The Biden Presidency - 2020

[cuervo72]

I'm not sure people really get how laws work.

[Saul Goode]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

There are many women, especially white women, who are a-ok with not having rights.

One is even on the supreme court.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

I think they view it as it's OK for other women to not have rights, but this stuff won't apply to them.

There was a fascinating article written years ago by a doctor (or nurse, not sure) for a women's health center. She talked about how many pro-life people would come in for abortions. The one thing they all had in common is they believed their situation was unique and should be treated differently from the others who were getting abortions.

So I think that's kind of what it comes down to. And I think that's a staple of right-wing politics in general. I remember reading lungs talk about how farmers didn't view subsidies they received as welfare, but definitely viewed others receiving benefits as being welfare.

"The Only Moral Abortion is My Abortion" seemingly always gets posted on Reddit when this comes up: “The Only Moral Abortion is My Abortion” – Joyce Arthur's page

SI

[Edward64]

Some more details on how the deal was reached.

Essentially, Manchin approached Schumer again to see if something could be done. Manchin needed to be convinced it would not add to inflation. They purposely kept Biden out of the loop. And there was a little pork for Manchin.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/28/polit...eal/index.html

More analysis will come out shortly and do want to understand why the deal is considered deflationary.

former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers — who issued early warnings about inflation last year, often to the irritation of the Biden administration — also privately reached out to Manchin to argue the deal would not add to inflation but would instead be deflationary

Democratic Sen. John Hickenlooper of Colorado told reporters he and his staff were getting analysis of the tax and climate deal from economists at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

"We knew that (Manchin) trusted Wharton, that he'd used that for modeling before," Hickenlooper told reporters. "So, we asked them to model this. We did that and got back modeling that said this is not inflationary in any way, and we sent that to Joe

[Edward64]

The Biden-Xi call lasted 2 hours and 20 mins.

I've been in meetings that long to get into details but doubt that's what those 2 did. Must have been pretty intense especially around Taiwan.

But good to see people are calling it somewhat net positive and supposedly an in-person meeting in the future is possible.

[larrymcg421]

This veteran bill seems like an odd unforced error by McConnell. He should know you can't play games with a veteran bill so close to the election, especially when you initially voted for it.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

This veteran bill seems like an odd unforced error by McConnell. He should know you can't play games with a veteran bill so close to the election, especially when you initially voted for it.

Politics is personal, and I think that the Manchin deal really did surprise the GOP leadership and it got them off their game a bit.

[flere-imsaho]

McConnell held up the healthcare for 9/11 first responders bill a while back (another thing Stewart championed), so it feels like he's got something specific against this kind of thing.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

This veteran bill seems like an odd unforced error by McConnell. He should know you can't play games with a veteran bill so close to the election, especially when you initially voted for it.

The "support the troops" bit has always been for show. They've never cared and their voters don't care either.

[Edward64]

Good stuff Biden.

Sure hope we have the support structure in place to help them now that they are in the US.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-admi...-biden-pledge/

The U.S. received more than 100,000 Ukrainians in roughly five months following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, fulfilling President Biden's pledge of providing a temporary safe haven to those displaced as part of the largest refugee exodus since World War II, government statistics obtained by CBS News show.

The tens of thousands of Ukrainians who have set foot on U.S. soil since the February 24 invasion have arrived through various immigration channels and with different legal status, most of them with temporary permission to stay in the country, according to the government data.

Approximately 47,000 Ukrainians have come to the U.S. on temporary or immigrant visas; nearly 30,000 Ukrainians arrived under a private sponsorship program; more than 22,000 Ukrainians were admitted along the U.S.-Mexico border; and 500 Ukrainians entered the country through the traditional refugee system, the data show

[Edward64]

I had thought Pelosi's trip was specifically for Taiwan but there are other countries on the list too.

Biden has hinted but hasn't said he's opposed to the trip. Second quote has face saving requirement for Xi so Biden will have to weigh that. I'm thinking scrap the trip to Taiwan but continue to build up Taiwan's defensive capabilities. But deep down, I'm kinda hoping that Biden calls the bluff.

Nancy Pelosi to Travel to Asia With Possible Taiwan Stop, Despite China Warnings - WSJ

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is planning to visit major U.S. allies in Asia, people familiar with the plans said, with arrangements for a possible stop in Taiwan that has drawn warnings from China still unresolved.

