Joe Manchin threatens reporter asking about conflicts of interest

[Buffalo Mayor Young Kim]

https://twitter.com/frankthorp/status/1443304382322384898


With all the Sinema attention, this seems to have slipped though the cracks. Just thought I’d remind everyone that Joe Manchin is cartoonishly corrupt.

[GP270watch]

   The United States government is aimlessly propping up the failed fossil fuels industry. Renewable energy is already cheaper, will only get cheaper and can cover 100% of the energy America needs going forward we just have to make the investment.

[KaiserDave]

Corrupt bully

[Del Tachi]

   The United States government is aimlessly propping up the failed fossil fuels industry. Renewable energy is already cheaper, will only get cheaper and can cover 100% of the energy America needs going forward we just have to make the investment.

If renewable energy was truly cheaper than fossil fuels, we wouldn't need the government to step-in with trillions of dollars of required investment.  You ever think about that?  lol

[Pericles]

That's all you've got? Sure it could be a threat, but it could just as easily mean that the reporter is wasting his time with these 'silly questions'. I do agree Manchin, and a ton of Congress, are bought by people who aren't on the side of ordinary Americans.

[All Along The Watchtower]

Manchin is a corrupt a-hole, we already knew that.

[Ferguson97]

Manchin is a corrupt centrist bird-brain, but calling this a threat is a stretch imo

[Neo-Malthusian Misanthrope]

While Manchin's family does not generally have a good look when it comes to their business dealings (see: his daughter hiking up drug prices), I don't think this is much of a problem. By this logic, he'd have a conflict of interest with stake in just about any company imaginable.

[Buffalo Mayor Young Kim]

While Manchin's family does not generally have a good look when it comes to their business dealings (see: his daughter hiking up drug prices), I don't think this is much of a problem. By this logic, he'd have a conflict of interest with stake in just about any company imaginable owned by a close family member

For the rest of you, I don’t know how you read ‘Hey doesn’t this obvious conflict of interest pose a problem’ being responded to with ‘You got a problem? I wouldn’t ask that if I were you’ can be read as anything but a public threat.

For context, imagine this exchange
‘Doesn’t Trump Inc. create a conflict of interest’
‘No it’s a blind trust’
‘It’s run by your kids’
‘You’ll shut up if you know what’s good for you’

[It’s so Joever]

I hate to use the “if this was Trump” card…but come on.

[Progressive Pessimist]

"I'm gonna break you like a boy!"

[Neo-Malthusian Misanthrope]

While Manchin's family does not generally have a good look when it comes to their business dealings (see: his daughter hiking up drug prices), I don't think this is much of a problem. By this logic, he'd have a conflict of interest with stake in just about any company imaginable owned by a close family member

For the rest of you, I don’t know how you read ‘Hey doesn’t this obvious conflict of interest pose a problem’ being responded to with ‘You got a problem? I wouldn’t ask that if I were you’ can be read as anything but a public threat.

For context, imagine this exchange
‘Doesn’t Trump Inc. create a conflict of interest’
‘No it’s a blind trust’
‘It’s run by your kids’
‘You’ll shut up if you know what’s good for you’

Wait I've confused myself. How is it a blind trust if it's run by his kids.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Lol at the fact that a reporter felt this was newsworthy.
Stay mad.

[GP270watch]

  The United States government is aimlessly propping up the failed fossil fuels industry. Renewable energy is already cheaper, will only get cheaper and can cover 100% of the energy America needs going forward we just have to make the investment.

If renewable energy was truly cheaper than fossil fuels, we wouldn't need the government to step-in with trillions of dollars of required investment.  You ever think about that?  lol

 We're trying, who's blocking it and mocking The Green New Deal...

 The special interest is blocking the obvious better choice out of self dealing, political orthodoxy(for example dumb Texas Republicans arguing Wind caused their grid failure).

 It's already cheaper:

Solar power got cheap. So why aren’t we using it more?

