I say YES. YOU say NO....Numero Tre! Enjoy!
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This investigation is well overdue.
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On the money.
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Just got back from the dog park, which is situated and maintained by a local credit union. The 3 flags were at half staff, ordered by Desantis to “honor” Rush. I wanted to throw up.
I hope the DOJ does investigate his sorry carcass and throws a big book at him.
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Spookie, President Biden ordered all the flags lowered to honor the 500,000 Americans lost to Covid. They are lowered all over the country right now for those souls, NOT Rush.
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Guess you missed my earlier post. Desantis ordered FloriDuh flags half staff today to honor Rush. Palm Beach county, where he and trump live, flat out refused. As did St Pete mayor, and some other places here.
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Wrenn, it always helps to learn what’s going on in a state from someone who lives there!
'It was like the old days': Biden praises meeting with Republican and Democratic lawmakers
Politico 2/24/21The Wednesday gathering in the Oval Office to discuss supply chain issues provided a rare glimpse of the bipartisanship the president has been calling for.
Another point of contention has been opposition to some of his Cabinet nominations, which has been at times bipartisan. However, Biden on Wednesday made it clear that he didn't blame the Senate for the delayed confirmations.
"I blame it on the failure to have a transition that was rational," Biden told reporters after his remarks. "As you know, previous administrations had a significant number of their Cabinet confirmed before they even were sworn in. That's the tradition."
The president and Vice President Kamala Harris had met with eight senators and three House members earlier in the day. The group discussed supply chain issues that have caused problems, such as shortages in semiconductor chips and personal protective equipment needed by health professionals working at the front lines of the pandemic.
Sen. John Cornyn and Rep. Michael McCaul, both Texas Republicans, echoed Biden's comments, describing the meeting to reporters outside the West Wing as "very good" and "very positive."
"The president was very receptive, as was the vice president," Cornyn said. "He said, 'We're all in.' We all understand this is important, not only to our economy, but to our national security, because these cutting-edge, high-end semiconductors — they operate on everything from the F-35 fifth-generation stealth fighter to our cellphones. So it was very positive."
Cornyn added that the group did not address the Covid-19 relief package during the meeting.
McCaul said he was pleased that the president considered the issue "a high priority" and praised Biden for raising the matter "within the first four weeks of his presidency."
Other Republicans in attendance were Sens. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Mike Braun of Indiana and Rob Portman of Ohio, as well as Rep. John Joyce of Pennsylvania. Of the Democrats, Sens. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Tammy Duckworth of Illinois and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, as well as Rep. Doris Matsui of California, were also present.
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Heather Cox Richardson - February 24, 2021 (Wednesday) - excerpts
At 4:42 p.m., exactly a year ago, then-President Trump tweeted: "The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA. We are in contact with everyone and all relevant countries. CDC & World Health have been working hard and very smart. Stock Market starting to look very good to me!"
On February 7, Trump had told journalist Bob Woodward something very different. "This is deadly stuff," he said. The coronavirus is "more deadly than your, you know, your, even your strenuous flus."
As of February 24, 2021, the United States has suffered more than 503,000 official deaths from COVID-19. We have 4% of the world's population and have suffered 20% of deaths from coronavirus. On Monday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden, blamed political divisions for the horrific death toll.
The pandemic has crippled the nation's economy, and a new The Economist/YouGov poll reveals that 66% of Americans said they support Biden's $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan; 25% of Americans said they oppose it. This means it is the most popular piece of legislation since the 2007 minimum wage hike. Also popular is the proposed $15 minimum wage hike, which is supported by 56% of Americans and opposed by 38%, making it more popular than anything former president Trump did while in office.
Republicans are united against the proposal. While the party remains split, party leaders appear to be lining up behind Trump and the big lie that Biden stole the election, entrenching them as a hostile opposition rather than giving them any room to work with Democrats to move the country forward. They are devoting their energies for the future primarily to voter suppression.
>>> Studies of Republican voters suggest that they continue to support former President Trump and are turning against anyone who accepts Biden's victory as legitimate. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) popularity has dropped 29 points among Kentucky Republicans since he broke with Trump.
