MANCHIN TORPEDOES BIDEN'S BUILD BACK BETTER AGENDA: THE GRINCH WHO STOLE CHRISTMAS.

ICHEOKU says now Democrats can begin to understand what Republicans are plagued with in Senator Mitt Romney and the late Senator John McCain, having the proverbial "enemy within the house".  Their stab is usually felt the most, which forced Emperor Julius Caesar to remark, Et tu Brute? But unlike Brutus who waited for other conspirators to knife Caesar first, the senator from the great state of West Virginia went straight to the jugular and it was over in a matter of New York minute. 

ICHEOKU says is not sad nor pillorying the West Virginia senator for being gutsy and bucking his party. No, because as Democrats would say then of John McCain, each time he speared the Republican Party and then President Donald John Trump, that he was a man of great conviction who follows his conscience in doing what is right for American people rather than putting his party's interest first and above the American people. Recall that Trump's signature "repeal and replace Obamacare" agenda was deep-six by John McCain's NO VOTE; and Democrats celebrated him as a political hero. 

But unbeknownst to Democrats, their own day of reckoning was coming; a day when they will be the ones bemoaning the betrayal of one of their own. Senator Joe Manchin is now effectively their own albatross, a John McCain and Mitt Romney lumped into one; the proverbial fish bone stuck in the throat which cannot be coughed out nor swallowed down. Many would suggest  expelling Joe Manchin from the Democratic Party for bucking a Democratic Party's main domestic signature agenda. But if they do that, they will lose their razor thin majority in the senate which is currently split 50/50 with Vice President Kamala Harris providing the tie breaking Democratic Party's majority vote as president of the senate. 

However, where were all these people who are now castigating Joe Manchin for taking the wind out of the sail of Build Back Better, when John McCain and Mitt Romney were throwing their own darts at a Republican Party's president in the White House. They were gleefully enjoying it, feigning ignorance that sometimes what goes around does come around; and now that their own nemesis has finally rendezvoused with them, they are shouting like Chicken Little that the sky is falling down because Joe Manchin took a courageous stand.

It is Joe Manchin's eternal right to follow his conscience as a man of conviction who was sent to Washington DC by the great people of West Virginia to represent them. He knows what is in the best interest of West Virginians and only to them does he owe an eternal political duty; and not to the Democratic Party nor the Democratic Party's president. He simply followed his guts and everyone should respect his decision as only Joe Manchin knows exactly what West Virginians wishes are concerning the Build Back Better. 

He has now communicated that with a NO vote; and with it effectively laid to rest the woke effort at wealth retribution and incurring debts for generations yet unborn to be saddled with. The  cenotaph reads: 

"To a clueless government that has been wobbling right from the start, Build Back Better is now buried as another failure to launch, in continuation of the woeful tale of the Joe Biden and Kamala Harris inept administration. To a government which cannot get anything right and whose signature domestic agenda project has now bitten the dust courtesy of Joe Manchin's decision and is here interred." 

What a Christmas present President Joe Biden would rather not get from Senator Joe Manchin, except that nobody, not even a sitting president of the United States of America, has a choice in the matter whenever the grinch wants to steal Christmas. The green man this year as far as Build Back Better is concerned happens to have the face of Joe Manchin and he stole Joe Biden's Christmas. Madam Speaker Nancy Pelosi will be sulking too, ditto Chuck Schumer and all the other Democrats who wanted to hand Joe Biden a victory on his main and possibly ONLY domestic agenda project ever. They lost woefully thanks to one of their own party member. 

It is likely the starting of the feud of the Joes; and the Joe in the White House will be seething with anger and will take his pound of flesh as soon as any opening is spotted in the underbelly of the Joe in the Capitol. The long knives are out and the night is still early, who survives and will be still standing by the time the battle is over will depend on who outfoxed the other and the level of support of their home crowd. Will the Democratic Party make Joe Manchin pay a price for what he did by destroying their president's flagship domestic agenda? But what exactly can they even do anyway to a man who is so much loved by his fellow West Virginians. 

What a gift to the Republican Party, particularly to former President Donald John Trump, who is against the Build Back Better and had tried to persuade Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to kill it. But little did the former president know that help was on the way and it will be from Joe Manchin. Christmas this year in MarLargo will be very festive and probably the best Christmas ever, thanks to Joe Manchin's masterstroke that brought down the blimp of an administration which has been struggling to get airborne since its inception. Is this a precursor to Joe Manchin finally jumping ship and aligning forces with the Republican Party? 

Anyway, as the Build Back Better goes, so goes the Joe Biden and Kamala Harris administration as their whole essence was anchored on it. Without it, they are doomed politically and now, failure to launch will be their only lasting legacy. They got the White House by trickery, deceit and lies, and fat lady Karma was not amused by it and is increasingly getting more incensed and taking it out at them, both domestically and internationally. Almost one year after their inauguration, there is still nothing major or ground swelling to report, write home about or check in their column as a successful accomplishment. Hello, welcome a lame duck President Joe Biden.