U.S. Politics

[OutByEaster?]

5 hours ago, El Zen said:

Is Joe Biden quietly proving himself the most progressive, dare I say best, US president since the days of LBJ, JFK or even FDR? 

Just throwing it out there. He might just be outperforming my low expectations based on him having the public appearance of an old, semi-demented fuddy duddy, but I think his presidency is very interesting. 

I know this might just be me, but I'm struggling to think of a single thing he's done. I know he's out there ''Presidenting' but America seems to be so stifled by its political structure that I'm struggling to think of anything that's actually been introduced or changed under his watch. That might well be due to the way in which the more sensational aspects of American politics receive the most coverage over here, but can you tell me what you feel he's achieved at this point in his Presidency?

 

[El Zen]

10 minutes ago, OutByEaster? said:

I know this might just be me, but I'm struggling to think of a single thing he's done. I know he's out there ''Presidenting' but America seems to be so stifled by its political structure that I'm struggling to think of anything that's actually been introduced or changed under his watch. That might well be due to the way in which the more sensational aspects of American politics receive the most coverage over here, but can you tell me what you feel he's achieved at this point in his Presidency?

 

He just pardoned all federal convictions for marijuana possession. I didn’t see that coming at all, but it’s a big freaking deal. 

He and the Dems have finally been able to pass legislation that increases taxes for big corp, strengthens medicare on prescription drug prices, expands the ACA, gives massive subsidies to green tech, student loan relief, infrastructure programmes etc etc, and his own agenda is even more ambitiously progressive still in terms of gun control, abortion rights, LGBTQ rights, social programmes and so on. 

You’re obviously right the partisan gridlock is mindnumbingly stifling for real progress, but Biden’s agenda is worthy of praise, and lately he’s actually getting a few things done. 

[ender4]

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/nov/09/biden-and-his-senators-are-oldest-in-us-history-what-is-stopping-younger-generation-breaking-through

Quote

Biden is the oldest sitting president in US history. Meanwhile, the current US Senate is the oldest in history, with an average age of 64.3 years. Dianne Feinstein, the oldest senator, is 88 and has held her California seat since 1992. She is closely followed by the Iowa senator Chuck Grassley, also 88, who has been in his job for four decades. Six senators are at least 80; 23 are in their 70s.

The US system massively favours incumbents: members of the US Congress are typically re-elected about 90% of the time. That breeds complacency. It can also breed myopia. 

What matters is having a government that represents the people it serves. Age limits won’t solve that, nor will cognitive tests, but reassessing our ideas about leadership might. Truly great leaders are not the people who cling to power the longest; they are the ones willing to pass the baton to a new generation.

 

[TheAuthority]

2 hours ago, OutByEaster? said:

I know this might just be me, but I'm struggling to think of a single thing he's done. I know he's out there ''Presidenting' but America seems to be so stifled by its political structure that I'm struggling to think of anything that's actually been introduced or changed under his watch. That might well be due to the way in which the more sensational aspects of American politics receive the most coverage over here, but can you tell me what you feel he's achieved at this point in his Presidency?

 

To add to @El Zen 's points, his child tax credit reduced the number of children living below the poverty line by 30 %.

Of course the GOP stopped congress from renewing it at the end of 2021, because you know, if you're not a fetus you should pull yourself up by your velcro straps.

[ender4]

1 hour ago, TheAuthority said:

To add to @El Zen 's points, his child tax credit reduced the number of children living below the poverty line by 30 %.

Of course the GOP stopped congress from renewing it at the end of 2021, because you know, if you're not a fetus you should pull yourself up by your velcro straps.

I don’t know why they always have benefits that lapse unless you renew it.  Why not just introduce something forever?

[sidcow]

But has he built any walls? 

[TheAuthority]

35 minutes ago, ender4 said:

I don’t know why they always have benefits that lapse unless you renew it.  Why not just introduce something forever?

Budgets can be negotiated.

To put something into law is much more difficult when about 1/3rd of the country is overly represented in Congress and believe that anyone who isn't rich should be despised. Gilead is the goal for some fo these retards.

[Chindie]

Alex Jones second Sandy Hook defamation trial has just ended with him getting a bill of nearly a billion dollars.

Of course that figure will never, ever be paid, it might even be against state law to award that level of damages, but either way it's nice to see the clearing in the woods getting hammered.

[nick76]

Trump officially subpoenaed to the Jan 6th committee.  Shame it’ll never actually happen, would be hilarious.

[cyrusr]

2 hours ago, nick76 said:

Trump officially subpoenaed to the Jan 6th committee.  Shame it’ll never actually happen, would be hilarious.

