The Biden Presidency

[Rat Diva]

I know he won't be president until tomorrow at noon, but I have a feeling everyone will be talking about the Trump Clusterfuck Age for years to come. Therefore, I don't feel bad about starting a thread about President Biden a day early.

This morning I was happy to find out that he has picked PA health secretary Dr. Rachel Levine as assistant US health secretary. I've come to expect her as one of the rare sane political who-de-whos who knows her stuff and has been the calm voice of reason during the pandemic. She's a pediatrician, so I guess she's used to calming down screamy, hysterical, frightened people :D

She will also be the first openly trans official to be approved by the Senate.

Also, Biden has DOGGEHZ

https://img.etimg.com/thumb/msid-79144212,width-640,resizemode-4,imgsize-144525/champ-and-major.jpg

[What Exit?]

Nice Doggies.

The bar has been set so low this time, it will be hard not look better.

Biden seems like the type of caretaker President that can help to heal some of the hurts and divisions in the USA. Kind of like Ford did. He was almost no ones first pick but no shortage (thankfully) of peoples' OK pick.

[Sputnik]

Happy FFT Day everyone. For the last 35,000 hours we've endured the stable genius entertaining us with his tantrums and we somehow survived. Freedom From trump day is upon us.

:woop::woop::woop:

[What Exit?]

22.5 Hours to go.

[Rat Diva]

Nice Doggies.

The bar has been set so low this time, it will be hard not look better.

Biden seems like the type of caretaker President that can help to heal some of the hurts and divisions in the USA. Kind of like Ford did. He was almost no ones first pick but no shortage (thankfully) of peoples' OK pick.

Yep, only an old, white, not super-progressive dude was going to win against Trump. Once the country's functioning again and the rest of the world sees we're not really total idiots after all, the next generation can take over.

[Borborygmi]

Nice Doggies.

The bar has been set so low this time, it will be hard not look better.

Biden seems like the type of caretaker President that can help to heal some of the hurts and divisions in the USA. Kind of like Ford did. He was almost no ones first pick but no shortage (thankfully) of peoples' OK pick.Truth. Around the time of the first primary debates I concluded that I was for just about anybody over Biden. Now I'm pee-my-pants level of excited about this old middle-of-the-road fogey taking the reins.

Back to Ratty's mention of Dr. Levine's planned nomination, I too am psyched about that. Normally nobody, myself included, cares who the assistant US health secretary is, but I like the Pennsylvania connection, the familiarity to me, and yeah the fact that she's trans since that kind of representation is important. Hope she doesn't draw more than the expected amount of fire from MAGA deadenders.

[Rock]

Nice Doggies.

The bar has been set so low this time, it will be hard not look better.

Biden seems like the type of caretaker President that can help to heal some of the hurts and divisions in the USA. Kind of like Ford did. He was almost no ones first pick but no shortage (thankfully) of peoples' OK pick.

Yep, only an old, white, not super-progressive dude was going to win against Trump. Once the country's functioning again and the rest of the world sees we're not really total idiots after all, the next generation can take over.

And hopefully they remember this lesson for some time to come.

[Derleth]

Biden seems like the type of caretaker President that can help to heal some of the hurts and divisions in the USA. Kind of like Ford did.Fuck no. Ford pardoned Nixon. We deserve much better, and, happily, it looks like Biden might be much better.

Even Vox says Biden's agenda is "surprisingly progressive" which isn't huge praise but is better than what a caretaker President would get (https://www.vox.com/21322478/joe-biden-overton-window-bidenism); it also has a quote I really like: "The most transformative presidents in our nation’s history — Lincoln, FDR, LBJ — were not ideologues." That's entirely true, up to my own knowledge of Presidential history, and that kind of thinking is what we need. More, and more recent, information from the Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/10/27/bidens-temperament-is-moderate-his-agenda-is-transformative/) which also makes the case that FDR wasn't hugely progressive prior to the crises he had to deal with in office. Politifact mostly agrees (https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/apr/17/barack-obama/joe-bidens-platform-progressive-obama-says/) that Biden is more progressive than he has been, and fairly progressive relative to the current political pack.

