Come for the politics, stay for the snark.
This post is in: A Woman's Place Is In The House, Biden-Harris 2020, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat, Racial Justice
NEW: White House says Treasury Dept. is "taking steps to resume efforts" to put Harriet Tubman on the $20 bill.
Press Sec. Psaki says the Biden admin. is "exploring ways to speed up that effort." pic.twitter.com/z7Jw5CqXP0
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) January 25, 2021
Can’t tell you how sweet it is to be highlighting good news instead of clown-car outrages!
Twenty-dollar bill going from Andrew Jackson to Harriet Tubman — one symbol of difference between Trump and Biden. Proposed new design below: pic.twitter.com/e6xaukiSJJ
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) January 25, 2021
Monday Evening Open Thread: Another Excellent Small, Symbolic StepPost + Comments (152)
This post is in: Biden-Harris 2020, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat
Last week I asked you for your questions and you delivered. Answered a bunch here – and looking forward to doing this again soon. SPOILER: Revealing @POTUS' favorite ice cream ?? pic.twitter.com/DtAXZZGFdR
— Jen Psaki (@PressSec) January 24, 2021
I gave you my word as a Biden — and I kept that word. pic.twitter.com/MdpmoTvTXT
— President Biden (@POTUS) January 24, 2021
NEW MOTTO:
Do popular things. Don’t let people who hate popular things stop you. https://t.co/VXDn15tWsL
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) January 24, 2021
News outlets really have to stop framing articles as ‘what do Republicans think.’
Under Trump it was “his actions are wildly unpopular but Republicans love it.” Now under Biden the framing is “his actions are wildly popular but Republicans hate it.” https://t.co/aVbnTvYCmE
— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) January 24, 2021
Commentators: Can Biden unify the public behind his agenda?
Public: ?? https://t.co/HULee08w4I
— Ronald Klain (@WHCOS) January 24, 2021
If you care about the tone of the president when deciding whether or not to fund unemployment benefits, you probably don't actually want to fund unemployment benefits https://t.co/gOudin9Gc8
— The face toucher (@JonIsAwesomest) January 23, 2021
If ever there were a time for Democrats to break the mid term curse through big, bold action, pretty sure the country in a catastrophe spiral while Republicans staff a clown parade is that time.
— Schooley (@Rschooley) January 22, 2021
Monday Morning Open Thread: Blessed NormalityPost + Comments (114)
This post is in: Biden-Harris 2020, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat
Wow Joe Biden just made it illegal to ask a question that’s really more of a comment pic.twitter.com/MAXTTWtBr0
— Eric Haywood (@EricHaywood) January 22, 2021
President Joe Biden signed executive orders to fight the economic fallout of the pandemic. The orders would speed the delivery of pandemic stimulus checks to needy families and increase food aid for children who normally rely on school meals https://t.co/9RMg8L5Tlv pic.twitter.com/mYdywMPfLv
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 23, 2021
While Republicans are running their "unity" scam in the media, Biden just rolled out new policies that would channel large amounts of resources into rural America — into Trump country. I looked at how these policies constitute *actual* unifying efforts:https://t.co/5oTs2lTP4s
— Greg Sargent (@ThePlumLineGS) January 22, 2021
I don’t know, it seems like based on the last 24 hours things are running pretty smoothly and everyone is on the same page about next steps https://t.co/aHrRHfjHZ5
— Gerry Doyle (@mgerrydoyle) January 21, 2021
Opinion | Biden’s approach to covid-19: Flood the zone https://t.co/163exEbkxn
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 23, 2021
Federal flood protection standard is back. "President Biden’s forward-looking decision is acknowledgement that building to the climate of the past is no longer tenable." ?@joelscataNRDC? & ?@NRDC? https://t.co/Sd5oqgXLE7
— Rob Moore (@RobMooreNRDC) January 22, 2021
The fact that Biden has undone like a quarter of Trump's legacy in under a day shows how weak Trump was and how he was forced to resort to the president's most ephemeral powers.
