 through Sept. 30—about equal to the amount she raised in the previous three months. But included on the list of her max donors—donors who gave up to the legal limit of $2,900 per election, with a maximum of $5,800 every two years—were some huge names from Republican fundraising circles.
Stan Hubbard, a Minnesota billionaire who since at least 2000 has regularly written six-figure checks to the RNC and who supported GOP presidential hopefuls like Scott Walker (before giving to a pro-Trump super-PAC) wrote Sinema a $2,900 check on Sept. 29. And both Jimmy Haslam, the owner of the Pilot truck stop chain and the NFL’s Cleveland Brown’s, and his wife Susan gave Sinema’s campaign $2,900 a piece on Septemeber 30. Haslam is a reliable GOP donor who has given at least $425,000 to the Senate Leadership Fund—a super-PAC set up by allies of Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell to help the GOP take control of the Senate—as well as regular maximum donations to the GOP’s House and Senate party committees.

Another recent Sinema donor who also has previously supported the McConnell-aligned Senate Leadership Fund, is Marc Rowan, the billionaire CEO of private-equity giant Apollo. Rowan and his wife, Carolyn, both each wrote two $2,900 checks to Sinema’s campaign on September 29. Previously, Rowan has written $250,000 checks to the Senate Leadership Fund and to a secretive super-PAC that backed Scott Walker in Wisconsin.

[caltrek]

Speaking of freedumb loving Americans....

High-profile Capitol Rioter Gets All Clear to Represent Himself
by Samantha Hawkins
October 14, 2021

https://www.courthousenews.com/high-pro ... t-himself/

Introduction:

WASHINGTON (CN) — With the warning that self-representation will lead to spectacular and imminent failure, a federal judge granted permission Thursday to a California police chief turned yogi turned Three Percenter to do just that as he goes on trial for storming the U.S. Capitol.

“I will tell you up front: I’ve never seen a pro se defendant actually succeed,” U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth said, relaying to Alan Hostetter that in 2020 he had two defendants represent themselves, and both were convicted and sentenced to decades in prison. They were both in their 40s.

“I would never represent myself if I was charged with a crime,” Lamberth continued, telling Hostetter that he always tells defendants the adage, “If you represent yourself, you have a fool for a client.”

Hostetter faces a felony criminal indictment alleging that he conspired with Three Percenters, a far-right militia group, to obstruct Congress from certifying the electoral count by creating a violent mob at the U.S. Capitol. He is one of six California men associated with the Three Percenters to be charged with conspiracy related to Jan. 6.

The indictment also claims that Hostetter used his nonprofit, the American Phoenix Project, which he founded to oppose government-mandated Covid-19 restrictions, as a platform to advocate for violence against groups that supported Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 presidential election.

[caltrek]

For folks outside of the U.S. I suspect the name Rachel Maddow doesn't mean much. Inside the United States, I believe that her news show on MSNBC, at one point at least, was the highest rated such cable news in the country. She has also been one of Donald Trump's most persistent and effective critics. So, her future is very much relevant to a "USA News and Discussion" thread.

MSNBC President: “No Immediate Rush” to Find Rachel Maddow Primetime Successor
by Alex Weprin
October 6, 2021

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv ... 35026522//

Introduction:

(The Hollywood Reporter) MSNBC executives aren’t sweating Rachel Maddow’s future at the cable news channel.

Maddow in August signed a new long-term deal with NBCUniversal, one that will see her develop other types of content and programming for MSNBC and other NBCU channels and platforms. Critically, it also means that at some point, perhaps within the next year, Maddow will step aside from her 9 p.m. primetime show (6 p.m. on the West Coast - caltrek) in favor of a less-intense TV on-air schedule.

Interviewed at The Information’s WTF conference Wednesday, MSNBC president Rashida Jones said that while “it is something we are working through, there is no immediate rush here.”

“One of our goals, and more importantly her goal, is how to take the content that she and her team is doing and find a way to bring it across our entire portfolio,” Jones added. “How do we get exposure in more of those places?”

Still, Jones says she thinks more ink will be spilled about the channel’s primetime plans. “I expect the speculation to continue, I expect the rumors to continue. It comes with the territory,” she said, adding that “those who know don’t talk, and those who talk don’t know.”

