A report card on the Biden administration

[candycorn]

President Joe R. Biden, how refreshing that sounds. What a refreshing day. Our divisive, erratic, foolish, conspiratorial, narcissistic President is gone, replaced by a President who deeply wants to unite us. Barring ill-advised preconceived notions about President Biden, his task should be easy. We are all Americans.

That said, although I voted for Biden for obvious reasons, not unlike 81 million Americans who did the same, I am a conservative Independent. That's official. In CA, we have to declare our political posture. Until I was driven out by Trump, for over a quarter of a century I was a declared Republican. I voted for Biden, but I have some reservations concerning him, mostly having to do with taxation and spending.

I said all that because I want to be honest with readers. I want them to know where I am coming from.

Whether or not Biden will be a good President is obviously an open question, but I think he is a good man. He will do his best to unite us and adopt policies that benefit all Americans, while removing those policies that do us harm. He wants the United States to rejoin the community of nations, and the days of isolation and making unitary decisions that involve other nations, in particular our traditional allies, are over.

The European Union's top politician, Ursula von der Leyen, said it best. "After four long years, Europe has a friend in the White House."

For the first time in four years, there is optimism in America created by a popular President. 59% of Americans approve of Biden.

On day one, Trump's approval rating was 40%, and, although it went lower than that, it never got much higher. Thus the reason for American optimism.

Biden’s doing a great job. B+

 

[Sandy Shanks]

On the eve of Biden's sit down with Putin, there are a number of things to consider. First, we should give credit to our President for lining up the thirty nations that comprise NATO before meeting with the Russian dictator.

Second, we are reminded of the embarrassing moments of the past when our previous President met with Putin.

The summit was a success from every standpoint. Two adversaries came together, learned from one another, and learned to respect the other. Biden is no Trump. Putin learned the days of a puppet American President are gone.

Putin probably knew that before their little chat.

Something actually was accomplished. They agreed to exchange ambassadorships once again.

CNN writes, "But in both Biden and Putin's telling, the summit wasn't meant for great breakthroughs. Instead, each said it was about taking stock, being honest and moving forward."

"The tone of the entire meeting was good, positive," Biden said, adding: "The bottom line is, I told President Putin that we need to have some basic rules of the road that we can all abide by."

"An overriding goal of Biden's team in planning his summit with Putin was to avoid the spectacle that unfolded in Helsinki in 2018, when then-President Donald Trump met Putin alone for two hours and emerged to say he took the Russian's word over US intelligence on election meddling," CNN.

We still have not learned what was discussed while Trump was alone with Putin. Putin and his people know, but we don't. Not even Trump's closest advisors know what was said.

Most interesting was Putin's assessment of the talks. "I think both sides manifested a determination to try and understand each other and try and converge our positions," he said.

Cyber warfare was a huge part of the conversation. Biden mad clear that American technology in the cyber field far exceeds that of Russia. Biden made clear the consequences for cybercrime.

Biden got the last word. His press conference followed Putin's.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Republicans want Americans to enjoy all of their freedoms.

With the exception of the freedom to life.

I clearly do not understand today's Republicans, their leadership and at the grassroots level.

As an example, Republican-led states are far behind in vaccinations. With the emergence of the malignant Delta variant, hospitalizations are way up in these states. For political reasons, grassroots Republicans refuse to take care of their own health. That's just plain nuts.

Then there is the issue of gun ownership. For some strange reason Republican-led governments wish their states to emulate the O.K. Corral.

There have been 272 mass shootings, according to Gun Violence Archive. Last weekend, from Friday afternoon to Sunday, at least 10 people were killed and another 50 were injured in nine mass shootings in six states, according to data compiled by CNN and the Gun Violence Archive.

An 18-month-old and 4-year-old were among the youngest victims, authorities said.
The total number of mass shootings is about 40% higher than at this point in 2020, and about 65% higher than at this point in 2019, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive.

In this environment, "Texans will soon be able to carry handguns in public without obtaining background checks, licenses, or training after the state's Republican governor on Wednesday signed a permitless carry gun bill into law.