[Zeener Diode]

22.5 Hours to go.

And here's Johnny! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxvR7ZUjaJk)

Well they're building a gallows outside the dome
I've got 25 hours to go
And the whole mob's yelling and won't go home
I've got 24 hours to go
Well I threw them some bones in my last speech
I've got 23 hours to go
But now they want to see me impeached
I've got 22 hours to go
Well I sent for the VP and the whole dern bunch
with 21 hours to go
And I sent for Murdoch but he's out to lunch
I've got 20 more hours to go
Then the Democrats said we're gonna watch you fry
got 19 hours to go
So I laughed in their face and made 'em all cry
got 18 hours to go
Now here comes McConnell for to save my skin
with 13 hours to go
And he's talking 'bout Biden but I'm gonna win
I've 12 more hours to go
Now they're layin' the trap with burgers and cokes
11 more hours to go
And the trap won't work on just any folk
got 10 more hours to go
Well I'm bustin' out the pardons that'll set me free
with 9 more hours to go
And the pardons' for real so don't forget about me
got 8 more hours to go
With my feet on the floor and my butt in the chair
got 5 more hours to go
Honestly, people? Do you think I care?
with 4 more hours to go
I can see the plane warming up on the runway
with 3 more hours to go
But this ain't how I want to get away!
2 more hours to go
I can see reporters I can hear their cries
1 more hour to go
And now I'm flying off! There I go-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o!

[C2H5OH]

:clap::clap::clap:

[Rat Diva]

::flicks on lighter and holds it up::

[Rock]

Trump has left the building!

[3acres]

::flicks on lighter and holds it up::

NOOOOOOOO! That's how you ask for an encore!

[JackieLikesVariety]

Trump has left the building!

yay!

we can only hope he knows what a big loser he is. the biggest loser ever.

[Sputnik]

In retrospect, I think we're lucky we have a Constitution stronger than a narcissistic tyrant determined to continue his reign.

[Flying Squid with Goggles]

We're also lucky that the insurrectionists two weeks ago weren't in the chambers of the Capitol ten minutes earlier - if they had killed or held hostage Pence, Pelosi, and Chuck Grassley - I'm not sure we'd be having an inauguration today.

[The Mighty Quinn]

Biden seems like the type of caretaker President that can help to heal some of the hurts and divisions in the USA. Kind of like Ford did.Fuck no. Ford pardoned Nixon. We deserve much better, and, happily, it looks like Biden might be much better.

Even Vox says Biden's agenda is "surprisingly progressive" which isn't huge praise but is better than what a caretaker President would get (https://www.vox.com/21322478/joe-biden-overton-window-bidenism); it also has a quote I really like: "The most transformative presidents in our nation’s history — Lincoln, FDR, LBJ — were not ideologues." That's entirely true, up to my own knowledge of Presidential history, and that kind of thinking is what we need. More, and more recent, information from the Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/10/27/bidens-temperament-is-moderate-his-agenda-is-transformative/) which also makes the case that FDR wasn't hugely progressive prior to the crises he had to deal with in office. Politifact mostly agrees (https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/apr/17/barack-obama/joe-bidens-platform-progressive-obama-says/) that Biden is more progressive than he has been, and fairly progressive relative to the current political pack.

538 did an analysis of DW-NOMINATE scores, a method common in political science of assigning a politician an ideological score number from 1 to 100, where 1 is extreme right and 100 is extreme left. They found that in EVERY ONE of the 17 Congresses Joe Biden served in, he was between the 40th and 60th percentile for Democrats.

IOW, his entire career has been based around figuring out what the average Democrat believes and positioning himself accordingly. Which means that he's been moving slowly but surely to the left ever since 1974.

I think we of the Left can work with this guy. He's not going to be leading the charge for progressive policies, but if we can do the work of convincing the party rank and file to support them, he won't be standing in our way.

[Sputnik]

This may be a bit of good news.

He [Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani] said Iran expects the new occupants of the White House to try to “remove all the stains of the past four years, that is if they can be removed”.

“If they show their honesty in action, toward the laws and the resolution that they voted for and commitments they signed on for, naturally we will also implement all our commitments.”

Hopefully our advisories will accept that we now have adults at the helm.

[George Kaplin]

Trump has left the building!

Biden has just been sworn in. If you listen closely, you can actually hear millions of assholes unclenching all across the world.

[What Exit?]

Such a big sense of relief. Birds are singing, the sun is suddenly shining and things are going to get better!

