Joe Biden made a mockery of Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema during a fundraiser on Friday. He seemed to be willing to compromise with the maverick Democrat pair.
Manchin and Sinema have held up Biden’s biggest policy goal to this point, the insanely expensive and further-inflation-inducing “Build Back Better” agenda. Late last year, things turned sour after Sinema and Manchin made it clear that they would not vote for the end of the filibuster.
Biden, for his part, apparently didn’t forget, telling the crowd…eh, donors…that “We have to add two senators.”
The president stated, referring to Sens. “We need two more Senators.” Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona and Joe Manchin from West Virginia — two moderate legislators who have rewritten some of his most important domestic policy items since the start of his term…
…The president didn’t call out the legislators by name but stated that they were “slowing down what we are able to do.”
Ironic that Biden feels this way when Manchin and Sinema actually saved the president. A $2 trillion reconciliation bill was a good thing and could have completely collapsed the economy. Although they won’t be thanked, the senators of Arizona and West Virginia did Biden a tremendous favor by limiting an already difficult time for the White House politically.
It is clear that Biden has not learned anything from his current circumstances. His campaign for two more senators does not just aim to increase social spending. It’s not to end the filibuster, but to make Biden king in terms of pushing his policies through. Without the buffer, everything from strict gun control to a federal election takeover would be possible.
It’s a delusion to believe that money will buy the Democrats two additional senators. And Biden is only playing the grifter role at fundraisers such as this. Even if the Republicans fail to meet all expectations, they will still have at least 50/50 Senate seats. They will likely win at least two seats, thereby cementing a majority.
Biden is facing this reality and it seems stupid to make fun of the senators he will need to move forward. But when was strategic competence ever part of the president’s arsenal of capabilities?