[wjfox]

[wjfox]

[caltrek]

Here's the Message: No Climate, No Deal
by U.S. Senator Ed Markey (Democratic - Massachusetts)
October 19, 2021

https://www.dataforprogress.org/blog/20 ... te-no-deal

Introduction:

(Data for Progress) President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better agenda is a once-in-a-generation investment in our nation’s future that will strengthen our systems of care, rebuild our working class, and create millions of good union jobs to deploy clean energy and combat climate disaster. We cannot reduce the size of our investment nor roll back the impact of our goals. This package must match the scope and scale of the crises we face.

We will not compromise away the future of our young people and the planet they will inherit. We must keep climate action central to the budget reconciliation package. I was proud to stand with young changemakers last week before the steps of the U.S. Capitol to make it clear to those who want to weaken the President’s agenda: No climate, no deal.

New polling from Data for Progress* finds that equitable climate investments — the kind that deliver economic and environmental benefits to frontline communities — are overwhelmingly popular among voters. The support grows even stronger among younger voters under the age of forty five: four in five think these kinds of clean energy investments are important, especially in low-income communities, communities of color, and other communities that have borne the worst impacts of our climate crisis.

Conclusion:

Voters—and younger voters in particular—are calling on their leaders to support popular provisions of the Build Back Better plan. The time is now for Congress to deliver on climate action with equity and justice at the center. We must prove to the American people, and to the rest of the world, that we are serious about climate action.

This is the promise we make to the young people demanding such action and to our nation's workers whom we cannot and must not leave behind. No climate, no deal.

*https://www.filesforprogress.org/datase ... plines.pdf

[caltrek]

Manchin's Native Con
by Peter Bloom
October 18, 2021

https://www.commondreams.org/views/2021 ... native-con

(Common Dreams) The legislative battle between progressives and moderates over the "Build Back Better" spending bill became increasingly personal this week. A West Virginia newspaper published an op-ed by Bernie Sanders in a not so veiled attack on Senator Joe Manchin's refusal to support the plan, declaring that its passage would "finally address the long-neglected crises facing working families and demand that the wealthiest people and largest corporations in the country start paying their fair share of taxes." In response...(Manchin) put out a public statement proclaiming that "this isn't the first time an out-of-stater has tried to tell West Virginians what is best for them despite having no relationship to our state."

It is not surprising that this struggle over the "soul" of the Democratic Party would follow its Senators home. Ultimately, even if mostly fought in the rarified air of Washington DC, a main concern for any lawmaker is ensuring that they are re-elected by their local constituents. Yet what was troubling was the language Manchin used in his counter-attack. The false conservative talking points about the bill are to be expected by a Centre-right Wall Street Democrat but Manchin went further, implying that the desire for a basic social safety net, economic justice, and environmental protection was non-native to West Virginia and merely the views of "outside" progressive agitators.

In making these absurd claims, Manchin was resorting to the same Far-Right populism of Trump. It shows his dangerous ignorance of West Virginia's important radical history of social and economic struggles up to the present. Just as significantly, it reveals the extremist lengths moderates will go to prevent progressive reform.

Further Extract:

The Inside Con

The charges by Manchin that somehow Sanders and other progressives who support greater spending on "human infrastructure" are foreign intruders to "real" West Virginian values is just another example of Democrats borrowing liberally from the Far-Right populist playbook. Not surprisingly, his objection to these policies has nothing to do with upholding mythical "West Virginian" values and everything to do with preserving the power of his corporate donors including from the Energy Industry….

This strategy is especially jarring given how actually popular these measures are even in supposedly deep red states like West Virginia.

caltrek's comment: Manchin's claim that Sanders has "no relationship to our state" is also highly dubious on other grounds. After all, Sanders did campaign in West Virginia for the nomination to be president. In doing so, he presumably reached out to a lot of activists in that state. So Manchin's rhetoric and stubbornness in negotiations risks further alienating a substantial number of folks who might otherwise be inclined to support him. Whether that danger will be enough to encourage more cooperation with Biden and his fellow Democrats remains to be seen.

[caltrek]

Latino Groups Sue Over Texas Redistricting
by Suzanne Gamboa
October 19, 2021

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... uxbndlbing

Introduction:

(NBC News via MSN) Several Latino people and groups filed a lawsuit Monday challenging redistricting maps drawn by the Texas Legislature, saying they dilute the voting rights of Latinos.

