Biden of America: The Return of the Democracy

A place for more serious off-topic discussion and debates.
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I'm still confused about doctor oz getting an endorsement from Trump Fetterman had a stroke, and Oz attacked him for that, and then the ads where they show doctor oz murdering beagles. I was angry watching those. I grew up around dogs, and that breed is so friendly. What's going on with the lack of vetting for the GOP candidates? Trump should have endorsed Andrew Giuliani. He polled highly on favorability people like Andrew more than the nominee Lee Zeldin. I love the state of NY! I grew up in northern jersey! Nineteen miles from Madison Square Garden and fifty from Nassau coliseum! I ride the seven train to watch the Mets. I know what those people think.

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CNBC - Amid court challenges to its student debt forgiveness, Biden administration could extend payment pause yet again





Kyle Griffin, executive producer@MSNBC: "Asked if he has a reaction to Trump's [2024 campaign] announcement, President Biden says, 'not really.'"



Kyle Griffin, producer@MSNBC: “President Biden: ’Love is love, and Americans should have the right to marry the person they love. Today's bipartisan vote brings the U.S one step closer to protecting that right in law.’ ‘I urge Congress to quickly send this bill to my desk where I will promptly sign it.’”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced today (2022-Nov-17) that she is stepping down as House Democratic Leader but not resigning from Congress. She's essentially blessed Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) as her successor but there will still be a vote.



Qz.com - Biden is the first president in 20 years to hold the Senate at the midterms
Only three other presidents were able to grow support in the midterms in the past century

Salon - Democrats make history with crucial state-level gains

Democrats won key victories in four crucial battleground states — and that's even more important than you think

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USA Today - Biden asks Supreme Court to intervene on student loan forgiveness program



NY Times - Justice Department Said to Investigate Ticketmaster’s Parent Company
The inquiry predates the botched presale of Taylor Swift tickets this week and is said to focus on whether Live Nation has abused its power in the live music industry.

TicketMaster/Live Nation is an abusive monopoly that should be broken up.

I think a lot of artists are afraid of speaking disparagingly of them because they hold all the cards and money where they make you or break you. Their power and hold has gotten worse since the large shift of money in the industry from album sales pre-Napster to touring and live events.

Swift has only passive-agressively referred to them (not by name) and the current situation (she's being paid by them just like the rest.)

Good Morning America - Taylor Swift breaks silence on Ticketmaster drama for Eras Tour

Bloomberg News - White House to Extend Student-Loan Payment Pause to June 30

President Joe Biden: "Oregon is the latest state to pardon all prior offenses of simple marijuana possession, following my pardon of federal offenses and call to Governors to do the same in their states. It's time to right our failed approach to marijuana. I urge states to follow Oregon's example."

Pew Research Center - Americans overwhelmingly say marijuana should be legal for medical or recreational use

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Gizmodo - The White House Is Ready to Shell Out $13 Billion to Modernize U.S. Power Grid
The country’s energy grid needs to be reinforced to handle future extreme weather.

Biden rails against access to assault weapons after recent spate of shootings | CNN Politics

Wall Street Journal - Chevron Gets U.S. License to Pump Oil in Venezuela Again
Caracas government and opposition coalition agree to implement humanitarian relief program and continue talks on elections

WTI crude has fallen about $45 since peaking in June (June is also when YoY inflation rate peaked and considerable interest rate hikes by the fed were enacted aimed at slowing demand and economic growth.)

The national U.S. average for regular now is $3.53 a gallon and has continued its fall after the midterm elections.

