I am profoundly disappointed in Sen. Joe Manchin. I had thought that he would carry on the legacy of Sen. Byrd, but he is proving himself to be a coward and a wimp, afraid to make a move until he hears from West Virginians.

Last week, Sen. Manchin was the only Democrat to vote against the bill that would ensure repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”.

The next day at a rally on Capitol Hill, former Army Sgt. Pepe Johnson from Clarksburg, WV, who was discharged under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, put it best:

“I was disappointed yesterday in Senator Joe Manchin from the state of West Virginia, I was embarrassed because Joe Manchin decided to be a lone ranger and vote against the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ saying he’d only been in office for three weeks, said he didn’t have a chance to hear from the people of West Virginia. Well, Joe Manchin, if you can’t hear me now, you better get a hearing aid.”

Here’s a message, Sen. Manchin. Is my megaphone loud enough, or do you really need to get a hearing aid?