[Archangel]

I truly can’t believe we survived to see this day, but I am grateful and hopeful.

[Derleth]

538 did an analysis of DW-NOMINATE scores, a method common in political science of assigning a politician an ideological score number from 1 to 100, where 1 is extreme right and 100 is extreme left. They found that in EVERY ONE of the 17 Congresses Joe Biden served in, he was between the 40th and 60th percentile for Democrats.

IOW, his entire career has been based around figuring out what the average Democrat believes and positioning himself accordingly. Which means that he's been moving slowly but surely to the left ever since 1974.Which is another way of saying he's a politician: Someone who achieves things through consensus and compromise, figuring out where the real-world boundaries are and working within them to accomplish the possible, and not someone who expects the whole system to bow down to them because they're Right and Morally Pure.

In short, someone who knows the difference between being righteous and being self-righteous.

Yeah. I'm pretty pleased that Biden's in office. I hope he moves a bit further left, because I hope Congress as a whole does, but I hope even more that he can get stuff done.

[Solfy]

I put my new flag up outside. It's a flag sort of day.

I have mixed feelings about Dr. Levine. People have criticized some of PA's handling of the pandemic. As always, some of the criticism has been crazy but some of it was more on-the-mark. Overall I get the impression that the failings were more in spite of her efforts and not because of them. Of course people are already saying she only got the nod because she's trans, but what minority hasn't faced similar? "She was only hired because she's a woman and her boss wanted to hire more women." "He only got that promotion because he's black and there's a quota." "They picked her because she's Muslim and they wanted to show how woke they are."

[What Exit?]

I need a new flag and a new flag pole holder. The one on the house to too low and too close to shrubbery. The Flag has rips in it.

I feel bad I have such a sad excuse for a flag.

[Inna Minnit]

I don't have any strong opinions on Biden. I voted for him because he was Not Trump. But I have been feeling pretty positive about what I have heard him say, and the things he wants to do right away.

Seeing him at the Covid Memorial thing last night. I was sobbing. To see some empathy, to see an actual acknowledgement of the horror of this pandemic.

Today I feel happy. I feel relieved. I feel hopeful.

[C2H5OH]

Today I feel happy. I feel relieved. I feel hopeful.

Although I didn't vote for him*, it is nice to see adults in charge, again, finally.

*voted 3rd party because he had my state locked up and didn't need the vote, and in my state**, 3rd parties receiving a large enough vote share in presidential and mid-term years get automatic ballot access for the next two years, without going through the petition process. I like to keep third parties in there so that pres or gov candidates from the majors have to actually address a wider range of issues when campaigning so they don't lose votes to the minors.

**although surprisingly, he under-performed Hillary by around ten points or so. I would have thought she was so unpopular that he'd beat her, or at least equal her.

[Sputnik]

This is actually funny. At the same time JB was taking the oath of office;

China imposed sanctions Wednesday on more than two dozen former Trump administration officials, including outgoing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, just as President Biden was sworn into office.

A trump tax? A parting gift?

Aside from Pompeo, other officials tagged with sanctions included trade advisor Peter Navarro, former Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, current national security adviser Robert O’Brien, former national security advisor John Bolton and former Trump campaign manager Steve Bannon.

Let the party begin! :palatr:

[The Mighty Quinn]

We are back in the Paris climate accords!

[What Exit?]

We are back in the Paris climate accords!

Thank Biden. Now we have to stay in them and really make some headway.

The markets reacted favorably to the Inauguration at least.

It is the biggest rise in 36 year for an Inauguration Day.

[Helena]

Like Biden/Harris or not, at least, we have compassionate grown-ups capable of empathy in charge again.

I'm exhausted.

[Sputnik]

Jen Psaki (WH press sec) just held a briefing. She answered all the questions. She had answers. This will be good.

[JackieLikesVariety]

Jen Psaki (WH press sec) just held a briefing. She answered all the questions. She had answers. This will be good.
I listened to public radio on the way home from work and they were talking about how NORMAL it all was.

the briefing was apparently held to actually provided factual information


:jaw:

[Derleth]

Like Biden/Harris or not, at least, we have compassionate grown-ups capable of empathy in charge again.They're politicians with whom it's possible to have a political disagreement.

