In his new memoir, former Sen. Joe Manchin, I-W.Va., blamed the policies of former President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party for shifting West Virginia from blue to red.
—
FormerSen.JoeManchin,I-W.Va.,saidhespokemorewithPresidentDonaldTrumpinthefirsttwoyearsofTrump’stermthanwithformerPresidentBarackObamaduringObama’seightyearsinoffice.
Inhisnewbook,“DeadCenter:InDefenseofCommonSense,”releasedthisweek,ManchinoutlinedacordialworkingrelationshipwithTrumpandafarchillier,lessactivebackandforthwithObama.
Manchin,whoswitchedfromtheDemocraticPartytobecomeanIndependentbeforeretiringfromtheSenatelastyear,wrotethatheconsideredTrumpafellow“outsider”whenhearrivedinWashington,D.C.,forhisfirsttermandlaudedhimasthe“mostengagedpresidentIeverworkedwith”sinceformerPresidentBillClinton.
MANCHINSAYSHEWANTEDGOPTOWINSENATETOSTOPDEMOCRATS’QUESTFOR‘RAWPOLITICALPOWER’
“Fromthestart,PresidentTrumphadanopenlineofcommunicationwithme,”hewrote.“Ispoketohimmor




