Biden speaking live. Any minute!
I wonder if we will hear the words “fucking rogue Supreme Court”?
Open thread.
This post is in: Biden Administration in Action, Open Threads, Politics
Biden speaking live. Any minute!
I wonder if we will hear the words “fucking rogue Supreme Court”?
Open thread.
This post is in: Activist Judges!, Biden Administration in Action, LGBTQ Rights Are Human Rights, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat
?????? Cities in Chile, Canada and India mark Pride Month with events and parades pic.twitter.com/YYxBqv8FM7
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 26, 2023
Disregard anyone who tries to tell you both parties are the same. https://t.co/Egrl5xkZhk
— Jean-Michel Connard ?? (@torriangray) June 27, 2023
republicans: trans people should be sentenced to death
democrats: what? no.
nate: hmm such a polarized debate.— Jean-Michel Connard ?? (@torriangray) June 27, 2023
It’s gonna be a bumpy ride…
Biden on MSNBC: "I think if we start the process of trying to expand the court, we're gonna politicize it maybe forever in a way that's not healthy." pic.twitter.com/Gwu72kWK0l
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 29, 2023
Biden: "The last administration tried to direct the court, tried to push the court — whether it was the fed or the court or institutions that we're supposed to stay hands off. So I've never engaged in that. It's not my role to do that." pic.twitter.com/AyrzyDttys
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 29, 2023
For decades, the Supreme Court recognized a college’s freedom to decide how to build a diverse student body and provide opportunity.
Today, the Court walked away from precedent, effectively ending affirmative action in higher education.
I strongly disagree with this decision.
— President Biden (@POTUS) June 29, 2023
Today, I want to offer some guidance to our nation’s colleges as they review their admissions systems after today’s Supreme Court decision:
They should not abandon their commitment to ensure student bodies of diverse backgrounds and experience that reflect all of America. pic.twitter.com/zrsCl8s1Jd
— President Biden (@POTUS) June 29, 2023
538 has upgraded polling averages!
All of our models, including for the 2024 GOP primary, Biden & Harris job approval, and many candidates’ favorability ratings, update automatically on the polls page: https://t.co/4mBIRY19dR
And here’s our methodology: https://t.co/KUgLq00Dq0
— G Elliott Morris (@gelliottmorris) June 28, 2023
(More Than Ever) TGIFriday Open Thread: Another Month Almost OverPost + Comments (286)
This post is in: Biden Administration in Action, LGBTQ Rights Are Human Rights, Open Threads, Show Us on the Doll Where the Invisible Hand Touched You
As Attorney General of California, I pronounced Kris and Sandy spouses for life after their lawsuit struck down California’s ban on marriage equality.
10 years later, our nation is a more joyful place because LGBTQI+ people have the right to marry the person they love. pic.twitter.com/PcmPXbkDK3
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) June 28, 2023
Tonight is bigger than the game. pic.twitter.com/7R3NxpQcb5
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) June 28, 2023
The GOP tried their best to make it a slur, but it’s hard to convince people that more jobs and higher salaries is a negative…
This is Bidenomics, folks. pic.twitter.com/nmATaelkw4
— President Biden (@POTUS) June 28, 2023
OMB Director Shalanda Young says on CNN that for two years "prognosticators" have predicted a recession, which she still thinks won't happen:
"Not when you see jobs numbers like this. Not when you see wage growth like this. That is just not consistent with a recession."
— ryan teague beckwith (@ryanbeckwith) June 28, 2023
They're already not going to. We avoided a Lost Decade this time, even if inflation persists for a bit. What's going into the history books is the epic policy failure of 2008-18. Which is why those involved in that have been such vocal critics this time:https://t.co/8RZD1LKkBM https://t.co/TL5VgnsDJS
— Mark Copelovitch (@mcopelov) June 28, 2023
The other thing that will go into the history books is the dire political consequences of the epic economic policy failure of 2008-16. Which, again, is why those involved have been such vocal critics of Biden/Powell's vastly superior policies this time:https://t.co/AwCUksgavb
— Mark Copelovitch (@mcopelov) June 28, 2023
Professional ankle-nipper Matt Viser is sad that President Biden refuses to provide the tremendous content TFG so generally gifted the media — “Embracing ‘Bidenomics,’ president seeks to turn insult into strength”:
President Biden was midway through a recent speech at a labor rally when he turned to an explanation of a kitchen-table economic philosophy that he says was formed, literally, at his parents’ kitchen table. “The press has now called [it] ‘Bidenomics,’” he said. “I don’t know what the hell that is.”
