Before getting into the actual SOTU, let me say we were both pleased to see the Capitol had been cordoned off with fencing and members of the National Guard put into place. This was a wise move given some chatter had suggested deranged Rightists might try to occupy the area with trucks like they did in Ottawa. As I wrote previously, this could not be allowed to happen given these occupations were not speech but plain old intimidation and a form of terror. If you don't buy it ask the Ottawans held captive for nearly 3 weeks, with horns blaring even at night, and being accosted on the streets.
Moving on, there's no gainsaying that in his first State of the Union address President Joe Biden impressed the hell out of us, as we watched the full hour and ten minutes. We especially loved that he derailed any stupid tropes (spread by Trump and the Right) about "sleepy Joe". For example, he wasted no time teeing off on Putin's reckless Ukraine invasion and brought viewers up to the mark on several important aspects, including that Putin and Russia will pay severely for their folly. Indeed, the world is "united against them" to the point now that $630b in mounting losses - from the 30% drop in the ruble (now worth about 1 cent) - are cratering Russia's war chest reserves - which will ultimately disable its ability for military action.
This was important to point out given too many Americans believe (wrongly) Biden ought to be doing more, like imposing "no fly" zones. Which would be an invitation to nuclear war given Putin's current erratic mental state, not too different from another autocrat's at the end of his lost election.
The one point where we had to quibble is when Biden proclaimed:
“He thought he could divide us at home in this chamber and this nation. He thought he could divide us in Europe as well. But Putin was wrong. We are ready. We are united."
Well, alas, not quite. That remains an aspiration given too many have Biden low in his polling and for the wrong reasons, as I pointed out in my first post yesterday - actually in one poll (Harris) giving any election to Trump if it were held today. Let's call a spade, a spade, that is plain batshit nuts.
But we did like when Biden asked the audience to stand to send an “unmistakable signal to Ukraine and to the world,” prompting lengthy standing applause from the crowd, many of whom were wearing blue and yellow clothing and ribbons, the colors of the Ukrainian flag. You can say one thing about Joe Biden: he is firm and passionate when he needs to be as he was last night in his opening remarks about Putin and Ukraine. Alas, the reactionary right in response to this part of the speech still resided in fantasy land. Such as today's WSJ editorial claim 'Biden Misses The Moment' yapping:
"What we also didn’t hear was a vow that Russia will not be allowed to conquer and hold Ukraine. There was no warning to Mr. Putin not to launch missiles into residential neighborhoods or surround and starve cities into submission like a medieval siege."
Of course not, dummies! Because rendering such a "vow" would have required the use of force - military force- to back it up. As Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin noted (to Lester Holt on NBC), such a move would have involved war with Russia itself- and that meant World War III. In other words, use of nukes by the Russians.
After the ignorant FOX-ified media came down on Biden like the proverbial 'ton of bricks' about the Afghan withdrawal, I warned they'd be tempted to do the same after any Putin invasion. I haven't been too far wrong thus far, again noting yesterday how a number of polls had his "disapproval" numbers outweighing approval on the handling of the Ukraine matter. But on the plus side, a new poll from Reuters/ Ipsos released Tuesday showed the approval of his handling of the situation was at 43%, up from 34% last week. This is a good sign that some sanity and logical processing may be returning to the respondents. But we will wait and see.
The issue of painful inflation then came up. A measure of inflation that the Federal Reserve watches closely accelerated again in January, hitting a new 40-year high and speeding up on a monthly basis as food and energy prices climbed sharply. To his credit, Biden forthrightly addressed this problem and mentioned concrete steps to alleviate a lot of the pain. These included:
- Big Pharma reducing the costs of prescription drugs
- Allowing Medicare to negotiate lower prescription drug prices like the VA currently does.
- Subsidizing the painful costs of child care which can amount to nearly $14,000 a year.
All of these, alas, had been part of the 'Build Back Better' bill which might have helped millions in the current economic morass- but which Manchin and Sinema killed by inaction. Especially the last one, which would directly affect many lower and middle earners' pocketbooks directly. Allowing them more latitude to find jobs that may require office or work presence - knowing their kids are getting proper care while they're away. What annoyed us most is when the cameras then captured Sen. Susan Collins' visage, as if to say "You've got to be kidding!". Well, no, Senator, and if you were the one who had to work at a real job, while you had three kids, you would stop kidding and get serious on this issue.
