Both sides do it! But the Kochs are just peachy—Sen. Joe Manchin
In 2012, it was Cory Booker defending Bain Capital. Now it's West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin
defending the Kochs.
“People want jobs. You don’t beat up people. I mean, I don’t agree with their politics or philosophically, but, you know, they’re Americans, they’re doing— paying their taxes,” Manchin said on Fox News’s “Fox & Friends.”
“They’re not breaking the law. They’re providing jobs,” he added.
I didn't realize anyone said the Kochs were breaking the law. The issue is whether a small group of individuals can use money to dominate a debate. The Koch brothers are certainly trying to do so, and that's not a good sign for healthy functional democracy. The fact that they pay taxes or provide jobs is irrelevant. They are already richly rewarded for their commercial activities.
“If you’re trying to rally the base, the bases have already been rallied. The right and left bases have been rallied,” Manchin said. “It’s us in the middle that have to start making something happen here in Washington to move this country forward.”
The bases haven't been rallied. Well, maybe Republicans have, since they think they're saving the nation from the Obamacare Hitler. But Democratic turnout will be down and must be rallied in order to have a chance at victory.
Machin, who also served as governor of West Virginia, said harsh rhetoric from either side does little to help the country.
“Right, wrong or indifferent, whether you like the politicians, or not. There’s people who don’t like the extreme Democrat politics or extreme Republican politics, we got to start being Americans again,” the senator said.
Sounds good! We can all look forward to Manchin speaking out against "extreme Republican politics", right? Like all that Koch rhetoric that fact checker after fact checker has proven to be full of shit?
Obviously Manchin is doing what he thinks he needs to do to survive in his state, one which is turning redder by the day. Maybe the Koch brothers will be so overwhelmed with gratitude at the kind words that they give him a pass in 2016 ... ha ha ha ha ha! Yeah, who is kidding who? He's defending the guys who will happily blow him to oblivion next time he faces the voters.