Today is a big day in the U.S. Senate, and Sen. Joe Manchin isn’t there.
Manchin missed key votes today on the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” — which advanced and is headed for a final vote this afternoon — and the DREAM Act, which died today and would have created a pathway to citizenship for young people who were brought to the country illegally.
(Sen. Jay Rockefeller voted to advance both proposals.)
Manchin’s office says he had a “family obligation.”
Spokeswoman Sara Payne Scarbro said in an e-mail that Manchin and Gayle had “planned a holiday gathering over a year ago with all their children and grandchildren as they will not all be together on Christmas Day.”
“While he regrets missing the votes, it was a family obligation that he just could not break,” Payne Scarbro said. “However, he has been clear on where he stands on the issues.”
Manchin issued two press releases this morning, saying he would not support either the DREAM Act or the DADT repeal.
Update: The Sunday Gazette-Mail story is here. The Manchin clan’s get-together was in the Pittsburgh area, where daughter Heather Bresch lives.
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Right. Manchin doesn’t understand what a Senator’s job is. It take precedence over family. Why the hell did he run then? Scared SOB. Too chicksh$t to even vote.
[...] The only Democrat to not vote “yes,” West Virginia’s newly-minted freshman Senator Joe Manchin, was not even in the Capital to vote. Via the Charleston Gazette: [...]
[...] spokesman, Payne Scarbro said however, that: “While he regrets missing the votes, it was a family obligation that he just could not [...]
[...] and the DREAM act, along with debate over the START treaty were on the doll. According to his spokesman Payne Scarbro, During the votes today, Manchin was at a family holiday party scheduled way in advance: [...]
Manchin is a coward. He knows that WV will not support the repeal of DADT, but he is too weak-kneed to stand up to gReid and the rest of the Dummycrats. And this b@#$%^d wants to be re-elected in 2012????
[...] spokesman Sara Payne Scarbro elaborated to the Charleston Gazette in an email, saying that he and his wife “planned a holiday gathering over a year ago with [...]
[...] spokesman Sara Payne Scarbro elaborated to the Charleston Gazette in an email, saying that he and [...]
[...] spokesman Sara Payne Scarbro elaborated to the Charleston Gazette in an email, saying that he and his wife “planned a holiday gathering over a year ago with [...]
Governor, how dare you? Senator Bird would not have let our State down by leaving. Your yes vote should have been part of the voting record.
wsv
a West Virginian for 75 years.
[...] Manchin spokesperson told the Charleston Gazette that the senator and his wife had “planned a holiday gathering over a year ago with all their [...]
sorry JOe but that was a chicken s$%i thing to do . you should have been there and voted. i imagine you would have voted with the repubs and voted no. i would have been disappointed in your vote but i at least there would have a been avote to be disappointed in….
Joe was probably in the closet when the vote was taken.
[...] spokesman Sara Payne Scarbro elaborated to the Charleston Gazette in an email, saying that he and his wife “planned a holiday gathering over a year ago with [...]
Joe Manchin is a coward. Regardless of what way you vote, you stand up and make your position official for those you serve. You are definitely not worthy of Senator Byrd’s seat. The people of West Virginia didn’t vote you in to duck important votes. Using a family gathering as an excuse won’t jive. Be prepared for a backup plan in 2012. You are on your way out.
He has 6 years in the senate, the voters will forget about his cowardice.
[...] Manchin spokesperson told the Charleston Gazette that the senator and his wife had “planned a holiday gathering over a year ago with all their [...]
[...] skipped out on votes over Don’t ask, Don’t Tell and the Dream Act. Does it matter that he missed [...]
This is what happens when you let WEAK candidates win. Get this guy out and get someone in there with real principles:
God, guns, American oil, no illegal immigration, strong defense, less government, less taxes, less abortion.
Manchin’s reign in Congress will be short lived. He is a clown but the alternate of the GOP pick would have been worse than Manchin. 2012 will hopefully give the Dem party of WV a fresh candidate that can live at least half way up to the late Sen Bryd. Manchin has shown he is just a Republican so far, and Dems need to spend the next two years getting people out to vote in 2012 instead of not voting, as most did this past November.
ANYONE in my family would have excused me from such a party, in order to take care of the Nations business at hand.