— Tentin Quarantino (@agraybee) January 21, 2021
Still dazzled by the inauguration show? Here’s how it came together, and why Tom Hanks looked so cold. https://t.co/5nMzA869by
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 22, 2021
And one excellent read, now that we’ve stopped holding our breath…
… The concert was a triumph: a rousing call for American unity through soaring pop songs and tributes to people caring for their community.
The production? An unprecedented logistical puzzle that had to be solved in less than six weeks. The team faced a deeper challenge beyond the daunting details: how to reinvent the look and feel of a long-held national tradition — to give meaning to absence, incorporating both grief and optimism; to dazzle the 10.5 million TV viewers who watched the concert as it aired…
Every song was chosen for the story it told, says Elrod. That included Demi Lovato’s performance of Bill Withers’s “Lovely Day,” which the singer had never performed in public before, and learned only a few days before inauguration, says Elrod. And that moment where President Biden bopped along to the song with his baby grandson, Beau?
“Him holding his grandson was not planned,” says Elrod. “It was a beautiful moment because it was authentic.” (“LOVE YOU,” Lovato wrote on Instagram, with an image of the president watching her perform.)…
In normal times, only the people who shell out for pricey tickets get to attend inaugural balls — and those jaded ballgoers complain about how the food was bad and the coat check was slow, anyway. The inaugural concert was a great equalizer: Everyone got the same view of Katy Perry’s outfit. No one got blisters from hours of wearing heels. The production team hopes it will start a tradition.
“I think it’s important going forward that there be plenty of content to make people feel that no matter where they live, no matter if they can afford to travel to Washington, D.C. — do they feel like they can be a part of this?” says Elrod…
There were more than 20,000 fireworks, says Adam Biscow, whose Nashville company, Strictly FX — they do the fireworks at the Super Bowl, which explains the oomph factor — collaborated on the pyrotechnics with New Jersey’s Garden State Fireworks. They set up two launch sites — one near the Washington Monument, the other on the Tidal Basin — to accommodate the disparate camera angles for both Perry and the president. But having two locations made the show seem bigger…
The other reason the display was so grand: “As we started booking more acts, the finale compressed into just Katy’s song,” says Kirshner, but the number of fireworks remained the same.
“Typically that would be a 30- or 40-minute display, and they literally wanted to compress into four minutes,” says Biscow.
“Honestly,” says Kirshner, “we got a lot of bang for our buck.”
Saturday Morning Open Thread: Begin As You Mean to Go OnPost + Comments (229)
This post is in: Biden-Harris 2020, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat
And that’s that. pic.twitter.com/PKwLPv1Sxf
— Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) January 20, 2021
I think most of us have had enough time & space to be able to enjoy this in the spirit it was intended, now.
there's going to be a stream of good news and it's going to feel weird. https://t.co/mxD7gbkZil
— James Palmer (@BeijingPalmer) January 21, 2021
The Muslim Ban is no more. Trump literally ran his campaign on it and Biden ended it on day one of his Presidency. There's no both sides.
— Wajahat "Notoriously Brown" Ali (@WajahatAli) January 20, 2021
It is telling that there is almost no pushback on Biden ending the Muslim ban. There was never a security justification for it, but Republicans defended it anyway for four long years as families were cruelly and needlessly separated. Their silence paved the way for more abuse.
— Ryan Costello (@RyeCostello) January 21, 2021
Trump’s awful CFPB director abolished crucial restrictions on predatory lending. Now she’s fired. https://t.co/q5xWwb2sJT via @slate
— Steve Weinstein (@steveweinstein) January 21, 2021
Fauci just announced the end of Trump's Gag Rule that defunded NGOs who even discussed abortion with women.
This meant closing women's health services, family planning clinics, HIV clinics. Studies found use of birth control DROPPED by 14% & abortion rose by 40% as a result.
— Amy Maxmen, PhD (@amymaxmen) January 21, 2021
Confirmed: Biden has signed executive order implementing SCOTUS decision in Bostock v. Clayton County against anti-LGBTQ discrimination in all federal agencies.
— Chris Johnson (@chrisjohnson82) January 21, 2021
Woah, missed this. @JoeBiden just made funding for non-congregate homeless shelters 100% reimbursable. Until now, states & local govs have had to meet 25% cost-sharing with FEMA.
