Joseph R. Biden IS NOW a President….
Donald Trump on the sidelines….
Biden is Not a US Senator….
Biden is Not a Vice President….
His first six months in office was just training….
The President IS gonna have to NOT let a Democratic in name only, Sen. Manchin, and others torpedo his effort’s to help American’s that Trump and Republican try to screw over every chance they can get…
After a lot of happy talk over the past half-year, the real Biden presidency has emerged. It is not a colossus bestriding the political universe, rather a middling administration, at best, that will have trouble imposing its will even on its own party in Congress.
Biden was always fundamentally a default president, elected in opposition to Donald Trump and initially buoyed by the contrast to his outlandish predecessor, who ended his time in office in the worst manner possible.
Now, he’s lost his foil in Trump, who is still issuing harsh and thunderous press releases, but isn’t driving every news cycle or occasioning mass protests against him in the streets.
The best case for Biden was that he could ride in the slipstream of good economic growth and a receding pandemic, beaten back by the vaccines that began to be administered before Biden took office. Instead, the labor market is still rocky and the Delta variant has surged, leading to headlines about overstretched health care systems that most people assumed that we’d left behind in the spring of 2020.
With his honeymoon gone, with Trump less of a factor, with economic conditions and the state of the virus not as favorable as expected, Biden had been stripped down to a more natural level of support and sliding in the polls since around June.
Then, he made the first major, historic decision of his presidency, and completely botched it. Biden has tried to deflect responsibility for his exit from Afghanistan onto Trump and his execrable deal with the Taliban. Yet, the decision to quit when he did and how he did was all on Biden.
He hasn’t shown a hint of doubt or regret. The notion of leaving Afghanistan is popular in theory; the way Biden did it is radioactive in practice. The White House may tell itself that Biden’s decision will come to seem farsighted, and its possible that the harmful political effect will wear off over time.
Leaving Americans behind in a foreign country after an enemy of the United States swept to power and chased us out with our tails between our legs, though, is not likely to be forgotten, certainly not in 2022 or 2024, if ever.
The prime directive for any president is, to the extent possible, to seem in control. Biden failed this test repeatedly during the evacuation crisis. Events moved faster than he did and his rationales for what was happening had to be constantly revised, until he settled on the explanation that it is impossible to end any war in good order.
Privately, Democrats must know that his performances at his press conferences weren’t reassuring, let alone commanding. The problem Biden has is that any act of incompetence will, fairly or not, raise questions about his age, even if he would have done exactly the same thing at 38 that he he’s done now at 78….
…
Jonathan Chait of New York Magazine is, rightly, alarmed. “Even if Manchin doesn’t want to destroy Biden’s presidency,” he writes, “he may do so by setting off a vortex of failure he loses the ability to escape.”
Think about that—the fate of Biden’s presidency, or at last huge pieces of his domestic agenda, depends on a senator representing a Trump state who is largely immune to pressure from the national party, indeed may be helped if the national party calls him names for not going along with its priorities.
Even if Manchin doesn’t end up, deliberately or inadvertently, tanking the spending, Biden is going to have to devote a lot of time to grappling with his party’s highest profile moderate, who will be constantly making the case that the president’s current spending plans are too costly and irresponsible….
Note…
Democrats are racing ahead with a $3.5 trillion spending package that would boost funding for social programs and raise taxes despite rumblings from Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) that he might not support legislation with that price tag.
Democratic leaders are betting they can pressure Manchin to back down on his push for spending that’s closer to $1.5 trillion or $2 trillion.
In doing so, they’re essentially daring Manchin and other moderates like Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) to vote against the eventual budget reconciliation package, knowing that the base would erupt in anger over any Democratic lawmakers who buck the party on such a high-profile vote….
image…World Oil
Republican Rich Lowry of the National Review is bashing Biden?
Gee who would have thunk that!
The President said that “we’ve been patient (with the unvaccinated) but that patience has cost us dearly”. He’s not going to be patient any longer.
That means the government will pressure private employers to make their workers get vaccinated or submit to regular testing.
Isn’t it our patriotic duty to be vaccinated?
Bernie Sanders never said he would raise taxes on any individual, by any definition, that could be considered middle class. Our host is very confused. Like he apparently must be regarding the affects of the Covid vaccine.
Your President wants you vaccinated James. Just do it before you kill yourself and those around you.
Bernie Sanders: Yes, middle class will pay more taxes
During the second night of Democratic primary debates of the 2020 presidential election, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) says that the middle class will pay more taxes but will save more through universal health care and free college under a Sanders administration.
Once again, congratulations to our President and his vaccination mandate. Trying to keep us all safe.
Agreed. Leadership is doing what is important when it is politically difficult to do.