Politics involves disagreeing on which directions we should go on various policy issues. This depends on the people, first, knowing the facts relevant to those issues. I don't expect to agree on everything Biden and Harris want to accomplish, but I have every confidence we'll agree on what's going on in the world at the moment. This is refreshingly different from both Trump, who is off in his own delusional world born of narcissism and stubborn ignorance, and Pence, who lives in a world which is less wacky but no less delusional on multiple issues due to his zealous, obsessive religious mania.

[C2H5OH]

This is actually funny. At the same time JB was taking the oath of office;

China imposed sanctions Wednesday on more than two dozen former Trump administration officials, including outgoing Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, just as President Biden was sworn into office.

A trump tax? A parting gift?

Obviously, they hated the bastard, but were aware that he had his finger on 'the button'. "We can play this dumbass", they said to themselves, "but let's not push him too far, since he controls about 10 times more nukes that we have."

As soon as the Trumpkin lost control of the button, he lost control of his (and the US's) relationship with China. Now, Biden is about to find out what stupid shit Trump handed them. This may not work out well for us. You can bet the Chinese are rather pleased about it.

[Zeener Diode]

Jen Psaki (WH press sec) just held a briefing. She answered all the questions. She had answers. This will be good.

Is it wrong to say I miss Spicey (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbpUcfpbnrs) already?

[Inna Minnit]

Politics involves disagreeing on which directions we should go on various policy issues.

And this is exactly the point of the kind of government we have. Ideally, we have the debate, both sides give a little, get a little, and somehow we come out with the best outcome.

Listening to President Biden yesterday, I was really conflicted when he talked about making peace. Unity. I can't. There was so much ugliness. And I won't make peace with White Supremacists.

But then I thought about the Civil War. How did they do it? How did they manage to reconcile? I don't know the answer to that.

[Derleth]

But then I thought about the Civil War. How did they do it? How did they manage to reconcile? I don't know the answer to that.Not well enough.

By 1876, Reconstruction had ended, the lustration was over, Blacks lost their governmental offices in Southern states and, soon, their basic civil rights, and things regressed until the mid-20th Century. Republicans were able to "wave the bloody shirt" and win elections for a while on the strength of associating Democrats with the Confederacy but that gave way to the Solid South and Jim Crow and the Lost Cause Narrative being promoted as the primary way to approach Civil War historiography.

We can see it in miniature with a history of the Ku Klux Klan: The First KKK was defeated by Federal laws and prosecutions. The Second KKK was a major political force until the Civil Rights Era of the 20th Century. The Third KKK is relatively minor in comparison to other, newer hate groups but it does exist.

In short, the South got to have it too much its own way after the Civil War, and it caused problems later on.

[The Mighty Quinn]

Good analysis, but our situation today is different in that the enemy isn’t concentrated in a particular geographic region, and we don’t have the option of not letting certain States elect their own representatives until they shape up.

But in general, yes, unity after the Civil War was eventually achieved by a deal to let the South keep slavery in all but name, in return for the Democrats dropping their challenge to the Presidential election results of 1876. It worked out great for all the white people involved. So I’m hoping we can improve on that model.

[Solfy]

Sane people were able to agree to disagree or swallow their pride. Some people never did reconcile, and their great grandkids were waving confederate flags around the Capitol two weeks ago.

A friend of mine posted something on FB to the effect of "I respect your opinions even if I don't agree with them, and I will listen to your views even if mine are different. This is America." I responded that I will listen to your views, but not your hatred. Differing opinions are fine until the other person's opinion is things like "all brown/muslim/gay/Jewish people should be eliminated from the country" or "all people should have to live within the confines of my religious beliefs." I can't respect that.

[Inna Minnit]

Yeah, that's where I am. I guess my problem is differentiating the hate cult and the 2 time Trump voters? Or is there any difference.

I don't understand voting for him once. But if you can vote for him twice, you are at best deluded, and at worst evil. My step dad, as recently as Monday was sending me emails about the election being stolen. Democrats being for rioting until they were against it.

He's an old man. But he has swallowed the koolaid. And I can't talk to him. I don't know if I ever will be able to.

