美联社
阿拉克萨参议员莉萨·穆尔科斯基在一次会议上向商务部长吉娜·雷蒙多提问..
华盛顿——民主党参议员乔·曼钦周日支持共和党同僚莉萨·穆尔科斯基连任聚会支持来自阿拉斯加的现任总统的台词，他面对的是前总统支持的主要挑战者唐纳德·特朗普。
这位保守的西弗吉尼亚州议员表示，他已经与穆尔科斯基在参议院50比50的席位上很好地合作，为乔·拜登总统的基础设施法等立法争取两党支持。他说，她在任期间，阿拉斯加州和参议院的服务都很好。
“日复一日基本上和一个人一起工作是虚伪的，然后，当他们处于循环中时，你应该反对他们，因为他们有一个R或D的名字，”曼钦说，他和穆尔科斯基一起出现在美国有线电视新闻网的“国情咨文”中，宣传两党合作的价值观。
“阿拉斯加能有她继续为他们服务真是太幸运了，”他说。
穆尔科斯基面对的是共和党的主要挑战者凯利·奇巴卡(Kelly Tshibaka)，她得到了特朗普和阿拉斯加共和党领导人的支持，但在筹款方面明显落后于现任总统。一名民主党人尚未参加竞选;该州最后一位民主党参议员马克·贝吉奇在2014年竞选连任失败。
曼钦已经不是第一次反抗他的政党的政治运作了。2020年，他支持缅因州参议员苏珊·科林斯竞选连任。曼钦去年4月曾表示，如果穆尔科斯基今年选择再次参选，他将支持她。
穆尔科斯基是七名共和党参议员之一，他们在特朗普的第二次弹劾审判中投票判定他有罪，因为他参与了1月6日的国会大厦暴动。她的连任竞选夸大了她作为参议院中间派的资历，她跨越党派界限，“对抗任何威胁我们生活方式的政治家或特殊利益集团。”
穆尔科斯基自2002年以来一直是参议院议员，她在2010年的共和党初选中失去了席位，但最终在发起了一场成功的书面竞选后获胜。她几次高调投票加入民主党，包括反对特朗普在2017年废除巴拉克·奥巴马(Barack Obama)总统健康法的努力，以及她在2018年拒绝投票确认布雷特·卡瓦诺(Brett Kavanaugh)为最高法院法官。
穆尔科斯基周日表示，她也将支持曼钦，后者将在2024年竞选连任。
“如果他参选，我会支持他，”她说。
曼钦不愿意支持拜登设想的在所有50名民主党参议员支持下通过的广泛气候和社会安全网立法，这引起了他所在政党进步派的愤怒。在最初表示他可以支持该法案的一个版本后，曼钦在12月宣布，他不会支持这项努力，目前形式的立法已经死亡。
周日，曼钦表示，他最近与拜登进行了交谈，但表示这个话题并没有真正出现，因为需要在2月18日之前就一项单独的拨款法案采取单独行动。
他重申，希望在共和党人的参与和支持下，通过拜登提案的较小部分。曼钦说:“这些都是重大变化。“正如我们所知，这将改变社会。”
Crossing lines, Manchin endorses Murkowski's Senate campaign
WASHINGTON -- Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin on Sunday endorsed Republican colleague Lisa Murkowski for reelection, crossingpartylines to back the incumbent from Alaska who faces a primary challenger supported by former PresidentDonald Trump.
The conservative West Virginia lawmaker said he has teamed well with Murkowski in the 50-50 Senate to build bipartisan support for legislation such as President Joe Biden's infrastructure law. He said Alaska and the Senate are well-served with her in office.
“It’s hypocritical to basically work with a person day in and day out and then, when they’re in cycle, you’re supposed to be against them because they have an R or D by their name," said Manchin, who appeared with Murkowski on CNN's “State of the Union” to promote the values of bipartisanship.
“Alaska could only be so lucky to have her continue to serve them," he said.
Murkowski faces GOP primary challenger Kelly Tshibaka, who has support from Trump and Alaska Republican party leaders but who significantly trails the incumbent in fundraising. A Democrat has yet to enter the race; the state's last Democratic senator, Mark Begich, lost reelection in 2014.
It isn't the first time that Manchin has bucked his party's political operation. In 2020, he endorsed Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, in her reelection bid. Manchin had indicated last April that he would support Murkowski if she chose to run again this year.
Murkowski is one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial for his role in stoking the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection. Her reelection bid plays up her credentials as a centrist in the Senate, working across party lines to “stand up to any politician or special interest that threatens our way of life.”
A member of the Senate since 2002, Murkowski lost the Republican primary for her seat in 2010 but ultimately won after launching a successful write-in campaign. She's joined Democrats several times on high-profile votes, including opposing Trump's effort to repeal President Barack Obama's health law in 2017 and her 2018 refusal to vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh as a Supreme Court justice.
Murkowski said Sunday she as well would support Manchin, who is up for reelection in 2024.
“If he’s running, I’m endorsing him," she said.
Manchin has drawn ire from the progressive wing of his party over his reluctance to back broad climate and social safety net legislation that Biden envisioned would pass with support from all 50 Democratic senators. After initially indicating he could support a version of that bill, Manchin announced in December that he would not back the effort and that the legislation in its present form was dead.
On Sunday, Manchin indicated he recently talked to Biden but said the topic didn't really come up because of the need for separate action by Feb. 18 on a separate funding bill.
He reiterated a desire to pass smaller pieces of Biden's proposal with input and support from Republicans. “These are major changes,” Manchin said. “It is going to change society as we know it.”
