(RoyalPatriot.com )- After West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin drove a stake in the heart of Joe Biden’s ridiculous “Build Back Better” plan on Sunday, reporters at Monday’s White House press briefing peppered press secretary Jen Psaki with questions about Manchin’s move.
ABC News reporter Cecilia Vega, in an effort to make Manchin look like the bad guy, asked Psaki if President Biden feels betrayed by the Democrat Senator. Psaki referred back to the statement she released on Sunday accusing Joe Manchin of negotiating in “bad faith.”
ABC's @CeciliaVega: "Does the President feel betrayed by [Joe Manchin]?"
Psaki: "I think that our statement yesterday made pretty clear what we fee — what was the — the — the factual depiction of events that happened." pic.twitter.com/Jdm0OrOVXK
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) December 20, 2021
Vega followed up by asking if there had been any subsequent communications between the White House and Senator Manchin since he announced he wouldn’t vote for the bill. But Psaki refused to say.
.@CeciliaVega: "Where do the lines of communication stand at this point b/w either the President & Joe Manchin? Joe Manchin & the White House staff, which he spoke? Is there contact at all?"
Psaki: "I'm just not going to assess or give you an update on specifics from here." pic.twitter.com/miVE3v0PWY
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) December 20, 2021
CNN reporter Phil Mattingly brought up Manchin’s radio interview from that morning when he said members of the White House staff were putting out things that were “absolutely inexcusable.” Mattingly asked Psaki if she knew what Manchin was talking about when he said that. But Psaki side-stepped the question, saying Mattingly should ask Manchin what he meant.
CNN's @Phil_Mattingly: "Manchin…said, 'this is staff…They put some things out that were absolutely inexcusable. They know what it is and that's it.' Do you know what he's referring to there & do you have a response[?]"
Psaki: "I don't. I would point you to Sen. Manchin[.]" pic.twitter.com/wuHqepwfqM
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) December 20, 2021
Then there was USA Today’s Joey Garrison who wanted to know if President Biden would consider bypassing Congress and implement his garbage “Build Back Better” through executive action. Psaki, however, said they hadn’t discussed that.
That’s probably not true. Since Biden governs exclusively by executive order, it is highly likely the White House is already finding ways to implement this bill unilaterally.
There was one reporter who asked a very valid question. Fox News White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich asked Psaki if this situation shows that the Democrats don’t have a large enough majority to undertake such “transformational legislation.” She pointed out that Joe Biden ran as a moderate, and Manchin’s suggested changes are moderate, so why won’t the White House pivot to come up with a bipartisan bill?
Rather than address the razor-thin majorities, Psaki shifted focus by saying they want Republicans to support this garbage bill. But from her answer, it is clear, they don’t want to change a word of it.
.@JacquiHeinrich: "Does this show…that Democrats just don't have a large enough majority to pull off this kind of transformational legislation?…The President ran as a moderate…Manchin's asking for major policy changes to be bipartisan….Why are [they]…so far apart[?]" pic.twitter.com/IyU1Ao1N3Q
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) December 20, 2021
Heinrich followed up by noting Manchin’s comments on how Democrats have been trying to bully him into supporting the bill. She asked Psaki if there was any regret over how these negotiations were handled. Then the woman who accused Manchin of not negotiating in good faith said that bullying Manchin was never their objective.
.@JacquiHeinrich: "On [Manchin's] callout for Democrats for badgering him…is there any regret…about how this negotiation went, getting that statement from him & he feels he's been badgered & beaten?"
Psaki: "That…never has been our objective." pic.twitter.com/ttFSMLqeSS
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) December 20, 2021