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Manchin tour roars into Elkins

ELKINS — Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., visited Elkins on a motorcycle Sunday afternoon, part of a campaign trip through West Virginia in the final days before Tuesday’s election.

“We’ve done so many different things over the years but never a motorcycle ride in the middle of November,” Manchin said after pulling in with his entourage of motorcycles and campaign vehicles at the Go-Mart convenience store on the Beverly Five-lane. “But by golly, what a day! Look at this!”

Manchin’s Take Me Home Ride invites riders to join in for all or part of the trip, which will continue today.

“We’ve had a great turnout everywhere we’ve been,” Manchin said Sunday. “We started in Charleston this morning, then went to Tamarack, and then from Tamarack we went to Lewisburg, and then over to Marlinton, and then we came here. From here we go to Romney, then Capon Bridge, and then on to Martinsburg tonight. It’s a big ride, but it’s been a great ride.”

Manchin greeted Randolph County supporters during the stop, posing for photos and chatting with some longtime county Democratic leaders.

He also spoke with The Inter-Mountain about his debate Thursday with his Republican challenger in the election, current state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey.

“You know, I wanted to see more civility (in the debate), but that’s hard to get from him,” Manchin said of Morrisey. “He seemed to be wound up. But I think it showed the differences.

“You know, everything’s under attack and I’ve said that. There are so many serious issues, and why he wants to continue attacking people with pre-existing conditions, he wants to throw out the Affordable Care Act with no replacement in sight. It’s like there’s no heart and soul, nothing humane about it,” Manchin said. “On Social Security and Medicare he’s committed himself to (Senate Majority Leader) Mitch McConnell. Mitch is trying to reduce benefits for Social Security and Medicare.”

Manchin also addressed President Donald Trump’s trips to West Virginia to campaign for Morrisey.

“I’ve said this is the most important election I’ll ever vote in. I’ve never seen such clear differences. They’re not camouflaging anything,” Manchin said. “They’re showing exactly what they intend to do and what he wants to do. And then they run and hide behind someone else. I said (to Morrisey), ‘Come on, be a man, run on your own.'”

“The president’s come here, and even the president, as good as he can be, he can’t even hide and camouflage Morrisey’s record. But by God, he’s tried! And he still can’t. Morrisey’s record is so bad he just can’t hide it. I’m hoping the people of West Virginia know what he really is,” Manchin said.

Elkins was the fourth stop on Manchin’s motorcycle tour Sunday. After a rally and dinner in Martinsburg Sunday evening, the tour is scheduled to leave Martinsburg at 8:30 a.m. this morning, arrive in Morgantown by noon, and then stop in Fairmont at 1 p.m. and Bridgeport at 2:15 p.m. before returning to Charleston by 5 p.m. today.

“We wanted to come through Randolph County. This is a county that I love and I’ve spent a lot of time here,” Manchin said Sunday afternoon.

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