Trump is scheduled to speak at CPAC, where there will be seven panels echoing his insistence that voter fraud plagues our elections. And yet, as Trump and his supporters continue to insist that the election was stolen, news broke this week that two separate audits of the 2020 election in Maricopa County, Arizona, found no fraud.
In Congress today, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a Trump backer whose reorganization of the United States Postal Service last summer appeared linked to an effort to hamper the delivery of mail-in ballots, testified about those delays. Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH), whose approach to hearings is generally to try to manufacture sound bites for right-wing news shows, accused Democrats of attacking DeJoy to score points before the election. "It was all a charade," he said. "It was all part of the predicate for laying the groundwork for the mail-in balloting, and all of the chaos and confusion the Democrats wanted."
Representative Gerry Connolly (D-VA) noted that a number of federal judges prevented DeJoy from implementing the changes he wanted, and that Trump had lied to supporters for months that mail-in ballots would create fraud. Then he pushed back angrily against Jordan's accusations of partisanship. "I didn't vote to overturn an election," Connolly said, referring to Jordan's objection to counting electoral votes on January 6 and 7. "And I will not be lectured by people who did."
>>> News broke today that a close friend of new Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Anthony Aguero, was part of the January 6 insurrection, breaching the Capitol. "We were all there," Aguero said in a video posted the day after the riot. "It was not Antifa and it was not BLM. It was Trump supporters that did that yesterday. I'm the first to admit it, being one myself."
He said: "We need to stand up for our country. So patriots stand up for their country and they come out here to physically try to take back their house. The House of the people…. Now you have people on the right acting like they're holier than thou, holier than holy…. 'Oh, I'm appalled. I don't condone this.' What the hell do you expect conservatives to do? Do you want us to continue to sit there? Complacent, continue to take the higher route and keep getting f**ked in the a**. I'm sorry for using that language, but I'm sick and tired of the hypocrisy."
"I stand with people like Marjorie Taylor Greene proudly," Aguero said. "That woman has more courage than most of the men that were in that building. No, not most. That woman has more courage than every single man that was in that Capitol yesterday."
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The true measure of a man is how he treats someone
who can do him absolutely no good. - Samuel Johnson
To measure the man, measure his heart.- Malcolm S. Forbes
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pupmom, I love your meme. Ruth, yours is fantastic too. I would have liked Divine to hear what Marsha Blackburn's thoughts were inside the meeting with the Pres. and V.P. Of course she is so far right. Maybe she gets it together a little better if and when she knows it won't be a part of a sound-bite that gets airing on a national stage. Still, I don't care for her so my opinion would likely stay fairly negative.
I still feel as though those who are bent on making Biden's life hell if they can from the rt. are asking for troubles. Out in the world I do believe there were so many Reps. who could see that Trump was busy flushing their party down the toilet more than anything else, and they are more inclined toward the long range view. I may be wrong, but I feel like they accepted 'losing' this election long before it happened and many seem open ( going by some of the polls although they can be tricky ) to a lot of what Biden is striving to do. It helps many of them too.
As always, since I read her everyday, I appreciate seeing Heather Richardson's blog entry being shared here. It is nice to get a fuller picture of what is going on and some of the deeper meanings behind it all.
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Anyone interested in Zooming on Saturday?
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I am going to do my best -- so crossing my fingers early so nothing else interferes.
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Ruth, yes, I am interested. Thank you for being our leader!
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I will set a Zoom up for 11:30 Central on Saturday and post the link earlier that morning. Always happy to lead people astray 😉
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WITH THE RECEIPTS
The acting Capitol Police chief has directly contradicted testimony from former House sergeant-at-arms Paul Irving.
Pilar Melendez
Reporter
Updated Feb. 25, 2021 12:34PM ET / Published Feb. 25, 2021 12:03PM ET
Erin Schaff/Reuters
The acting chief of the U.S. Capitol Police just came with the receipts.
Testifying before a House Appropriations subcommittee about the catastrophic breakdown that allowed thousands of MAGA rioters to breach the Capitol, Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman revealed that her predecessor called the House sergeant-at-arms, Paul Irving, at 12:58 p.m. to request the National Guard as rioters breaching the building and forced lawmakers into hiding.
Former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund, who resigned after the riot, called Irving again seven minutes later, according to phone records pulled by Pittman—and then called him at least three more times until 1:45 p.m.