The trip by Mrs. Pelosi (D., Calif.) and several other members of Congress, which is scheduled to begin this weekend, includes planned stops in Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan, the people said. Logistical preparations are under way for a Taiwan stop in case a decision to go there is finalized, one of the people said
:
Mrs. Pelosi’s planned travel to Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan, as well as Taiwan, takes her to a frontline in the U.S. and China’s contest for global primacy

Mr. Xi is in the midst of securing a norm-breaking third term as Communist Party leader at a pivotal political gathering this fall. With intense politicking under way in the party, Chinese affairs specialists say that Mr. Xi cannot appear to look weak on Taiwan and to give in to the U.S., thus raising the stakes for a Pelosi visit

[Ksyrup]

Biden tests positive again. I'm sure no one is going to flip out over that.

[Edward64]

Nice article on needing more highly educated immigrants to fill gaps in chip industry & STEM. Article says there are discussions/desire specifically about PhDs which is a no brainer to me assuming security concerns are mitigated. Easy win and there seems to be some support from both sides, but not quite there yet.

Biden wants an industrial renaissance. He can’t do it without immigration reform. - POLITICO

[JPhillips]

It doesn't happen often because Dems don't push things but this veteran healthcare bill has really wrong-footed the GOP. All of their arguments sound terrible and take the focus off of the areas where they are strong.

[Atocep]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

It doesn't happen often because Dems don't push things but this veteran healthcare bill has really wrong-footed the GOP. All of their arguments sound terrible and take the focus off of the areas where they are strong.

It was effectively a political temper tantrum and the Ted Cruz fist bump is an awful look that's going to get played to death.

John Stewart forcing Fox News' hand to put him on the air didn't help them. Fox was trying to help them bury it.

[albionmoonlight]

Originally Posted by JPhillips

and take the focus off of the areas where they are strong.

There are areas where the Dems are weak. But one problem with the GOP having gone all-in on own-the-libs nihilism is that there aren’t really any areas where they are strong.

I can listen to them and get 1,000 reasons to vote against the Dems. But nothing about why I should vote for them.

[JPhillips]

They should just say inflation a million times, but they can't help themselves from having these culture war fights that please the base but alienate the suburban voters.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight

There are areas where the Dems are weak. But one problem with the GOP having gone all-in on own-the-libs nihilism is that there aren’t really any areas where they are strong.

I can listen to them and get 1,000 reasons to vote against the Dems. But nothing about why I should vote for them.

They kind of have to go all-in on that stuff. Their policy ideas are wildly unpopular. They can't win popular votes anymore. So they've had to shift to culture war stuff as some kind of justification for ending or curtailing democracy.

Saw someone point out how big a loss it was for the party in 2012. The race had a lot of policy talk and their ideas were roundly defeated at the polls. Kind of a realization to many on that side that they can't win on policy.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Edward64

I am okay that Pelosi has proposed going to Taiwan but am given some pause because Biden is negative towards it. Military confrontation is very unlikely, but can see it messing up any Chinese cooperation on Ukraine (probably no hope anyway) or cooperation on tariff relief (heard that was an option Biden was considering).

Wonder if it's better served visiting other APAC friendly countries (or the Quad countries) vs specifically Taiwan? Lower key visit and another step in building wider alliances vs just specifically antagonizing China. I'm not sure what Pelosi has to gain here especially since Biden is not supportive?

Biden administration working behind the scenes to convince Pelosi of the risks of traveling to Taiwan | CNN Politics

Looks like she's going and calling the bluff.

https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/01/polit...sit/index.html

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to visit Taiwan as part of her tour of Asia, according to a senior Taiwanese government official and a US official, despite warnings from Biden administration officials, who are worried about China's response to such a high-profile visit.

The stop -- the first for a US House speaker in 25 years -- is not currently on Pelosi's public itinerary and comes at a time when US-China relations are already at a low point.

[RainMaker]

Maybe she shorted the market.

[Edward64]

Congrats Biden.

I think there was some friction between Taliban and AQ, and wouldn't surprise me if the Taliban provided some intel.

The United States killed al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a drone strike, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.

Zawahiri, who just turned 71 years old, had remained a visible international symbol of the group, 11 years after the US killed Osama Bin Laden. At one point, he acted as bin Laden's personal physician.

The US government has not yet confirmed his death. President Joe Biden will speak at 7:30 p.m. ET on "a successful counterterrorism operation" against al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, the White House said Monday.

"Over the weekend, the United States conducted a counterterrorism operation against a significant Al Qaeda target in Afghanistan. The operation was successful and there were no civilian casualties," a senior administration official said

[RainMaker]

He was in a Taliban safe house. Intelligence had been following his family when they moved there and he moved in later on. Sounds like a lof of planning went into this.