Yes and what do the Republicans say?
NO , NO! NO! NO!
As best I can determine and as insane as it seems?The Republicans apparently want this pandemic to go on forever.The LIE ,perpetrated by them that the unvaccinated are just hurting themselves has been refuted by medical experts, even those associated with the Trump Administration .The unvaccinated can spread the disease to the vaccinated and serve as incubator for the mutation of more variants thus perpetuating this pandemic.
What madness has gripped these people?Is their hatred of science, medicine ,the media and us “libruls” so great that they care nothing about children ,the elderly and others while in an Orwellian manner describing themselves as “pro life..”
It appears our host is also saying no, no, no…
Sad, since this makes it nine times easier for him to get the virus and die, and easier for him to spread it.
It’s fascinating that he will argue about any subject whether he knows what he’s talking about or not, but won’t explain why he won’t be vaccinated.
Politics vs Health……
And Jack……
I can ALWAYS count on U to complain about me in some way or form……
You DO say that is ur job here…..
No problem…..
When i bite at u back?
U can take some time to rest up like u always do…..
We’ve been at this for over a decade….
Every blog has this…..
I am not sure why James appears to be annoyed at Jack here. Perhaps his comment “the unvaccinated spread the disease”? Only James know for sure.
His obsession with me is only rivaled by his obsession with Trump
Oftentimes, I will log in and see some post that begins, “Jack” when I haven’t even posted anything that day.
He’s a very strange individual .
Jack?
You and I do the most comments here….
So I guess you ‘like’ the attention you draw ….
Messing with me helps it seems….
Glad U enjoy urself…..
Ok….
Enough of the Jack and Me show…..
Catch everyone later…..
Take care Jack….
Enjoy!😃
I guess Keith and Zreebs. And DSD and Scott and BDog and SE “enjoy the attention”too!
His obsession continues.
Uptown got its hustlers. The Bowery got its bums. Long Island got big Jim B Findlay. He’s a bullshitting son of a gun.
And you don’t mess around with Jim (James).
Thanks for the rhyme Steve….
Your idiocy knows no limits
.
My post was about Republicans.I didn’t mention you.Keith did.
Read it again Homer.
Or maybe you now consider your self a Republican?
The Good thing about about the vaccine and mask ‘s IS the number of ‘reported’ cases and hospital reports ARE steadily declining….
One hopes that continues……
On September 9, the number of deaths was 2121, the most in over 6 months.
It will start getting colder soon. People’s lives are on the line.
The ‘reported’ precentage of cases and hospital stays continues to DROP…..
THAT IS a FACT….
The virus cases peaked a few weeks ago….
The reported death numbers ALWAYS lag…..
You mean that the reported death numbers always lag the case counts and hospitalizations? Good thing you told me. I would not have known this. I would have thought people would have died before the were hospitalized or knew that something was wrong. We are so lucky to have you to explain these things.
This is directly from the CDC webpage as it appeared today:
The United States recently surpassed 40 million COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, with more than 4 million of these cases reported in the past few weeks. COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths have generally increased throughout most of the country since the beginning of summer, fueled by the spread of the highly contagious Delta variant. Low vaccination coverage in many communities is driving these increases.
The family of a man who died of heart issues in Mississippi is asking people to get vaccinated for COVID-19 after 43 hospitals across three states were unable to accept him because of full cardiac ICUs, USA Today reports.
I returned from vacation to find that our office receptionist–who had been in the hospital for close to a month with COVID–passed away at only 54.
I don’t know for sure but I’m almost certain she wasn’t vaccinated based on what some coworkers have mentioned.
A completely unnecessary loss of life.
A little something on the CDC messaging….
More Americans now disagree (41%) than agree (32%) that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has communicated a clear plan of action in response to the COVID-19 situation. This is the first Gallup reading since the CDC in late July changed its guidance on the need for face masks for unvaccinated people in areas of high coronavirus transmission…
More…
Please view this as a counter to ‘generally increased’ comment…..
In the past few weeks the number of ‘reported’ cases and hospitalizations have DROPED….
Get vaccinated James!
Good CDC Answer there Keith….
Politics vs Health?
More like stupidity vs health.
Get vaccinated James!
You are putting yourself and others at risk.
I recall James predicting that Biden would work effectively with moderate Democrats and Republicans, but not progressives. It seems like he is most effectively working with progressives.
I had predicted – and it seems true to date – that Biden could not work effectively with Republicans Because they have no desire to work with Biden.
Joe Manchin is not a DINO like Zell Miller or Joe Lieberman were. He’s just a fiscal conservative from a deep-blue coal-mining Border state that has turned into a bloody shade of crimson.