Bloomberg News - At Nantucket Retreat, Biden Family Weighs Run for Second Term

Business Insider - California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he told Biden he won't run for the White House in 2024 and will support the president's expected reelection bid: 'I'm all in, count me in'


Congress prepares to act after Biden calls on Capitol Hill to 'immediately' pass legislation to avert rail shutdown | CNN Politics

Congress could pass a law mandating a floor of x number of sick days for all companies or companies above a certain size. If it wasn't for the filibuster and Republican intransigence that could've, should've been done already.
Currently, there are no federal legal requirements for paid sick leave. For companies subject to the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), the Act does require unpaid sick leave.
Sick Leave | U.S. Department of Labor

CNBC - As more states take up paid family leave, here’s where the push for a national policy stands (May 2022)
  • * Efforts to put a federal paid family and medical leave policy in place have stalled with Build Back Better.
  • * Now individual states, including Delaware and Maryland, are adding their own policies.
  • * Proponents for a national plan say that is not enough. Here’s what could happen next in the fight to get something passed on Capitol Hill.

NY Times - For Rail Workers, Anger Persists Over Sick Leave (October 2022)
A tentative new contract brokered by the White House offered employees one day off, leaving some dissatisfied and raising the risk of another impasse.

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NBC News - Senate passes bill to protect same-sex and interracial marriage over GOP opposition
The bill now goes back to the House for a final vote before it heads to Biden's desk.
The Senate passed landmark legislation Tuesday that would codify federal protection for marriages of same-sex and interracial couples, with Democrats securing enough votes to overcome opposition from most Republicans.

The Respect for Marriage Act was approved 61-36, with support from all Democrats and 12 GOP votes, after a filibuster was defeated and three amendments offered by Republicans who oppose the bill were rejected.
Jim Scutto, CNN: “New: US economy grew faster than expected in the third quarter. GDP rose by an annualized rate of 2.9% - revised up from the initial government reading in October showing 2.6% growth.”

More Perfect Union: “BREAKING: House passes legislation guaranteeing 7 days of paid sick leave as part of a mandated rail labor agreement. Vote was 221-207. All Democrats backed the measure; all Republicans opposed it except 3. The Senate is expected to vote on the rail labor contract tomorrow.”

Business Insider - Why Biden's student-loan-forgiveness plan is legal and should be reinstated by the Supreme Court, according to 44 economists, legal experts, and advocates

Reuters - U.S. appeals court rejects Biden's bid to revive student debt plan


Associated Press - High court to rule on Biden student loan cancellation plan
The Supreme Court agreed Thursday to decide whether the Biden administration can broadly cancel student loans, keeping the program blocked for now but signaling a final answer by early summer.

That’s about two months before the newly extended pause on loan repayments is set to expire.

The administration had wanted a court order that would have allowed the program to take effect even as court challenges proceed. The justices didn’t do that, but agreed to the administration’s fallback, setting arguments for late February or early March over whether the program is legal.
Cook Political Report National House Vote Tracker (current as of morning of December 1)
Republicans: 54.3M (50.7%) (R+2.9)
Democrats: 51.2M (47.8%)
others: 1.7M (1.6%)
TOTAL: 107.2M

See also: 1962-2020 Table

NBC News House Seat Projections +/- 2 Seats (current as of morning of December 1)
Republicans: 222 (51.0%)
Democrats: 213 (49.0%)
TOTAL: 435

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^2022 results not final / seat projections from NBC News

Alex Burness, Boltsmag: “Huge letdown election for Republicans in state legislatures: @Taniel
finds GOP picked up just 22 seats nationwide, mostly in places where partisan control was never in question. GOP failed to flip any statehouse chambers, Democrats flipped four.” In Legislative Elections, Democrats Defied Recent History - Bolts The GOP’s seat gains are minuscule by the standards of past midterms, a state-by-state analysis by Bolts finds. And only Democrats flipped chambers.

Daily Kos - The Republican House majority is the most fragile they've had in a very long time
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Biden and Macron affirm commitment to Ukraine but diverge on willingness to speak with Putin | CNN Politics

Associated Press - Biden, Macron vow unity against Russia, discuss trade row

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Biden signs legislation to avert rail shutdown | CNN Politics

Kylo Griffin:
"Reuters: BIDEN: MY GOAL IS TO GET PAID SICK LEAVE NOT JUST FOR RAIL WORKERS BUT EVERY WORKER IN AMERICA"

CNBC - Biden condemns antisemitism as Ye praises Hitler days after dinner with Trump, white nationalist Fuentes
  • * President Joe Biden condemned antisemitism and took an apparent shot at former President Donald Trump days after he dined with rapper Ye and white nationalist Nick Fuentes.
  • * The message comes a day after the rapper, formerly known as Kanye West, told right-wing conspiracy theorist Alex Jones “I like Hitler” during an antisemitic rant.
  • * Trump, the presumptive 2024 Republican presidential frontrunner, has not condemned Ye or Fuentes since the meal.