"The measure approved by Gov. Greg Abbott allows individuals 21 and older to carry handguns in public places without permits. The legislation is set to go into effect in September.

"In signing HB 1927 into law, Texas joins a handful of other conservative-led states that have passed measures this year allowing some form of permitless carry and expanded gun rights at the state level," CNN.

On these and other matters (see reports on this thread) today's Republicans remain totally silent. They offer no explanation. They have proven themselves incapable of defending their actions.

Of course, they can't because most of them are intelligence challenged and they shun reality. They are clueless as to what is happening around them. On rare occasions when they hear or read uncomfortable reality, they call it "fake" news, copying the tactic of the cult's leader.

With regard to the issues of this report, there will be no response from the forum's Republicans.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

I clearly do not understand today's Republicans, their leadership and at the grassroots level.

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy is an idiot.

In July 2018, Trump met with Vladimir Putin. President Trump rejected American intelligence and accepted Putin's word at Helsinki. "My people came to me. Dan Coats came to me, and some others," Trump said. "They said they think it's Russia. I have President Putin. He just said it's not Russia. I will say this: I don't see any reason why it would be."

McCarthy and the Republican leadership didn't say a thing.

At Helsinki, Trump met secretly with Putin for two hours. To this day no one knows what was said. McCarthy and the Republican leadership didn't say a word about the missing two hours.

In an attempt to weaken our President with respect to Biden's summit with the Russian dictator, McCarthy had this to say.

"The American people suffered massive disruptions because of Russia-linked cyber-attacks. Two Americans, both Marine veterans, are being held as prisoners in Russia. We know Vladimir Putin silences and imprisons his critics. Knowing these facts, President Biden should have used today's summit to stand up for our national interests and send a message to the world that the United States will hold Russia accountable for its long list of transgressions. Unfortunately, President Biden gave Vladimir Putin a pass."

The last sentence is a non sequitur because Biden did exactly what McCarthy said he didn't do. Apparently the minority leader didn't listen to the follow-up of the summit. This is why McCarthy is an idiot, but he is talking to a select group of people, Trump's cult.

Republicans have decided that there is a cerrtain advantage to acting stupid.

Simultaneously, a new theory is being offered by the GOP regarding the Jan. 6 insurrection. The FBI is responsible.

You heard right.

The screwy conspiracy theory is being offered by Fox News, Tucker Carlson, and certain Republican members of Congress. Carlson’s theory is essentially that the presence of unindicted co-conspirators in the Capitol riot indictments means those people are government agents and that this, in turn, means the FBI was involved in organizing the riot."

"The idea has since caught on with conspiratorially minded congressional Republicans," the Washington Post.

The theory was promoted Wednesday by Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.). Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) entered the Revolver News article into the congressional record. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) promoted the novel conspiracy theory about the Jan. 6 insurrection, insisting that federal agents embedded within extremists groups “egged on” rioters and helped incite the attack.

Who will believe McCarthy's moronic statement? Who will believe the nutty conspiracy theory that the FBi incited the insurrection?

Answer: Members of Trump's cult, the voters who will be choosing Republican candidates. You will not find them on this thread discussing the issues or threads like it. They avoid reality and truth. They do not listen to responsible news sources. They listen to people like Tucker Carlson.

These are the same people we allowed to choose our President in 2016.

Can we allow them to choose our government again?

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) entered the Revolver News article into the congressional record.

The Hill reports, "Rep. Paul Gosar’s (R-Ariz.) brothers on Thursday apologized "on behalf of the actual sane members" of the Gosar family for the Arizona Republican's false claims about the deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.

"During an interview on CNN’s “New Day,” David Gosar thanked Capitol Police for their “bravery and heroism on that day,” and then apologized for his brother, Paul."

“And on behalf of the actual sane members of our family — which is everyone but Paul — we apologize on behalf of our family to him for [Gosar’s] despicable comments and disgraceful conduct through this whole incident,” he said.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Members of Trump's cult avoid reality and truth. They do not listen to responsible news sources. They listen to people like Tucker Carlson.

These are the same people we allowed to choose our President in 2016.

Can we allow them to choose our government again?