[SirFozzie]

Kinda amazing that a Hellfire strike only killed the target and other family-members in the house were uninjured.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

Kinda amazing that a Hellfire strike only killed the target and other family-members in the house were uninjured.

I was wondering that myself ... and there were 2 Hellfire missiles.

Apparently we made an effort not to kill other family members but wouldn't that be difficult once the missiles were in the air? Maybe we waited until family was out of the house or something.

Like to see the model of the house and where he was when the missile struck.

[Flasch186]

I tell me friends that smoking the hookah on the patio is dangerous for them

Too soon to bring this up as evidence as such?


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[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Edward64

More analysis will come out shortly and do want to understand why the deal is considered deflationary.

I've been wondering how this bill will fight inflation.

I'm good with the bill since it reduces the deficit and it shores up healthcare some with the 3-year subsidy extension and negotiating drug prices. But I didn't really understand how this lowers inflation.

I think the answer (from below) is it lowers inflation in the long run but not anything significant in the next 6-12 months, so smells BS'y to me. I get Dems needed to message this to get Manchin onboard (and give him some cover)

https://www.cnn.com/2022/08/01/polit...ill/index.html

The package counters inflation in three ways, former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers told CNN's John Berman. It reduces budget deficits, and therefore, the level of demand in the economy. Also, it cuts prices on prescription drugs, while increasing supply by stimulating energy production and subsidizing the transition to renewable energy.

"Less demand, more supply and direct, better bargaining for lower prices -- those are the things that are involved in reducing inflation," said Summers, who last year had warned that rising inflation was not transitory. "This bill is fighting inflation, and it's got a whole set of collateral benefits, as well. It's fair to call it the Inflation Reduction Act."

Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz said a key driver of inflation is high energy costs, which the bill seeks to address through environmental investments.

"There is a simmering debate on the causes of inflation, but whatever side one takes in that debate, this bill is a step forward," said Stiglitz, a professor at Columbia University

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by Edward64

I was wondering that myself ... and there were 2 Hellfire missiles.

Apparently we made an effort not to kill other family members but wouldn't that be difficult once the missiles were in the air? Maybe we waited until family was out of the house or something.

Like to see the model of the house and where he was when the missile struck.

Make fun of DM all you want, but they tend to have good pics. The "ninja" hellfire seems weird to me

How CIA tracked Ayman al-Zawahiri for more than 20 years | Daily Mail Online

[SirFozzie]

Originally Posted by Edward64

I was wondering that myself ... and there were 2 Hellfire missiles.

Apparently we made an effort not to kill other family members but wouldn't that be difficult once the missiles were in the air? Maybe we waited until family was out of the house or something.

Like to see the model of the house and where he was when the missile struck.

Sounds like it was drone fied, probably had someone on site laser pointing it and monitoring the house for locations. The article I saw stressed that Biden asked several times to remove collateral damage (as much as possible)

[Edward64]

Solar flare to hit today. Nancy visiting Taiwan tonight.

Reminds me of

https://youtu.be/Z0GFRcFm-aY

[stevew]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

Sounds like it was drone fied, probably had someone on site laser pointing it and monitoring the house for locations. The article I saw stressed that Biden asked several times to remove collateral damage (as much as possible)

It is believed that the United States used the macabre Hellfire R9X, a warhead-less missile equipped with six razor-like blades extending from the fuselage that slices through its target but does not explode. Also nicknamed the "ninja bomb," the missile has become the top US munition for killing leaders of extremist groups while avoiding civilian casualties.

Okay, cool, but you've waited 20 years for this shot. Hopefully missile #2 was there in case more dramatic means were needed.

[Edward64]

You go Nancy.

I'm not sure I agree with this visit (e.g. we can show increased support to Taiwan in other ways) but now that you're there ... have a great time, meet a lot of people, take a lot of pictures, and eat some stinky tofu.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taipei on Tuesday, marking a significant show of support for Taiwan despite China's threats of retaliation over the visit

[GrantDawg]

Did you see the crowds cheering the plane coming in? The only place Pelosi can get cheered like that.

(btw, Ed. Thanks for the video link. I needed some REM today)

[NobodyHere]

So China sent over a dozen fighters into the straight and apparently deployed tanks on their coast, all for one little old lady.

https://au.sports.yahoo.com/sports/c...160308318.html

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

Did you see the crowds cheering the plane coming in? The only place Pelosi can get cheered like that.