If he doesn’t attend though, it’s a criminal offence and means he won’t be able to run for office again. I suspect he’ll attend and try to make a show trial out of it but I don’t have the highest hope that the committee will be as robust as say the Judges have been with Alex Jones.

[TheAuthority]

59 minutes ago, cyrusr said:

If he doesn’t attend though, it’s a criminal offence and means he won’t be able to run for office again. I suspect he’ll attend and try to make a show trial out of it but I don’t have the highest hope that the committee will be as robust as say the Judges have been with Alex Jones.

Won't he just plead the 5th to everything?

[cyrusr]

31 minutes ago, TheAuthority said:

Won't he just plead the 5th to everything?

Possibly. To be honest it’s just utterly frustrating that it’s only now that the law is catching up. Frustratingly slow. 

[TheAuthority]

44 minutes ago, cyrusr said:

Possibly. To be honest it’s just utterly frustrating that it’s only now that the law is catching up. Frustratingly slow. 

And half of the country don't believe it's legitimate - including the minority leader of the house.

It's a shit sandwich beyond belief. 

[TheAuthority]

In economic news, interest rates on a 30 year mortgage over here hit 6.52% this week. That is the highest since 2008.

We should see a cooling in the housing market (about bloody time.)

The fed (during both Obama and Trumps Presidency's) should have been slowly and methodically raising interest rates since about 2012 when it was obvious that the economy was recovering. Instead we've had a decade of soaring, runaway success with cheap money and we had to slam the handbrake on, pump the brakes and deploy 8 parachutes all in the space of 6 months.

It's been handled absolutely recklessly IMO.

Edited October 14, 2022 by TheAuthority

[BleedClaretAndBlue]

 

[nick76]

8 hours ago, cyrusr said:

If he doesn’t attend though, it’s a criminal offence and means he won’t be able to run for office again. I suspect he’ll attend and try to make a show trial out of it but I don’t have the highest hope that the committee will be as robust as say the Judges have been with Alex Jones.

Nah I meant if the Republicans win the house which is still likely they’ll shut down the committee or at least change direction, so Trump just has to delay until then.  If Dems win the house then it might be interesting but I don’t think that’s likely.

[cyrusr]

27 minutes ago, nick76 said:

Nah I meant if the Republicans win the house which is still likely they’ll shut down the committee or at least change direction, so Trump just has to delay until then.  If Dems win the house then it might be interesting but I don’t think that’s likely.

Oh that makes sense. 
 

To be honest though, it just reinforces how slow the whole process has been. It’s been nearly 2 years and they are now only just subpoenaed Trump. Most of the evidence is already available and they really could have had this done dusted with. Instead we’re now at a stage where it is at massive risk that it will get ended without proper resolution.

Edited October 14, 2022 by cyrusr

[nick76]

13 minutes ago, cyrusr said:

Oh that makes sense. 
 

To be honest though, it just reinforces how slow the whole process has been. It’s been nearly 2 years and they are now only just subpoenaed Trump. Most of the evidence is already available and they really could have had this done dusted with. Instead we’re now at a stage where it is at massive risk that it will get ended without proper resolution.

I think that’s the whole point to be honest.  Despite how bad it is I never thought anything of note would happen to Trump in relation to Jan 6th.  Somehow he’s been able to normalise anything he has ever done. But some of his allies will suffer and maybe get some jail time but Trump is the biggest Teflon ever.  

For me, I assumed this Jan 6th committee was all about the midterms, they knew that despite Trump committing crimes he was never going to pay for it so they used the Jan 6th to benefit the Dems for midterms if they could hence why the hearings have been delayed until this year.  

It won’t change MAGA heads but it might get moderates to definitely vote for Dems, the Dems who don’t always vote to vote this time and maybe some laws changed and maybe to get something in law that stops Trump from running again in 2024.

Trump’s come to Jesus moment was never coming from this but from his other legal issues if he was ever going to suffer.

[LondonLax]

Things seem to be going well in Trumpland

 

 

[villakram]

Got to keep those donors happy.

https://www.reuters.com/world/us-congress-progressives-withdraw-letter-urging-negotiations-end-ukraine-war-2022-10-25/

"The U.S. Congressional Progressive Caucus withdrew a letter to the White House urging a negotiated settlement to the war in Ukraine, the group's chairperson, Democratic Representative Pramila Jayapal, said on Tuesday." 

It may have been an old draft and leaked by someone with an agenda, but to think that the only thing the "progressives" can do is run away from it like it's on fire is sad. Bombs away!