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Friday, March 26, 2021

UPDATED: They Say Every Man Has His Price

Or at least that may be the case in our Congress--the best legislature money can buy. Maybe that's unfair, or maybe it's just that some are more concerned about appearances than others. We'll find out soon enough:


Biden nominates Sen. Joe Manchin's wife to federal commission

Gayle Conelly Manchin is Biden's pick for the Appalachian Regional Commission


President Biden has picked the wife of an extremely influential U.S. senator for a federal commission post, the White House announced Friday. 

Biden nominated Gayle Conelly Manchin to co-chair the Appalachian Regional Commission, an economic development partnership with 13 states designed to boost investment in the Appalachian Region.

Manchin is an educator, past president of West Virginia's State Board of Education and the former first lady of West Virginia.


It's not immediately apparent what qualifications Gayle Manchin has for this position, beyond being the wife of Joe Manchin, whose vote could prove crucial for eliminating the filibuster. In fairness, one assumes that, since the Appalachian Regional Commission was created by President Kennedy "to assist in advancing legislation to bring federal dollars to Appalachia," part of it's reason for existing may also be to bring money and patronage jobs to deserving politicans in those 13 states.

If you're interested in Gayle Manchin's qualifications beyond the obvious ...


Gayle Manchin was raised in Beckley, West Virginia and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School. She received both her Bachelor of Arts in language arts and education, and a Master of Arts in reading (now known as the masters in literacy education), from West Virginia University.[3][4] In 1999, she received a second master's degree in educational technology leadership from Salem International University.[4][5]

Manchin has worked as a teacher in the Marion County Public School district and a faculty member at Fairmont State University, where she established the university's inaugural Community Service Learning Program.[4][6]

She has also served as Director of the AmeriCorps Promise Fellow Program in West Virginia.[5] Additionally, Machin worked for the Office of Secretary of Education and the Arts, where she established the West Virginia Partnerships to Assure Student Success initiative (WV PASS).[4]

Gayle Manchin held the position of First Lady of West Virginia from 2005 until 2010 during her husband's term as the state's governor. During her tenure as First Lady, Manchin simultaneously served as the chairperson of the West Virginia Citizen’s Council on Children and Families and Governor’s Healthy Lifestyles Coalition, co-chair of the Governor’s 21st Century Jobs Cabinet and the Intellectual Infrastructure of Vision Shared, and a member of the West Virginia Commission for National and Community Service.[5][4]

In 2007, Manchin was appointed to the West Virginia Board of Education from 2007 to 2015.[3][4] She served two terms as the Board of Education's vice president.[3] On July 10, 2013, Manchin was elected President of the West Virginia Board of Education for a two-year term.[3][7]

In 2016, Manchin was the subject of some controversy when USA Today, a national newspaper, published an article noting that Manchin, upon becoming Board of Education president in 2012, spearheaded a campaign for states to require schools to purchase EpiPens and other medical supplies.[8] Eleven states created laws to require schools to stock EpiPens, made by Mylan pharmaceuticals, leading to a "near monopoly" of Mylan's epinephrine autoinjectorin the school health sector.[8] The article noted the potential for a conflict of interest, as Mylan's CEOHeather Bresch, is Manchin's daughter.


UPDATE: My wife found this:


Few men have virtue to withstand the highest bidder.

- George Washington


11 comments:

  1. bribes, kickbacks, quid pro quos...business as usual

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And to think I made a joke about seeing Joe manchin highways and bridges being built in West Virginia. Joe sold his soul rather cheaply.


      Rob S

      Delete
  2. Surber, who lives in W Va., is convinced that Manchin will do ONLY what's good for Manchin and to Hell with the voters.

    Looks like Biden* is icing the deal.

    ReplyDelete
  3. When Joebama says “Here’s the deal” this is what he is talking about…

    Joe Manchin just became another Quid Pro Joe. Lame.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There will be statues and museums built in West Virginia to honor the great sacrifices the Manchin family gave to the folks in Appalachia.

      Delete
  4. If Manchin had an ounce of integrity he would say no to such an obvious ploy. His reaction only confirms what he is, a "prostitucian", for sale to the highest bidder.

    0311

    ReplyDelete
  5. elections and/or consent to coups have consequences.

    By one of those two methods, America chose to be plugged back into the matrix and forget what they saw. In fairness, it was a lot easier than having to learn kung fu and live in a hovel near starvation while we fought evil, though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ironically, Kung Fu, along with most traditional Asian martial arts, pails in comparison with the combination of ancient Greco-Roman wrestling, American boxing, and the low kicks from all martial arts, especially the Filipino Muay Thai.

      However, Hollywood only thinks Kung Fu works.

      Delete
  6. A friend told me that what actually happened is that Heather Bresch told her mother that the Epipen really works better than any competing device, so, regardless of what the EpiPen costs, every state should be required to buy them.

    Common sense!

    Common sense?

    ReplyDelete
  7. @Mark,

    "Or at least that may be the case in our Congress--the best legislature money can buy. Maybe that's unfair, or maybe it's just that some are more concerned about appearances than others. We'll find out soon enough:"

    Honestly Sir, I think you are too kind to the congress critters!!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. AB1 will pass along with other bills. The filibuster will be ended.

    Spartacus

    ReplyDelete