The crowd laughed as he offered, “But it’s working.”
Two weeks later, the White House has mobilized an entire week around elaborating on, reclaiming and defining just what Bidenomics is — something they have cast expansively as broadening and benefiting the middle class.
On Wednesday, the president delivered a major speech on his economic vision, with an eye toward the 2024 campaign. It followed a four-page memo from senior advisers that highlighted the concept, with subheads including “Bidenomics is working” and “The American people strongly support Bidenomics.”…
“This vision is a fundamental break with the economic theory that has failed Americans for the last four decades now,” Biden said. “The trickle-down failed the middle class. It failed America. People working as hard as ever couldn’t get ahead.”
Instead, Biden touted policies that he said have helped average Americans and created millions of jobs, including a bipartisan infrastructure bill and legislation to increase computer chip manufacturing. Earlier this week, Biden announced a $42 billion effort to expand internet access across the country…
Embracing a term that was intended as an insult is a bit of political jujitsu familiar to Biden supporters, who had some success turning “Let’s go Brandon” — originally shorthand for an expletive directed at the president — into “Dark Brandon,” a meme of an all-powerful, edgier version of Biden.
The effort is also reminiscent of Biden’s onetime partner in the White House. Obamacare, referring to the health-care law signed by President Barack Obama in 2010, was first used by Republicans to express their contempt for the Affordable Care Act, which they saw as an overbearing government program that would intrude on Americans’ medical decisions…
White House officials, in emphasizing Biden’s focus on the middle class, are consciously making a foil of Reagan’s professed aim of shrinking government and cutting taxes, including for the well-off.
“If Reaganomics was based on the idea that if you cut taxes for the wealthiest corporations, the wealthiest people in the society, and then at some point the remnants of those will trickle down to the middle class and the working class, Bidenomics is the exact opposite,” Anita Dunn, one of Biden’s top advisers, said Monday on MSNBC. “Bidenomics says that the way you grow the economy, in this economy, is you grow the middle class.”
Asked if the White House is confident the recasting of Bidenomics could change public perception about Biden’s stewardship of the economy, Jean-Pierre responded, “We’re going to try.”
‘Don’t these Democrats understand that the GOP owns the economy, at least when it’s good?’
Bidenomics vs. MAGA Republicans’ failed trickle-down policies: pic.twitter.com/nXO5pcrXGd
— The Democrats (@TheDemocrats) June 28, 2023
Thursday Morning Open Thread: Okay, We’ll Call It BidenomicsPost + Comments (120)
This post is in: Biden Administration in Action, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Guest Posts, Politics
by schrodingers_cat
Indian Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi is in DC for a state visit complete with a state dinner. This is definitely a public relations coup for the PM and India’s foreign policy apparatus. PM’s party the BJP suffered a humiliating defeat in an important state level election and is defensive about the ongoing violence in the state of Manipur. There was also a railway accident which took the lives of several hundred so this international visit comes at politically opportune time for the PM and his party. However as an Indian American this does not make me happy. In fact it is one of the rare decisions by the Biden administration that I disagree with.
Ultimately dealing with the PM of India is up to Indian voters and not US President. But this visit does confer legitimacy to the oft repeated claim by the PM’s fanatical followers or bhakts(devotees) that their PM is a respected global leader. The PM and his party will face the voters in less than a year’s time in 2024. Hosting the PM of India at this juncture is like hosting Bolsanaro for a state dinner just before the Brazilian elections.
I am a staunch Biden supporter I voted for him both in the primaries and in the general election. I also recognize that Biden is an old foreign policy hand. During his senate career he served as the chair of foreign relations committee so he gets the benefit of doubt from me. I will wait before I pass judgment about whether this helps or hurts US interests.
