On NPR’s “Morning Edition” broadcast Thursday, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) said President Joe Biden is leaning too far to the left on “intrusions into people’s lives” and that he wants to move even further when it comes to abortion. He said that he had steered the ship in a direction that surpassed that of Japan. egg.
asked co-host Michel Martin. [relevant exchange begins around 1:55] “So you said you’re not prepared to support current President Biden’s re-election. You said you’re concerned that progressives will push him too far to the left. Are you looking for any specific commitments or specific templates before doing so?”
“I think what President Biden and the team around him should focus on is how he won in 2020,” Manchin said. Look at the rhetoric that was being used at the time, I’m not extreme and I’m not against energy production. We need energy production. You need to find a balance. I think people believe he leans too far to the left because of the people around him. …I said it. I told him that. ”
Martin then asked, “Is there more to it than energy policy?”Is it energy policy? [that is] What is the main reason for the difference? Or is it something else? ”
Mr. Manchin responded: “Well, I think it’s energy policy. I think it’s basically an intrusion into people’s lives. I think it could have been codified if you looked at it differently. Roe vs. Wade. And basically, that’s been case law for 50 years. I’m pro-life, but that wasn’t pro-life enough, and it wasn’t pro-choice enough. But that’s what we learned over the course of 50 years. And they never went back to something like that because they wanted more or whatever. And by putting ourselves back into a moderate centrist position that people feel comfortable with, we don’t think we’re being pushed around or over-regulated or pushing things too far to the left. I think it is. And they say that the other team is playing well, but when they are in control, they are not doing anything. ”
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