Joe Manchin is comfy

.. comfy voting against the voting-rights bill and other badly needed American reforms, because without that act, Republicans may make themselves the permanent majority in both houses of Congress. Of course, that would throw Manchin into the Democratic minority. Right? Right, but then all he needs to do -- and I daresay will do -- is switch affiliations and become a Republican, maintaining his power (although at a lesser level) and his grip on West Virginia and its economy.

He's a millionaire thanks to his past coal-industry machinations (Manchin-ations?). So he'll be a reliable GOP vote against climate action, against anything that seems to threaten the fossil-fuel industry, and of course anything that would jeopardize his ownership of a nice, ritzy yacht and that snazzy Maserati. He is, after all, a Republican at heart. It's just that West Virginia by tradition has voted Democratic thanks in good measure to the very labor union power Manchin quietly opposes. But he's too big there to be harmed by forcing the state to bow to Republicans, just as he will. Only he'll profit while the electorate will get screwed some more. This modest, economically challenged, and healthy-light state is Manchild's playpen and he'll have even greater rein over it as a member of the everlasting GOP-stoppers.