Manchin: Background Checks Will Fail

Joe Manchin, one of the chief authors of the bipartisan bill on background checks, has told a reporter that it will fail in the Senate this afternoon, Talking Points Memo reports. NBC's Kelly O'Donnell tweeted this morning: "Sen. Joe Manchin tells me 'we will not get the votes today' expanded background checks to fail in Senate. Try again he says." Manchin later tweeted that he was still lobbying his fellow senators.

A Manchin spokesperson further walked back his gloomy pronouncement: "So far Senator Manchin has managed to garner support from an A-rated NRA member and three Republican senators as well as 90% of his own party. With a record like that, I see no reason to bet against Senator Manchin today. He will continue to explain his bill to his colleagues and anyone with concerns until the minute they vote." (More Joe Manchin stories.)