Marathon Pundit: 'Washington Joe' Manchin and the NLRB poster cave-in

Joe Manchin's own product-branding has the West Virginia Democrat as the 'anti-Obama' senator among the majority in the upper chamber.

If that is the case, why did the Manchin vote for a pro-union stink bomb piece of legislation?

The Huntington News is wondering about 'Washington Joe.'

After all, hasn't Manchin tried hard lately to convince us that he's "distancing himself" from President Obama?

Well, think again: Washington Joe is back in full force, having voted to uphold the Obama Administration's new regulations making it nearly impossible for a small business, facing a union vote, to have a fair chance in any vote for or against having a union. The new regs make the time available to the small businesses very short. Here's how the Associated Press's Sam Hananel put it in his report out yesterday, following the 54-45 vote yesterday.

"Under the existing regulations, workers typically vote within 45-60 days after a union gathers enough signatures from workers saying they want to hold an election. The new rules could cut that time by days or even weeks by simplifying procedures and putting off some challenges until after the election is held, cutting back hearings and reducing legal delays."

In short, this was a gift to the Big Union bosses, who can now hold up the vote and the Obama regulations as trophies to their more hardcore union activists. Nevermind that the last thing any small business in West Virginia needs is an unfair fight for a union shop when business hasn't exactly picked up yet.