The Biden Presidency - 2020

[Mota]

Originally Posted by PilotMan

Speaking of buying up all the property to charge more and more rent.....this is getting to be such an issue that it's moving the entire market and resetting housing costs for millions of Americans and pricing millions more out of the market. It's going to get so much worse before the politicians decide they need to do something. By then, it'll be a disaster for so many places.

Same thing is happening in Canada. I think I read that over 20% of home purchases in Canada last year were from investors. And the rent pricing has dramatically increased recently to start matching home pricing.

[Edward64]

I don't get the criticism to Biden's bumping fists with MBS. Certainly better than (supposed) bows by Dem & Rep presidents.

I guess it's really about Biden meeting with MBS. At this stage of US economy, I'm okay with him doing a little mea culpa to get more heavy crude pumped (which I've read contradictory reports if SA actually committed or not, but let's see what happens in 1-2 months). Unless the US has other immediate oil options, what else is he supposed to do?

He did get the win with Israeli flights to Saudi Arabia. Hopefully, the Abraham accords will continue to progress now that Biden has faced reality that he'll have to deal with MBS.

But yeah, there'll be a day when Elon Musk is a trillionaire and we won't be beholden to ME heavy crude (but to another country for rare earth elements). But that day is not here yet.

[Edward64]

FWIW, we were driving around yesterday and noticed regular gas at $4. I think we reached a high of about $4.50 or $4.60 in past several months. So a good sign.

Gasoline for less than $4 a gallon is back, at least in some spots.

Nearly one in five gas stations is charging under the $4 mark for a gallon of regular gas, according to OPIS, which surveys US gas stations to compute price averages for AAA. That's about 24,000 stations nationwide, mostly in the Southeast and in oil patch states like Texas and Oklahoma.

[GrantDawg]

Gas has been under four at my closest gas stations for about a week. It was 3.85 on Sunday.

[Ksyrup]

Our town is still at around $4.45. Towns 15 and 20 minutes away in each direction are at $3.99 and $4.05.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Our town is still at around $4.45. Towns 15 and 20 minutes away in each direction are at $3.99 and $4.05.

This county covers that. Literally on the main road going toward the interstate is where the gas is that cheap. 3 miles closer to the interstate it is $4.29. In town, it is $4.39.

[Ksyrup]

No rhyme or reason that I can tell. $3.99 near the interstate going west from here, but on the east side of Lexington off of 75, it's $4.30-4.40. South of Lexington, not near anything, it's down under $4 by a few cents now. And we're west of Lexington, still sitting above $4.40.

I generally think driving around to save a few cents a gallon is stupid (even 20 gallons at 5 cents cheaper is only $1), but when you're talking 30-50 cents a gallon, that can add up.

[Thomkal]

Most places here in Myrtle under $4 now

[PilotMan]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Our town is still at around $4.45. Towns 15 and 20 minutes away in each direction are at $3.99 and $4.05.

Same, I think NKY still had some close to $4.65 as of yesterday. I keep hearing that the avg for KY has come down to like 4.12 and I'm like, where? Because it's not around here. That means there are some sub $4 places. With oil priced where it's at, it should be closer to 3.50 than 4.

[Ksyrup]

Southern KY always seems to have pockets of the cheapest gas. I guess because it's in no-man's land on 75 between Knoxville and Lexington. Right now, it's $3.59 down there with one station at $3.19. You see the same in western KY too sometimes.

[Thomkal]

So Secretary of Transportation Buttiileg was at a hearing today talking about Electric Cars, when Congressmen Nehls asked him this, complete with pictures. Watch how the Secretary responds:


https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1549455693073489920

[Lathum]

Fox News is gonna cut that shit up and make him a hero. What an embarrassment.

[sterlingice]

Sadly, that moron is from my district. His primary was up against an even worse candidate in Kathleen Wall. The Dems ran a strong candidate in Sri Preston Kulkarni but it wasn't enough in the gerrymandered district.

SI

[albionmoonlight]

Idea: Joe Manchin agrees to the White House bill. In exchange, the Democrats pull some strings with the liberal Hollywood elite and get Joe Manchin a weekly TV show called “Joe Manchin talks for an hour about whatever and everyone has to pay attention and listen to him and tell him he’s very important.”

Everyone gets what they really want.