The lawsuit was filed Monday afternoon hours before the Texas Legislature approved redrawn U.S. House maps that shore up Republicans and do not add additional Latino majority districts, even though Latinos account for more than half of the state’s growth.

The Voting Rights Act protects minority voters' right to choose who represents them, whether or not that is a person of color.

Thomas Saenz, president and general counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, or MALDEF, a Latino legal civil rights group, said the maps are typical of previous attempts by Texas’ GOP-controlled Legislature to dilute Latinos’ voting rights.

MALDEF* is representing the plaintiffs

caltrek's comment: I have written before how the Supreme Court partially gutted the Voting Rights Act by invalidating the so-called "pre-clearance" provisions of that legislation. What was left standing was the right to bring suits such as the one MALDEF is seeking to perfect. This may end up being a very important test case of the court's intention. That is to say, whether they still really and truly do support democracy, or are just acting as front men for a racist establishment. Alternatively, they may try to just split the difference. It is, after all, the American way.


*More about MALDEF: https://www.maldef.org/

[wjfox]

[caltrek]

More on Manchin's claims to be the best representative of "local interests."

Joe Manchin’s 'Out-of-state' Contributions 'Dwarfed'- his West Virginia Contributions
by Alex Henderson
October 20, 2021

https://www.alternet.org/2021/10/joe-ma ... 655328156/

Introduction:

(Alternet) On October 15, the Charleston Gazette-Mail in West Virginia published an op-ed by Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who argued that many of the things in the $3.5 trillion Build Back Better Act of 2021 would be great for West Virginia residents — from health care and child care programs to "fighting climate change." Centrist Sen. Joe Manchin is responding that Sanders is an "out of stater" who doesn't understand West Virginia's needs. However, the Gazette-Mail's Mike Tony is reporting that "a specific category of out-of-staters accounted for more than ten times as much in Manchin campaign contributions than in-state sources did from July 1 through September 30."

Tony explains, "Employees and political action committees for out-of-state oil and gas companies — most of which are based in Texas — dwarfed contributions from in-state individuals and political action committees by more than tenfold, according to the senator's newly filed quarterly campaign finance report."

Tony notes that Manchin's campaign committee, Manchin for West Virginia, "reported drawing just under $1.6 million in contributions in the quarter, leaving it with $5.38 million in cash on hand" — adding that "more than a quarter of that roughly $1.6 million came from the oil and gas industry. Just over $30,000 came from individuals and political action committees in West Virginia."

[andmar74]

https://www.newsweek.com/trump-truth-so ... nt-1641137
Trump's Truth Social Hacked Within Hours of Announcement

What a shame.

[weatheriscool]

Biden says he would 'absolutely' consider deploying National Guard to address supply-chain issues
Source: Washington Post

President Biden said he would “absolutely” consider calling on the National Guard to address supply-chain issues as he faced questions Thursday from a live studio audience at a town hall meeting in Baltimore.

During the broadcast on CNN, Biden expressed optimism about working out an agreement with Democrats on his multitrillion-dollar domestic policy agenda while he spelled out the elements of the package opposed by Sens. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.).

Biden was getting questions about both a bipartisan infrastructure bill and a recently scaled-back package that includes an array of Democratic priorities, including expansion of Medicare, introduction of universal prekindergarten and billions of dollars to address climate change. He confirmed that paid parental leave has been scaled back in the evolving package. “It is down to four weeks. The reason it’s down to four weeks is I can’t get 12 weeks,” Biden said.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... e-updates/

[Redspector]

Actually a good idea tbh. Too bad most workers are quitting because of low pay and bad worker rights. The solution is to give into worker demands. Natty guards will only be a bandaid on a wound.

[caltrek]

The Centerpiece of Biden’s Climate Agenda Is All But Dead. So Now What?
by Kara Voght
October 22, 2021

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/20 ... -now-what/

Introduction:

(Mother Jones) By the time a group of progressive lawmakers entered the Oval Office to meet with President Joe Biden on Tuesday, the centerpiece of his climate agenda was all but dead. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) refused to back the Clean Energy Payment Program, a $150 billion initiative that would incentivize utilities to transition to clean energy. Democrats had pinned their hopes for cutting the country’s carbon emissions in half by the end of the decade to that program, which would have contributed to a third of that goal.

