Biden could put Manchin in his place by blocking the Mountain Valley Pipeline. More importantly, it would show his commitment to limiting greenhouse gases.

I wonder whether his various decisions in favor of some large fossil fuel investments (which would increase fossil fuel consumption for decades) might be an attempt to buy acquiescence of some fossil fuel interests. If so, it did not work. It may have struck then as weakness, leading them to demand more.

The only acceptable way to make a deal with planet roasters is to insist that nothing in the deal is final until the closing. Never let them get anything "on credit", because they will cheat.