If the BJP can repeat its performance in the last two elections and go on to form a government on its own strength we can say without a doubt that India as we know it would be in great danger. It would be a win for an extremely ugly authoritarian ideology which derives inspiration from some of the most disastrous ideologies of the 20th century, Nazism and fascism. In its 9 years in power the current ruling dispensation has been ripping and poking the delicate seams that hold India together trying to remake it into something that it has never been in its long history, a cultural monolith. I have written about some of those attempts after Modi’s re-election here, and here. They are unlikely to succeed at the task that has been attempted without success many a time in the subcontinent’s history but they can and will continue to inflict a lot of harm putting their ideology into action.
The damage will not just be to the minorities and the weakest sections of the society riven by differences of caste, class and language but also to the dominant castes that make up the base of the BJP. By damage I mean death and destruction on a scale that will eclipse the partition of India. It may seem like hyperbole to you, it does to me even as I read back what I have just written. But we have seen this movie before and not that long ago. The party’s core ideology is that of fascism wearing a saffron garb.
India is not covered well in the US media when it is covered at all. Its politics is complex given the diversity of the nation. I have a unique perspective that many in the US media lack, I can read and am fluent in two Indian languages and follow many sources in those languages and not just the English language media. Also, I grew up in an India that was not dominated by the BJP.
Let me show you what I see. These stories are from the recent past.
Indian wrestlers being manhandled by the police for protesting against a BJP elected Loksabha member and minister in the Union cabinet for sexual assault, Brij Bhushan Singh
The ongoing ethnic violence in the northeastern state of Manipur
And then you can tell me whether my sense of alarm is unnecessary. I remain hopeful that the opposition will be able to unite and good sense will prevail upon enough numbers of people by the time the 2024 general elections roll by. I want to bear witness to what the BJP-RSS is doing in my name. And I say this because they claim to speak for all Indians, including those in the diaspora especially if they are Hindu.
Follow along on my blog and on Twitter as I take you behind the scenes and give you a perspective about India its politics, history, past. India faces one of its most important elections next year. This story is so much bigger than a mere state dinner or Modi or even the BJP. It is the battle for the soul of India and what kind of India will we see in the next 75 years.
I am compiling a list of sources and the incidents in the last 9 years that has raised my sense of alarm regarding India under BJP rule.
Thanks to Balloon Juice for front paging this post.
Guest Post: Mr. Modi Comes to WashingtonPost + Comments (105)
This post is in: Biden Administration in Action, LGBTQ Rights Are Human Rights, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat, Show Us on the Doll Where the Invisible Hand Touched You
The giant canvas pink triangle that is one of the LGBTQ+ community’s Pride month symbols in San Francisco is bigger than ever this year. Volunteers said they are taking a stand for their rights amid a national pushback from conservative lawmakers. https://t.co/teT4iTOFxY
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 22, 2023
“We don't agonize we organize. And I see some friends here: we unionize,” Pelosi says at political event at Mayflower Hotel. "Make no mistake they're out to have a national ban on abortion, overturning Roe v Wade.” Says she's off to San Fran to turn on pride colors at Bay Bridge. pic.twitter.com/Wd9mkexrm2
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) June 23, 2023
Soonergrunt is correct!
Competence in government is a choice. https://t.co/Rx1ceuRetP
— Mike Galletly (@galletly_mike) June 23, 2023
The devastation to I-95 had the potential disrupt our entire economy.
But funding made possible by the biparistan infrastructure law and skilled union workers repaired it ahead of schedule.
We are celebrating today thanks to the Biden Administration.https://t.co/rfRnzVi86L
— American Progress (@amprog) June 23, 2023
I-95 is back open in Philly in less than two weeks. ???
Democrats do infrastructure. ????
Unions get the job done. ??? pic.twitter.com/2xiU38M2Ez
— Jonathan D. Lovitz (@jdlovitz) June 23, 2023
Will democracy win? Yes, "if we fight for it," President @BarackObama tells me, adding he's optimistic about young people's attitudes. "But our existing democratic institutions are creaky and we're going to have to reform them." pic.twitter.com/sf2Jr5ay5V
— Christiane Amanpour (@amanpour) June 23, 2023
Saturday Morning Open Thread: <em>Elsewhere… </em>Post + Comments (195)
This post is in: Biden Administration in Action, Open Threads, Politics
Credit where credit is due. Uncle Joe plays the long game, and he does not for forget.
One more answer to the age-old question: “But what has he done for us lately?”