[Derleth]

A friend of mine posted something on FB to the effect of "I respect your opinions even if I don't agree with them, and I will listen to your views even if mine are different. This is America." I responded that I will listen to your views, but not your hatred. Differing opinions are fine until the other person's opinion is things like "all brown/muslim/gay/Jewish people should be eliminated from the country" or "all people should have to live within the confines of my religious beliefs." I can't respect that.I take a harder line, perhaps, in that I don't treat hate as a viewpoint and I don't treat mistaken facts or lies as a viewpoint: Anthropogenic Global Warming denial isn't a viewpoint. GMO conspiracy theories and fearmongering isn't a viewpoint. Astrology, Reiki, homeopathy, acupuncture, essential oils, and whatever else aren't viewpoints, either. Ignorance, superstition, motivated reasoning, and "faith-based" nonsense don't get to be taken seriously because someone is willing to stamp their feet and look all sad and stuff when they get called out, debunked, or completely ignored. I don't accept "alternative medicine" for the same reasons I don't accept the idea that Blacks are inherently stupid. It's all the same shit.

Compromising facts with lies doesn't get you closer to the truth, it gets you more lies.

[C2H5OH]

Sane people were able to agree to disagree or swallow their pride. Some people never did reconcile, and their great grandkids were waving confederate flags around the Capitol two weeks ago.

There are plenty of northern whites waving that rag flag around, these days. I live in rural central NY, where most of the people are descended from someone who saw that as an enemy flag, and I see that shit all the time. With the Trumpkin, it 'came out' as a symbol of racism, pure and simple. It no longer even represents "lost cause" ideas about the civil war. It's now a pure 'white supremacy' and/or 'neo-nazi' symbol. And the odd thing is, unlike the south, there are hardly any black people here*, so where does the racial hatred come from? Fuck if I know...

*40 miles away, in Syracuse (I used to live there, too), is a different story, but my county is 96.3% lilly-white, and 2.1 percent are Hispanic. Of the remaining 1.6%, only half (0.8%) are black. What is the incentive to hate on those 8 people in every thousand? Where the racial hatred, here, comes from I do not understand. But there it is, and we have virtually no-one waving that rag around who's actually descended from anyone who fought under it. Most of these local mutts are descended from someone who fought under the other flag. It is a mystery to me.

After re-reading my post before posting it, i'm thinking i should start to post it as 'confederate flag rag', instead of the 'confederate rag flag' construction i have been using.

[Derleth]

And the odd thing is, unlike the south, there are hardly any black people here*, so where does the racial hatred come from? Fuck if I know...It seems you've unknowingly answered your own question (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2705986/):Abstract

White participants were exposed to other-race or own-race faces to test the generalized mere exposure hypothesis in the domain of face perception, namely that exposure to a set of faces yields increased liking for similar faces that have never been seen. In Experiment 1, rapid supraliminal exposures to Asian faces increased White participants' subsequent liking for a different set of Asian faces. In Experiment 2, subliminal exposures to Black faces increased White participants' subsequent liking for a different set of Black faces. The findings are consistent with prominent explanations for mere exposure effects as well as with the familiar face overgeneralization hypothesis that prejudice derives in part from negative reactions to faces that deviate from the familiar own-race prototype.It seems that being more exposed to other races makes people less racist.

Another study (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4258874/):Abstract

Intergroup contact and evaluations about race-based exclusion were assessed for majority and minority students in fourth, seventh, and tenth grades (N = 685). Students were presented with scenarios depicting cross-race relations in contexts of dyadic friendship, parental discomfort, and peer group disapproval. Participants reporting higher levels of intergroup contact gave higher ratings of wrongfulness of exclusion and lower frequency estimations of race-based exclusion than did participants reporting lower levels of such contact. Intergroup contact also predicted students’ attributions of motives in two out of three scenarios. Findings are discussed in terms of the extant literature on peer relations, moral reasoning, and intergroup contact.Again, actually being around people of other races tends, overall, to make people less racist.

I don't imagine contact alone would work for deprogramming someone who's fallen into a racist cult like the Klan or the Proud Boys or similar, but most racists aren't hood-wearing swastika-tattoo racists.

[Borborygmi]

And the odd thing is, unlike the south, there are hardly any black people here*, so where does the racial hatred come from? Fuck if I know...It seems you've unknowingly answered your own question (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2705986/):
Abstract
White participants were exposed to other-race or own-race faces to test the generalized mere exposure hypothesis in the domain of face perception, namely that exposure to a set of faces yields increased liking for similar faces that have never been seen. In Experiment 1, rapid supraliminal exposures to Asian faces increased White participants' subsequent liking for a different set of Asian faces. In Experiment 2, subliminal exposures to Black faces increased White participants' subsequent liking for a different set of Black faces. The findings are consistent with prominent explanations for mere exposure effects as well as with the familiar face overgeneralization hypothesis that prejudice derives in part from negative reactions to faces that deviate from the familiar own-race prototype.