So progressives came bearing a stark warning: Replace the program with measures that achieve the same carbon reductions or lose their votes. Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) conveyed that point with “spirited but respectful” remarks to the president, in the words of a fellow lawmaker who was also present at the meeting. Huffman told the group he couldn’t support a deal that didn’t meet that target, and that some of the alternatives floated would be unacceptable. “It can’t just be throwing money at carbon capture and advanced nuclear and calling that a climate solution,” he told reporters at the Capitol on Tuesday night. “It’s not.”

As Huffman warned, not all investments are created equal. On Friday, 60 Democratic lawmakers from the House and Senate sent a letter to the president demanding his “unwavering support for significant additional investments in climate priorities to close the resulting emissions gap” in the absence of the Clean Energy Payment Program. Now, the pressure is on Biden and Democratic congressional leaders to find a suitable replacement.
This wasn’t where things were supposed to stand roughly a week out from Biden’s appearance at the UN international climate summit in Glasgow. Had Democratic lawmakers lined up behind their initial $3.5 trillion domestic spending bill, Biden would be on the world stage touting the passage of a legacy-sealing domestic agenda that would reverse the toll climate change is expected to take in the absence of swift, bold, international action. But centrist Democratic lawmakers have insisted that the price tag drop significantly, down to roughly $2 trillion, and have voiced concerns over the climate provisions. So instead, he is left with what amounts to an aspirational vision as protracted negotiations over the details continue in Washington.

caltrek: Of course, finding a "suitable replacement" will be made all the more complicated by Senator Manchin. As you probably recall, Manchin represent the great state of West Virginia, a state whose economy is highly dependent upon the coal industry. As noted earlier in this thread, Manchin also receives a lot of out of state campaign contributions from other carbon-based fuel industry types. With the U.S. Senate split fifty-fifty, Manchin enjoys a position of leveraging his vote by potentially allying with the otherwise uncooperative Republican senators. In addition to campaign donations from the fossil fuels industry, Republicans also complain about increasing the tax burden on the rich and on corporate America, as well as possible effects on inflation. Gotta protect those bottom line quarterly profit margins (screw future generations).

In addition to climate action, slashing the budget will also gut a lot of social infrastructure type programs. Community college subsidies and student debt relief are likely to be casualties. Steps toward a Universal Basic Income (UBI) will also be slowed down. Better to keep the wage slaves on a near starvation diet to force them to work in all of those low-wage high-risk jobs.

Policies toward implementing a UBI are also complicated by the immigrant labor question. Would a UBI be available to immigrant workers? If so, how about the subset of undocumented immigrant workers? If no UBI for that subset, would that be just?

So, now, everybody is playing a game of chicken. Progressives to protect against the existential threat of climate change, Manchin to protect the West Virginia coal industry (including holdings which he is reported to hold in that industry), and Republicans to protect their God given right to pursue nihilistic policies that pose a long term existential threat to civilization as we know it. What could go wrong?

[caltrek]

Speaking of Senator Manchin.

Joe Manchin Called Mother Jones Report “Bullshit.” Now He’s Got a Different Story.
by David Corn
October 21, 2021

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/20 ... ent-story/

Introduction:

(Mother Jones) (Mother Jones) When Mother Jones reported on Wednesday that Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W. Va.) had told associates he was considering quitting the Democratic Party and had a specific plan on how to do so, he told Capitol Hill reporters the article was “bullshit.” He was wrong. The sourcing was impeccable. Now he has shifted his stance and come up with a cover story—and that, too, is inaccurate.

In an interview with The Hill‘s Steve Clemons, who is a personal friend of Manchin (and of mine, too), Manchin said of the Mother Jones article, “What he reported is simply untrue… I’m not threatening to leave. Why would I? I’m very secure in my positions and honestly, I’m not the one stressed out.” Clemons writes:

“What is true,” Manchin told The Hill, “is that I have told the president, Chuck Schumer, and even the whole Caucus that if it is ‘embarrassing’ to them to have a moderate, centrist Democrat in the mix and if it would help them publicly, I could become an Independent—like Bernie—and then they could explain some of this to the public saying it’s complicated to corral these two independents, Bernie and me.”

Manchin characterized his offer as an effort that would help Biden and Schumer better explain the different perspectives in their caucus to Democrats
Manchin made a similar statement to Fox reporter Kelly Phares on Thursday morning.