Politico - White House to Trump: ‘You cannot only love America when you win’

The former president had earlier called for the “termination” of constitutional laws, while citing conspiracy theories about the presidential election he lost.

Most Americans [57%] support Congress' intervention in the possible rail strike [19% do not] | YouGov
Forcing the unions to accept the tentative agreement is also supported by majorities of current union members (72%) and former union members (65%).

Rail unions look to next contract talks as Biden signs agreement - Roll Call

Sick leave remains an issue for some workers and unions are eager to start talks for 2025

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NY Times - Democrats Didn’t Just Win Georgia. They Secured a Firmer Grip on the Senate.
Senator Raphael Warnock’s victory provides a real working majority for Democrats after two years of a tenuous 50-50 split.

Georgia Senate Run-off Election 2022
Raphael Warnock
(D-inc.) 1,817,465 | 51.4% (D+2.8 lead)
Herschel Walker (R) 1,719,868 | 48.6%
Total reported 3,537,333 | >95% of votes counted



Daily Kos Elections: "Some history-making tonight:

• First midterm since '62 that Dems netted Senate seats while holding White House
• First midterm since '34 that the WH party netted Senate seats *and* governorships
• First midterm since '34 that the WH party didn't *lose* a single Senate seat"

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Cool, the Dems won an incredibly close run-off election against a man who said he was running for the House when he was actually running for the Senate...This does not reverse the increasing radicalisation of the Republicans. The Dems gain 1 seat in the Senate. A legislative gridlock is still assured, since they lost the House to the Republicans and anything that does get passed is bound to be corporate-friendly regardless, since that's how Biden rolls.

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How Trump's legacy became 'pure poison' for independents | CNN Politics

The Hill - How Democrats won the midterms

Daily Kos - The anti-Trump coalition not only held in 2022, it got stronger
(liberal blog)

Politico - Biden strikes deal to free Brittney Griner from Russian custody

CNN - WNBA star Brittney Griner released from Russian detention in prisoner swap for convicted arms dealer

Rolling Stone - 'Tiger King' Helped Send Protection for Big Cats to Joe Biden's Desk

Reuters - Kyrsten Sinema leaves Democratic Party, adding drama to tight Senate margin
  • * Sinema to register as independent
    * She says she will not caucus with Republicans

The unpopular narcissist that neglects speaking to her state formally pulls a Joe Lieberman stunt, in an attempt to avoid losing a primary in 2024 in Arizona.

If Arizona had ranked choice voting like Alaska, this would be pretty moot. But since they don't it isn't.

Anyhow the 2024 map was already a tough one with Democrats playing defense with little opportunity for offense to flip an R or open seat to the Democrats. The House is probably more doable to flip back to Democrats than holding the Senate as I've thought before.

Sinema is an incumbent which puts her at an advantage for 2024 if she runs but if she runs against an R man unlike the R woman she defeat 4 years ago that advantage probably gets cancelled out to a degree + her terrible favorability ratings don't help either compared to someone new.



Axios - Gallego campaign teases Senate bid after Sinema party switch

Burgess Everett, Politico: "AZ Democratic Party statement: 'Senator Sinema may now be registered as an Independent, but she has shown she answers to corporations and billionaires, not Arizonans. Senator Sinema’s party registration means nothing if she continues to not listen to her constituents.'" "Indivisible's @Leahgreenb on Sinema switching to independent: 'our goal is not to beat her. She was already going to lose. Our goal will be to make sure she becomes a political cautionary tale.'”

Sinema's public polling in Arizona is very unfavorable, not just among Democrats.

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