Fossil fuel lobbyist/senator Joe Manchin III, a cartoonish rich southerner used to telling those less well off what they actually want and deserve, decried the members of his party who are holding the bipartisan infrastructure bill “hostage.” He made his hostage video, demanding that progressives in his party trust people like him, and the several bipartisan Republicans who have been outspoken about the need to address climate catastrophe — wait, that would be zero Republicans– as Biden met world leaders to plan for reducing the mass extinction zombie apocalypse that will be unleashed if the climate continues to warm at its present rate.

Manchin III waited until his party’s president was at the world climate summit to withdraw his support for even the severely truncated Build Back Better that gave Manchin everything demanded on behalf of his fossil fuel donors and his own coal interests. What is Manchin’s actual policy position? He’s a Republican, the largest recipient of fossil fuel money in the Senate. Here is the one man filibuster’s semi-coherent sounding defense of his latest obstructionist stunt:

I looked up whether the coal magnate, who has been opposing tax increases on billionaires and corporations to fund the initiatives of Build Back Better, had voted for or against Trump’s massive tax giveaway to corporations and the wealthiest Americans. Manchin III was as good as his stated anti-debt principles on that vote, though his staff’s spelling on the press release was about as good as Trump’s.

Have a look at how Manchin phrased his opposition and disappointment not to be able to support Trump’s Short Sided [sic] 1.9 trillion dollar tax break for the wealthiest Americans. If only the sides had been longer!

https://www.manchin.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/manchin-disappointed-to-vote-no-on-short-sided-and-rushed-tax-bill-

The conclusion of his statement on why he couldn’t vote for Trump’s bipartisan tax bill:

“While I am disappointed that we were not able to take advantage of this historic opportunity and pass real tax reform, I will continue to work with President Trump to help the working class and reign in our debt – something I know he cares deeply about.”

Joe Manchin III

That’s “rein in,” genius…like the reins mounted ICE agents used to whip them Haitians at the border, yee hah!