[Izulde]

Manchin is the first Democratic politician I've despised with every fibre of my being, joining Scott Walker and Ron Johnson in the Circle of Hate.

[Edward64]

It's great there is GOP support for this bill. It'll be fantastic if it get through the Senate.

I guess SCOTUS can still strike it down as unconstitutional but it'll be (arguably) a longer road ahead than without this bill. And by that time, law of averages says good chance that Thomas and Alito will have been replaced.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/19/polit...urt/index.html

The Democrat-led House of Representatives on Tuesday voted to pass a bill that would enshrine protections for same-sex marriage into federal law.

The bipartisan final vote was 267 to 157 with 47 Republicans joining with Democrats to vote for the bill. It's not clear, however, whether the bill can pass the Senate where at least 10 Republicans would need to join with Democrats to overcome the filibuster's 60-vote threshold.

The vote comes amid fears among Democrats that the conservative majority on the Supreme Court could take aim at same-sex marriage in the future, after the high court overturned Roe v. Wade in a highly consequential reversal of longstanding legal precedent.

The bill -- called the Respect for Marriage Act -- was introduced by Democratic Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, the chair of the House Judiciary Committee.

In addition to safeguarding the right to same-sex marriage nationwide, the bill also includes federal protections for interracial marriages. The measure holds that a marriage must be recognized under federal law if the marriage was legal in the state where it took place.

The bill would also enact additional legal safeguards for married couples intended to prevent discrimination on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity or national origin, including empowering the attorney general to pursue enforcement actions.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Thomkal

So Secretary of Transportation Buttiileg was at a hearing today talking about Electric Cars, when Congressmen Nehls asked him this, complete with pictures. Watch how the Secretary responds:

https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1549455693073489920

That was a nice quip. I wish he had continued to ad-lib a little more.

[GrantDawg]

Originally Posted by Edward64

It's great there is GOP support for this bill. It'll be fantastic if it get through the Senate.

I guess SCOTUS can still strike it down as unconstitutional but it'll be (arguably) a longer road ahead than without this bill. And by that time, law of averages says good chance that Thomas and Alito will have been replaced.

House passes bill to protect same-sex marriage in effort to counter Supreme Court | CNN Politics

That really was about as bi-partisan as you get in a non-defense related bill.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by Izulde

Manchin is the first Democratic politician I've despised with every fibre of my being, joining Scott Walker and Ron Johnson in the Circle of Hate.

I'll maintain all along that Manchin is the best you can hope for from West Virginia if you're a Democrat. The problem isn't Manchin, it's that he's #50 for them. The problem is that in 2020, the Dems barely got to 50 instead of winning a landslide with everything going on (failed COVID response, President almost dying of COVID, racial unrest, economy shattered by COVID, etc). It's the fact that Joni Ernst, Susan Collins, and Thom Tillis still have jobs or that a strong candidate like Steve Bullock couldn't pull off the upset. And, really, the seeds were planted back in 2018 when the Dems lost Florida, Indiana, Missouri, and Texas in close races making the math that much harder. Then again, if it was anything but 48-50 going into the Georgia runoffs, I'm not sure the Dems win those in 2020.

SI

[JPhillips]

The Maryland GOP was a perfect encapsulation of the party in yesterday's primary. Larry Hogan is one of the most popular governors, but instead of picking someone like him, they chose a Trumpy nutjob with nearly zero chance of winning in November.

[cuervo72]

Yeah, I just commented on that on FB. I mean, I hope it turns out well in the end, but I still don't know if MD isn't just racist enough not to elect the black guy.

[flere-imsaho]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

I'll maintain all along that Manchin is the best you can hope for from West Virginia if you're a Democrat. The problem isn't Manchin, it's that he's #50 for them. The problem is that in 2020, the Dems barely got to 50 instead of winning a landslide with everything going on (failed COVID response, President almost dying of COVID, racial unrest, economy shattered by COVID, etc). It's the fact that Joni Ernst, Susan Collins, and Thom Tillis still have jobs or that a strong candidate like Steve Bullock couldn't pull off the upset.

This, exactly.

If you don't have Manchin, then you have Shelly Moore Capito, who will vote with Democrats a lot less than Manchin. Like, a lot.

If you want to be mad, be mad at Cal Cunningham, who couldn't keep his dick in his pants until after the election that he lost to Tillis. Or either Sara Gideon who couldn't run a good campaign against Collins or Maine voters who got bought the lies Collins was selling. Or all the other piss-poor Democratic Senate candidates who couldn't close the deal in close races.

