Liberal reporters have criticized West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin’s Monday announcement that he would vote “no” to President Biden’s Build Back Better plan. Sam Stein, a political journalist, tweeted that there was a lot to be processed on the Manchin news, but it is just objectively catastrophic for the planet. “The last chance for climate change legislation has passed.”
ABC News reported the news via a tweet that read “A single senator is about set back an entire Presidential agenda.” The Associated Press called Manchin an “uneven negotiator.” After Jon Karl announced the news, ABC’s “This Week” panel had audible sighs.
Manchin was already under intense pressure from Democrat politicians as well as media pundits, even before Sunday’s announcement. This attitude is contradicted in previous reactions to Arizona Senator John McCain’s split from his party during significant votes.
After his “no vote” on the “skinny repeal” amendment to Obamacare in 2017, McCain was a media “maverick”, leading to a 51-49 split. This vote ended the attempt by Senate Republicans to force a 50-50 tie. Mike Pence would have voted to repeal the amendment.
Tom Elliott, Grabien’s Twitter account manager, highlighted the differences in reactions through a Twitter video. Brian Williams, MSNBC’s Brian Williams, referred to McCain for his opposition to the party vote as a “profile of courage”. After Alisyn Camerota referred to McCain’s actions as “remarkable”, Ryan Mattingly, CNN’s CNN host, called the vote “breathtaking”.
Carl Hulse, a New York Times reporter, wrote that McCain had “just derail the fevered Republican attempt to undo Obama-era healthcare law.” “It was a remarkable moment that will be remembered in the Senate. It was a flash of John McCain, the maverick, who is not afraid to follow his own path despite the pleas from his fellow Republicans.”
The New York Times compared Manchin’s vote to the New York Times’ writing, “By withholding support from President Biden’s $2.2 trillion Build Back Better bill,” Senator Joe Manchin wrote, “By withholding its support, Senator Joe Manchin has significantly dimmed prospects for climate action that scientists recommend the U.S. take to prevent the planet from dangerously heating up.”
After months of backlash from the media, it seems unlikely that the Democrat Manchin will be given the same “maverick treatment” as Republican McCain.
