Hey West Virginia, How's That Manchin Pick Working Out For You?

In 2010 Joe Manchin(D) West Virginia, ran in a special election for the U.S. Senate against John Raese. Raese was considered ahead in the polls, and probably would have stood a decent chance of winning that election, despite the fact that Republicans almost never win state wide elections in the most politically quizzical state in our nation. 2010 was a wave year, and a solid rebuke of President Obama, a man despised in the Mountain State.

As the election got close, Manchin changed tactics. He decided to paint himself as a Republican, and promised to spend his time in Washington taking on the Obama Administration, repealing Obamacare, fighting against Cap and Trade, and defending the Second Amendment with every fiber of his being. Don't believe me? Have a peek at his campaign ad, which probably turned the election in his favor.

Such is our bane. Joe Manchin is not the first Democrat to get himself elected to our Legislative Branch by basically promising to be a Republican once elected. That particular list is in fact so long, I dare say it would take more time and effort to read than the Health Care Destruction Law they passed known as Obamacare. In short, Joe Manchin is nothing special, or even different when the list of lying liars is compiled. The question is, how has reality stacked itself up against the promises made?

In his ad, which got him elected, he made three promises. First he promised to fight the Administration's efforts to infringe themselves upon our Second Amendment Rights. Here is how he has been spending his time accomplishing that.

His second promise was to defeat the Cap and Trade Bill pending in the Senate. Fortunately that Bill was defeated before Manchin had his chance to break that particular promise. But one bill does not a kept promise make. It is clearly the implied intention behind the promise that counts most of all. Since November of 2010, our Executive Branch, and most glaringly of all, the EPA has run amok in creating new rules to old laws that has seen a defacto infliction of the Cap and Trade Legislation put into place. How has Manchin done in his fight to save West Virginia's Coal and Natural Gas Industries? Natural gas in West Virginia on privately owned land has sky rocketed, but that's despite the government's best efforts, and not because of them. Coal on the other hand has been besieged. Electricity prices have rocketed upwards, and not one peep from West Virginia's junior Senator, who does hold real power to slow this down, should he choose to exercise it. Manchin has not asked a single question of the EPA in any capacity during any hearing when he has had the opportunity to do so. He has fallen in with the leadership of his party, not stepped one toe across the party line, been that good little soldier, and not so much as given a cross eyed look in the direction of President Obama.

His third promise was to promise to repeal the parts of Obamacare that could be repealed. He, despite his Constitutional authority to introduce legislation into the Senate, has done nothing to keep this promise. As one of 535 distinguished members of our Legislative Branch, at any time he chooses, Joe Manchin can introduce any repeal legislation of this sink hole of a law that he wishes. Even if it would not pass, it at least would be some sort of symbol that he takes his campaign promises somewhat seriously.

Joe Manchin is living proof that the Blue Dog Democrats are an illusion. They do what they can to sound like Conservatives when running, and they instantly revert back to their Marxist roots once elected. This advert for Joe Manchin should have been the center piece of the bid to remove him from office in 2012, and as it is, that'll have to wait for 2018. That being said, there is no reason not to make this concept the highlight of all future campaigns where some one with Joe Manchin's lack of discernible character decides to run on the delusion of the Conservative Democrat.

Joe Manchin is not the only sypmtom of this problem, he just had the best ad on T.V. Part of the problem with our side is also our lack of fighting back when these lies are so blatantly told. Rather than just accept this, why not call the other side out when employing the tactic of deception? I can understand falling short with individual candidates the first time around, but two years later, why was nothing done by the GOP to tie Manchin to his campaign promises of 2010?

The GOP loses a lot of elections that should be clear wins. Part of the reason for that is their complete unwillingness to fight back. Mitt Romney was brutal with his treatment of Tim Pawlenty, Rick Perry, Newt Gingrich, Rich Santorum, and Herman Cain. His treatment of Barack Obama can best be described as handle with care, and treat as if fragile. This was despite the fact that Obama's camp had produced ads that depicted Romney as an insensitive murderer plotting to kill off his employees with cancer.

One or two losses can be written off due to being outmatched tactically speaking. The problem is that this has become a regular thing dating back to the 92 campaign. It is no longer an isolated incident, but rather a trend, and one that sees our Constitution in the cross hairs. The fault dear Brutus is not in our stars, but in ourselves that we are underlings.

Special note:

Joe Manchin has been promoting his inclusion in that group of useless dolts know as, "No Labels." Their primary claim is that they're going to get things done in Washington by breaking out into a political version of singing, "Kumbayah," and compromising their way back into our hearts and minds. This group is the Clinton political operatives setting the groundwork for Hillary's 2016 Presidential run. They are every bit as dangerous to our nation as the Obama team. Secretary Manchin is no more palatable than Senator Manchin.

Cross Posted from Musings of a Mad Conservative.