"When there's a breakdown you look for those commanders with boots on the ground to provide that instruction," Pittman said. "That did not happen, primarily because those operational commanders at the time were so overwhelmed, they started to participate and assist the officers… versus providing that guidance and direction."
The receipts–which support the narrative that a series of unanswered calls, withheld information, and conflicting orders led to complete malfunction—directly contradicted Irving's testimony.
On Tuesday, Sund testified that he asked for National Guard backup just after 1 p.m. But Irving insisted that was wrong. He said he did not remember the conversation with Sund and claimed he didn't get an official request until "shortly before 1:30 p.m." Troops were not approved to help overwhelmed officers at the Capitol until 2:10 p.m.
"Mr. Irving stated that he was concerned about the 'optics' of having the National Guard present and didn't feel that the intelligence supported it," Sund said Tuesday. Irving, who resigned in the wake of the riot, said that was "categorically false."
On Tuesday, Irving said that if Sund, Senate sergeant-at-arms Michael Stenger, or any other leaders concluded ahead of Jan. 6 that unarmed National Guardsmen were needed, he "would not have hesitated" to ensure the reinforcement was ready.
Pittman's testimony—and her insistence that Capitol Police did everything possible to contain the insurrection—was just the latest twist in a series of finger-pointing between the top law enforcers in charge of securing the Capitol. During hearings before lawmakers this week, officials have blamed one another for the widespread failures.
One failure, Pittman conceded on Thursday, was that nobody in law enforcement knew the mob would be so violent.
"No credible threat indicated that tens of thousands would attack the U.S. Capitol."— Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman
She told lawmakers that they were prepared for militia groups, white supremacists, and other extremists to be present, but the small organization was not prepared for thousands of "everyday" Americans "who took on a mob mentality." (Acting D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee revealed on Tuesday that the FBI intel consisted merely of an email sent on Jan. 5.)
Officials believe over 10,000 demonstrators were at the Capitol on Jan. 6 and that 800 breached the building. About 1,200 police officers responded, Pittman said.
She also made the stunning admission that since Jan. 6, Capitol Police have maintained heightened security because they learned that militia groups have chatted about plans to "blow up the Capitol and kill as many members as possible" in connection with the State of the Union, which has no scheduled date yet.
"We know that the insurrectionists that attacked the Capitol weren't only interested in attacking members of Congress and officers. They wanted to send a symbolic message to the nation as [to] who was in charge of that legislative process," Pittman said.
On Tuesday, Irving insisted that Capitol Police were privy to intelligence provided by the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security that "did not support" the likelihood of a coordinated assault at the Capitol.
"The department was not ignorant of intelligence indicating an attack of the size and scale we encountered on the sixth. There was no such intelligence," Pittman said Thursday. "Although we knew the likelihood for violence by extremists, no credible threat indicated that tens of thousands would attack the U.S. Capitol. Nor did the intelligence received from the FBI or any other law enforcement partner indicate such a threat."
Pittman added that because officers at the Capitol were not prepared for a violent mob, lockdown procedure was not properly executed. She added that some officers were also not sure when to use lethal force, and that radio communications between law enforcers were not robust.
Five individuals died during the violent riots. Four were pro-Trump protesters, including Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed by a police officer after attempting to break into the Speaker's Lobby. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick died after allegedly clashing with rioters. In the days after the siege, at least two officers died by suicide.
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For Immediate Release
Thursday, February 25, 2021Organization Profile: Corporate AccountabilityContact:Lena Greenberg, lgreenberg@corporateaccountability.org, 646-620-5344
Congress Just Introduced the Answer to America's Water Woes With Unprecedented Support: The WATER Act of 2021
77 Members of Congress and 540 Groups Unite to Endorse the Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity and Reliability Act of 2021
WASHINGTON - As America's communities continue to face oppressive water rates amidst a haunting pandemic, Rep. Brenda Lawrence and Rep. Ro Khanna introduced federal legislation today that would transform America's water infrastructure and ensure affordable, safe, and clean public water for all in this country. Senator Bernie Sanders introduced a companion bill in the Senate.
The Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity and Reliability (WATER) Act of 2021 is the comprehensive solution to America's escalating water woes. And Americans overwhelmingly support it.
The People's Water Project, a group dedicated to passing the WATER Act, joined 73 U.S. House representatives, 4 U.S. Senators, and a diverse coalition of 540 justice, labor, environmental, and advocacy organizations in endorsing the legislation. The organizations include ACRE, AFSCME, Consumer Reports, Corporate Accountability, Earth Justice, NAACP, Flint Rising, Food & Water Action, Citizens Action Coalition, In the Public Interest, United Steelworkers,The Water Collaborative of Greater New Orleans, and UAW, among others.
"The crisis in Texas illuminated how vital access to running water is for human survival. And the COVID-19 pandemic has put on display the unjust reality of America's water affordability, reliability, and equity crisis. Now, Congress finally has a real solution with the WATER Act of 2021," said Brittany Alston, Deputy Research Director of Action Center on Race & The Economy. "The only way to combat America's water crisis is with this type of bold, reparative change that both challenges corporate power and addresses water affordability, accessibility and quality across the entire country, especially in low-income and BIPOC communities. We thank Representatives Brenda Lawrence and Ro Khanna, Senator Sanders, and every Congressional cosponsor for stepping up for America's families today."
The WATER Act of 2021 creates a WATER Trust Fund that would dedicate $35 billion each year to grant programs and to the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs. These programs include a specific focus on providing support for rural and small municipalities, Indigenous communities, and low-income Black and brown communities who face disproportionate water issues.
Additionally, the WATER Act can create upwards of 1 million jobs at a time our country needs them most and will require the use of U.S.-made iron and steel on water system projects. It also applies prevailing wage law and encourages union labor to all projects funded by the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Fund programs.
"We have a moral and ethical obligation to ensure that all people have access to clean and affordable water," said Mary Gutierrez, Founder and Director of Earth Ethics. "For years, pre-COVID 19 and recent natural disasters, we have seen the inequities in the distribution of water, the WATER Act addresses these inequities. The WATER Act ensures that all communities, low-income, BIPOC, have access to clean and affordable water. Let's not forget that we can expect to see additional impacts to our existing infrastructure with increased intensity and frequency of storm events due to climate change. It's time to act now to address our failing infrastructure before more adverse environmental and public health impacts occur."
Over the past 50 years, federal funding for water has declined by more than 80% on a per capita basis. As a result, water rates have skyrocketed and are now unaffordable for millions of households in the U.S. When households are unable to pay these exorbitant bills, states often allow water service shutoffs.
In the face of COVID-19, a disease that has led public health officials to urge frequent at-home hand washing, only 43% of the U.S. population are protected from water shutoffs, and hundreds of local and state moratoria have already expired. As a result, 57% of the U.S. population —186 million people—are at risk of losing their water supply if they cannot keep up with bill payments during an unprecedented economic recession.
"From Flint to Pittsburgh, the private water industry's failures have endangered communities. It's clear that public investment -- not privatization under any name -- is the solution to American's drinking water and wastewater infrastructure crisis. And the WATER Act is just the tool we need," said Alissa Weinman, Associate Campaign Director at Corporate Accountability. "COVID-19 has only exacerbated the long-standing harms of lack of safe water access, particularly for low-income communities, Indigenous communities, and communities of color. In order to truly 'Build Back Better,' the federal government must renew its commitment to the human right to water by robustly funding our nation's water systems."
The WATER Act of 2021 not only responds to water accessibility and affordability, but also to privatization and quality. It details a path for upgrading our water systems to remove highly toxic and hazardous chemicals like lead and per-and polyfluorinated substances (or PFAS) from drinking water while also maintaining public control over these systems instead of handing over control to the private water industry and their Wall Street partners that want to commodify water for profit over public health.
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Additional quotes from People's Water Project Partners:
"Water is life. We have a sacred duty to heed the cry of the earth and the cry of her most vulnerable people. Supporting the provisions of the WATER Act, including protections specifically aimed at improving water access and affordability in BIPOC communities, is our moral duty," said Blair Nelsen, Executive Director of Waterspirit.
