Joe Biden Discussion

[The Green Barbarian]

If anything should be bipartisan with no digs at "the other guys" it's the work Stewart is doing to hold government feet to the fire to take care of veterans and first responders. He's a mensch.

Yeah it's too bad that he left the Daily Show. Now it's just unwatchable communist dreck. Like so many other shows that just can't find a way to be non-partisan in their continual propaganda in favour of the senile flatulent idiot Joe.

[JLives]

*removed*

[gertlush]

That CHIPS act is a real win, although they had to change the name after focus groups didnt like the original name of "Taxpayers fund Intels share buyback and dividends of last 5 years"

Some capitalists, socialism is already here, just not for the little guys. Thanks Sleepy Joe!

[The Green Barbarian]

That CHIPS act is a real win, although they had to change the name after focus groups didnt like the original name of "Taxpayers fund Intels share buyback and dividends of last 5 years"

Some capitalists, socialism is already here, just not for the little guys. Thanks Sleepy Joe!

It was good to see drunk driver Paul Pelosi getting to cash in on the action before the bill was passed. Great job Dems! Keep feathering that nest, just like the "Big guy" Joe!

[Pappywinkle]

Great job Dems!

[Pappywinkle]

Al Gore hails Biden’s historic climate bill as ‘a critical turning point’

America’s passing of its first ever climate legislation will prove a pivotal moment in history that will help bring to an end the era of fossil fuels, according to Al Gore, the former US vice-president.

Joe Biden is poised to sign a huge $370bn package of clean energy spending, overcoming decades of American political rancor and inaction on the climate crisis. Gore said he was now sure the fossil fuel industry and its political backers will not be able to reverse the shift to a decarbonized world, even if Republicans are able to wrest back control of Congress or the White House.

“In crossing this threshold we have changed history and will never go backwards,” Gore told the Guardian in an interview. “I’m extremely optimistic that this will be a critical turning point in our struggle to confront the climate crisis.”

While the oil and gas industry is currently making enormous profits off the back of soaring fuel prices spurred by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Gore insisted this was “momentary compared to the big wheel that is now turning” on renewable energy.

Solar, recently described by the International Energy Agency as the cheapest source of electricity in history, and wind power have both plunged in cost in recent years and the new US bill, known as the Inflation Reduction Act, is expected to drive down these costs further.

Analysts expect the support for renewable projects, along with hefty investments to boost US manufacturing of solar panels, wind turbines, batteries and other components, could help technologies become more easily available for other countries, too.

“This is momentum that I think will be unstoppable,” Gore said. “The savings to consumers will be so impressive, and so massively deflationary, that people will not support politicians who will want to take us backwards. We’re not going back again.”

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... uction-act

[gertlush]

For those under 60 years old Al Gore was the man who invented teh interwebs

[The Green Barbarian]

Joe, Hunter Biden staying for free at $20 million South Carolina mansion

President Biden and his family, including disgraced first son Hunter, are spending their summer vacation at a $20 million beachfront mansion in South Carolina, The Post has learned — and they’re not paying a dime.

The president recently asked prominent Democratic donor Maria Allwin — the widow of hedge fund founder James Allwin — if he could stay at her nine-bedroom Kiawah Island estate, a source close to the family told The Post.

“They stayed here before and they’re not paying,” the source said. “They’ve never paid. They’re just friends.”

The property features a large swimming pool on two acres and is surrounded by palm trees and other lush vegetation for privacy.

The White House frustrated reporters by offering little transparency about Biden’s South Carolina trip, which is expected to last through early next week.

The Associated Press emphasized Wednesday that the White House “did not respond to requests to provide details on Biden’s vacation schedule, activities or when he planned to return to Washington, nor did it provide information on the residence where he was staying.”

https://nypost.com/2022/08/11/joe-hunte ... a-mansion/

[Pappywinkle]

Trump’s and Biden’s Reversals of Fortune

The Senate’s passage of the Inflation Reduction Act this week marks a turning point in the Biden Presidency. After more than a year of negotiations, the Democratic caucus agreed on a sweeping package, worth hundreds of billions of dollars, which includes many of the Party’s long-sought climate and health-care initiatives. This was followed by the news that the F.B.I. executed a search warrant to look for classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump’s primary residence. The staff writer Evan Osnos and Michael Luo, the editor of newyorker.com, break down these two momentous stories. They’re also joined by staff writer Susan B. Glasser, who along with Peter Baker, published a major story about Trump’s antagonism toward the military in the waning days of his Administration. “Were they contemplating using the military in the effort to overturn the election results?” Glasser says. “Your rational self wants to say, ‘No way, that’s crazy.’ But, in fact, the record that’s still being assembled suggests that they were considering doing so.”

https://www.newyorker.com/podcast/polit ... of-fortune

[The Green Barbarian]

Merrick Garland Doesn’t Care About The Rule Of Law. Just Ask Hunter Biden

Attorney General Merrick Garland addressed the FBI’s raid of former President Donald Trump’s Florida residence on Thursday afternoon, three days after the Department of Justice embarked on an unprecedented escalation of its persecution of political opponents.

