Good days and bad days

When people ask me what I think about former Governor and now Senator Joe Manchin, I tend to say that while he is extremely personable (a friend once said of him that he won't let you not like him), he has good days and bad days. I have to say that his recent statements on the need to repair and not just repeal the Affordable Care Act would count as one of his better days.

This is from the Gazette-Mail:

Manchin said he will not vote to get rid of the Affordable Care Act unless Republicans come up with a way to make sure the people who gained health insurance under the law can keep it.

“I have said simply, I won’t vote to get rid of it until I see the replacement,” Manchin said.

In the article, Manchin said that repeal without replacement would mean as many as 172,000 West Virginians losing care. Actually, the number is more like 225,000 when you count all aspects of the ACA.

While some repeal supporters are claiming they'll come up with a substitute, it would going to take a huge grassroots effort in WV and all over the country to make sure something like that happens if repeal goes through. Or even to limit the damage done.

West Virginia's senators will be critical to the outcome. And it's representatives should think twice before throwing that many people under the bus.