"From the plague of water shutoffs during a pandemic for countless families with unaffordable bills, to the recent heartbreaking scenes across the South of frozen pipes leaving millions without water to drink and bathe, it has become desperately clear that our country is in a water crisis. Grave crises require robust solutions, and this is just what the WATER Act provides," said Wenonah Hauter, Executive Director of Food & Water Action, a leading organizational supporter of the bill. "The WATER Act paves the way to rebuilding our failing water system by addressing maintenance and modernization, cleanliness and safety, affordability and social justice - all in one clean sweep. The time for Congress and the Biden administration to make this critical legislation a priority has very clearly come. Our country can't wait any longer for a functional, safe and affordable water system for every community."
"Privatization of our water systems is a threat to public health, the environment, and democracy," said Donald Cohen, Executive Director of In the Public Interest. "Water is an essential public good, not a market commodity for corporations and wealthy investors. We need direct federal investment in water infrastructure across the country. This is an opportunity for the federal government to prove it works for all of us and not just the wealthy and connected."
On behalf of all the people who are suffering the consequences of a failing for-profit system and are denied the basic right to clean, affordable water, the People's Tribune newspaper supports the Water Act," said Sandy Reid of People's Tribune.
"Access to clean and affordable water is a basic human right. But for far too long, our country has allowed water to become a market commodity," said Toni Preston, Senior Campaigner at SumOfUS. "The Water Act is a necessary piece of legislation that will finally begin to address our country's failing water infrastructure, and ensure that every person in this country has access to clean and affordable water."
"The WATER Act is the first essential step towards social and economic liberation of all people, especially for the poor and marginalized. The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season generated 30 names tropical storms and 13 hurricanes, 6 of which were major hurricanes. This along with the recent winter storms that are pummeling Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi exposes the deep privation and indigence of the nation's water infrastructure. The WATER Act meets the nation's most pressing need for sustained investment into aging and unprepared water systems.," said Jessica Dandridge, Executive Director of The Water Collaborative,New Orleans.
In the U.S. Southwest – Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah – there is less rain and snowfall each year than the amount of water used in homes, businesses, and farms. As aquifers dry up, competition for scarce resources between water utilities, rural communities and agriculture leaves poorer communities at a disadvantage. In the face of climate change, with significant portions of the Southwest already under extreme drought conditions, these challenges threaten to endanger the health, safety and livelihoods of some of the most vulnerable people in our country. Federal investment in public water utilities is a critical necessity as the climate crisis looms, said Mariel Nanasi, Executive Director of New Energy Economy in New Mexico.
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The most revealing thing Joe Manchin said about his power in the Senate
Cody Fenwick, AlterNetFebruary 25, 2021
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV). Image via screengrab. A lot of people aren't happy with Sen. Joe Manchin.
This shouldn't come as a surprise. As soon as it became clear that President Joe Biden's party would have the slimmest of majorities in a 50-50 Senate, the West Virginian Democrat was transformed into the most influential member of Congress. As the furthest right senator in the caucus from the reddest state of any Democrat, he is the most likely candidate to defect from any of the party's priorities.
Now, he's making trouble for all sides. His decision to come out against Neera Tanden, Biden's Office of Management and Budget nominee, over past mean tweets has threatened to sink her, and many argue it displayed a sexist and perhaps racist double standard on his part. Tanden doesn't have many friends on the left wing of the party, but Manchin has wasted no time in alienating that faction, too, by opposing raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Depending on how negotiations with the Senate parliamentarian fall out, that position could put him on a collision course with Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York in a stand-off over the COVID relief bill.
Manchin even seemed hesitant to support Deb Haaland as Biden's Interior secretary nominee, a favorite among progressives and a historic choice as the first Native American Cabinet pick, though he has since come around and offered his endorsement.
With all this drama over a single senator, some Democratic critics wonder whether Manchin is even any better for their party than a Republican like Maine Sen. Susan Collins.
But a revealing quote from Huffpost article a few weeks back, when it was less clear whether Manchin would be willing to support Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID relief bill, should provide an answer to any Democratic allies.
While he wouldn't say whether he supported using budget reconciliation to pass the bill, he repeatedly told reporters: "We're going to make Joe Biden successful."
It's likely the most important and informative thing he's said since Biden's election.
