Refuses To Answer A Very Simple – Yes Or No — Question When Asked

After telling West Virginians just weeks ago that he doesn’t “believe in tax hikes” as a way to address the federal government’s massive deficits and record $14.3 trillion debt because “[w]e have to start living within our means in this country,” it appears that liberal U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) is flip-flopping, and is now open to supporting his friend President Barack Obama’s job-killing tax hikes on West Virginia families and job creators.

As The Weekly Standard reports:

Despite press reports that have indicated Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia would not support a debt ceiling deal that involves tax hikes, the senator won’t reveal, when asked in person, where he actually stands on the contentious issue… Democrats wanted more than just closed loopholes to raise tax revenues, including expiration of the renewed Bush tax cuts, in the grand deal negotiations that fell apart last weekend. But Manchin did not answer multiple questions about raising income tax rates as part of a debt deal, even though he told the Hill recently that he “doesn’t believe in tax hikes.” 

Notably, Manchin’s flip-flop comes after his fellow Democrat Senators Jim Webb (D-VA) and Ben Nelson (D-NE) joined Republicans in opposing President Obama’s job-killing tax hikes.

“After telling West Virginians just weeks ago that he didn’t believe in raising taxes, why is Joe Manchin suddenly refusing to answer a very simple question?” asked National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) spokesman Chris Bond.  “Manchin can’t have it both ways – he’s either for the job-killing Obama tax hikes, or against them, and West Virginians deserve to know which side Manchin is on.”