Senate Republicans appear to be offering Sen.-elect Joe Manchin (D., W.V.) everything but the kitchen sink, including his pick of committee assignments and extra pork for W.V., to get him to switch parties. Meanwhile, Manchin’s camp is saying the freshman will try “in good faith” to change the Democrats, but. . .:
“He was elected as a Democrat and he has to go to Washington as a Democrat to try, in good faith, to make the changes in the party he campaigned on,” said one Manchin advisor. “Now, if that doesn’t work and Democrats aren’t receptive, I don’t know what possibilities that leaves open.”
Which I read to mean: Harry and Dick better let me vote with the Republicans when I need to if they want me to stick around. But having Manchin vote like a conservative Democrat is of limited utility to the Republicans, since party discipline in the Senate is usually at its best during filibuster votes (see: Nelson, Senator Ben.)
More here.