Joe Biden Discussion

[The Green Barbarian]

Biden skewered for admitting ‘God knows what else’ is in Inflation Reduction Act
The controversy comes amid public pushback against elements of the legislation and low poll numbers for Biden

President Joe Biden was criticized on Twitter on Monday for appearing to admit that he does not know what is in the Inflation Reduction Act, legislation that his administration championed.

"What we're doing today, what we passed yesterday, helping to take care of everything from health care to God knows what else," Biden said during a speech in Kentucky after touring the state's flood damage.

The legislation, which passed the Senate on Sunday on a party-line vote with Vice President Kamala Harris the tiebreaker, will increase taxes for nearly all Americans while adding 87,000 IRS agents and actually increase inflation in its first years, according to the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton Budget Model.

Biden was slammed on Twitter for his remarks.

"'God knows what else' means whatever the far left wanted in the Bill and all the extra pork Manchin and Sinema needed to get to Yes," tweeted Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y.

https://www.foxnews.com/media/biden-ske ... uction-act

[Pappywinkle]

Biden’s Remarkable Summer

Media narratives are driven by trajectory.

Things get better or worse. People rise and fall. Maybe there is an upstart sensation who threatens the establishment. Maybe there is a spectacular fall from grace. Maybe there is a comeback. Regardless of the story, the direction of movement is what matters.

Joe Biden got caught in one of those narratives: that things were going badly and people were losing confidence. Then, of course, the polls backed up that narrative, which provided a patina of proof.

But the truth is that news narratives and polls are symbiotic. The narratives help shape what people believe, which is then captured by the polls, and those polling results are then fed back into news narratives as separate, objective and independent fact.

“Joe Biden can’t catch a break” was a neat narrative. Every new disappointing data point fit snugly within it. But reality doesn’t play by media rules. It is often much more nuanced.

As the legendary football coach Lou Holtz once put it: “You’re never as good as everyone tells you when you win, and you’re never as bad as they say when you lose.”

Biden has had some bad months, to be sure, but there is no way to get around the fact the last month or so has been stellar for the administration.

On the economic front, as of Wednesday, gas prices had fallen for 50 consecutive days, down 86 cents from the record average high of $5.02 on June 14, according to CNN. The jobs market has also shown incredible resilience. Friday’s jobs report alone far outpaced expectations.

There are challenges. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, inflation increased “9.1 percent for the 12 months ending June, the largest 12-month increase since the period ending November 1981.” This doesn’t invalidate that Biden has had a good month; it only underscores the complexities of any news story.

On the legislative front, in June, Biden signed the most significant federal gun safety legislation in nearly 30 years. Two weeks ago, his big spending bill, Build Back Better, which everyone thought was dead, was resurrected in the trimmed down form of the Inflation Reduction Act. Now, all Senate Democrats have gotten behind the bill and it has passed in that body. These developments don’t erase legislative disappointments like the failure of the voter protection bill or the police reform bill, but they are victories nonetheless.

There are foreign policy wins, like the killing of the Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri in Afghanistan, and the overwhelming vote in the Senate in favor of expanding NATO to include Finland and Sweden, a direct reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. And the Russians have suggested that they are open to discussing a prison swap to free Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, both of whom are still being held in Russian custody. Here, again, there are challenges. For instance, tensions are heating up with China, particularly after a visit to Taiwan by the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi.

Then, there is the uber issue of the Supreme Court striking down the right to an abortion. This was a gutting disappointment to liberals, and many have accused the White House of not reacting strongly enough.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/07/opin ... ation.html

[The Green Barbarian]

[Pappywinkle]

[Pappywinkle]

Biden signs semiconductor bill into law, though Trump raid overshadows event

President Biden on Tuesday heralded legislation that will pump more than $50 billion into research and manufacturing of semiconductor chips, which power everything from medical devices and cars to computers and weapons systems, as a "once-in-a-generation investment in America itself."