[Buffalo Mayor Young Kim]

Lol at the fact that a reporter felt this was newsworthy.
Stay mad.

Do you not find it newsworthy that a Senator that is personally road blocking major legislation stands to significant money both personally and for his immediate family member from the results of it?

Seems like a big deal to me

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Lol at the fact that a reporter felt this was newsworthy.
Stay mad.

Do you not find it newsworthy that a Senator that is personally road blocking major legislation stands to significant money both personally and for his immediate family member from the results of it?

Seems like a big deal to me

It's curious to me that the belief is that he's doing this because some kind of monetary gain or whatever, as if it's impossible that his political beliefs, independent of any nebulous commercial interest he has, could be actually driving how he votes.
If Manchin has a reason for doing something it can't be because he has actual ideology. No, no. You see, it's because he's [something relating to money].

[Buffalo Mayor Young Kim]

Lol at the fact that a reporter felt this was newsworthy.
Stay mad.

Do you not find it newsworthy that a Senator that is personally road blocking major legislation stands to significant money both personally and for his immediate family member from the results of it?

Seems like a big deal to me

It's curious to me that the belief is that he's doing this because some kind of monetary gain or whatever, as if it's impossible that his political beliefs, independent of any nebulous commercial interest he has, could be actually driving how he votes.
If Manchin has a reason for doing something it can't be because he has actual ideology. No, no. You see, it's because he's [something relating to money].

Are you familiar with the term appearance of impropriety?

It comes up allot in various codes of ethics

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Lol at the fact that a reporter felt this was newsworthy.
Stay mad.

Do you not find it newsworthy that a Senator that is personally road blocking major legislation stands to significant money both personally and for his immediate family member from the results of it?

Seems like a big deal to me

It's curious to me that the belief is that he's doing this because some kind of monetary gain or whatever, as if it's impossible that his political beliefs, independent of any nebulous commercial interest he has, could be actually driving how he votes.
If Manchin has a reason for doing something it can't be because he has actual ideology. No, no. You see, it's because he's [something relating to money].

Are you familiar with the term appearance of impropriety?

It comes up allot in various codes of ethics

Well, if you lower the threshold enough, anything can have the appearance of impropriety.

[Buffalo Mayor Young Kim]

Lol at the fact that a reporter felt this was newsworthy.
Stay mad.

Do you not find it newsworthy that a Senator that is personally road blocking major legislation stands to significant money both personally and for his immediate family member from the results of it?

Seems like a big deal to me

It's curious to me that the belief is that he's doing this because some kind of monetary gain or whatever, as if it's impossible that his political beliefs, independent of any nebulous commercial interest he has, could be actually driving how he votes.
If Manchin has a reason for doing something it can't be because he has actual ideology. No, no. You see, it's because he's [something relating to money].

Are you familiar with the term appearance of impropriety?

It comes up allot in various codes of ethics

Well, if you lower the threshold enough, anything can have the appearance of impropriety.

Making money off an energy company founded by you and owned by your son while chairing the energy committee doesn’t seem like a particularly low threshold.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Lol at the fact that a reporter felt this was newsworthy.
Stay mad.

Do you not find it newsworthy that a Senator that is personally road blocking major legislation stands to significant money both personally and for his immediate family member from the results of it?

Seems like a big deal to me

It's curious to me that the belief is that he's doing this because some kind of monetary gain or whatever, as if it's impossible that his political beliefs, independent of any nebulous commercial interest he has, could be actually driving how he votes.
If Manchin has a reason for doing something it can't be because he has actual ideology. No, no. You see, it's because he's [something relating to money].

Are you familiar with the term appearance of impropriety?

It comes up allot in various codes of ethics

Well, if you lower the threshold enough, anything can have the appearance of impropriety.

Making money off an energy company founded by you and owned by your son while chairing the energy committee doesn’t seem like a particularly low threshold.