To Vladimir Putin's delight, President Trump managed to alienate every member of NATO and G-7, our traditional allies and trading partners.

To Putin's delight, in July 2018, President Trump rejected American intelligence and accepted Putin's word at Helsinki. "My people came to me. Dan Coats came to me, and some others," Trump said. "They said they think it's Russia. I have President Putin. He just said it's not Russia. I will say this: I don't see any reason why it would be."

Leading a press conference during the height of the pandemic, President Trump suggested injections of disinfectant to kill off the virus attacking the body.

Not surprisingly, on November 3, President Trump lost his bid for another term by a whopping seven million votes. Trump began his "Big Lie" promotion that persists to this day. Most of the uninformed, intelligence challenged members of his cult believe him. The 17-19 May Reuters/Ipsos national poll found that 53% of Republicans believe Trump is the “true president.”

In December Trump began a campaign inviting far right extremist groups loyal to him to the capital on Jan. 6. On Jan. 6, Trump incited an insurrection, urging the extremists to void the results of the election. Our capitol was invaded and ransacked. Five were killed.

The Republican Senate killed a bill to create a bipartisan commission to look into Jan. 6.

Republicans downplayed the insurrection, claiming the attackers were tourists who "stayed between the ropes."

Republicans offered a new theory regarding the Jan. 6 insurrection. According to Fox News and Tucker Carlson, the FBI is responsible for the insurrection.

Also, from Fox News, we hear they think Biden is nuts. Of course, this comes directly from Trump and his doctor. "Dr. Ronny Jackson, the former White House physician, called on President Biden to immediately undergo a cognitive test so the commander-in-chief can prove to the American public sound mental capabilities," Fox News.

Basically, though, Republicans just don't want to talk about Trump and the insurrection he incited. They want to talk about Biden's acuity and the Critical Race Theory. Senator Ted Cruz just gave a rousing speech claiming the Critical Race Theory, which is basically the teaching of American history, is as racist as the KKK.

Texas was a member of the Confederacy. Cruz wants Americans to forget that the South went to war against our government to protect slavery. Besides, all this gets our minds off of Trump and his treasonous behavior -- or so Republicans want us to think.

Anything but Trump!

Will Trump's followers believe any of this? Of course, they will. Which is the crux of the matter. The Republican Party is at the mercy of uninformed, Trump true believers, and Trump is taking the GOP down with him because the leadership is afraid to challenge Trump's ludicrous ideas.

Trump's followers are so pathetic, they can't even defend themselves.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Biden faces a critical week regarding his campaign promises and his legacy.

ABC reports, "Lawmakers will resume a slate of tense negotiations this week over voting rights, infrastructure and police reform as President Joe Biden's agenda enters an important week on Capitol Hill.

"Looming large over the deliberations is the July 4 recess in the Senate, which begins at the end of the week and could encourage real momentum just as easily as it could disrupt it.

"The Senate on Tuesday is set to vote on whether to advance the so-called For the People Act, a sweeping elections bill that currently lacks Republican support.

"But Democrats are looking to the vote as a chance to showcase unified support within their party and create a clear contrast with Republicans over the issue of voting access in America.

"As a result, all eyes are on Sen. Joe Manchin.

"White House officials view this week as crucial in their efforts to secure a bipartisan agreement and they entered Monday with a level of optimism something can get done, sources say. It's expected that President Joe Biden will make this the centerpoint of his week. There will be calls. There will likely be an Oval Office meeting.

"Republican Sen. Tim Scott told reporters last month it's "June or bust" when it comes to the bipartisan effort to craft a legislative overhaul of policing.

"That leaves just a small window for Scott and the other two lead negotiators -- Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Democratic Rep. Karen Bass of California -- to strike a deal that will satisfy both parties."

Will the Republicans be the party of "NO" again? Other than their negativity, some are wondering what their agenda is.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Republicans are using an old political trick perfected by Donald Trump when he was President. When doing something seriously wrong, when doing something harmful to American Democracy, blame the other party for doing exactly that.

The Republican Party is clearly guilty of voter suppression. The Post reports, "Republican state legislators have introduced hundreds of bills that would tighten access to voting around the country, many of them echoing then-president Donald Trump’s false claims that loose election laws allowed fraud to taint the 2020 White House race.

