Oh, the Fox News reporters who love to try and antagonize White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki. But she is so talented at her job that she leaves them in the dust every time one questions her. Somehow they manage to dust themselves off and rise to fight yet another day. Wednesday, Jacqui Heinrich was at the top of her game.
During the White House briefing, Heinrich asked whether President Biden’s people would quit “bullying” Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV). In her head if not visible Psaki must have done a double-take. After all, Manchin is no softie. He can handle himself just fine, thank you.
Heinrich noted that Manchin had been the one to tank the president’s signature legislation. She asked whether the press secretary and the others in the administration would handle Manchin with kid gloves from now on in the negotiation deliberations. After all, he had been “bullied.”
Heinrich said:
‘Is there sort of a shift in strategy since this all blew up over bullying?’
The set-up question laid there, crying for a response, a time bomb set to go off the next time Democratic negotiations started again. And Manchin did go on Fox News to set off a bomb of his own in the media. That was when he went on record, blaming the president’s staff for the negotiation breakdown.
Politics is a hard game to play and not for the thin-skinned. Psaki said:
‘I would tell you that Sen. Manchin is somebody who has won many tough fought fights in West Virginia. e comes proudly from a coal-mining family. He’s a pretty outspoken advocate for the things he believes in and the things he doesn’t. And I would doubt he’s a withering flower on the side of the road.’
After Manchin went onto Fox News and announced he was a “No” vote on the president’s Build Back Better Bill, The Daily Beast wrote that was when things got hot. Manchin had said:
‘I can’t vote for it and I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation. I just can’t. I’ve tried everything possible. I can’t get there. This is a no on this legislation. I have tried everything I know to do and the president has worked diligently, he’s been wonderful to work with, he knows I’ve had concerns and the problems I’ve had.’
The Build Back Better (BBB) bill was far from dead, though. Of course, the Democrats were furious with Manchin, but he went out of this way to blame the staff, but not President Biden. The ensuing Democratic press releases had some big hail in the buckets of rain aka press statements, but people were cooling off.
Sorry, Heinrich, no red political meat today. Check out the back-and-forth below:
‘WH Press Sec. Jen Psaki says “I would doubt” Sen. Manchin “is a withering flower on the side of the road” in response to Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich asking about Democrats “bullying” the senator.’
WH Press Sec. Jen Psaki says “I would doubt” Sen. Manchin “is a withering flower on the side of the road” in response to Fox News’ Jacqui Heinrich asking about Democrats “bullying” the senator. pic.twitter.com/F3ASsbQdpE
— The Recount (@therecount) December 22, 2021
Then, Psaki went on to say President Biden had saved Christmas, according to The New York Post.
Three White Lions podcast has Gloria Christie reading her bedtime stories. She writes for the liberal online newspaper The Bipartisan Report. Gloria Christie Report her newsletter for people on the go. Written in her own unique style with a twist of humor in a briefer version of Bipartisan Report. Christie’s Mueller Report Adventures In Bite-Sizes a real-life compelling spy mystery (in process). Find her here on Facebook.