It seems that being more exposed to other races makes people less racist.

Another study (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4258874/):Abstract

Intergroup contact and evaluations about race-based exclusion were assessed for majority and minority students in fourth, seventh, and tenth grades (N = 685). Students were presented with scenarios depicting cross-race relations in contexts of dyadic friendship, parental discomfort, and peer group disapproval. Participants reporting higher levels of intergroup contact gave higher ratings of wrongfulness of exclusion and lower frequency estimations of race-based exclusion than did participants reporting lower levels of such contact. Intergroup contact also predicted students’ attributions of motives in two out of three scenarios. Findings are discussed in terms of the extant literature on peer relations, moral reasoning, and intergroup contact.Again, actually being around people of other races tends, overall, to make people less racist.

I don't imagine contact alone would work for deprogramming someone who's fallen into a racist cult like the Klan or the Proud Boys or similar, but most racists aren't hood-wearing swastika-tattoo racists.This is a good point, but I would like to add one thing:

:woop: WOOOOOOOO, JOE BIDEN IS PRESIDENT! HOW 'BOUT THAT PRESIDENCY OF HIS! :woop:

[Sputnik]

Speaking of the thread topic...

Georgia conservative Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene Thursday made good on her promise to file articles of impeachment against President Biden.

"I’ve just filed articles of impeachment on President Joe Biden, we will see how this goes," Greene said.

Greene accused Biden of "enabling bribery" and "blatant nepotism" by utilizing his son Hunter Biden’s position on the Ukrainian energy company, Burisma.

This woman is totally missing a few screws. I wonder if she'll get laughed out of the House by Pelosi.

[Derleth]

This woman is totally missing a few screws. I wonder if she'll get laughed out of the House by Pelosi.Pelosi and the rest of the majority, at least.

[BJMoose]

Where the racial hatred, here, comes from I do not understand. But there it is, and we have virtually no-one waving that rag around who's actually descended from anyone who fought under it. Most of these local mutts are descended from someone who fought under the other flag. It is a mystery to me.


Keep in mind that most abolitionists were just as racist as Southerners were.

[Derleth]

Biden removes Trump's Diet Coke button from the Oval Office (https://theweek.com/speedreads/962437/biden-removes-trumps-diet-coke-button-from-oval-office):It's the end of a very caffeinated era.

When former President Donald Trump occupied the Oval Office, he quite literally had a button on his desk that ordered a Diet Coke to the room whenever it was pressed. But as a glimpse at President Biden's desk just hours after his inauguration shows, the soda-summoning button is gone.Restoring the dignity of the office, one step at a time.

[Rat Diva]

I wondered why he didn't just have a mini-fridge in there somewhere, but then I realized Idiot Boy probably wanted his Diet Coke in a Waterford tumbler with just so many ice cubes, hand-delivered on a silver tray by a butler in full rigout.

Just like he couldn't use normal Sharpies to sign executive orders and change hurricane strike zones. They had to be his special Sharpies with his signature emblazoned on them in gold. :wanker:

[Sputnik]

Major and Champ (pictured in the OP) haven't made the move to the White House yet. I actually read that on one of the news sites. I much prefer reading about Biden's dogs to trumpy's tantrums.

Like Seth Meyers said, "the world, I see colors again!" These are wonderful times.

[Swammerdami]

Good analysis, but our situation today is different in that the enemy isn’t concentrated in a particular geographic region, and we don’t have the option of not letting certain States elect their own representatives until they shape up.

But in general, yes, unity after the Civil War was eventually achieved by a deal to let the South keep slavery in all but name, in return for the Democrats dropping their challenge to the Presidential election results of 1876. It worked out great for all the white people involved. So I’m hoping we can improve on that model.

True. HOWEVER there is a geographic component to our electoral dysfunction in that the Blacks of Dixie — in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, and South Carolina — are often disenfranchised by Republican malfeasance. And 340,000 Blacks in District of Columbia are completely disenfranchised from electing Congresspeople.

