Joe Biden Discussion

[Pappywinkle]

Biden's Bet: House Republicans' Antics Will Backfire

Despite their tepid midterm performance, Republicans have been giddy about their forthcoming House takeover. Kevin McCarthy, who stands to become speaker, is vowing to remove Democrats Ilhan Omar, Adam Schiff, and Eric Swalwell from their committee assignments—a thinly-veiled act of retaliation for the removal of right-wing extremists Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar from theirs. Greene, who McCarthy says he'll allow to serve on committees again, is eager to use her rising influence in the caucus to push for audits into Ukraine funding as well as the political impeachments of Merrick Garland and other administration officials, including President Joe Biden himself. Meanwhile, Jim Jordan is already rolling up his sleeves as he and other right-wingers prepare to use their newfound committee power to investigate everything from the Justice Department's raid of Mar-a-Lago to Hunter Biden’s business dealings. 

The House GOP is framing all this nonsense as legitimate oversight. But the party's actual agenda is much more sinister: to inflict as much political damage on Biden and the Democrats as possible while providing cover for Donald Trump and others on the MAGA right. “It’s going to be chaos with Republican leadership,” as Schiff told ABC News over the weekend. 

But what if all of this madness has the opposite effect? What if the idea of watching Jordan rant and rave in committee probes for the next two years proves unpleasant for the American public? And what if the relentless attacks and obstruction only hurt the GOP’s standing and underscore that Biden and the Democrats are the only adults in the room? 

That’s the bet Biden and his allies are making. “I think the American people will look at all of that for what it is,” the president said in a post-midterm press conference. “It’s just almost comedy.”

As Politico reported Tuesday, the Biden administration has been gearing up to combat the onslaught from the incoming House Republican majority—and from Trump, who is sure to use Biden as a foil as he begins his 2024 White House bid in earnest. The plan, officials told the outlet, is to use the GOP’s antics to draw contrasts with the administration’s agenda. In other words, the White House has accepted the likelihood that Republicans will be able to make headlines and command the news cycle. But the administration believes that it will come off, to the public, as partisan overreach. “A lot of what they’ve been talking about are just not things Americans care about,” an administration official told Politico. 

A Politico/Morning Consult poll seems to support this theory: Though there is obviously a market on the MAGA right for Greene-style politics, about 70 percent of respondents didn’t seem to like the idea of lawmakers spending the next two years investigating Hunter Biden and attacking Anthony Fauci. “We have more pressing issues at hand,” one survey respondent said. 

It’ll be tougher for Washington to address those issues over the next two years, unless McCarthy suddenly finds the will and capacity to keep his raucous caucus in line. But that could ultimately reinforce the message voters sent in the midterms: “I think the American public wants us to move on,” Biden said in his November 9 presser, “and get things done for them.” 

https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/11 ... l-backfire

[Pappywinkle]

Biden administration kicks off six-week COVID booster campaign ahead of holidays

The White House is looking to make this holiday season the safest in recent memory. With Thanksgiving just a few days away, the Biden administration is once again pushing for Americans to go out and get vaccinated. Dr. Celin Gounder is the editor-at-large for public health at Kaiser Health News and an infectious disease expert and epidemiologist at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine has more.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/biden-adm ... -holidays/

[The Green Barbarian]

Biden torched for agreeing to climate reparations: Is this an 'Onion' headline?
"Outnumbered" criticized the move as the "opposite of America first."

President Biden faced swift backlash after promising up to $1 billion for "climate reparations" for poor countries that have suffered damages due to the use of fossil fuels.

China, however, was deemed a "developing nation" and is not required to contribute funds, despite being the world’s top polluter and having one of the largest economies. "Outnumbered" co-host Emily Compagno called the decision "utter nonsense" and questioned whether it was a satirical story from "The Onion."

