Where’s the media outrage? Democratic senator’s daughter uses maneuver to avoid US corporate taxes

I’ve always been fascinated by how politicians change their view when a family member is involved.

Their job, as professionals, is to weigh the evidence and arguments on all sides of an issue and reach a conclusion. Of course, we all know it doesn’t work in the civics-textbook way when lobbyists, donors and powerful special-interest groups are involved.

But how many times has an officeholder pushed for more funding to eradicate a disease that happened to strike a relative? Or softened or changed a position on same-sex marriage after learning that a son or daughter is gay?

The latest case in point is Sen. Joe Manchin. But the West Virginia Democrat finds himself in the uncomfortable position of opposing what his own daughter did.

Manchin’s daughter is Heather Bresch, the CEO of a generic drug firm called Mylan that makes big bucks from Medicare and Medicaid.

Last week, the company announced that it was renouncing its status as an American company and would be incorporated in the Netherlands. In other words, it would still be a U.S. company and milk the U.S. market, but avoid a whole lot of taxes.

More