Sen. Manchin Takes Blame for Gun Control Failure
Or rather, the failure to get the "facts" out
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) on Thursday said he should be blamed for the Senate's stinging defeat of expanded background checks for gun purchases, not President Obama.
"If people want to blame, I guess you blame me," Manchin told reporters at a Wall Street Journal breakfast. "I just never knew how hard it was to get the facts out. I think there is a lot more I can do to get the facts out."
Manchin's background checks bill, co-sponsored by GOP Sen. Pat Toomey (Pa.), earned 54 votes on Wednesday, falling short of the 60 needed for passage. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) switched his vote from yes to no in a procedural move that allows him to bring the bill up for another vote in the future.