President Joe Biden

FYI the rcp average has Biden underwater favorable/dis for the first time. Gallup has him tied but most of the polls taken recently have him pretty far under in line with trumpian numbers.
 
Ka-boom look who stepped in the room. But come on... it shouldn't have come to this for dem leaders to realize that letting Bernie write a $3.5 trillion dollar give-away to progressive interest groups was never going to fly.

 
Ka-boom look who stepped in the room. But come on... it shouldn't have come to this for dem leaders to realize that letting Bernie write a $3.5 trillion dollar give-away to progressive interest groups was never going to fly.

Pretty damn close to flying if the only one on that side against it is Sinema.
 
Pretty damn close to flying if the only one on that side against it is Sinema.


In order to keep from inflaming the progressives the bipartisan infrastructure bill while it was being hammered out in the Senate, I think it made sense to let progressives have a chance to write up some serious legislation that folks can get behind. Rather than use the opportunity to put together something that might be passable they picked the number 3.5 out of the air and started writing up a naughty/nice list of how they were going to split up the cheddar...

So into that context, I would comment that just because only Sinema was the one telling Emperor Bernie that he's wearing no clothes on this $3.5 trillion giveaway... that perhaps this is more about the cowardly disposition of moderate politicians; then it is of support of Biden's economic agenda.
 
A lot of talk about who won, moderates or progressives this morning. My two cents is the Infrastructure bill has now been decoupled from the Bernie bill... and a timetable has been created. I.e. Progressives seemingly have agreed to let Pelosi out of her promise to bring their bill up first? And for Progressives this leaves them room to sell America on 'human' infrastructure. They keep telling us everyone wants it, so this is their chance to put something together that has legs. (Or conversely this could also be seen as them being given enough rope to hang themselves with).

Honestly progressives spend a lot of time telling us what great people they are. But the way they handled this recession reminds me of stories about missionaries going to disaster areas and making people watch religious videos if you want to receive aid. Trying to piggy back all this government spending on the back of fixing roads strikes me as an odd way to pass legislation that you claim people really really want.

 
A lot of talk about who won, moderates or progressives this morning. My two cents is the Infrastructure bill has now been decoupled from the Bernie bill... and a timetable has been created. I.e. Progressives seemingly have agreed to let Pelosi out of her promise to bring their bill up first? And for Progressives this leaves them room to sell America on 'human' infrastructure. They keep telling us everyone wants it, so this is their chance to put something together that has legs. (Or conversely this could also be seen as them being given enough rope to hang themselves with).

Honestly progressives spend a lot of time telling us what great people they are. But the way they handled this recession reminds me of stories about missionaries going to disaster areas and making people watch religious videos if you want to receive aid. Trying to piggy back all this government spending on the back of fixing roads strikes me as an odd way to pass legislation that you claim people really really want.

Sorry but I have been hearing and reading about “conservatives” telling us what “the American people want”, “what the American people believe” for decades. And it’s usually something that benefits and or favors Christians or the wealthy. On the other side we are told what we need and many of those things have turned out quite well for “the American people”. Social Security, bank regulation, social services, work place regulations, safety measures, national infrastructure, etc. What has “conservatism done for “the American people”?
 
Sorry but I have been hearing and reading about “conservatives” telling us what “the American people want”, “what the American people believe” for decades. And it’s usually something that benefits and or favors Christians or the wealthy. On the other side we are told what we need and many of those things have turned out quite well for “the American people”. Social Security, bank regulation, social services, work place regulations, safety measures, national infrastructure, etc. What has “conservatism done for “the American people”?
When you let go of fear
the truth will appear
so simple and clear
 
Sorry but I have been hearing and reading about “conservatives” telling us what “the American people want”, “what the American people believe” for decades. And it’s usually something that benefits and or favors Christians or the wealthy. On the other side we are told what we need and many of those things have turned out quite well for “the American people”. Social Security, bank regulation, social services, work place regulations, safety measures, national infrastructure, etc. What has “conservatism done for “the American people”?

I agree, conservatives were just as bad. But that's sort of why I'm on this moderate trip as of late... the two parties have both become dysfunctional.

Moreover, can't help but wonder are you happy with how things are going Husker? The talk of massive deficit spending, the angry partisanship, Afghanistan? When I think about it, part of me wants to see the Dems take another crack at fixing things like health care. The other part of me worries they are like the gang who couldn't shoot straight, and will make it worse with their good intentions. Like they are doing with the boarder, and our international reputation.
 
I agree, conservatives were just as bad. But that's sort of why I'm on this moderate trip as of late... the two parties have both become dysfunctional.

