By Mike Tony, Charleston Gazette-Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — It took “Saturday Night Live” less than two minutes into its season premiere Saturday night to caricature Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.
But the real target of the show’s skewering was West Virginia voters.
“I’m a Democrat from West Virginia,” cast member Aidy Bryant’s version of Manchin said. “If I vote for electric cars, they’re gonna kill me.”
But a national alliance of labor unions and environmental groups supporting Democrats’ proposed bill to significantly expand the nation’s social safety net is making the case that West Virginia voters support the legislation as it ramps up pressure on the real Manchin to do the same.
The BlueGreen Alliance is touting a new survey of voters in West Virginia suggesting support for many provisions in the Democrats’ $3.5 trillion-over-10-years budget proposal.
Two thirds or more of West Virginia respondents had favorable responses to provisions of the proposal, including ensuring that major public investments include requirements that products and materials used are made in America (80%), rebuilding America’s water infrastructure (77%), stronger protections for organized labor (68%) and prioritizing investments to energy workers affected by the nation’s transition to clean energy (66%)…