"The groundswell began early this year with the introduction of 253 bills proposing voting restrictions across 43 states as of Feb. 19, according to the nonpartisan Brennan Center for Justice. That number rose to at least 389 bills in 48 states as of May 14, the Brennan Center reported Friday."

In some states, the legislature could void the results of an election if they don't like the results.

Despite numerous audits and attempts in the courts, including the Supreme Court, significant voter fraud has never been proven. It is virtually a Republican myth begun by Trump when he lost his reelection by seven million votes.

The For the People Act was designed to create federal voting reform legislation that would eliminate the draconian Republican measures that restrict voting.

What does Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell have to say about all this?

He described it as a “transparent plan to tilt every election in America permanently in their favor.” By making it easier for Americans to vote?

Then he proceeded to lie about what was in the bill, another Republican tactic perfected by Trump. On average, he made 20 lies a day.

McConnell added, "stop the partisan power grab."

In terms of transparency, that is almost funny.

There will be nothing from the forum's Republicans. They never talk about what their party is doing. That may be because they are totally clueless.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Today the Republican Party officially endorsed voter suppression laws in Republican states.

The Times reports, "Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked the most ambitious voting rights legislation to come before Congress in a generation, using the filibuster to deal a blow to a bid by President Biden and Democrats to counter a wave of state-level ballot restrictions and fueling a political battle that promises to shape the 2022 elections.

"All 50 senators in the Democratic caucus voted to advance the measure, known as the For the People Act, but with every Republican opposed, it fell well short of the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster.

"Democrats’ only real hope of enacting an elections overhaul now rests on a long-shot bid to eliminate the legislative filibuster. some Democrats pointed to Republicans’ refusal to even allow debate on the issue as a glaring example of why their representatives in Congress must move to eliminate the rule to bypass Republicans."

“The people did not give Democrats the House, Senate and White House to compromise with insurrectionists,” Representative Ayanna S. Pressley, Democrat of Massachusetts, wrote on Twitter. “Abolish the filibuster so we can do the people’s work.”

 

[Sandy Shanks]

ABC News reports, "Although national coronavirus metrics have been declining rapidly, infections in areas with low vaccination rates persist."

"People who are unvaccinated will be at heightened risk in the coming months," Caitlin M. Rivers, an epidemiologist and senior scholar at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, told ABC News.

"A recent ABC News analysis of county-level data from the CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services found that per capita, hospitalization rates are twice as high in counties with the lowest rates of fully vaccinated residents, than in counties with the highest rates of fully vaccinated residents.

"Of particular concern are southern states like Alabama, which has the second lowest full vaccination rate in the country.

"With six of the 10 states with the lowest vaccination rates located in the South, there are growing concerns about resurgence in the region."

All ten states are Republican.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

“We have a deal,” Mr. Biden said outside the White House, standing beside a group of Republicans and Democrats after a meeting in the Oval Office.

When was the last time that happened? The President standing with members of both parties announcing that there is an agreement?

However, there still are some hurdles.

The Times reports, "President Biden struck an infrastructure deal on Thursday with a bipartisan group of senators, signing on to their plan to provide about $579 billion in new investments in roads, broadband internet, electric utilities and other projects in hopes of moving a crucial piece of his economic agenda through Congress.

"Mr. Biden’s endorsement marked a breakthrough in his efforts to forge an infrastructure compromise, but it was far from a guarantee that the package would be enacted. Both the president and top Democrats say the plan, which constitutes a fraction of the $4 trillion economic proposal Mr. Biden has put forth, can only move together with a much larger package of spending and tax increases that Democrats are planning to try to push through Congress unilaterally, over the opposition of Republicans.

The plan "would leave large swaths of the president’s economic proposals — including much of his proposed spending to combat climate change, along with investments in child care, education and other social programs — for a potential future bill that Democrats would try to pass without any Republican votes using a procedural mechanism known as reconciliation."

The good news is, obviously, the only ones who would challenge the reconciliation bill would be Democrats. No doubt Biden can woo them over.

