TrumpCare could pass if Joe Manchin agrees to take Rick Perry's job

[Miles Archer]

http://www.rawstory.com/2017/08/trumpcare-will-pass-if-this-conservative-dem-senator-agrees-to-take-rick-perrys-job/

To pass Trumpcare, Bloomberg News is reporting that White House officials are considering nominating Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) to become the next Energy Secretary.

“If Manchin were offered and accepted the position, that would allow West Virginia’s Governor Jim Justice — a newly minted Republican — to appoint a GOP successor and bring the party a vote closer in the Senate to being able to repeal Obamacare,” Bloomberg explained.

The position of Energy Secretary is currently being held by Texas Governor Rick Perry, who famously couldn’t remember that he wanted to entirely eliminate the department he now runs. Perry has been rumored to be moved to the Department of Homeland Security or even the Attorney General’s office.

***

“Yet to execute the idea and pass an Obamacare repeal, Republicans and the administration would have to pull off a highly choreographed series of events,” Bloomberg noted. “Perry would have to agree to take another job, the Senate would have to confirm Manchin as Energy Secretary, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell would then have to bring a repeal bill back up without losing any of the 49 Republican senators who voted for the so-called skinny repeal.”

[itsrobert]

1. That would be a step down for him in a dead end administration

no way he does it.

[Thrill]

14. He shouldn't but you can never trust that dude

[Miles Archer]

19. We have no idea what's been said to him or what has been promised

Your logic is 100% sound, in the real world.

But we're no longer in the real world. Manchin is the frog, Trump is the scorpion, and Trump is asking for a ride across the lake on his back. He's probably promising he won't sting him when they reach the river bank.

We have to filter real world thinking through the stone-cold fact that Trump is desperate for a "win," and he doesn't care how he gets it.

I posted this early yesterday. Last night, it took up a good portion of Rachel Maddow's show near the end (I posted the whole show in "Video & Multimedia," for anyone who hasn't seen it).

Trump is on his 17 day golf vacation, and as she pointed out last night, he's coming back to Washington tomorrow for a "big announcement."

His last "big announcement" was West Virginia Governor Jim Justice becoming a Republican.

If Manchin takes the job, Jim Justice will name his replacement. Pretty solid odds that it will be a Republican. And if that one vote is added to the votes McConnell already had, TrumpCare is a reality (assuming no one who voted "yes" flips their vote).

Logic dictates that it "would be a step down for him in a dead end administration."

We're not dealing with logic. We're dealing with a "president" who thinks McConnell should resign if he doesn't put an approved TrumpCare bill on his desk for signature.

I'm not a betting man, but my bet is that on Monday, Trump's going to announce that Manchin went for it.

[Clarity2]

27. His big announcement

on Monday is that he is "opening investigational probe" into china trade http://money.cnn.com/2017/08/12/news/economy/trump-xi-us-china-trade/index.html

[HipChick]

2. This is perhaps the Press Conference Mon..

[Miles Archer]

20. That's the conclusion Rachel Maddow came to last night.

If you didn't have the opportunity to see it, I posted the whole show in Video & Multimedia. I believe that discussion came in the last 15 minutes.

[raging moderate]

3. Manchin is not qualified to be the Energy Secretary.

No more than Rick Perry is. Neither one of them knows anything about nuclear physics. Or physics of any kind. The last Energy Secretary was a seasoned doctorate-level nuclear physicist. Manchin seems to be more intelligent and open to actual facts in the decision process. It is my hope that he would know better than to accept such a job offer.

[OnDoutside]

4. What's in it for him ? Granted he's up for re-election in 2018, and 70 in 2 weeks time but still

the way Republicans are tanking, he would surely be in with a good chance of re-election ?

[mwooldri]

5. Does that matter to Trump?

After all we have a brain surgeon running HUD, and a school privatization freak show running the Dept of Education... And those are the high profile appointees that I can remember who are in my mind not suited to those positions.

[HipChick]

22. Not qualified?

Much like the rest of the folks he has hired..

[DrDan]

25. he's a coal guy - and trump has made promises to the coal community

[exboyfil]

32. Last two actually

but before that mostly politicians. Perry is singularly unqualified for the position. If you don't have a doctoral level scientist, then you should look at a former nuclear navy officer with a political or administrative background in academia or the private sector.

[greeny2323]

6. At first

At first I thought this was ridiculous, but:

- Where is the denial from Manchin?
- Why is Trump coming to DC on Monday? Rachel suggested this is one possible reason.

[eleny]

9. Rachel reported that Manchin said he hasn't spoken with the administration about this move

At the end of her show tonight.

[greeny2323]

10. Thanks!

OK. Thank you. That is encouraging. But I want to hear him deny it explicitly.

[eleny]

11. I'm with you on that!

[KewlKat]

18. I heard her say he hadn't spoken to him "recently" which tells me that he has spoken to

Them about it.

[Justice]

29. He met with Trump during transition.

[Miles Archer]

21. From Bloomberg:

A spokesman for Manchin declined to say whether the senator would take the Energy secretary job -- currently held by former Texas Governor Rick Perry -- if offered.

“Senator Manchin has not had any recent conversations with the Administration about the Secretary of Energy position. He remains committed to serving the people of West Virginia,” said Jonathan Kott.

Manchin, who faces a tough re-election battle in 2018, was considered for the post after Trump won election in November. His nomination fell through in part because Trump wouldn’t assure him he could pick his own staff, according to two people familiar with the staff selections, who described them on condition of anonymity.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-11/manchin-is-said-to-emerge-as-possible-pick-for-energy-department

[fishwax]

7. Jesus. That really would be a cagey move. I hope JoeManch would not accept.

[eleny]

8. Then, Manchin, a Dem, would be responsible for the demise of the ACA

Sure sounds like the kind of maneuver that would make Trump lick his lips. And how horrible.

[Glimmer of Hope]

12. How can Perry move to the AG's office without a law degree?

[mythology]

13. He's energy secretary in spite of not being smart enough to screw in a lightbulb

Basic competency and knowledge isn't necessary in the Trump administration.

[Glimmer of Hope]

16. Yeah so he can be a paralegal but he can't practice law.

[Hieronymus]

15. I'd never trust Manchin.

[lindysalsagal]

17. I'm thinking that if this happened, more gop would vote no on repeal.

Just because it was only 1 votes last time, doesn't mean it will be that same vote next time. I don't think they want to own throwing granny out of her nursing home and closing hundreds of rural hospitals.

[yardwork]

23. I agree.

[MoonRiver]

24. Unless another Repub flips.

I think it's very possible.

[spanone]

26. that's the whole point

[louis c]

28. The Irony of this is that WV residents will be the hardest hit from repeal of OC (NT)

[lindysalsagal]

30. And for many of them, even after they're either told they have no medical coverage, or the bills

come and the collection agencies torment them because of that appendicitus or car accident or bad fall, when they are bankrupted because they have no coverage, they'll STILL blame obamacare for letting them down....

Many of these people would rather die or go homeless than think for themselves and figure out that for-profit medicine is an immoral, deliberate, systematic, fascist plot against them.

[MoonRiver]

33. They're willing to sacrifice their and their children's lives for fetuses!

How noble...

[samnsara]

31. hes too smart for trumps tricks