"Today America is delivering, and I honest to God believe that 50, 75, 100 years from now, people who will look back on this week, they'll know that we met this moment," Biden said ahead of signing the CHIPS and Science Act, short for Creating Helpful Incentives to Produce Semiconductors for America Act. The ceremony was attended by chief executives of Lockheed Martin, Intel, HP, Micron, and Advanced Micro Devices, along with union leaders and lawmakers.

The legislation provides $10 billion to invest in regional technology hubs across the country and a 25% investment tax credit for expenses for manufacturing of semiconductors and related equipment. It also authorizes roughly $100 billion in spending over five years on scientific research, including more than $80 billion for the National Science Foundation.

This was a week intended to be full of victory laps as Biden emerged from his COVID isolation just as Senate Democrats passed a signature climate, health care and taxes package. But it was overshadowed on Monday night by the news that FBI agents had searched the home of his predecessor, former President Donald Trump.

The unusual search prompted cries of political interference from conservative lawmakers. Those allegations have not been substantiated. A White House official said they did not receive notice of the search, and referred questions to the Justice Department. Biden did not take questions at the event.

Later, Biden signed off on the Senate's ratification clearing the way for Finland and Sweden to join NATO and in brief remarks said the two new members would make the alliance stronger than ever in the face of the war started by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Ukraine.

"Putin thought he could break us apart," Biden said.

And on Wednesday, the White House plans an event for Biden to sign off on new funding for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits and their survivors.

https://www.npr.org/2022/08/09/11164689 ... dows-event

[The Green Barbarian]

John Rich on 'Outnumbered': Joe Biden pulled off 'quite a feat' uniting America against his policies
Rich said Biden's policies are impacting every American on a daily basis.

Country singer John Rich said on "Outnumbered" Monday that President Biden has, as promised, united Americans, but they are united against his agenda which has led to inflation and high gas prices.

FORMER OBAMA ECONOMIC ADVISER LARRY SUMMERS WARNS OF ‘VERY HIGH LIKELIHOOD’ FOR RECESSION

JOHN RICH: What he's done has stepped so far outside the bounds of political differences that now it's hitting everybody on daily things that they deal with. Gas prices don't care if you're a Democrat or Republican. When you go and buy a dozen eggs and you're like, ‘how much are these eggs?’ And then you're going to Costco and going, 'You know what? I'm going to buy the big bulk stuff.' That affects everybody, too. So, listen, he said he was going to bring unity. I saw the poll earlier this month that said, was it 88% of Americans said that we're on the wrong track in this country. That's quite a feat to get 88% of Americans to agree on anything. But Joe did it. Good job, Joe. He did bring unity, and now we're unified that we don't like what's going on.

https://www.foxnews.com/media/john-rich ... a-policies

[Pappywinkle]

Biden Learned of Trump Raid From Media Reports, White House Says

President Joe Biden and White House aides were not given a heads up or briefed on the FBI raid on former President Donald Trump’s Mar-A-Lago estate and learned about the search from public reports, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Tuesday.

“The Justice Department conducts investigations independently and we leave any law enforcement matters to them,” Jean-Pierre said. “It would not be appropriate for us to comment on any ongoing investigations.”

Federal investigators searched the former president’s Florida residence as part of a probe into whether he removed classified documents from the White House when he left office, according to a person familiar with the action.

Trump lambasted the search in a statement Monday, complaining about “the weaponization of the Justice System” by Democrats “who desperately don’t want me to run for president in 2024.”

Jean-Pierre said that Biden believed investigations “should be free from political influence” and has held to that commitment as president.

Republican lawmakers have criticized the unprecedented search of Trump’s home, accusing the Department of Justice of playing politics.

“The Department of Justice has reached an intolerable state of weaponized politicization,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a California Republican, said in a statement. “When Republicans take back the House, we will conduct immediate oversight of this department, follow the facts, and leave no stone unturned.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles ... -escalates

[The Green Barbarian]

Joe's continued senility and descent into the abyss of dementia continues...just sad.