It's all looking good.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Another close associate of Donald Trump had a run-in with the law.

Trump's latest personal lawyer -- his previous one, Michael Cohen, joined Trump's campaign manager and deputy campaign manager in prison -- lost his license to practice law.

NPR reports, "A New York state court has suspended Rudy Giuliani from practicing law after concluding that he made false statements alleging rampant fraud to try to overturn former President Donald Trump's loss in the 2020 election.

"In a 33-page decision released Thursday, a New York state appellate court said there was "uncontroverted evidence" that Giuliani "communicated demonstrably false and misleading statement to courts, lawmakers and the public at large in his capacity as lawyer for former President Donald J. Trump and the Trump campaign in connection with Trump's failed effort at reelection in 2020.'"

"This country is being torn apart by continued attacks on the legitimacy of the 2020 election and of our current president, Joseph R. Biden," the court added.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

One would think that Senators would be interested in the ransacking of our capitol by far right extremists. But today's Republican Senators are more concerned about protecting their asses, and they ensured the Jan. 6 bipartisan commission did not happen.

This gives some insight into the intelligence level of most Republican Senators. By covering up the role of the Republican President and the roles of certain Republican lawmakers in the invasion of our capitol, the Senators are doing more harm than good. It would be better for their careers if they acknowledged what happened then move on to the elections. A cover-up will not be forgotten. The Democrats will make sure of that.

Those chickens are now coming home to roost. Senate Republicans made certain that a thorough investigation of the Jan. 6 insurrection will be controlled by Democrats. That is happening now.

The Times reports, "Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced on Thursday that she would create a select committee to further investigate the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, after Senate Republicans blocked a bipartisan effort to form an independent commission of experts to look into the riot."

“Jan. 6 was a day of darkness for our country,” Ms. Pelosi told reporters. “Our temple of democracy was attacked by insurrectionists.”

The Times continued, "On Tuesday, Ms. Pelosi told top House Democrats that she planned to announce her decision on a select committee this week. She has maintained that her preference was for the Senate to approve a bipartisan commission, modeled after the one that investigated the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. But with Republicans opposed and many G.O.P. lawmakers working to whitewash and downplay the riot, she has conceded that no longer seemed possible."

Pelosi's select committee will have broad subpoena power, and, no doubt, they will make liberal use of the videos gathered by the DOJ and FBI to prove the invading extremists were not "tourists staying between the ropes."

The committee's report will come out in 2022, just in time for the election.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

“We have a deal,” Mr. Biden said outside the White House, standing beside a group of Republicans and Democrats after a meeting in the Oval Office.

When was the last time that happened? The President standing with members of both parties announcing that there is an agreement?

Not so fast.

Politico reports, "Senate Republicans who negotiated an infrastructure deal with President Joe Biden celebrated Thursday, then woke up angry on Friday.

"The five GOP senators who cut a deal with moderate Democrats and the president are frustrated that Biden explicitly tied his signature on a bipartisan infrastructure bill to a separate Democrats-only measure, according to three Republican aides familiar with the dynamics. Biden has long said he wants to push forward both measures together, but Republicans viewed his Thursday comment as openness to vetoing the very same bill he'd just endorsed.

"Members of the group in each party discussed the imbroglio on Friday afternoon on a call first reported by the Washington Post. Democrats were privately confident afterward that their Republican colleagues would stay on board and that their outrage would pass."

Imbroglio? Imbroglio means a confused situation. Who exactly is confused?

“Having spoken with several colleagues, I’m optimistic that despite some hiccups, the historic scope and widespread public support for this bipartisan infrastructure deal will keep it moving forward,” said Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.).

Hiccups? What is Coons talking about?

Did Biden screw up? His clear vow to hold up any bipartisan infrastructure bill Congress passes until he gets the Democratic proposal done is viewed as a potential dealbreaker for these Republicans.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

The Republican Party officially endorsed voter suppression laws in Republican states.

Senate Republicans on Tuesday blocked the most ambitious voting rights legislation to come before Congress in a generation, using the filibuster to deal a blow to a bid by President Biden and Democrats to counter a wave of state-level ballot restrictions and fueling a political battle that promises to shape the 2022 elections.