Is there any actual evidence of Manchin basing his vote, and views on the GND and other bills more generally, purely on basis of this energy company? Or even very significantly because of it?
Or could it be because...
a) he's a moderate Democrat
b) someone extremely interested in managing optics (Manchin Cycle...)
c) not necessarily in personal agreement with 3.5 trillion
d) could be taking cover and representing many more Senate Democrats who don't agree with such high a figure
e) be interested in using his status as a key swing vote to shape the bill to his liking
there could be any number of reasons guiding Manchin, and it's silly to hold up "his energy company!" up as if it's some all-relevant totem of importance.
If there is a rider in the new bill that directly privileges his energy company in some sort of exclusive way, then you might have a point. But this is just more mudslidging from those who don't like Manchin and want to frame him the worst way possible. At least, it looks that way.

[Adam Griffin]

The real threat here is "keep asking questions and no bought-and-paid-for congressional shill (i.e. anybody elected in DC) will take any questions from you". Most members of Congress wilt under even the slightest journalistic pressure and so the system is designed not to unearth deep truths, but to flatter their fannies and give them nice platitudes and quotes to put in press releases and campaign ads. Go after 1 of them too harshly and your DC journalism career is over.

[Suburbia]

Why don't Democrats realize that he is from West Virginia, West Virginia at the local level now is Republican, and has been federally Republican since 2000..............

Manchin is from a dying breed----2024 will be a Republican pickup and he is the only type of West Virginia Democrat that can win.....why don't you blame the voters for a 50-50 split, something people don't like anymore. It's not 2001 anymore where the two parties crossed lines to get something done--

[Buffalo Mayor Young Kim]

Lol at the fact that a reporter felt this was newsworthy.
Stay mad.

Do you not find it newsworthy that a Senator that is personally road blocking major legislation stands to significant money both personally and for his immediate family member from the results of it?

Seems like a big deal to me

It's curious to me that the belief is that he's doing this because some kind of monetary gain or whatever, as if it's impossible that his political beliefs, independent of any nebulous commercial interest he has, could be actually driving how he votes.
If Manchin has a reason for doing something it can't be because he has actual ideology. No, no. You see, it's because he's [something relating to money].

Are you familiar with the term appearance of impropriety?

It comes up allot in various codes of ethics

Well, if you lower the threshold enough, anything can have the appearance of impropriety.

Making money off an energy company founded by you and owned by your son while chairing the energy committee doesn’t seem like a particularly low threshold.

Is there any actual evidence of Manchin basing his vote, and views on the GND and other bills more generally, purely on basis of this energy company? Or even very significantly because of it?
Or could it be because...
a) he's a moderate Democrat
b) someone extremely interested in managing optics (Manchin Cycle...)
c) not necessarily in personal agreement with 3.5 trillion
d) could be taking cover and representing many more Senate Democrats who don't agree with such high a figure
e) be interested in using his status as a key swing vote to shape the bill to his liking
there could be any number of reasons guiding Manchin, and it's silly to hold up "his energy company!" up as if it's some all-relevant totem of importance.
If there is a rider in the new bill that directly privileges his energy company in some sort of exclusive way, then you might have a point. But this is just more mudslidging from those who don't like Manchin and want to frame him the worst way possible. At least, it looks that way.

Yes, motives can be hard to untangle as long as the party in question isn’t dumb enough to leave big bags of money around saying bribe.

That is why appearance of impropriety is that standard to which government employees, court officers, and members of various professional organizations are held.
Might a reasonable person come to the conclusion that his and his immediate family’s financial stake will influence his decision making? I think it’s hard to argue that one couldn’t.

It doesn’t help that if you dig any deeper, we find the legislator in question has a very long history of abusing his various offices for personal gain, from his first term in the WV state leg when he held a hospital rates bill hostage to add a rider allowing physical therapists (like his uncle) to treat people without physician referrals, to the sorted Heather Bresch affair, to mysteriously holding the COVID until the very last second earlier this year and wouldn’t you know it, Gail Manchin got a sinecure in the federal government right after.

