GOP slams new Dem senator who skipped votes to attend Christmas party
By Alexander Bolton - 12/18/10 04:24 PM ET

Joe Manchin, the newly elected Democratic senator from West Virginia, is taking heat from Republicans for skipping several crucial votes on Saturday to spend time with his family.

Manchin missed votes to advance the DREAM Act, which would grant legal status to illegal immigrants under a certain age who meet certain requirements, and repeal the military’s “Don’t ask, don’t tellâ€