Because it's not always obvious what Manchin's motivation is. He has cast himself as a fierce defender of the filibuster, which usually requires 60 votes to pass legislation in the Senate, but his comments fail to make clear how much he really understands about its history or its effects. And while he's cast as a staunch partisan West Virginia, it's an open question how much these considerations drive his day-to-day choices. Do his home state voters really care about Neera Tanden's mean tweets? Why pick that hill to make a stand on over a Biden nominee?
It's not even clear if Manchin, at 73, will run for re-election 2024, when he'll be 77.
Some argue that Manchin just likes being the center of attention, and being the pivotal senator in the Democratic caucus certainly accomplishes that aim. Or maybe he's just genuinely trying to do what he thinks is right from his perspective.
But we should probably take him at his word when he says that he wants to make Biden a successful president. That doesn't mean he won't give his party a lot of heartburn, and that doesn't mean he won't stand in the way of valuable goals Democrats would like to accomplish. He almost certainly will. But if he wanted to undermine Biden, the easiest way for him to do that would be to switch parties and make Mitch McConnell the Senate majority leader again. There's no sign that's happening, though. Love him or hate him, he's a Democrat, and that does mean something to him.
It should mean something to his critics, too. Manchin's most important vote for the Democrats is making Chuck Schumer majority leader, giving the party unified control of Congress. When Democrats are tempted to think Manchin isn't worth it, and he might as well join the GOP, they should imagine what it would be like if McConnell controlled which nominations and which bills got a vote on the Senate floor.
And they should also remember that when it comes to West Virginia, Democrats don't have a prayer for any senator better than Joe Manchin. The state voted for Trump over Biden by nearly 40 points in 2020. Manchin has only survived as a Democrat in the state at a time of increasing polarization because he's a skilled politician who knows his electorate and has built a durable and independent brand. It's quite likely that there's not a single Democrat alive other than Manchin himself who could win his seat.
And without that seat, Democrats would be in the minority. If they're frustrated that Manchin is the pivotal vote in the Senate, there's not really much use in getting mad at him. That would be like getting angry at the sea. Manchin doesn't care, and it won't change the way he votes. He's a West Virginian force of nature. The only hope Democrats have of ending their reliance on Manchin's approval is to elect more Democrats to the Senate in seats currently held by Republicans.
If Manchin makes them mad, that's where they should put their energy.
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Jackie, a sobering article about what happened with communication breakdowns with law enforcement agencies during the insurrection. It appears that the receipts show numerous calls were made to get the National Guard deployed that appears went unheeded. It is unacceptable!
The chilling part of the article: US Capitol Police Chief Pittman warned Thursday that militia groups involved in the January 6 insurrection want to "blow up the Capitol" and "kill as many members as possible" when President Joe Biden addresses Congress.
WTF has happened to our nation? The media is going to be all over that CPAC and Trump will get more air time to rile up his domestic terrorist base. The Trumpers will not let go of The Big Lie that the election was stolen. I am aghast at what continues to be disruptive to our democracy even as we are a month in to Biden's presidency.
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I'm a little ticked off at Senator Joe Manchin for his creating discord among Dem Senators. It really does seem sexist and racist of him for not endorsing Neera Tanden, and like the article says, what do West Virginians care about her mean tweets? I cannot tell if Manchin is liking his new found fame or what the deal is. And WV is always bottom of the barrel with employment, why is he against the $15 minimum wage? I hope he settles down and does, as the article says, help make “Biden successful" .
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Ruth, not quite sure what my plans are for Saturday. Will have to let you know.
Here’s some hopeful news; if confirmed, these nominees will bring much needed additions to the existing Trump-appointed-white-male-US Postsl Service board:
Biden announces 3 nominees to U.S. Postal Service board
2/25/2021
CBS
By Grace Segers
Washington — President Biden announced his three nominees to join the U.S. Postal Service Board of Governors on Wednesday, the first step for the board to potentially oust controversial Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. There are currently three vacancies on the nine-member board, and the six existing members were all appointed by former President Donald Trump.
Mr. Biden has chosen Anton Hajjar, the former general counsel of the American Postal Workers Union; Amber McReynolds, a voting rights activist and the CEO of the National Vote at Home Institute; and Ron Stroman, who recently retired as deputy postmaster general. If confirmed by the Senate, Democrats would have a majority on the board, which currently has four Republicans and two Democrats.
