Manchin’s sham oil permitting and gas pipelines that he assured the voters of West Virginia that he would get in exchange for selling his soul to Chuck Schumer and the climate change lobby is dead. Yesterday the pro-drilling provisions were removed from the year-end budget – probably never to see the light of day again.

It reminds us of the famous passage in a Man for All Seasons when Sir Thomas More learns that his colleague Richard Rich has betrayed him and committed perjury in exchange for being appointed the Attorney General of Wales. More turns to Rich and says:

“Richard, it profits a man nothing to give his soul for the whole world – but for Wales!’

Manchin sold out West Virginia and didn’t even get a prize as small as that. We hope the voters of WV never, never forget – or forgive.