Charleston Gazette-Mail. November 17, 2023.
Editorial: What ‘middle’ is Manchin looking for?
Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said this week he’d consider a third-party presidential run on a centrist ticket representing “the radical middle” of U.S. politics, if it will save the nation. It’s worth pondering just what he means by that, beyond the self-acknowledged oxymoron of the term “radical middle.”
Manchin announced that he wouldn’t seek reelection to his U.S. Senate seat two days after voters across the country rewarded moderate Democrats and rejected extremist Republicans politicians and policies (as well as some far-left Dems) in the off-year general election. As was said before, that seems like odd timing. He said he would embark on a tour of the country to see if there is an interest in building a nondescript centrist platform.
In a way, Manchin has been here before.
When he was the linchpin Democratic vote for Biden administration policies in a 50-50 Senate, with Vice President Kamala Harris holding the Dems’ tie-breaker, Manchin occasionally frustrated his caucus with his insistence on bipartisan dealmaking. That frustration was elevated when it came to high-stakes legislation, such as election security and voting rights, because Republicans refused to even come to the table, and Manchin should’ve known they wouldn’t. Some questioned if Manchin even knew what he really wanted in such situations, or was simply bargaining for the sake of it.
His latest statements on finding the middle raise similar questions. Does Manchin know what “the middle” is or why he’s looking for it? Would he recognize it if he found it?
Political pundit and 2004 Bush-Cheney presidential campaign chief Matthew Dowd touched on that during a segment on liberal-leaning cable news network MSNBC this week.
“I don’t know what he’s actually talking about (when Manchin mentions) the center of the country,” Dowd said. “He might be unfamiliar with what the center of the country is, but, on almost every major issue, Joe Biden is in the center, the exact center, of the country. He’s in the center of the country on Roe v. Wade. He’s in the center of the country on commonsense gun reform. He’s in the center of the country on raising the minimum wage and higher taxes on the wealthy. He’s in the center of the country on what to do in international politics. He’s in the center of the country on protecting our democracy.”
Dowd went on to say that Manchin might not be as moderate as he thinks, noting that most Americans favor action on climate change and a federal law granting access to abortion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe. Manchin has stymied progress on these issues during his time in the Senate. (It’s worth noting that Dowd said Manchin has roadblocked gun control laws, which is only partly true. Manchin and former Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., tried, unsuccessfully, to pass a bill for expanded background checks on firearm purchases after the 2012 massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary, in Connecticut.
However, Manchin did oppose two gun control bills passed by the U.S. House in 2021.)
This assessment obviously doesn’t gel with Manchin’s statements that Joe Biden has moved too far left — which seem to rest solely on the president’s initiatives for alternative and renewable energy sources — but it certainly provides a counterpoint to the accuracy of such a claim, as well as raising some important questions about Manchin’s quest.
Manchin considering a third-party bid for president also presents something of a logical puzzle.
Donald Trump is the Republican front-runner, and Manchin believes, with good reason, that Trump will wreck the country if allowed back in the Oval Office. Most believe that, if Manchin were to run as a third-party candidate, he certainly stands no chance of winning and would take votes from Biden (in fairness, some also theorize that he’d take votes from Trump). Manchin said he doesn’t want to play “spoiler,” but that’s exactly what he would be doing.
Manchin’s decision not to seek reelection has all but guaranteed a flip in that Senate seat, making it more difficult for Democrats to retain control of the chamber, and now he might make it easier for someone he believes will destroy the nation to attain the presidency while also claiming he has “a burning desire to save this nation, whatever it takes.”
Talk about mental whiplash. How can anyone find the center when they’re all over the map like that?
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The Intelligencer. November 20, 2023.
Editorial: Speak Up When You Suspect Child Abuse
Mountain State residents are quick to leap to the aid of any cause that helps our most vulnerable children. But even with a growing number of resources, those kids are suffering more than ever. West Virginia Child Advocacy Network reports child abuse complaints are up 20% over the past five years, according to WOWK.
Risk factors include poverty, isolation and substance use — and despite so many working to pull us out of those depths, such issues have only deepened here in West Virginia. WVCAN reports children here are five times more likely to be drug-endangered than the average child in the United States.
While it would be nice to believe the politicians who say they care so much about our state’s children are working toward addressing those risk factors, the reality is at-risk kids must depend on the rest of us to help.
“The majority of people who abuse children know the children and are caregivers or are in positions of trust,” Kate Flack, CEO of WVCAN, told WOWK. “Those children who are … being abused oftentimes are being abused by the ones who care for them.”
Though there are cases such as the Calhoun County 8-year-old who jumped out a second story window and ran away barefoot to tell authorities she hadn’t eaten in three days and her parents didn’t want her anymore, for the most part, abused and neglected children do not have a way out. They don’t get help unless someone reports what they suspect.
If you have reason to believe a child is being abused or neglected, it is no time to mind your own business. Report your suspicions immediately. You can make a report to Child Protective Services by calling 800-352-6513, or contact your nearest child advocacy center for guidance. Find one here: https://wvcan.org/about/locations/
Don’t hesitate. You might be a child’s only hope.
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Parkersburg News and Sentinel. November 18, 2023.
Editorial: Transparency: Corrections officials must not block inquiries
As attorneys, lawmakers and state officials went round and round over lawsuits and motions regarding the condition of West Virginia’s correctional facilities, an important question was raised. Why don’t legislators have first-hand knowledge to work with?
It’s impossible not to wonder why our elected officials are finding it so difficult to see inside the state’s jails and prisons for themselves.
When state Sen. Jason Barrett, R-Berkeley, rightly asked former commissioner of the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation Betsy Jividen about conditions inside the facilities, he was blocked.
“You were commissioner for a number of years,” Barrett asked her. “What were the conditions like then and how did that affect inmates and their re-entry? … Can you talk about the conditions while you were commissioner and how that related to the inmates?”
Before Jividen could answer, Del David Kelly, R-Tyler, swooped in to stop her from answering.
“We’re going to keep these questions tailored for this presentation,” Kelly said. “We’re not going to go back in time. This is not the time or the place.”
Again, Barrett was correct to respond, “I think it is an important question.”
How are lawmakers to help make necessary reforms and provide the proper resources if they are being intentionally kept in the dark? And, for that matter, WHY are they being kept in the dark?
“We’re here at legislative interims and most legislators haven’t been to an active jail or prison,” said Del. Joey Garcia, D-Marion. “It’s hard to make good policy until you see the conditions yourself and hear firsthand the concerns of correctional officers and staff members. In light of recent developments with litigation at the Southern Regional Jail, we need more transparency and accountability with respect to human rights violations in West Virginia jails and prisons.”
Surely those who could make happen such a first-hand look and conversations with state employees understand how suspicious the stonewalling appears.
And, surely they understand the conclusions that will be made should they leave details about state facilities up to the imagination of taxpayers, voters and lawmakers determined to do the right thing for their constituents.
Could it be that what they have to hide is worth that risk?
If the answer is no, DCR and other state officials must open facilities’ doors to lawmakers and other stakeholders, immediately.
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