"What part of common sense is this?" she asked the panel.

https://www.foxnews.com/media/biden-tor ... n-headline

[Pappywinkle]

Biden calls veteran credited with taking down Club Q gunman

President Biden on Tuesday called Richard Fierro, an Army veteran who has been credited with taking down the gunman inside an LGBTQ nightclub in Colorado Springs, Colo.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that Biden personally thanked Fierro “for his bravery and for his, just, instinct to act.”

“The president just moments ago spoke to Richard and his wife Jess. He offered his condolences to them and also his support and he talked through what it’s like to grieve,” she said.

Additionally, Jean-Pierre noted that Thomas James has also been credited with confronting and stopping the gunman during the shooting on Saturday.

“Richard and Thomas are heroes, and we are so grateful for their quick action,” Jean-Pierre said.

Fierro said in an interview on Monday that he “went into combat mode” when the shooting began. He was watching a drag show at Club Q with his wife, daughter and friends when shots were fired.

Jean-Pierre opened the briefing on Tuesday by honoring the lives of the five victims of the shooting. She showed photographs of Daniel Aston, Raymond Green Vance, Kelly Loving, Ashley Paugh and Derrick Rump and spoke about each of them.

“While we don’t know yet for certain the motive of this attack, hate has no place in this country. And neither do military style assault rifles, which is why we will continue to push for an assault weapons ban,” Jean-Pierre said.

When asked how Biden plans to reinstate an assault weapon ban with Republican leadership in the House and a slim Democratic majority in the Senate, she said the president is “optimistic that we can get this done.”

“The president’s not going to stop until we ban assault weapons,” she added.

Biden on Monday called Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) to discuss the deadly shooting at Club Q.

https://thehill.com/homenews/administra ... -q-gunman/

[The Green Barbarian]

[Pappywinkle]

Biden grants PG&E $1.1 billion to keep Diablo Canyon nuclear plant open

The Biden administration on Monday said it’s providing Pacific Gas & Electric Co. with a $1.1 billion grant to help the company prevent the closure of Diablo Canyon, California’s last nuclear power plant.

Diablo Canyon was originally scheduled to be decommissioned in two phases in 2024 and 2025, but state lawmakers in September voted to keep it open for five more years. PG&E applied for funding in the Department of Energy’s initial phase of the $6 billion Civil Nuclear Credit program aimed to keep U.S. nuclear power reactors open.

The conditional funding, which comes from the bipartisan infrastructure law passed by Congress last year, creates a path forward for Diablo Canyon to remain open and could allow PG&E to pay back some of the $1.4 billion loan for the plant that lawmakers approved.

Diablo Canyon is California’s single largest source of power, providing 8.6% of the state’s total electricity and 17% of its zero-carbon electricity. It has helped the state grapple with power shortages as temperatures in California continue to rise and heat waves grow more intense with climate change.

“This is a critical step toward ensuring that our domestic nuclear fleet will continue providing reliable and affordable power to Americans as the nation’s largest source of clean electricity,” Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said in a statement.

However, critics of Diablo Canyon have pointed out that the plant, which is located next to the Pacific Ocean in San Luis Obispo County, is vulnerable to earthquakes and that there is no permanent waste disposal solution. 

Final terms of the grant are subject to negotiation and finalization, the Energy Department said, but the funding is designed to cover PG&E’s anticipated losses from keeping Diablo Canyon open. Not every plant that applied to the Energy Department’s program is receiving funding in this initial phase.

The Biden administration has argued that nuclear power is vital to fighting climate change and to helping it achieve its commitment of 100% clean electricity by 2035 and a net-zero emissions economy by 2050.

“Nuclear energy will help us meet President Biden’s climate goals, and with these historic investments in clean energy, we can protect these facilities and the communities they serve,” Granholm said.

Nuclear power provides 50% of the country’s carbon-free electricity, but shifting energy markets and other economic factors have resulted in the early closures of 13 commercial reactors since 2013, the Energy Department said.