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Edward64

That was a nice quip. I wish he had continued to ad-lib a little more.

WTF does that even mean? Ad-lib?

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Lathum

WTF does that even mean? Ad-lib?

Definition of ad-lib as I used it is "speak or perform in public without previously preparing one's words."

What don't you understand?

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Edward64

Definition of ad-lib as I used it is "speak or perform in public without previously preparing one's words."

What don't you understand?

It implies that he was previously working from a script which I doubt he was. He wasn't ad libing, he was answering what was a colossally stupid question. Ad-libing was when trump would make a hard left from a speech. Pete wasn't doing that, but I suspect you know that and are doing your usual schtick looking for an argument.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Lathum

It implies that he was previously working from a script which I doubt he was. He wasn't ad libing, he was answering what was a colossally stupid question. Ad-libing was when trump would make a hard left from a speech. Pete wasn't doing that, but I suspect you know that and are doing your usual schtick looking for an argument.

Yes, I did assume Mayor Pete was working from a script which had answers to what he expected the committee to ask him.

When the congressman went on a rant about Biden's health and mental concerns, Mayor Pete said "glad to have a president who can ride a bicycle". That was clearly ad-lib and I said "nice quip, like him to ad-lib more".

Somehow, I'm thinking you thought I was making fun of Mayor Pete. You are wrong if you thought so. I thought it was a nice reply and wanted to hear more like it.

I suspect you are doing your normal schtick of drinking early and eating your edibles?

[Lathum]

Originally Posted by Edward64

I suspect you are doing your normal schtick of drinking early and eating your edibles?

How about you jump off a cliff you judgmental prick...

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Lathum

How about you jump off a cliff you judgmental prick...

I do concede I am judgmental in some situations, and not in others. But in this case, certainly not judgmental ... just returning insult/sarcasm in kind.

[flere-imsaho]

Honestly I could definitely do with some scotch and edibles right now.

[NobodyHere]

I'm settling for rum and coke

[Lathum]

Just cracked a Miller lite. At my in laws beach house looking at the ocean. Beach volleyball ball league about to start. Always good views. Feeling fine.

[BYU 14]

I have to settle for a spliff in the Jacuzzi after work LOL, I guess better than nothing.

[Edward64]

I hadn't read much about this so nice surprise it seems to have bi-partisanship support. I'm thinking it'll pass.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/20/polit...nse/index.html

A bipartisan group of senators reached a deal to make it harder to overturn a certified presidential election, marking the most significant response by Congress to former President Donald Trump's relentless pressure campaign to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.
:
The deal is the culmination of months of negotiation led by Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, along with an additional six Democrats and eight Republicans. The proposal unveiled Wednesday is split up into two bills.

As part of that proposal, senators are attempting to clarify that the vice president only has a ceremonial role in overseeing the certification of the electoral results.

The proposal also includes key provisions intended to promote an orderly transition of presidential power by outlining guidelines for when eligible candidates can receive federal resources for a transition into office
:
It would also make it harder for members of Congress to attempt to overturn an election by increasing the number of House and Senate members required to raise an objection to election results when a joint session of Congress meets to certify them. Under current law, just one senator can join one House member in forcing each side to vote on whether to throw out results subject to an objection.

The second bill is aimed at improving election security and would enhance federal penalties for anyone who threatens or intimidates election officials as well as increase penalties for the tampering with election records. The bill is co-sponsored by five Republicans and seven Democrats.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

Honestly I could definitely do with some scotch and edibles right now.

Same.

[CrimsonFox]

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho

Honestly I could definitely do with some scotch and edibles right now.

[Edward64]

Amazing that he hadn't already caught Covid previously with all the campaigning and people around him. Wish him well.

My SIL caught it about 2 weeks ago and was also taking Paxlovid.

President Joe Biden has tested positive for Covid-19 and is experiencing "mild symptoms," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday.

"This morning, President Biden tested positive for COVID-19. He is fully vaccinated and twice boosted and experiencing very mild symptoms. He has begun taking Paxlovid. Consistent with CDC guidelines, he will isolate at the White House and will continue to carry out all of his duties fully during that time," she said.