Biden also pointed to steps the administration is taking to limit the amount of
pain Americans are facing at the gas pump. This is given that we know those costs will be directly affected as the Ukraine crisis goes on. Ahead of his address, the Biden
administration said it would join with other major oil-consuming nations to release 60
million barrels of oil from their emergency stockpiles amid a price
surge created by the crisis in Ukraine. Biden said:
“These steps will help blunt gas prices here at home. But I know the news about what’s happening can seem alarming to all Americans. But I want you to know that we are going to be OK.”
Well, we will have to see. Also how much effect any Putin counter moves (especially in the commodities markets, i.e. for potash and palladium) have on the groaning weight on supply chains, still laboring from the pandemic.
Skeptical Americans also need to appreciate that the
White House has already made a series of efforts to deal with price increases,
including efforts to ease supply-chain
bottlenecks and target what it says is a lack of competition in key
industries. But inflation, which recently hit a
40-year high, has proved to be a stubborn problem and a major political
liability for Democrats in the midterms. This is unfortunate given it is not a uniquely Biden or even American problem. I already noted how costs in Barbados have exploded with an 18 oz. box of Corn Flakes now $22.00 BDS ($11.00 U.S.) and gas at $9.45 U.S. a gallon.
The facts of inflation being global, not just peculiar to the U.S., are critically important for Americans to grasp. The power hungry Republicans have hammered Biden over price increases, holding regular news conferences on the issue and highlighting inflation in political ads ahead of November’s elections. They (especially Trump TV, aka FOX) make it appear as if it's all on Biden and the Democrats which I have repeatedly skewered as bogus.
The goal is clear: they are determined to use any means necessary - even blatant distortions, lies and propaganda - to retake the majority in the House. But Americans need to know this cult - no longer a responsible or coherent party - is nowhere near ready to govern. They are dedicated to one thing only: ruthless use of power to prop up Trump ahead of 2024 elections as they send the country into more division and instigate dozens of spurious "investigations". For those who need a brain check see:
by Thom Hartmann | March 2, 2022 - 8:03am | permalink
Excerpt:
Senator Marco Rubio says he won't attend the State of the Union address because it requires a Covid test and he's too busy to swab his nose. Rubio's bizarre behavior is right in line with the GOP's embrace of poverty, disease, and death.
While first-term presidents often lose seats in Congress after two years, technically this should not happen to the Democrats. In the wake of Trump's absolute failures and malfeasance in office, not to mention inciting insurrection - trying to overturn an election - and having the bulk of Reeps on board, the GOP ought to be dead in the water. Instead, the misery and miasma of the ongoing pandemic (it still isn't over, folks!) are reflected in polls showing that Americans broadly view the nation as on the wrong track.
Incredibly, Biden’s job-approval ratings stood at 41.1% on Tuesday, according to FiveThirtyEight’s aggregation of public polls, down from 53% when he arrived in office in January 2021. We hope Americans can awaken from their stupor before they put an unfit personality cult - that worships an authoritarian- into power. Because if they make this error they will repent at leisure - and the hurt will be vastly worse than they're experiencing now- even as bad as inflation is.
You want hurt? Consider Sen. Rick Scott's 'Rescue America' proposal (WSJ, p. A4) which could become law if these imps regain power thanks to American stupidity or impatience with the Dems and Biden. Even Mitch McConnell was appalled at Scott's plan to "sunset Social Security and Medicare within five years." With all current beneficiaries put on yearly allowances or stipends instead. Can't happen? Put the Repukes back into power and see how fast the misery multiplies.
Predictably, Biden faced incessant outbursts from the two most degenerate GOP House members (Marjorie Taylor- Green, Laurn Boebert) - though most we were only aware of later. (When the Analysis of speech transpired). But when Biden pivoted to the pandemic and inflation, he lost Republicans. We knew this would happen because this pro- Trump cult needs those issues to pound on Biden, to try to sneak back into unearned power. To their credit, they mostly resisted highly visible outbursts, but with one glaring exception.
At one point Janice swore she heard a screech like a Howler monkey, but it turned out to be Lauren Boebert, violating the decorum with a monkey-like howl, e.g.
After Biden discussed troops exposed to toxic burn pits who ended up in coffins, she shouted out “you put them in. Thirteen of them,” a reference to the Kabul airport attack last August. Which had nothing to do with the burn pits and was yet another offensive outburst for an asswit- and yet another unfit GOOPr - known for too many. This is also the same moron who wrote a January op-ed in the Denver Post dismissing the need for any vaccinated soldiers, believing spreading Covid is quite ok among unvaccinated populations. "Given them liberty and give them death!"
by Thom Hartmann | March 11, 2022 - 7:49am | permalink
by Bill Berkowitz | March 11, 2022 - 6:53am | permalink
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