Remember when Biden headed off a railroad strike by backing a contract that not all railroad workers liked, and said he would not stop pushing for the paid sick leave they wanted? This statement is worth reading. 👇 https://t.co/gvGyiifh5Z
— Heather Cox Richardson (TDPR) (@HC_Richardson) June 23, 2023
h/t Uncle Eb in the morning thread
(bolding mine because I know you guys will never read the whole block quote)
After months of negotiations, the IBEW’s Railroad members at four of the largest U.S. freight carriers finally have what they’ve long sought but that many working people take for granted: paid sick days.
This is a big deal, said Railroad Department Director Al Russo, because the paid-sick-days issue, which nearly caused a nationwide shutdown of freight rail just before Christmas, had consistently been rejected by the carriers. It was not part of last December’s congressionally implemented update of the national collective bargaining agreement between the freight lines and the IBEW and 11 other railroad-related unions.
“We’re thankful that the Biden administration played the long game on sick days and stuck with us for months after Congress imposed our updated national agreement,” Russo said. “Without making a big show of it, Joe Biden and members of his administration in the Transportation and Labor departments have been working continuously to get guaranteed paid sick days for all railroad workers.
“We know that many of our members weren’t happy with our original agreement,” Russo said, “but through it all, we had faith that our friends in the White House and Congress would keep up the pressure on our railroad employers to get us the sick day benefits we deserve. Until we negotiated these new individual agreements with these carriers, an IBEW member who called out sick was not compensated.”
While President Joe Biden was calling on Congress in November to pass legislation to implement the agreement, he stressed that he would continue to encourage the railroads to guarantee paid sick time for their employees.
“I share workers’ concern about the inability to take leave to recover from illness or care for a sick family member,” Biden said. “I have pressed legislation and proposals to advance the cause of paid leave in my two years in office and will continue to do so.”
That pressure, plus the IBEW’s ongoing efforts, is paying off at last. The IBEW and BNSF Railway reached an agreement April 20 to grant members four short-notice, paid sick days, with the ability to also convert up to three personal days to sick days. The union reached similar understandings with CSX and Union Pacific on March 22, and with Norfolk Southern on March 10. Unused sick time at the end of a year can be paid out or rolled into a worker’s 401(k) retirement account.
Open thread.
This post is in: Biden Administration in Action, Economics, LGBTQ Rights Are Human Rights, Open Threads, Proud To Be A Democrat!
On our Street, we celebrate inclusion, belonging, and freedom of authentic self-expression. Happy #PrideMonth to all the people in our neighborhoods! ???????????????????? pic.twitter.com/4ErE22oCh4
— Sesame Street (@sesamestreet) June 12, 2023
It's funny to watch "Democrats want you to do very countercultural things" become "Democrats want you to do very normie things" as growing segments of the right go down some weird anti-LGBT rabbit hole of extreme online-ness https://t.co/XAGAGIkqOx
— Steven White (@notstevenwhite) June 13, 2023
Today’s report is good news for hard-working families. It shows continued progress tackling inflation at the same time that unemployment remains at historic lows.
Annual inflation is now at the lowest level since March 2021, and less than half of what it was last June.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) June 13, 2023
Biden boom! pic.twitter.com/DaimZMEvud
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) June 13, 2023
New report shows inflation easing today:
? Annual inflation is at lowest level since March 2021
? Inflation has come down by more than half since last June
? Gas and grocery prices have eased.
Good news for hardworking families. @POTUS statement: https://t.co/r8J5ujKR7K— Ben LaBolt (@WHCommsDir) June 13, 2023
president deals https://t.co/YdMEyGDfcM
— your himbo boyfriend (@swolecialism) June 13, 2023
The AFL-CIO congratulates Jared Bernstein's confirmation as the @WhiteHouse Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors.
Throughout his storied career, @econjared has always strived to build an economic system that works for ALL working families, not just the 0.1%
— AFL-CIO ? (@AFLCIO) June 14, 2023
Over 13 million new jobs.
The unemployment rate has remained near historic lows.
Record small business growth.We are making historic progress—now let’s finish the job. pic.twitter.com/PPhdl9mrt0
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) June 13, 2023
And, especially for WaterGirl:
https://t.co/bqMxR7mJu4 pic.twitter.com/d4Rnn6Go3P
— Patrick Chovanec (@prchovanec) June 13, 2023
Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Biden BoomPost + Comments (206)