Setting conditions and limits to the centrist party consensus doesn’t make Bernie Sanders or AOC into Socialist DINO’s, (despite JBF’s declarations), and it doesn’t make Joe Manchin or Kyrsten Sinema into Republican DINO’s.
Although future history may disprove me, I just can’t see him leave the party like Sen. Lieberman, cross the aisle or help the GOP the way Sen. Miller did:
https://www.ajc.com/politics/national-politics/the-time-georgia-democrat-zell-miller-wowed-the-republican-national-convention/Z3PFHYXZAVH5NOERRAQM3CZUJ4/
I do NOT begrudge Sanders efforts……
I do NOT want to increase MY taxes for tons of ‘free’ stuff that rich people and corporation’s do NOT Pay for either……
Sanders is against ‘defunding the cops’ ……
Setting up a social safety net isn’t wrong
But show me how Congress will figure out how to pay for it…….
You can’t seriously think Sanders wants to raise your taxes? His #1 priority has been to to make the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes. You have indicated in the past, you are not wealthy, and I have no reason to believe you are lying. Raising taxes on the wealthy is not something Biden has really tried to do, although that was nowhere near as big of a part of his election mandate as it would have been if Sanders was the nominee.
I see lots and lots of borrow and spending under Biden. So one will have to pay taxes on it eventually. Truthfully, I very much doubt that Sanders would not have increased spending more than Biden has already, but Biden campaigned as more of a moderate than he governed.
I give Biden very high marks for getting out of Afghanistan. This will give us a little more flexibility in our spending, and it ultimately will save American lives.
On a more personal note, I am also putting up a shed this week. However, unlike you, I am paying to have it done. I struggle these days to put the laundry in the washing machine. Building a shed is out of the question.
Yo Z?
…Sanders had previously discussed the possibility of raising taxes on the middle class to fund his programs ( here ). On CNN on June 12, 2019 he confirmed that taxes on the middle class would go up…..
More….
I understand on the shed building….
I’ve personally built a lot of stuff in and outside my home….
Again?
Gives me a challenge and chance to work with my hands….
James, Sanders did say that middle class taxes would increase if we were able to get universal healthcare coverage. My insurance costs alone are in the thousands annually, and that doesn’t cover the thousands I pay in out of pocket expenses that I have already paid for my cancer treatment. I have no doubt that I am paying far, far ,more in insurance costs and in copayments than what universal healthcare would have cost me in taxes.
I understand it is your preference to spend money on things like wars to protect corrupt and inept governments instead of people who often get sick through no fault of their own. It is ironic that you don’t want to help take care of people who get sick for no fault of their own, but you want to be able to go to the hospital and have someone pay for you if you come down with COVID because you refused to get vaccinated.
Z?
The answer is/was…..
Sanders wanted to raise middle class taxes…..
PERIOD….
At this time I pay taxes…..
I pay insurance fee’s that go into the pot for coverage…
It IS fair for one to NOT want to pay anymore then they have to….
That as we are reminded that the RICH and Big Business pay little to NO taxes and Donald Trump got a 75 Million refund on a year he made hundreds of millions….
I do NOT want to pay MORE money for the US Military…
I have pointed out were they could be cuts…
I HAVE also pointed out the Defense Budget is REALLY a ‘Jobs’ Bill….
As U probably know the largest cost for any Business is PEOPLE….
That’s the same for the military….
Lawmakers are loath to cut jobs in their states and districts….
Add that to the fact that America has a military presence in more than 100 countries tries….
Let’s face it Z….
Some here want the impossible….
Large scale Defense cuts just don’t get it politically for the members of Congress….
Cuts are always proceeded by increases…
That just ‘is’…..
People have to have a reason to vote Democratic. Personally, I would never vote for someone with
Long Island values -whether it is Trump or you. On specific political issues, you might differ from Trump, but both of you look at what is politically beneficial ,rather than what is important. What people like Trump and people like you want to accomplish will not make this a better country.
Ultimately, Democrats have to both win and govern effectively or people might just say they would prefer Republicans – even if it means an authoritarian government.
you can pretend that you just want to be practical. With a good vision and a strong message, the Democrats can deliver. They won’t be successful with a muddled message favored by people like you. And Democrats ultimately wants someone who will tell the truth. That is just the way it is. Character matters.
Good post Zreebs.
James basically takes the position that nothing,I repeat nothing. Is ever going to change.
And in essence it really doesn’t matter who controls the government.
As you point out with that attitude what does it matter who controls the government.
Democrats?Republicans?What does it matter?
And really why even discuss anything ?As he tells us”,ain’t gonna happen.”Sort of a weird attitude for one who spends a goodly part of his time maintaining a blog to discuss things that the answers to are already known…by him.