The Times reports, "The Justice Department sued Georgia over a sweeping voting law passed by the state’s Republican-led legislature, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced on Friday, in a major step by the Biden administration to confront state-level ballot restrictions enacted since the 2020 election."

“The rights of all eligible citizens to vote are the central pillars of our democracy,” Mr. Garland said in a news conference at the Justice Department. “They are the rights from which all other rights ultimately flow.”

"The complaint says the Georgia law effectively discriminates against Black voters and seeks to show that state lawmakers intended to do so. It argues that several of the law’s provisions “were passed with a discriminatory purpose,” Kristen Clarke, the head of the department’s civil rights division, said at the news conference.

"It comes days after congressional Republicans blocked the most ambitious federal voting rights legislation in a generation, and shows that the Justice Department under the Biden administration intends to use its remaining tools to aggressively fight state actions that it sees as potentially disenfranchising minority voters," the Times added.

The Republican Party is fast becoming the party of fascism, promoting the idea that only the white race can choose our leaders. Its followers are too dumb to notice. They will say nothing. They never say anything. They don't even know it is happening.

The Biden administration is determined to fight the new fascism.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

The Times reports, "Former President Donald J. Trump returned to the rally stage on Saturday evening after a nearly six-month absence, his first large public gathering since his “Save America” event on Jan. 6 that resulted in a deadly riot at the Capitol.

"Trump remains the most powerful figure in the Republican Party, with large numbers of G.O.P. lawmakers parroting his lies about a stolen 2020 election and fearful of crossing him, and many in the party waiting to see whether he will run again for the White House in 2024."

I have no idea what his followers see in this man, and we will never know. As this thread attests, Trump's followers do not talk about Trump and they do not talk about the Republican Party.

This is truly a cult. They support him with lies but they have no idea why.

The Times continued, "Tony Buscemi, 61, a small-business owner from West Bloomfield, Mich., said he had been at the Capitol on Jan. 6, and he claimed it had been a “mostly peaceful” gathering. “People were praying. People were singing,” Mr. Buscemi said, adding that he might have gone inside the building himself had his daughter not persuaded him that it was a bad idea. “There was no insurrection,” he insisted. “I didn’t see anything wrong with it.”

"The audience and on the stage, the scene in Ohio on Saturday was reflective of how diminished Mr. Trump has become in his post-presidency, and how reliant he is on a smaller group of allies and supporters who have adopted his alternate reality as their own. One of the event’s headliners was Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia, the far-right Republican who has promoted the QAnon conspiracy theory. Scores of people left early as he bounced from topic to topic — immigration, Israel, Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s protective mask."

Note: Greene was removed from her committee assignments by the GOP leadership.

Republicans on this forum will not respond to the issues contained in this report.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

I have no idea what his followers see in this man, and we will never know. As this thread attests, Trump's followers do not talk about Trump and they do not talk about the Republican Party.

This is truly a cult. They support him with lies but they have no idea why.

Republicans on this forum will not respond to the issues contained in this report.

Nothing from Republicans.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

The progressives often create more problems for the Democratic Party then do the Republicans. Their interference with the goals of our President could cause a disaster.

It wouldn't be the first time.

Before I get into that, let's hear what Bernie has to say.

Politico reports, "Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) is warning President Biden and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) that he will not support a bipartisan infrastructure bill that does not include a provision for reconciliation.

"Let me be clear: There will not be a bipartisan infrastructure deal without a reconciliation bill that substantially improves the lives of working families and combats the existential threat of climate change," Sanders said in a tweet on Sunday afternoon. "No reconciliation bill, no deal. We need transformative change NOW."

Biden tried to placate the progressives, but it didn't work because the Republicans who agreed to the deal felt betrayed. The demand from Sanders comes a day after Biden walked back remarks on Thursday suggesting he would only support signing a bipartisan bill if a larger, progressive reconciliation package was also passed. The package Sanders is talking about.

Put a different way, the way things are going, there might not be the badly needed infrastructure program. If Sanders doesn't get his way, he will destroy the plan. What Biden has worked so hard for could be destroyed by the progressives in his own party.

