By John G. Miller, executive editor, WV News
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin said he received an early lesson in politics from his father, and it’s one he’s never forgotten.
“Dad was never big in me getting into politics,” Manchin said during a recent in-depth interview. “My Uncle Jimmy (A. James Manchin) was the politician, but Dad always warned me it was a tough business.”
But the desire to become a public servant led Joe Manchin to politics, and his dad made sure he understood the responsibility.
“I remember when I had an acquaintance that told me he was going to support me and then he didn’t. When I was elected, my dad called me up and said to come talk to him.
“He said, ‘So you’re upset with so-and-so. Now, you want to shut him out and do something to get back, make him more miserable because he lied.’
“He told me if I was going to do that, I needed to go to the courthouse tomorrow to see how much the guy paid in taxes. He said then you write a check for his taxes.
“And I’m like, Dad, why would I do that? And he said, ‘Well, you don’t want to serve him as a constituent.’ And I said, ‘Dad I can’t do that.’
“He says, ‘Then keep your mouth shut and take care of friend or foe. Because the day you get elected, everything else goes away.’
“And that’s the way I’ve approached it. It was the best advice I ever got.”Whether friend or foe, Democrat or Republican, Joe Manchin has made it a practice to listen — and more importantly, to learn from differing voices.