DeJoy appeared at a hearing before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Wednesday, where Democrats grilled him on the slowdown in mail deliveriesover the summer, amid the coronavirus pandemic and an uptick in voting by mail ahead of the November election. DeJoy told members of the committee that his future plans for the agency may include slowing the delivery of first-class mail.
Democratic lawmakers have called for the board to oust DeJoy. In a contentious exchange with Democratic Congressman Jim Cooper on Wednesday, DeJoy noted that he was "selected by a bipartisan board of governors" and said that he would remain postmaster general for "a long time."
"Get used to me," DeJoy said. However, if Mr. Biden's nominees are confirmed, the Democratic majority will have the votes to remove DeJoy.
Mr. Biden's nominees would also diversify the board, as all six current members of the board are white and male. During the hearing on Wednesday, Democratic Congresswoman Cori Bush said that the board "looks like a millionaire white boys' club." The current members are primarily businessmen, including three investment bankers. DeJoy, who was chosen by the board in April 2020, was previously the executive of a shipping firm.
Congresswoman Alma Adams, who last week spearheaded a letter signed by 79 other Democrats calling on Mr. Biden to fill the existing vacancies on the board, said in a statement that she was "overjoyed he answered our call to fill the vacancies."
"A truly nonpartisan Board of Governors will be able to partner with Congressional leaders on necessary reforms to maintain the long-term health of USPS, and identify immediate issues to be resolved by decisive action," she said. "President Biden's nominees to the Board of Governors are passionate, qualified advocates who will build USPS back better, and I encourage the United States Senate to act swiftly to confirm them."
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The Challenge of Confirming Women of Color
Editorial by Dana Milbank, Columnist, Washington Post
Feb. 24, 2021 at 6:11 p.m. CST
Can you believe that Neera Tanden called Hillary Clinton the "anti-Christ" and the "real enemy"?
Oh, wait. It was Ryan Zinke who said those things. Fifty-one Republican senators (and several Democrats, including Joe Manchin III of West Virginia) confirmed him as secretary of the interior in 2017.
And how about the times Tanden allegedly called the NAACP a "pinko organization" that "hates white people" and used racial epithets?
My bad. That was Jeff Sessions. Again, 51 Republican senators (and one Democrat, Manchin) voted to confirm him as attorney general in 2017.
Surely Tanden went beyond the pale when she "liked" a tweet calling then-Secretary of State John F. Kerry a "traitor" and "Vietnam's worst export," and when she suggested Clinton supporters leave the country.
Except Mike Pompeo was the one who did those things. He won confirmation as secretary of state in 2018 with the votes of 50 Republicans and six Democrats, including Manchin.
But, really, the most appalling thing Tanden said was that Muslims have a "deficient theology" and they "stand condemned."
Whoops. That wasn't Tanden but Russell Vought. Just last year, 51 Republicans voted to confirm him as director of the Office of Management and Budget — the same position Tanden is up for now.
Now, all 50 Senate Republicans, assisted by Manchin, are on the cusp of sinking Tanden's nomination because they object to her harsh tweets. Many have noted the hypocrisy, particularly when compared with the treatment of Richard Grenell, an online troll who won confirmation as ambassador to Germany with 50 Republican votes — and Manchin, natch — despite routinely disparaging women's appearances.
But this isn't just about double standards. What really must sting about Tanden's tweets is not that they were mean, but that, for the most part, they were true.
In June 2019, she lashed out at then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for blocking bipartisan attempts to protect U.S. elections from foreign attack. "Can people on here please focus their ire on McConnell and the GOP senators who are Up This Cycle who enable him?" she asked in one deleted tweet.
Such pressure eventually forced McConnell to allow for more funds for election security.
Another deleted tweet charged: "Apparently a lot of people think #MoscowMitch is a threat."
A lot of people did. I wrote that his determination to thwart bipartisan election protections made him a "Russian asset."
After then-President Donald Trump called former aide Omarosa Manigault Newman a "crazed, lying lowlife" and a "dog," Tanden's now-deleted tweet said: "Trump just called a black woman a dog and about 80% of the GOP don't think he's racist. The whole party needs to be defeated in November."
