Joe Manchin made headlines today with his meeting with Judge Brett Kavanaugh, but has still refused to say whether he’ll vote for the distinguished Supreme Court nominee.
A story from Politico this morning gives a hint as to why Manchin is still refusing to commit, reporting that his party boss, New York Senator Chuck Schumer, is ordering red state Democrats like Manchin to, “Keep your powder dry. Don’t commit. Stay as neutral as you can, as long as you can,” in order to give liberals room to maneuver as they attempt to derail Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation. By refusing to commit to voting for President Trump’s nominee, Manchin is putting his loyalty to Schumer and his fellow Democrats ahead of West Virginians, who want to see Judge Kavanaugh confirmed quickly.
Luckily, West Virginians have one Senator who’s looking out for them. Senator Shelley Moore Capito penned an op-ed published yesterday announcing her support for Judge Kavanaugh, praising his commitment to applying the Constitution and law as written and noting that the late Senator Robert Byrd voted in favor of his confirmation to the D.C. Circuit. Manchin should take note.
“Joe Manchin is proving once again that he is all talk, meeting with Judge Kavanaugh, but refusing to commit to voting for his confirmation,” said NRSC Spokesman Bob Salera. “Manchin is doing the bidding of Chuck Schumer and his liberal allies by dragging his feet as Democrats attempt to derail President Trump’s Supreme Court pick.”