West Virginia's newest senator Joe Manchin is continuing to distance himself from Obama, this time on the pending government shutdown.

The Democrat -- who races reelection next year -- told ABC News yesterday that the president's leadership on the fiscal battle is "not what I’m used to and it’s not what I’ve yet seen to be effective from my vantage point." This follows his complaint last month that Obama has "failed to lead" on budget matters, Politico notes.

Manchin sure is making hay over the shutdown -- he's also promoting a bipartisan pledge to refuse any pay during any stoppage, to which Pa's Pat Toomey is also a signatory.