Manchin Open to Liberal-Leaning Justice, a Key Signal for Biden

[demmiblue]

Source: Bloomberg

- Qualifications more important than ideology, Democrat says

- Democrats can confirm nominee if party maintains unity

Democratic Senator Joe Manchin said Thursday he could vote to confirm a Supreme Court nominee with a more liberal philosophy than his own, a positive signal for President Joe Biden as he prepares to name a successor to retiring Justice Stephen Breyer.

The nominee’s philosophical beliefs “will not prohibit me from supporting somebody,” he said in an interview in his home state of West Virginia.

Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-01-27/manchin-says-he-could-back-justice-with-more-liberal-philosophy

---

* Paywall, looking for more info.

[Midnight Writer]

1. If a Senator decides to put a "Hold" on a nomination, will he ignore that tradition?

I'm not being snarky. He seems to put a lot of stock in Senate traditions.

[FBaggins]

3. That can only slow things down marginally

A "hold" in this case is just a denial of unanimous consent - it's can't block a SCOTUS nominee

[turbinetree]

2. Could / Would.....there is a difference....

[durablend]

4. This.

[yaesu]

5. Today he's open, tomorrow? who knows. nt

[LenaBaby61]

14. THIS 👆🏻👆🏻👆🏻

[Javaman]

6. until he's not. nt

[FoxNewsSucks]

7. How magnanimous of him.

Too bad Manchin didn't feel that strongly about qualifications when he voted to confirm a guy who drank his way through school and literally has no idea how many women he'd assaulted.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

20. How Manchinimous of him.

I don't recall where the Constitution grants the right to select a SCOTUS nominee to a single senator. Well, there is that case where Moscow Mitch refused to even consider Obama's right to choose Scalia's successor ---

[Alexander Of Assyria]

8. Wait. Manchin is not a devil in disguise?

[HUAJIAO]

9. Don't turn your back on this fellow, Joe.

[kacekwl]

10. Who asked you ?

STFU and vote with your party.

[onenote]

17. The person interviewing him?

Didn't read the story, I guess.

[OrlandoDem2]

11. Until he goes on Faux news and feigns disappointment in his inability to vote for the nominee.

[LenaBaby61]

15. THIS 👆🏻👆🏻👆🏻

[moniss]

22. Right

you are and he will keep hemming and hawing and moving the goalposts just like he has done before until ultimately saying something like "we are too close to an election", "I tried but Biden is too radical" etc.

[3catwoman3]

12. He fucking well better be!

[OneBro]

13. Gawd help us if we need Manchin's vote on this.

Manchin takes his moves right out of the Republican playbook. They are seasoned extortionists who make demands, get what they want, then make more demands. Rinse and repeat until forced to vote, then vote NO because the final demands were not met.

Manchin united with Republicans to vote against his own f*cking voting rights bill!!!

[LenaBaby61]

18. Tell you what ....

IF a white, male who leans a bit right is put onto that high court courtesy of that jackass from West Virginia, that will most definitely depress black vote for the mid-terms, and we know WHY.

[LudwigPastorius]

16. The nominee's philosophical beliefs "will not prohibit me from supporting somebody,...

"...just their views on regulating coal-burning power plants, carbon taxes, and climate change in general".

[Joinfortmill]

19. Sigh, no comment.

[padah513]

21. I hate the fact that everything has to pass the Manchin smell test

We need 52+ Senators

[greenjar_01]

23. Thank God for small favors!

[ColinC]

24. Even if he flipped parrties, he would still support a nominee.

And yes, I do expect to see at least one or two republicans support whoever is nominated.


Of course, we all know there would be no vote on anybody if the Republicans had control.

[Mawspam2]

25. "(Manchin) could vote to confirm...

...a Supreme Court nominee with a more liberal philosophy than his own"

IOW... Robert Bork.

[Carlitos Brigante]

26. .

.

[Rebl2]

27. He's just

open to it?

[BradAllison]

28. First, consider what Manchin thinks is a liberal

He probably think Garland is liberal.

[BlueIdaho]

29. I got a bad feeling about this...

Too much hedging in this statement.

[Martin68]

30. So he says. I wouldn't be surprised if some sort of caveat appears after a nomination.

[rpannier]

31. Caveat: If a Republikkan senator will vote for her

Bipartisan you know

[ecstatic]

32. I'm sick of hearing his name. Nt

[The Wizard]

33. How many times will Manchin

change his demands?