With the Senate at 50-50 every vote counts for both parties. That’s why Democrat moderates like Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona hold decisive power, as do Republican moderates like Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska. Romney?

Aside from the now moot Trump factor, Romney votes generally conservative. I know it sounds strange, but Romney got a 77 percent approval rating on his votes from the American Conservative Union in 2019. That was the latest date available. He also got a 77 percent lifetime rating from the group. Ronald Reagan said a person was not his political enemy if they agreed with him 70 percent of the time. Ergo…

On the Democrat side, a senator who has shown some guts as of late is Joe Manchin. Coming from West Virginia, a deep red very Trumpist state, Manchin voted for impeachment conviction. On the other hand, he and Sinema are holding up key parts of the Democrat virus relief bill. Like him or not, that’s courage either way.

Most senators voted the way we would expect them to based on their constituencies.

Perhaps the "bravest" by that measure was Joe Manchin. pic.twitter.com/mjdXypxXAa

— Hans Noel (@ProfHansNoel) February 14, 2021

FNC: “U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin’s position as a moderate Democrat in the red state of West Virginia has propped him up to be a powerful man in Washington these days. Even though Manchin has signaled support with Republicans on several issues, the Biden administration is wooing him in order to push progressive ticket items in its economic stimulus package. Yet, West Virginians are holding out hope that the senator stands firm on opposing items that could be detrimental to some of the state’s most important industries and small businesses.” West Virginians are happy with Manchin’s moderation and want him to stay that way.

“Democrats may have to pull back on some of the very progressive things that they would like to do right off the bat as voters here are starting to be a little more vocal that they want Senator Manchin to stand up for them,” pundit Edward Lawrence told media. “There’s another natural gas pipeline that needs to go through West Virginia. It is still waiting on federal permits.”

“You know we had to sacrifice a lot our state has and under Senator Joe Manchin,” WV businessman Rob Peddicord told press. “He did a great job as governor, I will give him that credit. He ran his state very well. I just wish he’d use some of those principles when he talks to these people in Washington. And Joe Biden, who got in office, he didn’t run on all of these forty five executive actions. He didn’t run on that. They act like it’s mandated ’cause he won.’”

Charles McEwuen, WV entrepreneur, told FBN, “I don’t think the government should be in the business of regulating that sort of thing, because if the minimum wage goes up, then everything else goes up and it cuts into how much an employer can pay and how many people he can hire on a small small business level.” Thus Manchin has supporters in his state that agree with him on the minimum wage and other issues. He will continue to have them, unless he caves to left wing Democrats.

This piece was written by David Kamioner on February 19, 2021. It originally appeared in LifeZette and is used by permission.

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