“Faithful adherence to the rule of law is the bedrock principle of the Justice Department and of our democracy,” Garland said. “Upholding the rule of law means applying the law evenly, without fear or favor. Under my watch, that is precisely what the Justice Department is doing.”

President Joe Biden’s Justice Department, however, has done anything but apply the rule of law “evenly, without fear or favor.” Hunter Biden is Exhibit A.

In September of 2020, Senate investigators published an 87-page report detailing Hunter Biden’s extensive overseas networks with a series of potential conflicts of interest. The investigation included episodes of potentially criminal business activity flagged for the Justice Department such as a six-figure shopping spree financed by Chinese business leaders. The report also unearthed evidence of “organized prostitution and/or human trafficking.”

Records on file with the committee, investigators wrote, “confirm that Hunter Biden sent thousands of dollars to individuals who have either: 1) been involved in transactions consistent with possible human trafficking; 2) an association with the adult entertainment industry; or 3) potential association with prostitution.”

Hunter Biden’s home, however, which was featured in a glossy profile of the president’s son by Vanity Fair last December, has never by raided by federal law enforcement.

One month after lawmakers on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and Senate Treasury Committee published their report, the New York Post published a series of emails from a laptop that had belonged to Hunter Biden and was abandoned at a Delaware repair shop. Beyond unearthing a cache of documents contradicting the president’s claims of never speaking business with his son “or with anyone else,” the computer’s hard drive was full of salacious material of Hunter Biden’s escapades with illicit substances and hookers. In July, the Daily Mail reported that Hunter Biden now may face federal charges for prostitution.

But while charges could be in the pipeline, Hunter Biden’s home has never been raided by law enforcement.

In 2018, the Biden son reportedly bought a firearm that later went missing. When asked by the Firearms Transaction Record (Form 4473) whether he is an “unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance,” Hunter Biden said, “no.”

While it’s unclear whether Hunter was an active user at the time, his record of drug abuse is extensive and consistent, with repeated rehab visits in 2003, 2010, and 2014 for treatment with highly addictive substances. In 2014, Hunter was discharged from the Navy for cocaine use, and according to the New Yorker, he went on another cocaine binge two years later in 2016.

https://thefederalist.com/2022/08/12/me ... ter-biden/

[Pappywinkle]

Biden allies, once frustrated with Garland, highlight his independence in Trump probe

When President-elect Joe Biden was choosing his Cabinet, no decision was as carefully considered — and fiercely debated — as his choice of attorney general. The spotlight now trained on the Justice Department is highlighting why, advisers say, Merrick Garland ultimately won out.

As Republicans and former President Donald Trump have condemned the FBI’s search of Mar-a-Lago as evidence of what they claim is a “weaponized” Justice Department, the White House is leaning in on Garland’s judicious temperament and methodical approach as an implicit response — even if those qualities haven’t always been embraced by some Democrats.

“For the first year, people in the White House and elsewhere were extremely frustrated with Garland because he ran the department like he was a jurist with law clerks,” said one source familiar with the Biden transition’s internal dynamics.

But now, “this is his moment,” the source added. “He has to make decisions on his own that are highly political. But he has to do it based on being above reproach.”

White House officials say Biden has not just been hands-off when it comes to the work of his Justice Department — he only learned of the Mar-a-Lago search from news reports. And when Garland’s plan to deliver a public statement about the search was announced Thursday, the White House said again that it only heard about it after the fact.

An administration official, while declining to speak in detail about the matter citing its sensitivity, emphasized that the White House has neither sought nor received updates on a potential investigation into Trump. This week’s search, the official noted, represented the kind of tactical decision that would not rise to the level of a briefing for the president, no matter how unprecedented it might have been.

It is likely that the White House would only be notified about a final charging decision, or declination to charge, in advance of a public announcement.

Garland was not the first choice of many in Biden’s circle to lead the Justice Department. Then-Sen. Doug Jones had emerged as a serious contender in part because of a longstanding relationship with Biden, whom he worked with as a Senate Judiciary Committee staffer.

“The argument for Jones was, being the attorney general is more than being a jurist. You have to be a political leader. You have to run the department. You have to deal with Congress. … You’re not sitting in a chambers with three law clerks writing opinions,” said the source familiar with the transition.

Some of Biden’s closest and longest-serving aides were among those advocating Jones. As a U.S. attorney, Jones led the prosecution of members of the Ku Klux Klan responsible for the deaths of four young Black girls after the 1963 bombing of a Birmingham church, which earned him a strong connection to the civil rights community that was pressing Biden to prioritize diversity in key administration posts.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/joe-bi ... -rcna42890

[The Green Barbarian]

Biden frontrunner for ‘Lie of the Year’ award as many in media look the other way

“I just want to say a number: zero. Today, we received news that our economy had zero inflation in the month of July. Zero percent. Here’s what that means: While the price of some things go up — went up last month, the price of other things went down by the same amount. The result? Zero inflation last month.”

