Manchin: Pence attacking because bipartisan image ‘plays too well with the public’

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) said he believes Vice President Pence is attacking him because Republicans are worried his reputation as a moderate “plays too well with the public,” Politico reported Wednesday.

“They can always count on me to work with them,” Manchin told Politico. “But that works both ways.”

Manchin is up for reelection in November in a state President Trump won by roughly 40 percentage points in 2016.

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Pence last week during a trip to West Virginia sent out a series of tweets criticizing Manchin for voting against a series of Republican bills, including the GOP tax-reform bill and a bill to defund Planned Parenthood, using the hashtag #JoeVotedNo. 

.@Sen_JoeManchin is going to keep voting against West Virginia & I think Chuck Schumer & Nancy Pelosi are pretty happy w/ the way he votes. But WV needs to let him know that they EXPECT BETTER & they need to let Joe know that WEST VIRGINIA DESERVES BETTER. #JoeVotedNo

— Vice President Mike Pence (@VP) January 31, 2018

“WV needs to let him know that they EXPECT BETTER & they need to let Joe know that WEST VIRGINIA DESERVES BETTER,” Pence tweeted. 

Manchin responded by saying Pence’s comments are “why Washington sucks,” noting that he had spent the prior week working on a bipartisan bill to end a government shutdown.

The VP’s comments are exactly why Washington Sucks. I’m disappointed in his comments but will continue to work to make Washington work so #WV & our country work.

— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) January 31, 2018

On Wednesday, Manchin called Pence’s attacks “disingenuous.”

“He’s not upset. He can’t be upset,” Manchin said.

The Republican tax legislation ultimately passed both chambers of Congress without a single Democratic vote.

Multiple Republicans are vying for a chance to challenge Manchin in November’s election.

Rep. Evan Jenkins (R-W.Va.), West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship will square off in a May 8 GOP primary.