It should be clear by now that West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin Chair of the Senate Energy Committee has been using the veneer of Building Back Better costing too much money or that he is against creating an entitlement mentality to hide his real issue.

The real issue is the clean energy portion which would hurt his donor base including his own company Enersystems (now headed by his son) from which he collects $500,000 per year in dividends.

While states like Texas have diversified its economy, West Virginia has stayed with coal with the assistance of people like Manchin whose wealth was built on the backs and health of coal miners.

His notion about not wanting to create an entitlement mentality was a trial ballon sent up by Manchin in an attempt to draw upon the image of entitlements being primarily for black and brown people causing resentment amongts his constituents that the bill is a handout to minorities. Manchin was utilizing the GOP southern strategy used by Nixon and Reagan. The strategy is obviously absurd considering how much West Virginia, the 2nd poorest state in the country, depends upon food stamps and welfare. West Virginia is an entitlement state.

Manchin has screwed his state and the country. His disdain for poor people of his state is becoming more obvious with each passing day. He claims he hasn’t heard from people against his stance on the Build Back Better proposal. Manchin is a liar.

The Associated Press reported that “The nation’s largest coal miners’ union has said it would accept President Joe Biden’s plan to move away from coal and other fossil fuels in exchange for a “true energy transition” that includes thousands of jobs in renewable energy and spending on technology to make coal cleaner. Cecil Roberts, president of the United Mine Workers of America, said ensuring jobs for displaced miners — including 7,000 coal workers who lost their jobs last year — is crucial to any infrastructure bill taken up by Congress.” Manchin was on board with this but seems to have backed away.

Manchin is a multi-millionaire whose state of 1.8 million people is holding up a transformative opportunity to provide for the American people. African Americans should be particularly incensed with Manchin’s refusal to support a carve out for the civil rights bill. When it comes to the voting rights bill, Manchin is like the old bluedog Democrats that gave lip service to equality and opportunity while winking at the hooded class of his state.

Unfortunately, Manchin’s facetious gripes have been given legitimacy by fellow Democrats from Congresswoman Pramilla Jayapal to President Biden, when in reality he should be called out for his obtuse behavior. What is infuriating to many people is that he is being treated as though he has principled objections to the build back better bill. The reality is that Manchin is nothing more than a political prostitute being pimped out to the highest corporate interest. What makes it worse is that there is no doubt Senator Chuck Schumer and President Biden are fully aware of Manchin’s obsequiousness to his big donor base rather than the average voter of his state.

Manchin is up for re-election in 2024. Manchin will no doubt cost Democrats the opportunity to provide for the American people but rest assured he will be well taken of by his donor base or perhaps Senator McConnell who Manchin seems to be conspiring with to defeat the Build Back Better bill by stripping it of its transformative components such as child care tax credits, climate change mitigation and no cost community college. The reality is that there should be a challenge to Manchin. Manchin has shown who and what he is. Believe him.

People like Manchin are not interested in what benefits the average voter in his state. His concern is that the office of Senator provides him with power, money and influence and recently has allowed him to adopt a prima donna mentality at the expense of the nation.

It is time to stop treating Manchin as a principled politician. If he had any principles beyond rubbing elbows with the powerful, they left a long time ago. It is time for West Virginians to treat him like the political hack he is. It is time to follow the money that is filling the Manchin coffers.

Like Kristen Sinema the obtuse drama queen of Arizona, Manchin has used this opportunity to provide comfort and relief for the rich and powerful. Politicians are always looking out for their own personal power and access. Manchin is simply more overt with his voracious hunger for power.