In trouble for even considering Justice Merrick Garland

Politico discussed earlier this month the Judicial Crisis Network's new ad praising

West Virginia AG Morrisey for his work against the EPA and criticizing Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin for refusing to oppose Obama's Supreme Court nominee, Merrick Garland. The ad buy brings the group's spending in West Virginia to $200,000, in addition to a five-state campaign opposing Garland's nomination.

Here's the commercial:

$200,000 and he's not up for re-election!

In trouble with conservatives even as he is leading the opposition to a carbon tax that no one is proposing

As Bloomberg noted:

Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) introduced a resolution May 24 that would put the Senate on record as opposing a U.S. tax on carbon pollution.

Blunt's sense-of-the Senate resolution is similar to other carbon tax prohibitions he has offered in recent years, including several as amendments to annual budget resolutions.

The Senate in March 2015 adopted a similar amendment to its fiscal 2016 budget resolution. But budget resolution amendments are largely symbolic—and nonbinding—since the budget blueprints are not signed by the president (58 ECR, 3/26/15).

The measure has two-dozen co-sponsors, including one Democrat, Sen. Joe Manchin (W.Va.).

Okay, as the article tells us: "the president's agenda has not included a tax on carbon." So why is Joe co-sponsoring this inconsequential resolution? (Couldn't he just vote for the resolution?) Simple, because right wing groups such as the Competitive Enterprise Institute, the Tea Party Nation, and Citizens Against Government Waste are supporting the resolution.

Is Manchin that afraid of right-wingers?

In trouble with veterans groups

Here's the headline in the Huffington Post:

Veterans Groups Oppose Manchin Amendment Giving For-Profit Colleges Unfettered Access to Military Bases

And here's the first paragraph:

Just as America’s veterans organization are coming together to demand better government protection against deceptive and abusive practices by for-profit colleges, Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) seems to want to move in the opposite direction, pushing an amendment that would require the Pentagon to allow any college approved for military tuition benefits to have unrestricted access to recruit on military bases. Veterans and military groups, as well as other Senators, are now working to stop this Manchin amendment.

And why is Joe doing this? The Huffington Post notes:

Senator Manchin’s amendment might please, among others, a for-profit college headquartered in his home state, American Public University System (APUS), which runs the online schools American Military University and American Public University.

APUS doesn't appear to be as predatory as some but as the Huffington Post concludes:

But beyond concerns about APUS, the Manchin amendment, which was adopted by voice vote in the Senate Armed Services Committee, would allow even the most predatory colleges to recruit service members on bases without restrictions.

I'm assuming that Manchin's amendment is okay with the tea party and their right-wing buddies.