CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A top West Virginia union official says he was taken aback by Gov. Joe Manchin's support for extending tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. 

Still, West Virginia AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Larry Matheney said Thursday the union would continue to back the Democrat in his bid for U.S. Senate.

On Wednesday, Manchin said he believes Bush-era tax breaks should be extended for all Americans, including the wealthiest. The governor said the federal government should seek ways to be more efficient before asking people of any income level to pay higher taxes in a recession.

Matheney on Thursday said those statements are disappointing.

"When there's a tremendous outcry about deficit spending, to continue the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest in the belief that it's somehow going to stimulate our economy, it defies logic," Matheney said. "I think anyone supporting the extension of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest is disappointing, and it was surprising."

The tax cuts are set to expire at the end of the year. President Obama and many Democrats want to extend them for 98 percent of Americans - households earning less than $250,000. Under their proposal, Americans who earn more than that would see their taxes rise, though not to the level they were before the cuts.

Republicans favor extending the tax breaks for people of all income levels.

Manchin faces Republican John Raese and Mountain Party candidate Jesse Johnson in the Nov. 2 election.

The state AFL-CIO has officially endorsed Manchin. Matheney said that support still stands.

"During the course of his tenure as governor, we've had a good relationship with him," Matheney said, pointing to labor achievements such as post-Sago mine safety legislation. "We're not always on the same page as the governor, but many times, he heard us out."

Manchin often touts what he says is his ability to bring labor and business together. When he announced his Senate candidacy in July, West Virginia Chamber of Commerce President Steve Roberts and state AFL-CIO President Kenny Perdue joined him at the podium.

The chamber has not yet made an endorsement in the race.

On Thursday, Roberts praised Manchin's stance on the tax issue.

"We think the governor is right," he said, "that in a period when you have a high unemployment and economic distress and uncertainty -- people concerned about investing, people concerned about spending -- that doing everything you can to keep taxes from going up, is correct."

During the campaign, Manchin has sought to distance himself from the Obama administration. His stance on the tax issue, though, is a major break with the Democratic agenda - as well as with Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., who strongly opposes extending the tax cuts for the wealthy.

Matheney said he feels candidates across the nation are navigating a "venomous" political climate.

"I'm discouraged at times because [of] the things that candidates feel they must do and say," he said. "Both parties view the next election as more important than they do good public policy, and that's disappointing to me."

Reach Alison Knezevich at alis...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1240.