- Fred Wertheimer: Manchin's filibuster defense contradicts the Senate legacy he claims to protect | The senator from West Virginia says he sees himself as a defender of the late Sen. Robert C. Byrd. If we review Byrd's legacy, however, it's clear Manchin is not doing that. https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/manchin-s-filibuster-defense-contradicts-senate-legacy-he-claims-protect-ncna1263770 19 comments politics