Joe Manchin is probably feeling pretty good about himself right now. Why wouldn’t he? I suspect he regrets his vote on the pandemic relief bill, but he supported just enough blue team legislation over the past year to make the session a success, while consistently reining in the excesses (as he sees it) of his party. Based on the outcome of the election, he can plausibly claim to stand exactly where the American people are, which is a good place to be. But what now?
Manchin apparently won’t support the use of reconciliation to raise the debt ceiling in the lame duck session. One assumes he thinks there are enough responsible Republicans in the House to do it in 2023. That’s wishful thinking. While the moderates in the Democratic Party always win in the end, because the progressives will take a half loaf over nothing, the extremists drive the GOP train, because the leadership consistently prioritizes party unity over the welfare of the country. It has been that way for years; it will be much worse in 2023.
In short, if we have to rely on Kevin McCarthy to save us from Republican nihilism, God help us all.