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/21/biden-g ... -open.html

[nucksRnum1]

*removed*

[The Green Barbarian]

Who could be the Democratic presidential nominee in 2024 if 80-year-old Biden bows out?
President Biden became the oldest serving president on Sunday when he turned 80

President Biden became the oldest serving president on Sunday when he turned 80 — a feat that has some wondering if the octogenarian commander-in-chief should seek re-election in 2024.

While Biden has publicly expressed his ambitions to run for a second term, at least one Democratic strategist said the president should make good on his promise to be a bridge to the next generation of center-left leaders.

"The best thing would be for President Biden to call it a day sooner rather than later so that we can be the party of the next generation--not the expiring generation," said Colin Strother, a Democratic political strategist. "[House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi is gone, Mitch McConnell has established he's way behind the times, and there are legitimate concerns about someone of the President's age being able to do this tough job well."

Here are some of the top options Democrats have if Biden opts to bow out of re-election in 2024:

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/who-co ... n-bows-out

[motokelowna1]

*removed*

[The Green Barbarian]

Cruz says Republicans should focus on President Biden, not Hunter: 'Joe Biden is the Godfather'
'It's not about the poor schlub who got caught. It's about the boss,' Cruz said

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, said that Republicans should focus on President Biden, not his son Hunter Biden, saying the president "is the Godfather."

On the most recent episode of his podcast, "Verdict with Ted Cruz," the Texas Republican said his party needs to turn its attention to President Biden in their investigations, and not focus on his embattled son.

"The focus needs to be on Joe Biden, this is not about Hunter Biden, any more than if you're going after the mafia and you catch some low-level enforcer, or you're going after a drug cartel and you catch some mule who swallowed balloons full of heroin," Cruz said.

"It's not about the poor schlub who got caught. It's about the boss," the senator continued.

"It's about the big guy. It's about the Godfather, Joe Biden is the Godfather. He is the one who ultimately is profiting on this corruption," Cruz said. "He is the one who is abusing official authority to further the criminal activity of his family members. And that's why this is an issue of public corruption."

Cruz said the Department of Justice under Biden "desperately" wants "to keep this on," pointing to the DOJ's handling of Hunter’s "drug problem."

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/cruz-s ... -godfather

[Pappywinkle]

Biden upgrades US-Palestinian relations by naming special representative

Joe Biden has appointed a new special representative for Palestinian affairs, a significant upgrade in relations with Ramallah despite the fact the American diplomatic mission in Jerusalem, closed by Donald Trump in 2019, is yet to reopen.

The White House informed Congress on Tuesday that it had promoted Hady Amr, previously the deputy assistant secretary of state for Israeli-Palestinian affairs, to the newly created, Washington-based role, Axios and the Times of Israel reported.

Amr will work closely with the assistant secretary of state for near eastern affairs and with diplomats at the Jerusalem-based office of Palestinian affairs, the reports said.

The move comes amid deteriorating conditions in the occupied West Bank: 2022 is already the deadliest year for Palestinians living in the territory and in annexed East Jerusalem since 2005, with more than 130 Palestinians killed in fighting.

It is understood that the Palestinian Authority (PA) president, Mahmoud Abbas, was initially hesitant to accept the idea of a new special representative role when it was proposed earlier this year, fearing it would mean that Biden’s campaign pledge to reopen the US consulate in Jerusalem would not materialise.

US officials, including the ambassador to Israel, Tom Nides, have repeatedly emphasised that Washington remains committed to reopening the Jerusalem mission and to a two-state solution to the decades-long conflict.

Amr, 58, a Lebanese American, worked as an economist and foreign policy analyst before joining the Clinton administration’s department of defence. Since 2014 he has served on-and-off in roles related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and is held in high regard by Israeli and Palestinian diplomats.

