by Michael Bastasch
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey called Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin’s decision on Friday to vote to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Morrisey called Manchin’s announcement a “craven political calculation” to salvage his political career. Manchin announced his support for Kavanaugh, President Donald Trump’s high court pick, minutes after Republican Maine Sen. Susan Collins said she would vote to confirm the judge.
“Joe Manchin only votes in the interest of Joe Manchin,” Morrisey said in a statement issued Friday. “President Trump had all the votes he needed to confirm Judge Brett Kavanaugh, but Manchin waited – making a craven political calculation – in order to try to save his political career.”
“When it matters most, Joe Manchin is with Hillary Clinton for President, Chuck Schumer and Obama for gun control, and is voting with Nancy Pelosi for amnesty for illegal immigrants,” Morrisey said.
Manchin voted to move Kavanaugh’s confirmation forward in a procedural vote on Friday. Manchin’s vote came after the West Virginia Democrat spent weeks on the sidelines regarding Kavanaugh’s confirmation.
I will vote to support Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh. pic.twitter.com/1FfuMTOZz8
— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) October 5, 2018
“With respect to any cases that may come before him impacting the 800,000 West Virginians with pre-existing conditions, Judge Kavanaugh assured me personally that he would consider the human impacts and approach any decision with surgical precision to avoid unintended consequences,” Manchin said in a statement.
“That is why I voted to confirm Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination to serve on the Supreme Court because I believe he will rule in a manner that is consistent with our Constitution,” Manchin said.
Manchin is leading Morrisey by an eight percentage point margin, according to a September poll. But Manchin is a Democrat in a red state where a vote against Trump’s Supreme Court nominee could have narrowed that comfortable lead.
Trump nominated Kavanaugh, a federal judge, to replace retired Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy in July, but late in the confirmation process a letter sent to California Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s office was leaked to the media.
In the letter, Christine Blasey Ford accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault at a small high school party more than three decades ago. Another woman, Deborah Ramirez, accused Kavanaugh of exposing himself to her while drunk at a college dorm room party.
Kavanaugh denied the accusations, and a supplemental FBI background investigation was unable to corroborate accusations of sexual assault, according to the investigation’s summary.
Liberal protesters gathered on Capitol Hill shouted “shame” at Manchin as he was interviewed about his vote.
Morrisey also noted that the Senate Majority Political Action Committee would continue spending in support of Manchin even if he voted to confirm Kavanaugh, citing a Washington Examiner article.
“West Virginians and President Trump can’t trust Joe Manchin to fight for our values because he is simply just another dishonest Washington liberal,” Morrisey said on Friday.
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