Then again simple logic?Has never been his strong suit.
Perhaps you should change this blog to a gardening blog James.There are lots of unknowns there.
Here?Politics ?Well you already have all the answers!
Well guys?
Ya COULD check this link witch has a GRAPH that confirms my statement that Defense Budgets ARE job’s bills and that Defense Spending has indeed INCREASED historically ….
Of course you didn’t have to acknowledge this and grip about me….
But the ‘facts’ are just that…..
If military spending is a jobs bill, it is an exceedingly ineffective jobs bill. Some of our most advanced aircraft could cost up to $118m per aircraft. How many jobs is that military plane going to create? And the people building that machine are not the type of people who were unemployed in the first place. When a contract is
created to build one of those planes, the skilled people who are hired are simply hired away from the private sector where they were probably previously doing some actual work that was a benefit to society.
And if we pay soldiers stationed in another country, when those soldiers spend their money, it is going to the host country’s economy, not the USA economy.
In short, spending $100m on the military will have a much smaller favorable impact on unemployment than say spending money on road construction or infrastructure jobs.
Yup Z….
But?
It STILL IS…..
(Sigh)
How many times does one have to explain to you that many of us are posting our OPINIONS on issues of the day.
I don’t need you or some graph to tell me that the largest part of the defense budget is in personnel.Hell any damn fool knows that ,Indeed in almost every program that is where the majority of the appropriations go – to personnel.
Fire departments, Police departments, public works departments etc etc.Who doesn’t understand that?
Some of us are interested in ideas ,not self aggrandizement like you with your corny efforts to “prove” something that everyone already knows.
The sad thing is I think you really believe you are “educating” us to these great truths that you have discovered.
Your new whining is that everyone is making “you” the issue ,The “fact,” as you call it ,is that you make yourself the issue.You want to debate ideas and policies ?Join in.
But spare us your silly “lectures.”
He, he, he…..
Thanks Jack for getting this straight….
I post the fact’s on some of this stuff but it don’t mean shit!
(Trump and the facts????)
I got ya!
Is he obtuse
Or
Just dumb.
Sanders more than any other candidate argued that the wealthy should have to pay a much larger share of the taxes. Elizabeth Warren made a similar argument, and you hated her almost as much as you hate Sanders, and you lie about her too.
Ditto
More than a week after Stalin’s death, [Dwight] Eisenhower was talking with speechwriter Emmet Hughes about the address. “Look, I am tired—and I think everyone is tired—of just plain indictments of the Soviet regime,” Ike said. “I think it would be wrong—in fact, asinine—for me to get up before the world now to make another one of those indictments. Instead, just one thing matters. What have we got to offer the world?”
As Eisenhower spoke, it seemed to Hughes that his contemplation was drawing to a close. Ike’s thoughts were now coalescing. The president stopped and, jaw set, stared out the window onto the South Lawn. The tiny speck of an F-86 Sabre buzzed across the sky.
In an instant his reverie broke, and he wheeled around. “ Here is what I would like to say. The jet plane that roars over your head costs three quarter of a million dollars. That is more money than a man earning ten thousand dollars every year is going to make in his lifetime. What world can afford this sort of thing for long? We are in an armaments race. Where will it lead us? At worst to atomic warfare. At best, to robbing every people and nation on earth of the fruits of their own toil.
“Now, there could be another road before us—the road of disarmament. What does this mean? It means for everybody in the world: bread, butter, clothes, homes, hospitals, schools—all the good and necessary things for decent living. …”
https://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/robert-schlesinger/2011/09/30/the-origins-of-that-eisenhower-every-gun-that-is-made-quote
¶ In April 1953 United States president Dwight D. Eisenhower addressed a meeting of American newspaper editors in Washington DC. Eisenhower’s ‘Chance for Peace’ speech criticised both Soviet aggression and the resultant build up of armaments – while pleading for a new direction in international relations:
“President Bryan, distinguished guests of this Association and ladies and gentlemen – I am happy to be here… This occasion calls for my first formal address to the American people since assuming the office of the presidency just 12 weeks ago…
Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed.
This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its labourers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. The cost of one modern heavy bomber is this: a modern brick school in more than 30 cities. It is two electric power plants, each serving a town of 60,000 population. It is two fine, fully equipped hospitals. It is some fifty miles of concrete pavement. We pay for a single fighter plane with a half million bushels of wheat. We pay for a single destroyer with new homes that could have housed more than 8,000 people….”
https://alphahistory.com/coldwar/eisenhowers-chance-for-peace-speech-1953/
Good quote. And that is the way thing are.
Touche’ DSD!
That from a General turned President…..
James, Read the first four lines of your post. Do you really think you are educating us by telling us that Biden is no longer a senator.