WATCH: Biden awkwardly appears to wait for handshake despite already getting one

President Joe Biden appeared to be waiting for a handshake that he had already received during a public appearance on Tuesday.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) turned around to shake hands with Biden and the other U.S. officials with him after he delivered a speech. A few seconds after shaking hands with Biden, the president appeared to reach out his hand again, according to footage from RNC Research.

Tuesday's handshake mishap is not the first time Biden has appeared to wait for a handshake, as he seemingly turned to shake hands with no one after a speech in Tel Aviv, Israel, last month.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news ... -handshake

[Pappywinkle]

Biden White House says it wasn't given heads-up about FBI's raid of Trump's Florida home

President Joe Biden was not aware that the FBI would search former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home in Florida late Monday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday. "No one at the White House was given a heads-up," she told reporters during a press briefing.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/biden ... 2022-08-09

[The Green Barbarian]

Joe Biden Is Too Old to Be President Again

I hope he doesn’t run again, because he’s too old.

Now, I didn’t want Biden to be the Democratic nominee in 2020, partly for ideological reasons but even more because he seemed too worn-out and unfocused. In retrospect, however, given the way Republicans outperformed expectations, Biden may have been the only one of the major candidates who could have beaten Trump; voters showed no appetite for sweeping progressive change.

So I recognize that I could be wrong when I make a similar argument today. But the presidency ages even young men, and Biden is far from young; a country in as much trouble as ours needs a leader vigorous enough to inspire confidence.

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/11/opin ... o-old.html

[Pappywinkle]

Biden formalizes US support for Finland, Sweden joining NATO

President Joe Biden formally welcomed Finland and Sweden joining the NATO alliance Tuesday as he signed the instruments of ratification that delivered the U.S.’s formal backing of the Nordic nations entering the mutual defense pact, part of a reshaping of the European security posture after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“In seeking to join NATO, Finland and Sweden are making a sacred commitment that an attack against one is an attack against all,“ Biden said at the signing as he called the partnership the “indispensable alliance.”

The U.S. became the 23rd ally to approve NATO membership for the two countries. Biden said he spoke with the heads of both nations before signing the ratification and urged the remaining NATO members to finish their own ratification process “as quickly as possible.”

The Senate last week approved the two, once-non-aligned nations joining the alliance in a rare 95-1 vote that Biden said shows the world that “the United States of America can still do big things” with a sense of political unity.

The countries sought out NATO membership earlier this year to guarantee their security in the wake of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s offensive in Ukraine. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s rules require the consent of all of its 30 existing members before Finland and Sweden can officially accede into the alliance, which is expected in the coming months.

The candidacies of the two prosperous Northern European nations have won ratification from more than half of the NATO member nations in the roughly three months since the two applied. It marks one of the speediest expansions of the pact of mutual defense among the United States and democratic allies in Europe in its 73-year history.

U.S. State and Defense officials consider the two countries net “security providers,” strengthening NATO’s defense posture in the Baltics in particular. Finland is expected to exceed NATO’s 2% gross domestic product defense spending target in 2022, and Sweden has committed to meet the 2% goal.

Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO in May, setting aside their longstanding stance of military nonalignment. It was a major shift of security arrangements for the two countries after neighboring Russia launched its war on Ukraine in late February. Biden encouraged their joining and welcomed the two countries’ government heads to the White House in May, standing side by side with them in a display of U.S. backing.

https://www.thestar.com/news/world/us/2 ... -nato.html

[Gone_Fishin]

Joe's continued senility and descent into the abyss of dementia continues...just sad.

WATCH: Biden awkwardly appears to wait for handshake despite already getting one

President Joe Biden appeared to be waiting for a handshake that he had already received during a public appearance on Tuesday.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) turned around to shake hands with Biden and the other U.S. officials with him after he delivered a speech. A few seconds after shaking hands with Biden, the president appeared to reach out his hand again, according to footage from RNC Research.