Couldn't have said it better myself.
After Trump endorsed Senate candidate Roy Moore in Alabama and the Republican National Committee poured money into supporting Moore, accused by several women of sexually assaulting them as teenagers, Tanden's now-deleted tweet responded: "The Republican party is gleefully supporting an alleged child molester. And everyone who gives money to the RNC is doing the same."
Tough but fair.
She made a tactical mistake calling Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) "the worst" for taking Brett M. Kavanaugh's word over his sexual-assault accuser's, calling the theatrically dour Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) a "fraud" and saying Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Cancún) is as heartless as a "vampire." (But if the shoe fits . . .)
Tanden, unlike most of the Trump nominees, apologized for her tone and promised that her words as a public official would be different. She explained that "the last several years have been very polarizing."
I feel the same way. I wince at some of the caustic and ad hominem things I wrote during the Trump era. Trump made almost all of us angrier.
Trump abandoned norms of democracy and decency and stoked racial hatred and violence. But equally infuriating was that elected Republican officials did almost nothing to stop him. In the end, 147 Republicans voted to overturn the election results, even after the bloody insurrection in the Capitol, and 43 Senate Republicans just voted to acquit Trump.
We all want healing. We all want unity. But it won't happen as long as the Party of Trump assigns Democrats sole responsibility for civility, while using President Biden's admirable talk of unity as a cudgel. Collins moralized about Tanden representing "the kind of animosity that President Biden has pledged to transcend." In other words, apology not accepted.
And it's not just Tanden. Senate Republicans this week teed off on Biden's interior secretary nominee, Deb Haaland, another woman of color, over her 2020 tweet saying that "Republicans don't believe in science." Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), who has cast doubt on the human role in climate change, called the tweet "concerning."
No, senator. What's "concerning" is that, after four years of excusing lies, racism, vulgarity, lawbreaking and self-dealing by the Trump administration, your idea of healing is to defeat Biden nominees for speaking the truth
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Today, Biden marked the administration of the 50 millionth dose of COVID-19 vaccine since his swearing-in. "The more people get vaccinated, the faster we're going to beat this pandemic," Biden said at the White House ceremony, noting that his administration is on course to exceed his promise to deliver 100 million shots in his first 100 days in office.
"We're halfway there: 50 million shots in 37 days," Biden said. "That's weeks ahead of schedule."
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An excerpt from Heather Cox Richardson’s post yesterday regarding the For the People Act; if passed, it would guarantee the right to vote:
... In the face of voter suppression legislation in Republican legislatures around the country, Democrats in Congress are trying to pass a law, called the For the People Act, to stop partisan gerrymandering, limit money in politics, and expand voting access.
The For the People Act, numbered in Congress as H.R. 1 and S. 1, would provide for automatic voter registration across the country and would require paper ballots. It would require that early voting be made available, and would expand mail-in voting. It would authorize $1 billion for upgrades to state voting systems.
Polling by Data for Progress and Vote Save America shows that the principles in H.R. 1 are very popular, across parties. Sixty-eight percent of Americans approve of the reforms in the bill. Sixteen percent oppose the measure. The items within the bill are also popular. Eighty-six percent of Americans support a plan to prevent foreign interference in our elections; 7% oppose it. Eighty-five percent of us want to limit the amount of politics; 8% oppose that idea. Eighty-four percent of us want more election security; 8 percent do not.
Seventy-four percent of us want to see nonpartisan redistricting; 11% do not. Sixty-eight percent want to see 15 days of early voting; 19% do not. Sixty percent want same-day voter registration; 29% do not. Fifty-nine percent want automatic voter registration; 29% do not. Even with the Republican attacks on mail-in voting, fifty-eight percent of us want to be able to vote by mail; 35% do not.
Democrats passed a version of H.R. 1 in the previous Congress, but then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to take it up. Now, every House Democrat supports the bill, while Republican lawmakers oppose it.
To try to stop the bill from becoming law, Republicans are launching a full-throated defense of the filibuster, a tradition that enables a minority in the Senate to stop legislation unless it can command 60 votes. Republican objections to this popular, and seemingly vital, measure will test whether the Senate will protect the filibuster or continue to chip away at it.
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