hardball? Please, they've been treating him w/kid gloves. Damage in the media is not nearly far enough. Biden should be siccing DOJ on his daughter over her pharma BS and any dark money "twisting" his arm. Biden has no stick to speak of. The provisions in the reconciliation bill poll fairly high amongst constituents, including West Virginians. Manchin is NOT representing those that elected him.
Manchin is what Manchin is. He’s a democrat from a poor, conservative state. He has sensibilities other democrats don’t consider. Are they bygone sensibilities, yes, but they are his. What needed to be done was exactly what you eluded to, getting the message out to West Virginians of what Manchin is holding back on. What went wrong was framing him as anti-progressive because that works in his favor.