Tuesday's handshake mishap is not the first time Biden has appeared to wait for a handshake, as he seemingly turned to shake hands with no one after a speech in Tel Aviv, Israel, last month.

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news ... -handshake

And then he sticks his hand in his mouth.

*removed*

[The Green Barbarian]

The newly-resurfaced debate on Biden's age and mental fitness
Why people are suddenly focusing on Biden's age

Much of the talk around whether President Biden should run for a second term in office revolves around his age and perceived mental sharpness compared to younger potential candidates. Why is this subject in focus lately, and what do his critics and defenders say? Here's everything you need to know:

Just how old is Biden?
President Biden is 79 years old. By the end of his term, he'll be 82. And he insists he's running for re-election, which would make him 86 by the time he left office, eight years older than the average life expectancy for an American male. Ronald Reagan began his second term at the age of 73 and is widely believed to have suffered from Alzheimer's toward the end of his presidency.

https://theweek.com/feature/briefing/10 ... ntal-state

[The Green Barbarian]

Joe's continued senility and descent into the abyss of dementia continues...just sad.



https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news ... -handshake

And then he sticks his hand in his mouth.

*removed*

[Pappywinkle]

Biden surveys flood damage in Kentucky, pledges more U.S. help

U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden on Monday witnessed the damage from deadly and devastating storms that have resulted in the worst flooding in Kentucky's history, as they visited the state to meet with families and first responders.

At least 37 people have died since last month's deluge, which dropped 8 to 10-1/2 inches of rain in only 48 hours. Gov. Andy Beshear told Biden that authorities expect to add at least one other death to the total. The National Weather Service said Sunday that flooding remains a threat, warning of more thunderstorms through Thursday.

The president said the nation has an obligation to help all its people, declaring the federal government would provide support until residents were back on their feet. Behind him as he spoke was a single-story house that the storm had dislodged and then left littered on the ground, tilted sideways.

“We have the capacity to do this - it's not like it's beyond our control,” Biden said. “We're staying until everybody's back to where they were.”

In the summer heat and humidity, Biden's button-down shirt was covered in sweat. Pacing with a microphone in his hand, he eschewed formal remarks as he pledged to return once the community was rebuilt.

“The bad news for you is I'm coming back, because I want to see it,” the president said.

The Bidens were greeted warmly by Beshear and his wife, Britainy, when they arrived in eastern Kentucky. They immediately drove to see devastation from the storms in Breathitt County, stopping at the site of where a school bus, carried by floodwaters, was crashed into a partially collapsed building.

Beshear said the flooding was “unlike anything we've ever seen” in the state and credited Biden with swiftly approving federal assistance.

He praised responders who “have moved heaven and earth to get where we are, what, about nine days from when this hit,” he said.

Attending a briefing on the flooding's impact with first responders and recovery specialists at Marie Roberts Elementary School in Lost Creek, Biden told a delegation of Kentucky leaders that he would do whatever was necessary to help.

“I promise you, if it's legal, we'll do it,” he said. “And if it's not legal, we'll figure out how to change the law.”

The president emphasized that politics have no place in disaster response, noting his frequent political battles with Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. “We battle all the times on issues,” Biden said, but in helping Kentuckians rebuild, “we're all one team.”

Monday's trip is Biden's second to the state since taking office last year. He previously visited in December after tornadoes whipped through Kentucky, killing 77 people and leaving a trail of destruction.

“I wish I could tell you why we keep getting hit here in Kentucky,” Beshear said recently. “I wish I could tell you why areas where people may not have much continue to get hit and lose everything. I can't give you the why, but I know what we do in response to it. And the answer is everything we can. These are our people. Let's make sure we help them out.”

Biden has expanded federal disaster assistance to Kentucky, ensuring the federal government will cover the full cost of debris removal and other emergency measures.

https://www.ctvnews.ca/climate-and-envi ... -1.6018383