Democrats' Fiscal Watchdog

The Wall Street Journal – March 22, 2011, 7:08 P.M. ET

Democrats' Fiscal Watchdog
West Virginia's Joe Manchin goes nuclear on his own party's profligacy.

By KIM STRASSEL

If you think Republicans are being tough on President Obama and Democrats for their refusal to get serious about spending, think again. They've got a long way to go to keep pace with one of the toughest critics so far: West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin.

Mr. Manchin went nuclear on his own party's profligacy yesterday in a speech at the University of Charleston. "There are some in Washington who believe we can simply ignore the fiscal peril we face as a nation. They are wrong," he said. In his speech, which is part of a week-long tour of West Virginia during Senate recess, he added: "I will not tell you that we can have everything we want and that there will be no cuts or sacrifice. That would be a lie. I will not stand here and tell you that figuring out our priorities is easy. It is not." Mr. Manchin didn't name names, but that latter line seemed a direct swipe at those in his own party arguing against any cuts whatsoever.

Nor was this Mr. Manchin's first attack on his own. Only a few weeks ago the West Virginian, who was elected last year, used his first Senate floor speech to smack President Obama for his "failure to lead" on cutting the budget. He was also among the 63 bipartisan senators who last week signed a letter--spearheaded by Sens. Mike Johanns (R., Nebraska) and Michael Bennet (D., Colorado)--urging Mr. Obama to take a greater role in a plan for comprehensive deficit reduction. And the West Virginia senator noted in his speech yesterday that he intends to keep up the pressure. He vowed, like many Republicans, to refuse to vote for increasing the debt limit unless that vote includes "a real budget plan that begins to fix our fiscal mess."

Because Mr. Manchin was put in office in a special election, he must go through re-election again next year, and it's no surprise he's working hard to hold true on his campaign promise to do what is best for his state, rather than the Democratic Party. In addition to his criticism of Democrats, Mr. Manchin has been attempting to build relationships with members on both sides of the aisle and has refused to say whether he'd even vote for Mr. Obama for president. Then again, his latest moves can also be seen as a more concentrated version of the pressure that many Senate Democrats are feeling to respond to the fiscal-responsibility concerns of their constituents. That pressure will make for some interesting budget games over the coming weeks.

We need more Democrats like this. Here is a Democrat who realizes the seriousness of our current fiscal status and is taking a principled stand to do something about it.

You have to have a lot of respect for someone who is willing to eschew party politics to address a very real threat to our future.

dblboggie wrote:We need more Democrats like this. Here is a Democrat who realizes the seriousness of our current fiscal status and is taking a principled stand to do something about it.

You have to have a lot of respect for someone who is willing to eschew party politics to address a very real threat to our future.

He'll probably change party's by 2012.

TexasBlue wrote:

dblboggie wrote:We need more Democrats like this. Here is a Democrat who realizes the seriousness of our current fiscal status and is taking a principled stand to do something about it.

You have to have a lot of respect for someone who is willing to eschew party politics to address a very real threat to our future.

He'll probably change party's by 2012.

He could change sexes for all I care... as long he remains serious about cutting the budget.