At a minimum, I'd like to see statehood for D.C. and P.R., and attempts to restore the Voting Rights Act and related court orders. If SCOTUS proves an obstacle (and no hero steps forth with a 2nd Amendment solution), the D's should pack the Court while they can.

[3acres]

Biden says he's going to replace the federal fleet with electric vehicles. That sort of thing might "prime the pump" for a jump in volume in the EV market.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/biden-says-he-will-replace-the-entire-federal-fleet-with-electric-vehicles/ar-BB1d77lW

[BJMoose]

Now that sounds like a good idea.

Big Oil will kill it, of course.

[3acres]

Biden says Trump should not receive intelligence briefings
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/biden-says-trump-should-not-receive-intelligence-briefings/ar-BB1dr9Fr
From the article:
In Friday’s interview, O’Donnell pressed Biden on his past characterizations of Trump.

“You’ve called him an existential threat. You’ve called him dangerous. You’ve called him reckless,” she said.

Biden replied, “Yeah, I have. And I believe it.”



And in yesterday's press conference (https://youtube.com/watch?v=x3weVbtIRBQ), they announced President Biden will resume weekly "fireside chats" on White House social media.

[Rat Diva]

I love simple declarative sentences from a politician.

[Derleth]

The White House says Trans Rights (https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/jen-psaki-biden-trans-executive-order-b1799934.html):A White House spokesperson has responded to backlash over Joe Biden's executive order regarding transgender children competing in athletics in schools.

During a press briefing on Tuesday, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, was asked about what message Mr Biden's executive order should send to cis and transgender female athletes.

"The president believes that trans rights are human rights," Ms Psaki responded before referring the reporter to individual institutions for how they'll treat their athletic programmes.

The executive order under scrutiny, entitled the "Executive Order on Preventing and Combating Discrimination on the Basis of Gender Identity or Sexual Orientation", was signed by Mr Biden in January.

[snip]

Mr Biden's executive order builds on the Supreme Court's decision by extending protections to students by prohibiting sex discrimination in federally funded schools.It's good to have people at the White House who know how to talk to the press, and who have good things to say.

[Guinastasia]

I'm lucky -- most of my close family members hate Trump, although I do get tired of talking politics all the time. Especially with my father -- he's obsessed. Let's hope Trump will go away, at least enough that conversation around here will get back to normal!

I honestly just want a boring presidency once again, at least compared to Trump. People talk about "Sleepy Joe"? It's better than "Manic Donald".

[Flying Squid with Goggles]

I wish DJT would go away, but I'm concerned that he won't (or can't, depending on his myopia and psychology)

[Sputnik]

I don't think he'll be back. He lacks his microphone and his ability to communicate with his social media bans. The Dems are now equating trump followers with Capitol rioters, and that's not going to buff out no matter how hard he tries.

[Solfy]

People talk about "Sleepy Joe"? It's better than "Coked up Donald".
FTFY

Someone wrote an op ed into the free community newspaper (I didn't even know that was a thing you could do) about how he misses Rump already and how Biden has made everything - yes everything - worse already. Economy in shambles, record high unemployment, waves of immigrants crashing the border, free speech eliminated, etc. For such a sleepy guy, he's really freaking powerful if he could do all that in less than three weeks.

[3acres]

For such a sleepy guy, he's really freaking powerful if he could do all that in less than three weeks.

That's fundamental fascist folklore right there. The enemy is weak and worthless, but simultaneously an overwhelming power. Like pathetic sniveling Jews controlling the world. It doesn't make sense, but it doesn't have to make sense as long as it stimulates and enrages the reptile part of the True Believers' brains.

[Katriona]

People talk about "Sleepy Joe"? It's better than "Coked up Donald".
FTFY

Someone wrote an op ed into the free community newspaper (I didn't even know that was a thing you could do) about how he misses Rump already and how Biden has made everything - yes everything - worse already. Economy in shambles, record high unemployment, waves of immigrants crashing the border, free speech eliminated, etc. For such a sleepy guy, he's really freaking powerful if he could do all that in less than three weeks.

Reminds me of the nut bars who claimed Obama conjured up Hurricane Sandy for his re-election. Hells yeah, I’m gonna vote for the dude who controls the weather!