That was President Biden speaking to the country last Wednesday. His administration has attempted to redefine what infrastructure means (it’s not only about improving roads, bridges and power grids, but also about paid family leave and child care) and what a recession means (it’s not two straight quarters of negative GDP growth anymore). But it just moved into the lead to win the “Lie of the Year” award with the claim that the U.S. economy is experiencing zero inflation.

The facts: Inflation still stands near a 40-year high and came in at 8.5 percent in July.

“Prices have risen across a wide range of goods and services, leaving most Americans worse off,” the AP reported this week. “Average paychecks are rising faster than they have in decades — but not fast enough to keep up with accelerating costs for such items as food, rent, autos and medical services.”

In other words, the money coming into the average household still isn’t keeping up with the cost of everyday items. But the president and this administration decided to turn the most basic economic norms on their head for cheap political gain by arguing that since the inflation rate fell by six-tenths of a percentage point to 8.5 percent in July compared to the same month of last year, that somehow means zero percent.

As a fun game to play on a summer weekend, imagine what would have happened if the previous president attempted to spin numbers with alternative facts in this fashion. The U.S. media would have screamed about the need for transparency and truth, and the fact-checks and scathing editorials would commence. Yet that didn’t happen here with his successor.

A check of Politifact shows that the site has not conducted any fact-check of the president’s zero inflation claim since he made it five days ago. They have fact-checked former President Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) on three occasions this month, however.

https://www.msn.com/en-ca/news/other/bi ... 1294ca83ed

[Pappywinkle]

Biden joins world leaders in commenting on Salman Rushdie attack

"Jill and I were shocked and saddened to learn of the vicious attack on Salman Rushdie yesterday in New York," Biden said in a statement.

Rushdie, 75, was stabbed around 10:47 a.m. on Friday while he was being introduced onstage before his scheduled lecture at the Chautauqua Institution in western New York.

Hadi Matar, 24, was arrested at the scene and has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempted murder and assault.

The author, who has a bounty on his head from Iranian religious leaders dating to the 1980s, suffered three stab wounds to the right side of his neck and four to the stomach among other wounds and remained on a ventilator on Saturday.

"Salman Rushdie -- with his insight into humanity, with his unmatched sense for story, with his refusal to be intimidated or silenced -- stands for essential, universal ideals. Truth. Courage. Resilience. The ability to share ideas without fear," Biden said in his statement.

"These are the building blocks of any free and open society. And today, we reaffirm our commitment to those deeply American values in solidarity with Rushdie and all those who stand for freedom of expression."

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan also addressed the stabbing in a statement Friday and called the incident a "reprehensible attack."

"Today, the country and the world witnessed a reprehensible attack against the writer Salman Rushdie. This act of violence is appalling," Sullivan said.

French President Emmanuel Macron said in a statement Friday that Rushdie "has embodied freedom and the fight against obscurantism" for 33 years.

"He has just been the victim of a cowardly attack by the forces of hatred and barbarism," Macron said. "His fight is our fight; it is universal. Now more than ever, we stand by his side."

Boris Johnson, the outgoing British prime minister, said he was "appalled" that Rushdie was stabbed "while exercising a right we should never cease to defend."

"Right now, my thoughts are with his loved ones. We are all hoping he is okay," Johnson said.

Johnson was joined in commenting by Rishi Sunak, a conservative candidate to replace Johnson, who called Rushdie a "champion of free speech and artistic freedom."

"The cowardly attack on Salman Rushdie is a strike on the freedom of expression that our world relies on," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement.

"No one should be threatened or harmed on the basis of what they have written. I'm wishing him a speedy recovery."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/bi ... li=BBnb7Kz

[The Green Barbarian]

Biden, Democrats try to redefine 'recession,' 'women,' and more
Biden is trying to re-write the definition of 'recession' to cover for his own failure

This week, the Consumer Price Index soared by 8.5 percent compared to last year as Americans continue to struggle to afford everyday items. Instead of acknowledging the inflation crisis and the impact it’s having on families nationwide, Joe Biden tried to claim that the numbers showed "zero" inflation. As Biden settles into a week-long beach vacation, he doesn’t care about what voters think: he cares about avoiding blame for the crises he created. In other words, he is lying, and it’s not the first time.

Remember how he and his administration described inflation as "temporary" and "transitory" even as skyrocketing prices kneecapped families and made essential goods almost unattainable? Obama-Biden administration economists warned that pumping needless trillions into the economy would have negative consequences, but for Joe Biden all that matters is trying to change the narrative for political gain.

Biden tried the same cheap sleight of hand with the gas crisis his policies created. Gas prices are close to $2 more per gallon than when Biden took office, and yet he had the audacity to claim Americans are "saving" money on gas. In fact, the average family has lost $1,500 due to higher energy prices since Biden took office.

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/biden-d ... women-more

[Pappywinkle]