Manchin registering as independent in West Virginia

Sen. Joe Manchin is registering as an independent, according to a person familiar with the matter — a move that is sure to stoke speculation he could run for Senate or governor without a party affiliation this fall. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A longtime Democrat, Manchin’s decision comes ahead of a deadline for filing as an independent in West Virginia. He’ll have several more weeks to decide whether to run for his Senate seat or mount a bid for his old job as governor.

The move is no guarantee he will run for either office, however.

Manchin previously announced he would not run for reelection, a move that essentially ceded his seat to Republicans. But Democrats have held out hope he’d make a last-minute decision to run as an independent, and Friday’s move is sure to increase pressure on him to do so. Gov. Jim Justice, a Manchin rival, won the GOP primary and is heavily favored in November.

State Republicans are divided after a fierce primary in the governor’s race, which Attorney General Patrick Morrisey won. Manchin defeated Morrisey in the 2018 Senate race. Manchin is friends with the Democratic nominee Steve Williams, but he would likely be a more viable general election candidate.

Manchin will be the fourth independent in the Democratic Caucus and has long flirted with leaving a party he thinks is far too liberal. In recent interviews, he’s said his biggest fear is a future Senate that weakens the filibuster, a move he opposed last Congress.

West Virginia is one of the most conservative states in the nation, so either bid would be challenging for Manchin. But running as an independent would be easier than running as a Democrat in the deep-red state. And Manchin is a talented retail politician who has won both offices in the past.

Manchin likes to stay in the mix both nationally and regionally and may ultimately decide against running for anything. He turned down an independent presidential bid, for example, after considering one for months.

Lead Art: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) speaks with reporters outside the U.S. Capitol May 16, 2024. | Francis Chung/POLITICO

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs a cabinet meeting at the Kirya military base.
15 HOURS AGO
Hill leaders officially invite Netanyahu to speak before Congress
The formal invite comes days after Mike Johnson and Chuck Schumer indicated their staffs were in talks to finalize an invitation.

Congressional leaders have officially invited Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to speak before Congress, capping off weeks of behind-the-scenes negotiations.

The invitation, sent in a Friday letter, doesn’t state when Netanyahu will appear on Capitol Hill. But Speaker Mike Johnson has said he expects it to take place before lawmakers depart for August recess.

The letter is signed by Johnson, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

“On behalf of the bipartisan leadership of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, we would like to invite you to address a joint meeting of Congress,” the four congressional leaders wrote in the letter.

They added that “to build on our enduring relationship and to highlight America’s solidarity with Israel, we invite you to share the Israeli government’s vision for defending democracy, [combating] terror, and establishing a just and lasting peace in the region.”

The formal invite comes days after Johnson and Schumer indicated their staffs were in talks to finalize an invitation. Schumer told POLITICO at the time that “the four leaders are working it out.”

Schumer sparked GOP criticism earlier this year when he called for new elections in Israel and directly criticized Netanyahu in March. But Schumer’s office said earlier this month that he intended to sign the invite after Johnson indicated to reporters that he still hadn’t.

Netanyahu and his government have come under increasing criticism from the Biden administration and congressional Democrats over the handling of the war in Gaza, including the growing civilian death toll. Fifty eight members of the House voted against additional aid to Israel earlier this year — 37 Democrats and 21 Republicans.

Biden himself has also gotten pressure from progressives to do more to push back against Israel, including criticism for not having firmer pushback over Israel’s strike this weekend in Rafah that reportedly killed nearly 50 Palestinians. Netanyahu called the strike a “tragic accident.” xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx xnx

Earlier Friday, Biden said Israel has degraded Hamas’ military capabilities significantly since October, and that the militant group no longer poses a major threat to Israel, while outlining a new three-phase cease-fire proposal Israel has offered Hamas.

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