Moreover, can't help but wonder are you happy with how things are going Husker? The talk of massive deficit spending, the angry partisanship, Afghanistan? When I think about it, part of me wants to see the Dems take another crack at fixing things like health care. The other part of me worries they are like the gang who couldn't shoot straight, and will make it worse with their good intentions. Like they are doing with the boarder, and our international reputation.
The parties seem to be following each other in to ineffectiveness. The GOP has gone so far off the tracks all the dems need to do is act like adults. With the GOP focusing solely on winning at all costs and having no platform besides kissing the ring (or is it ass?) while gaslighting harder everyday the dems have little incentive to do much more than to point fingers, hold up mirrors and hand microphones to those on the right.
Our military was never going to be very effective in Afghanistan with their hands tied. The withdrawal started horribly without proper structure, guidance nor oversight. The military has now kicked it up a notch or two and is doing better. Better isn’t great, just better.
Deficit spending? Gimme a break! If it’s tax cuts or subsidies for the wealthy it’s good. If it’s modernization of infrastructure of all types that will benefit everyone it’s communism and scary bad. Both parties are subservient to big money not “We the people”. Get money out of politics or the downward spiral will continue. Citizen’s United was a major blow to democracy.
Most people don’t understand they are being manipulated by those monied interests. Through research groups, think tanks, psychology and focus groups propaganda is formulated to sway our opinions. The tobacco industry, big pharma, fossil fuel and various other industries have us convinced they are good guys who want what’s best for society instead of the shareholder driven race for profit above all else.
I’ll step down from the soap box now.
 
I guess this is the smart and savy foreign policy experience we were lacking under T.


The adults are back in charge, baby!

U.S. officials in Kabul gave the Taliban a list of names of American citizens, green card holders and Afghan allies to grant entry into the militant-controlled outer perimeter of the city's airport, a choice that's prompted outrage behind the scenes from lawmakers and military officials.

The move, detailed to POLITICO by three U.S. and congressional officials, was designed to expedite the evacuation of tens of thousands of people from Afghanistan as chaos erupted in Afghanistan's capital city last week after the Taliban seized control of the country. It also came as the Biden administration has been relying on the Taliban for security outside the airport.

But the decision to provide specific names to the Taliban, which has a history of brutally murdering Afghans who collaborated with the U.S. and other coalition forces during the conflict, has angered lawmakers and military officials.

"Basically, they just put all those Afghans on a kill list," said one defense official, who like others spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic. "It's just appalling and shocking and makes you feel unclean."
 
The parties seem to be following each other in to ineffectiveness. The GOP has gone so far off the tracks all the dems need to do is act like adults. With the GOP focusing solely on winning at all costs and having no platform besides kissing the ring (or is it ass?) while gaslighting harder everyday the dems have little incentive to do much more than to point fingers, hold up mirrors and hand microphones to those on the right.
Our military was never going to be very effective in Afghanistan with their hands tied. The withdrawal started horribly without proper structure, guidance nor oversight. The military has now kicked it up a notch or two and is doing better. Better isn’t great, just better.
Deficit spending? Gimme a break! If it’s tax cuts or subsidies for the wealthy it’s good. If it’s modernization of infrastructure of all types that will benefit everyone it’s communism and scary bad. Both parties are subservient to big money not “We the people”. Get money out of politics or the downward spiral will continue. Citizen’s United was a major blow to democracy.
Most people don’t understand they are being manipulated by those monied interests. Through research groups, think tanks, psychology and focus groups propaganda is formulated to sway our opinions. The tobacco industry, big pharma, fossil fuel and various other industries have us convinced they are good guys who want what’s best for society instead of the shareholder driven race for profit above all else.
I’ll step down from the soap box now.

Sadly Husker, I would guess even more people then you might think "don't understand they are being manipulated by monied interests."
 
I guess this is the smart and savy foreign policy experience we were lacking under T.


The adults are back in charge, baby!

Ugh. Rather then more empty threats about never forgetting as we slink away, I'd prefer to see some heads start rolling. Even Trump got talked out of an Afghanistan withdraw and to instead open up dialogue. I know Trump didn't think that up on his own... so my vote is we get that same person who frog marched 45 through middle east policy... in there talking to Biden.
 
Ugh. Rather then more empty threats about never forgetting as we slink away, I'd prefer to see some heads start rolling. Even Trump got talked out of an Afghanistan withdraw and to instead open up dialogue. I know Trump didn't think that up on his own... so my vote is we get that same person who frog marched 45 through middle east policy... in there talking to Biden.
The trump "withdrawal" was 1 MAY, conditions based and with a different stay behind profile. It's obvious that he routinely did his own thing but that there were some professionals who had his ear. He certainly didn't believe or trust the entrenched General Officer class who routinely advocated for more troops and more resources into Afghanistan. Trump at least didn't succumb to the same onslaught that was given to the two previous administrations. Money and our national treasure shouldn't be used to reinforce terrible foreign policy. 20 years is enough.

Any drawdown of forces in Afghanistan was going to require Taliban cooperation. What we are seeing now is complete incompetence, at many and all levels within our government. As is the norm, the US Military is left to figure things out on the ground. Pentagon leadership has shown their inability to influence civilian oversight and are stuck carrying out an already complex mission with one hand behind their back.

It was/is/has been time to leave Afghanistan. No amount of money, training, modernization is ever going to galvanize a country that doesn't have a national identify. The Taliban will not have influence outside of the major cities, just like the previous Afghan government, and the Taliban before that.

Many talking heads who are puffing up their chest have never placed a ruck on their back and walked those streets. There is no doubt a withdrawal needed to be conducted in a manner that clearly demonstrated our lethal capacity. That didn't happen, likely not going to happen, and will paint a picture of weakness to many in that part of the world.
 
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