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

Lol at the fact that a reporter felt this was newsworthy.
Stay mad.

Do you not find it newsworthy that a Senator that is personally road blocking major legislation stands to significant money both personally and for his immediate family member from the results of it?

Seems like a big deal to me

It's curious to me that the belief is that he's doing this because some kind of monetary gain or whatever, as if it's impossible that his political beliefs, independent of any nebulous commercial interest he has, could be actually driving how he votes.
If Manchin has a reason for doing something it can't be because he has actual ideology. No, no. You see, it's because he's [something relating to money].

Are you familiar with the term appearance of impropriety?

It comes up allot in various codes of ethics

Well, if you lower the threshold enough, anything can have the appearance of impropriety.

Making money off an energy company founded by you and owned by your son while chairing the energy committee doesn’t seem like a particularly low threshold.

Is there any actual evidence of Manchin basing his vote, and views on the GND and other bills more generally, purely on basis of this energy company? Or even very significantly because of it?
Or could it be because...
a) he's a moderate Democrat
b) someone extremely interested in managing optics (Manchin Cycle...)
c) not necessarily in personal agreement with 3.5 trillion
d) could be taking cover and representing many more Senate Democrats who don't agree with such high a figure
e) be interested in using his status as a key swing vote to shape the bill to his liking
there could be any number of reasons guiding Manchin, and it's silly to hold up "his energy company!" up as if it's some all-relevant totem of importance.
If there is a rider in the new bill that directly privileges his energy company in some sort of exclusive way, then you might have a point. But this is just more mudslidging from those who don't like Manchin and want to frame him the worst way possible. At least, it looks that way.

Yes, motives can be hard to untangle as long as the party in question isn’t dumb enough to leave big bags of money around saying bribe.

That is why appearance of impropriety is that standard to which government employees, court officers, and members of various professional organizations are held.
Might a reasonable person come to the conclusion that his and his immediate family’s financial stake will influence his decision making? I think it’s hard to argue that one couldn’t.

It doesn’t help that if you dig any deeper, we find the legislator in question has a very long history of abusing his various offices for personal gain, from his first term in the WV state leg when he held a hospital rates bill hostage to add a rider allowing physical therapists (like his uncle) to treat people without physician referrals, to the sorted Heather Bresch affair, to mysteriously holding the COVID until the very last second earlier this year and wouldn’t you know it, Gail Manchin got a sinecure in the federal government right after.

Even if all you said was true, that does not at all prove anything about his motivations in this specific case, and there is still not one iota of evidence for the "it's the coal company!" school of thought of explaining his rationale for taking this tack on the stimulus bill. Yes, a reasonable person can believe that Joe Manchin is somewhat influenced by what helps his family financially.
And how does Joe Manchin or his family personally profit from if the bill is 2.1 trillion or something as opposed to 3.5 trillion? It's not like the size of the stimulus is inversely proportional to his family's net worth.
As I said - if there is a rider in the new bill that directly privileges his energy company in some sort of exclusive way, then you might have a point.

[Adam Griffin]

Why don't Democrats realize that he is from West Virginia, West Virginia at the local level now is Republican, and has been federally Republican since 2000..............

Manchin is from a dying breed----2024 will be a Republican pickup and he is the only type of West Virginia Democrat that can win.....why don't you blame the voters for a 50-50 split, something people don't like anymore. It's not 2001 anymore where the two parties crossed lines to get something done--

Why people continue to assume that a state's Republican vote-share is proportionally correlated with it loving corrupt, out-of-touch politicians tied to DC special interests and insider deals is beyond me. If anything, the past 15 years of GOP constituent evolution has shown that such is the opposite of what a "Republican state" would want.

By acting the way Manchin does on many of these issues, it likely makes him look like more of a partisan Democrat in the eyes of his state's voters, not less. Being a corrupt piece of s[inks]t doesn't automatically have to equate someone with "centrism", just like centrism doesn't automatically mean "best candidate for a competitive state".