Research Briefing

Democrat Senator Says Obama’s Failed At Leading And That It’s Inexcusable For Senate Democrats To Not Produce A Budget

Obama’s Failure To Lead

MSNBC’S Joe Scarborough: “Has the president called you or anybody else and talked about his commission and said, so what do you guys think? Do we move forward with this? Has the president called you up and said, hey Senator, what do you think we need to do to move forward on taking care of this debt?”

Sen.  Joe Manchin (D-WV): “No.”

Scarborough: “Are you surprised?”

Sen. Manchin: “It's not the leadership that I’m used to.”

Scarborough: “As governor, did you do this?”

Sen. Manchin: “As governor -- I’d wear you out. I’d find you because I was in the state senate. I was in the house. And my little state of West Virginia is a great state and good people and everything.”

Scarborough: “Why doesn't the president  do it--

Sen. Manchin: “I don't -- I don't know him well enough to say that.”

Scarborough: “Is he disconnected?” (MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” 12/12/11)

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Senate Democrats’ Failure To Pass A Budget

Scarborough: “Let me ask you this. Can you believe -- okay. So you've been there a year and in the time that you’ve been there, the Senate has not produced a budget, and you will hear Republicans complaining.”

Sen. Manchin: “There hasn't been a budget produced, Joe, for three years. We’re working on CR’s – continuing resolutions.”

Scarborough: “As a Democrat, as a member of the Democratic caucus, can you tell me, tell us, tell America why the Democrats in the United States Senate, who run the Senate, have not produced a budget for this country in three years?”

Sen. Manchin: “I don't have an excuse. There’s no excuse. I would have been impeached as governor. I would have been impeached. I had to put a budget together and I had to look at it.” (MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” 12/12/11)

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