This is the first time Biden, 79, has tested positive for Covid-19. He last tested negative on Tuesday, per Jean-Pierre, who added that he will take Paxlovid.
Paxlovid is Pfizer's antiviral drug.

[Thomkal]

Yeah really seemed like it was just a matter of time with all the people he's around on a daily basis. Glad he's only experiencing minor symptoms

[BishopMVP]

Hmm... this is the second very public shot across the bow I've seen recently. No doubt China is spying constantly, but not sure where they're planning to go with the increased public callouts. CNN Exclusive: FBI investigation determined Chinese-made Huawei equipment could disrupt US nuclear arsenal communications | CNN Politics

[albionmoonlight]

How come in their press conference the Nassau GOP officials didn’t show this side of the flyer? pic.twitter.com/ZdmM7H5k16

— Nassau County Young Democrats (@NassauYDs) July 22, 2022

[Thomkal]

wow

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by BishopMVP

Hmm... this is the second very public shot across the bow I've seen recently. No doubt China is spying constantly, but not sure where they're planning to go with the increased public callouts. CNN Exclusive: FBI investigation determined Chinese-made Huawei equipment could disrupt US nuclear arsenal communications | CNN Politics

I scanned through the article and didn't think their evidence was at all conclusive. But the article did share on things the government was monitoring that raised red flags which is reassuring.

Huawei is spying because they have all this equipment that "could" spy on military posts/sensitive areas close by. I didn't read anything in the article that said we caught Person X doing Y, we saw Equipment X sending info to offshore, we analyzed the microcode in Equipment X and found Y, we overheard/intercepted communications between Huawei/China that shows subterfuge etc.

I am sure China is spying on us and there's likely stronger evidence that cannot be disclosed. But the article wasn't very convincing IMO.

[Atocep]

Florida education program lets military veterans teach with no degree

I'm a veteran. My wife is a veteran.

This is the absolute dumbest thing I've seen from a state that's tried hard to out dumb the rest of the country.

[JPhillips]

The addition of veteran's spouses makes no sense at all.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

The addition of veteran's spouses makes no sense at all.

It's bad enough that a state that's been at war with teachers decided to devalue a degree and experience, but the spouse thing is what takes this stupidity to a new level. You're gonna end up with someone who's job experience is selling Scentsy or LuLaRoe trying to teach children.

[Ksyrup]

They did this so that when this program is attacked on its merits, the response will be that you're anti-veteran and hate the military and America.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

They did this so that when this program is attacked on its merits, the response will be that you're anti-veteran and hate the military and America.

Oh absolutely

But if you mock war heroes, insult gold star families, dodge the draft, ect you become president.

[larrymcg421]

JD Vance is Todd Akining his way out of what should've been an easy Senate seat.

[JPhillips]

I'm beginning to think we have a real Nazi problem in the USA. There's been a lot of this kind of thing recently.

A Rhode Island restaurant decided it was a good idea to post a meme referencing Anne Frank and it being "hotter than an oven out there".

We have no words.https://t.co/nxIkaPqD71 pic.twitter.com/oKVZyvMgab

— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) July 25, 2022

[Edward64]

The article didn't report the Congressman's rationalization. I'll assume its some variation of "love the sinner (son), hate the sin".

https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/25/polit...ons/index.html

GOP Rep. Glenn Thompson attended his gay son’s wedding last week, three days after opposing a bill in the US House that would enshrine protections for same-sex marriage into federal law, CNN has confirmed.

Thompson’s office said in a statement that the Pennsylvania congressman and his wife were “thrilled” to attend the nuptials and are “very happy” to welcome a new son-in-law into the family.

“Congressman and Mrs. Thompson were thrilled to attend and celebrate their son’s marriage on Friday night as he began this new chapter in his life,” Maddison Stone, a spokeswoman for Thompson, said in the statement. “The Thompsons are very happy to welcome their new son-in-law into their family.”

[Kodos]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

I'm beginning to think we have a real Nazi problem in the USA. There's been a lot of this kind of thing recently.

A Rhode Island restaurant decided it was a good idea to post a meme referencing Anne Frank and it being "hotter than an oven out there".

We have no words.https://t.co/nxIkaPqD71 pic.twitter.com/oKVZyvMgab

— StopAntisemitism (@StopAntisemites) July 25, 2022

Wow. That is awful. People who would do something like that are miserable excuses for human beings.