Jeff -- since you mentioned him: what do you suspect is Senator Manchin's end game?

Does he just love the attention of being one of (if not THE) most powerful U.S. Senators on Capitol Hill, at present? Is he trying to leverage that power to endear himself to West Virginians by bringing home maximized pork and goodies for them?

Or is he actually delusional enough to believe that Senate Republicans are going to negotiate in good faith to meet the Biden/Harris Administration halfway, when it comes to legislative progress?

Or does he truly think he can lead the so-called "Gang of Twenty" in a manner that will transform politics and end the current gridlock?

I realize you almost certainly don't know him personally (neither do I), but I am curious about your thoughts as to how much of his posturing you suspect is political theatre versus how much is delusional thinking or calculated bargaining?

Oh, and Al Franken wasn't pressured to resign exclusively because of the photo with Leeann Tweeden...there were also multiple other complaints lodged against him (although I certainly agree that Republicans who condemned Franken's behavior but simultaneously excused Trump's behavior have no standing to clutch their pearls or take the moral high ground).