NBC News: Manchin Says Votes Not There to Expand Background Checks

If this is true, this will be a huge fail for the media, who were so cravenly desperate to win this culture war against the right, they publicly ridiculed the idea of guarding schoolchildren against madmen with guns — just because the idea came from the NRA.

When you find yourself ridiculing and opposing the guarding of innocent children, that is probably a pretty good sign your moral compass is spinning out of control.

Again, personally, I would vote for the Toomey-Manchin amendment. But that bias doesn’t make me blind to how appalling the media’s behavior has been throughout all of this, and it certainly doesn’t impede my ability to take delight in what is looking to be a complete and total defeat.

ADDED: On The Daily Rundown, Chuck Todd says there is a real possibility this whole Newtown gun control fight could end up loosening gun control laws if the only amendment to pass in the Senate Wednesday expands concealed carry laws. Wouldn’t that be something!?

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Manchin is telling folks privately, his amendment with Toomey is going down

— Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) April 17, 2013

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Sen. Joe Manchin tells me “we will not get the votes today” expanded background checks to fail in Senate. Try again he says.

— Kelly O’Donnell (@KellyO) April 17, 2013

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Biggest impediment for Manchin-Toomey? Fact that House couldn’t pass it, so in political risk-reward SEN vote, there was no reward potential

— Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) April 17, 2013

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NBC News learns Alaska Sen. Murkowski will vote NO on expanded background checks further dimming hopes for Manchin Toomey bill.

— Kelly O’Donnell (@KellyO) April 17, 2013

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Additionally, the Washington Post’s Greg Sargent has been counting the votes and doesn’t see them.

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Without Heller and Murkowski, I see no path to 60 on Manchin-Toomey. Am I missing something?

— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) April 17, 2013

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Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC