West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin refused to sit down with his fellow Democrats at a meeting over Obamacare. Yet, just hours later, he decided to have a private chat with incoming Vice-President Mike Pence instead.
Manchin, who recently was spotted at Trump Tower auditioning for a position in Trump’s cabinet, tweeted out this Wednesday night:
Just finished a very productive meeting with @mike_pence and I look forward to finding ways to work with him in the future.
— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) January 4, 2017
According to The Hill, Manchin does not plan on releasing a formal statement on his “very productive” meeting and gave no indication on how he might work with him in the future.
Earlier today, however, he did take to Twitter and WV Metro News to talk about his new self-assigned role of bringing GOP and Democrats together.
In good conscience I can't attend the meeting w/ the President today. We must find bipartisan way 2 fix #ACA. WATCH: https://t.co/TyKmJQD4kv
— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) January 4, 2017
He also, and rather pointedly, tweeted out a picture of himself and current Vice-President Joe Biden right before announcing the Pence sitdown to illustrate his ability to work with both sides.
Yesterday I thanked Vice President Biden for his years of loyal service to our country. Good luck in your next endeavors @VP pic.twitter.com/huTaFwyoM8
— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) January 4, 2017
The WV Senator likewise told Roll Call that it was now his job to be the go-between.
“That’s going to be my job. My job is basically to go up to the White House and meet with President-elect Trump and his team and Vice President Pence,” Manchin told Roll Call. “We exchanged our personal telephones and we’ll keep in contact.”
It seems, though, beyond scoring Pence’s private digits, Manchin is not winning many friends on Capitol Hill by trying to mend fences while sitting on top of it.
On Wednesday, Manchin was the target of Republican lawmakers who said he was clearly not listening to the people of West Virginia.
“West Virginians have emphatically rejected the failed policies of the Obama era, yet Joe Manchin is still defending Obamacare, which is sending health care costs through the roof for Mountain State families,” Bob Salera, a spokesperson for the National Republican Senatorial Committee said.
As for the Democrats, most of them were pretty quiet about Manchin’s decision to skip the meeting, which came as little surprise given the fact there was some question as to whether or not Manchin would remain a Democrat at all once Trump was in charge, given his pro-gun, pro-coal stance and right leanings.
Manchin, whose popular has tanked in the Mountain State, also faces a tough re-election bid in the growingly red state in 2018.