As mentioned, it wouldn't be the first time the progressives caused a disaster for the American people.

Bernie Sanders and his progressive followers were largely responsible for the Trump administration!

Newsweek reports, "Sanders supporters switched their allegiance to Donald Trump in large enough numbers last November to sway the election for the real estate billionaire, according to an analysis of voter data. 12 percent of those who backed Sanders actually cast a vote for Trump.

"The impact of those votes was significant. In each of the three states that ultimately swung the election for Trump—Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania—Trump's margin of victory over Clinton was smaller than the number of Sanders voters who gave him their vote."

In Wisconsin 51,000 Sanders supporters voted for Trump. Trump won Wisconsin by 22,000.

In Michigan 47,000 Sanders supporters voted for Trump. Trump won Michigan by 10,000.

In Pennsylvania 116,000 Sanders supporters voted for Trump. Trump won Pennsylvania by 44,000.

Bernie Sanders Voters Helped Trump Become President

Bernie Sanders supporters didn't just stay at home, they voted for Donald Trump in significant numbers last November.

www.newsweek.com

Under the circumstances I don't believe the progressives deserve much loyalty from Americans. Congressional Democrats as a whole should strongly consider the wishes of the Democratic President, not that of an Independent Senator from Vermont.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

The Hill reports, "Former Attorney General William Barr reportedly called former President Trump’s false claims of election fraud “bullshit,” according to a new book on the final days of the Trump administration.

"The revelation comes from the book “Betrayal,” authored by ABC News chief Washington correspondent Jonathan Karl. The book is set to be released in November.

"The Atlantic published an excerpt from the book on Sunday, providing key details of Barr’s relationship with Trump in the waning days of the administration and a peek into the then-attorney general’s thoughts on Trump’s repeated and unsubstantiated claims of election fraud."

“If there was evidence of fraud, I had no motive to suppress it. But my suspicion all the way along was that there was nothing there. It was all bullsh*t,” Barr said.

What does all this mean exactly?

Well, it means this. If one is a diehard member of Trump's cult and one believes everything Trump says, then one believes there was election fraud although there is no evidence of voter fraud.

One believes this despite countless state audits -- many conducted by Republican-led states, 60 court cases, the Supreme Court, and Trump's own attorney general that say differently. They all agree there was no election fraud That it is all "bullsh*t."

If one believes there was election fraud because Trump says so, what does that make one?

To be perfectly frank, the considered opinion is, Trump doesn't believe it. However, the "Big Lie" is a great money maker off those poor suckers who do believe him.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

One would think that Senators would be interested in the ransacking of our capitol by far right extremists. They ensured the Jan. 6 bipartisan commission did not happen.

This gives some insight into the intelligence level of most Republican Senators. It would have been better for their careers if they acknowledged what happened then moved on. A cover-up will not be forgotten. The Democrats will make sure of that.

The abject stupidity of the Trump-led Republican Party has now become apparent.

The Post reports, "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Monday introduced legislation that would create a select committee to probe the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by a pro-Trump mob, with an aide suggesting the speaker may include a Republican among her appointees.

"The House Rules Committee considered the legislation Monday night. The House will hold a procedural vote on the measure Tuesday, and a vote on the legislation itself is expected Wednesday."

“The speaker is seriously considering including a Republican among her eight appointments to the Select Committee,” a Pelosi aide, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

The Post continued, "According to the legislation, Pelosi would have the power to appoint eight members to the panel, while five members would be selected “after consultation with” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.).

"The panel will investigate the facts and causes of the assault that left five dead and nearly 140 officers attacked as they faced rioters armed with ax handles, bats, metal batons, wooden poles, hockey sticks and other weapons, authorities said. The riot led to the impeachment of President Donald Trump on a charge of “incitement of insurrection.”

The bipartisan Jan. 6 commission would not have consisted of members of Congress, and had an expiration date of Dec.31. Senate Republicans killed it.

Pelosi's select committee will have 13 House members, eight chosen by her, and she will have the luxury of dragging this out deep into 2022. The final report will most likely come out just in time for the November elections.