[BrickaBracka]

Stark Contrast (https://i.redd.it/a2p004h24ji61.jpg)

Wiping the baby's ass even though he just puked in your face. Sometimes the baby never grows up.

[Lounsbury]

Biden says he's going to replace the federal fleet with electric vehicles. That sort of thing might "prime the pump" for a jump in volume in the EV market.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/biden-says-he-will-replace-the-entire-federal-fleet-with-electric-vehicles/ar-BB1d77lW

By economics - although depending on intepretation of what specific vehicles, etc it is not particularly feasible.

However, a more flexible approach with hybrid as well as electric (and reasonable carve out for certain applications/geographies to allow for ICE vehicles) it could indeed be of substantial utility to accelerate the economies of scale.

This needs to be at the same time with substantial transmission infrastructure investment to debalkanize your grid which remains a 1950s construct across broad swaths (see Texas of course, for very 1950s reasons) and as well substantial RE / non-coal generation investment along with substantial grid stabilisation infra investment.

Now that sounds like a good idea.

Big Oil will kill it, of course.

1970s Left boogiemen aside, what can kill this is sheer impracticality if taken on face value

However the Biden administration seems to be competently pragmatic and technically competent such that while the headline and press summary would cause me normally to roll my eyes, I should expect a pragmatic deployment of the concept.

Of course they must smartly get private investment on-board but the trends are in support, it's not 1970 nor 1980 nor even 1990 any more. Smart investment money already wants to go in these directions.

[3acres]

They said on the NewsHour that Merrick Garland was confirmed as the US Attorney General today. And that the House passed the COVID relief bill. Sounds like there's some good stuff for families with children in it, along with the checks and unemployment extensions.

[Derleth]

They said on the NewsHour that Merrick Garland was confirmed as the US Attorney General today.The Republicans kept him out of the Supreme Court.

They wouldn't even hold confirmation hearings.

Now, he's back, and he's gonna start institutin' some prosecutin' up and down their traitorous hides.

Garland: This Time, It's Personal

[Helena]

He doesn't strike me as a vengeful guy. But he doesn't need to be. There will be plenty to prosecute without even trying very hard.

[JackieLikesVariety]

He doesn't strike me as a vengeful guy. But he doesn't need to be. There will be plenty to prosecute without even trying very hard.

lord, I hope so. but how long have we been hearing "he's gotten away with everything before, but NOW will be different" ??

[BrickaBracka]

Is there any limitation to nominations to the Supreme Court? Could Garland be renominated again later? It's not like he was considered unfit...they literally stalled the process and it never completed.

[C2H5OH]

Is there any limitation to nominations to the Supreme Court? Could Garland be renominated again later? It's not like he was considered unfit...they literally stalled the process and it never completed.

Yes, he can be renominated later. It's happened before, but I can't remember if anyone was confirmed on the second try, and am too lazy to look it up.

[Sputnik]

I'd like to take this opportunity to offer a quote from the past. ...:)

“Running against the worst candidate in the history of presidential politics puts pressure on me,” Trump told supporters at an airport campaign rally in Macon, Georgia. “Could you imagine if I lose? My whole life – what am I going to do? I’m going to say I lost to the worst candidate in the history of politics.”

Trump said he might not feel so good after an election loss to Biden. “Maybe I have to leave the country, I don’t know,” he joked.

[Slate]

Is there any limitation to nominations to the Supreme Court? Could Garland be renominated again later? It's not like he was considered unfit...they literally stalled the process and it never completed.

He'll be 72 if he completes a full term as AG, so it almost certainly won't happen. I wish it would, though, just as a 'fuck you' to the unAmerican scum who blocked him.

[thorny locust]

If there's an opening, I'm sure he could resign and be replaced as Attorney General once he was confirmed for the Court.

When there'll be an opening is another question, of course; as is whether he and Biden would think Garland was the best pick at the time.

[BrickaBracka]

The fact it's unfathomable to remove one of the recently installed buffoons is sad.

[Swammerdami]

Yes, he can be renominated later. It's happened before, but I can't remember if anyone was confirmed on the second try, and am too lazy to look it up.

It's the answer to a different question, but three years passed between the first nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to be a federal judge, and his eventual appointment in 2006. Kavanaugh was an unqualified highly-partisan hack. (His main experience was working under Starr in the inquisition that eventually impeached Clinton for a blow job.)