During a visit to the region last week, Amr reportedly urged officials from the corruption-plagued PA to undertake serious reforms in order to bolster its legitimacy, and told Israeli officials that they must do more to prop up the PA, amid fears that the de facto Palestinian government body is losing control in cities in the north of the West Bank. For the most part, Israel and the PA coordinate on security issues.

Israel must also follow up on recent pledges to improve living standards and strengthen the struggling economies in the West Bank and Gaza Strip to help quell the violence, Amr is reported to have said.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... esentative

[The Green Barbarian]

Sounds like senile flatulent 80 year old Joe took a page out of the digusting Canadian Liberals playbook:

Republicans rip Biden’s talking points for ‘chatting with your Uncle at Thanksgiving’: Sounds ‘miserable’
Biden called 'out of touch' after claiming victory on '10 million jobs created,' 'no taxes on people making above $400K'

Republicans are ripping a list touting President Biden's "accomplishments" that the White House said could be used as talking points "for when chatting with your Uncle at Thanksgiving."

"Using White House talking points to try and gaslight your own family as to the realities of this administration seems like a miserable way to spend Thanksgiving," Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital.

Earlier Wednesday, White House deputy communications director Jennifer Molina tweeted President Biden’s list of accomplishments, writing, "Bring the receipts to the Thanksgiving dinner!"

The list of Biden’s accomplishments included, "10 million jobs created" and "no taxes on people making above $400,000 – he kept his promise."

SNIP

Biden’s oft-repeated claims of creating 10 million jobs through the American Rescue Plan have been repeatedly fact-checked as being exaggerated by as much as 8 million, leaving out the unique economic conditions created by the COVID-19 pandemic. And while Biden has not instituted a tax hike on people making below $400,000, many economists blame his American Rescue Plan for sparking the current inflation crisis, which is often referred to as a hidden tax on all Americans. And while gas prices are down since June to $3.58, they’re still up about $1.20 since Biden first took office.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/republ ... -miserable

[Pappywinkle]

Biden brings Thanksgiving pies to Nantucket first responders

President Joe Biden on Thursday delivered at least half a dozen pumpkin pies to Massachusetts firefighters during a Thanksgiving Day show of appreciation and his toddler grandson walked away with a red fire hat topping his blond curls.

“Oh wow,” Biden was heard to say upon seeing Beau Biden, who is nearly 3, emerge from the headquarters building wearing the hat. The president was with the firefighters who had lined up outside the building to welcome him.

Biden had expressed appreciation for firefighters and other emergency personnel earlier in the day when he and his wife, Jill, spoke by telephone to the hosts of NBC’s broadcast of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York.

“I want to say thanks to the firefighters and police officers, first responders. They never take a break,” he said during the call. The Bidens spoke later Thursday with units from each of the six branches of the U.S. military, stationed in Europe, at sea, at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, the White House said.

“We remember them every single day,” he said during the broadcast. “God bless our troops.”

Jill Biden appeared to try to get her grandson to talk to the firefighters, but Beau would not look up. She was overheard saying she did not know why he was being so quiet.

During a brief conversation with reporters, Biden said he hopes the upcoming Republican-controlled House will continue U.S. aid to Ukraine. He also said his team is involved in negotiations to avoid a freight rail strike in early December that could further disrupt the economy.

After the visit, Biden returned to the Nantucket home where he is taking in the holiday with family, including son Hunter and his wife, Melissa — who are Beau’s parents — and daughter Ashley.

They are camping out at a sprawling waterfront compound along Nantucket Harbor owned by David Rubenstein, co-founder of the Carlyle Group, a private equity firm. Biden celebrated Thanksgiving at the home in 2021.

The Bidens have a more than 40-year tradition of spending Thanksgiving on the Massachusetts island.

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

[Pappywinkle]

[nucksRnum1]

Unfortunately, if Joe is successful - the fringe is gonna go underground. And it will be more like gorilla warfare. Not that I am opposed to crazy people darwinning themselves in a burning building like Koresh.