(btw, Ed. Thanks for the video link. I needed some REM today)

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

So China sent over a dozen fighters into the straight and apparently deployed tanks on their coast, all for one little old lady.

China sent tanks through beach as Nancy Pelosi prepared to touch down in Taiwan

And the guy that threatened her got 7 years. She has a lot of Mojo, do not frak with her.

[dubb93]

Originally Posted by NobodyHere

and apparently deployed tanks on their coast,

So China has apparently learned nothing from the war in Ukraine? Weapons systems have advanced to the point that tanks are basically sitting ducks in a war between modern nations.

[GrantDawg]

PACT act passes after a week of the GOP getting flogged. I really need Jon Stewart to run for President, but he is too smart to do it.

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[flere-imsaho]

It's been 100 years (plus) since Teddy Roosevelt pointed out one of the biggest strengths of the Presidency was in its use as a "bully pulpit", a concept that no Democratic President since FDR* seems to have understood, but it is, I suspect, something a President Jon Stewart (or, back in the day, Al Franken) would definitely have understood.

*LBJ's use of the Presidency to persuade tended to be more one-on-one.

[GrantDawg]

Kansas had a referendum vote today to change their constitution to allow banning of abortions. It looks like it failed miserably.

Edit: I mean 63% against fail.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

Kinda amazing that a Hellfire strike only killed the target and other family-members in the house were uninjured.

I would be highly skeptical of anything reported. These stories tend to change a lot as time goes on.

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

Kansas had a referendum vote today to change their constitution to allow banning of abortions. It looks like it failed miserably.

Edit: I mean 63% against fail.

Feels like an issue Democrats should be running hard on in the midterms.

[sterlingice]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

Feels like an issue Democrats should be running hard on in the midterms.

Or at least hard enough to pretend to do something but then do nothing about it

But, hey, a Dem issue got 63% of the vote in really red Kansas. Maybe that's something they should look at.

SI

[CrimsonFox]

FUCK YOU CAVANAUGH, MCCONNELL, and Mary Hartman, Kansas wants abortions. FUCK YOU

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by sterlingice

Or at least hard enough to pretend to do something but then do nothing about it

But, hey, a Dem issue got 63% of the vote in really red Kansas. Maybe that's something they should look at.

SI

They were funding an anti-abortion rep in a primary race and Biden was happy to nominate an anti-abortion judge before Rand Paul of all people blew that up.

[Edward64]

Originally Posted by dubb93

So China has apparently learned nothing from the war in Ukraine? Weapons systems have advanced to the point that tanks are basically sitting ducks in a war between modern nations.

All bluster right now. I was curious and it seems Taiwan has at least 400 Javelins.

Taiwan to receive all 400 Javelin missiles in 2022 | Taiwan News | 2021-04-10 14:03:00

A total of 400 Javelin anti-tank missiles that Taiwan ordered from the United States will arrive in one batch in 2022, reports said Saturday (April 10).

[GrantDawg]

A GOP strategist in KS warns this is "a big deal"

"There were no major contested Democratic primaries to drive turnout & the amendment still failed resoundingly. If Republicans think the issue of abortion isn't on the minds of voters tonight's results should put them on notice" https://t.co/R0oEv8lVkV

— Lindsay Wise (@lindsaywise) August 3, 2022

[GrantDawg]

Sometimes you see a vote and wonder "What is the possible political motivation for this vote?" Both Senators from Utah, Alabama and Idaho voted against the veterans medical welfare bill. How can this be good for them?

[NobodyHere]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

Kansas had a referendum vote today to change their constitution to allow banning of abortions. It looks like it failed miserably.

Edit: I mean 63% against fail.

Do we know the voter turnout?

[PilotMan]

Reports I heard were much heavier than anticipated.

[Kodos]

I read in the Times that turnout was 50%, well over the projected 36%.

As the polls began to close, Scott Schwab, the Kansas secretary of state, said election officials expected turnout to reach about 50 percent — far above the 36 percent that his office had predicted before Election Day, and particularly stunning for a primary in a nonpresidential election year.

[cuervo72]

Originally Posted by GrantDawg

Sometimes you see a vote and wonder "What is the possible political motivation for this vote?" Both Senators from Utah, Alabama and Idaho voted against the veterans medical welfare bill. How can this be good for them?

It really seems like they though they could shoot it down, just claim Dems snuck bad things into the bill that they were heroes in catching, and that everyone would believe them/nobody would call them on it. (Of course if the Dems themselves call them on it, Rs can just say "well, they are lying.")