This means more at-risk homeless folks off streets and in healthy housing. https://t.co/qJ7HNKFkuo
— Sawyer Hackett (@SawyerHackett) January 22, 2021
House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she will consult fellow Democrats about the Senate's readiness to begin former President Donald Trump's impeachment trial on charges of inciting a riot at the U.S. Capitol https://t.co/BZD3WT4mxj pic.twitter.com/5jLfYqCL2Q
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 22, 2021
Friday Morning Open Thread: Celebrate! (Then Get Back to Work)Post + Comments (278)
This post is in: A Woman's Place Is In The House, Biden-Harris 2020, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat
I’m ready to build back better. #Inauguration2021 #InaugurationDay pic.twitter.com/WYv5npbpnM
— Deb Haaland (@DebHaalandNM) January 20, 2021
Kamala Harris sworn in by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, becoming the 49th Vice President of the United Stateshttps://t.co/hQBfBFbUvQ pic.twitter.com/HKiDtKNp8k
— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) January 20, 2021
On this historic day, I’m wearing Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm’s pearls, given to me by her goddaughter, who said that her godmother “would not want it any other way.”
Because of Shirley Chisholm, I am.
Because of Shirley Chisholm, Vice President Harris is. pic.twitter.com/rgQKw2Y8Qb
— Rep. Barbara Lee (@RepBarbaraLee) January 20, 2021
“This is the day when our democracy picks itself up, brushes off the dust, and does what America always does, goes forward as a nation”
Senator Amy Klobuchar opens Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ inauguration ceremonyhttps://t.co/rkHtZRRNH2 pic.twitter.com/HynQ7BplXa
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) January 20, 2021
Wasn't @TheAmandaGorman’s poem just stunning? She's promised to run for president in 2036 and I for one can't wait. pic.twitter.com/rahEClc6k2
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) January 20, 2021
On a day for the history books, @TheAmandaGorman delivered a poem that more than met the moment. Young people like her are proof that "there is always light, if only we're brave enough to see it; if only we're brave enough to be it." pic.twitter.com/mbywtvjtEH
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 20, 2021
It delights me to think that what feels historical and amazing to us today—a woman sworn in to the vice presidency—will seem normal, obvious, "of course" to Kamala's grand-nieces as they grow up. And they will be right. pic.twitter.com/1gQOvmNipB
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) January 20, 2021
A highlight of an already very good day. https://t.co/9Zrb3r0Upr
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) January 21, 2021
Congratulations to Georgia’s U.S. Senators, @ossoff and @ReverendWarnock, who were sworn in moments ago. I am proud to call you my Senators and my friends. #gapol #InaugurationDay pic.twitter.com/Rq748ZgRMm
— Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) January 20, 2021
Well, that was great.
— Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) January 20, 2021
The Senate has confirmed Avril Haines as intelligence director, approving the first member of President Joe Biden's Cabinet. Haines told lawmakers she sees her role as delivering accurate intelligence even if it is uncomfortable or inconvenient.https://t.co/5h1Va1mUFz
— The Associated Press (@AP) January 21, 2021
This post is in: Biden-Harris 2020, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat, Readership Capture
"Democracy has prevailed"
In his inaugural address as the 46th president of the United States, Joe Biden said it was a "day of history and hope"https://t.co/qE9s2zYjqO pic.twitter.com/rQHyIMLInC
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) January 20, 2021
As Lady Gaga sang the national anthem, the sky opened up and sunlight reflected off of the Capitol, illuminating the flag.
— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) January 20, 2021
The Bidens share a moment right before they entered the White House after the #InaugurationDay ceremony https://t.co/iIbwhzEsVk pic.twitter.com/ertv4K78XE
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 21, 2021
It's an honor to be your Vice President. pic.twitter.com/iM3BxJzz6E
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) January 20, 2021
Eugene Goodman, a Capitol Police officer who was hailed as a hero for facing down members of the mob that breached the Capitol on Jan. 6, is serving as an escort to Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as she is sworn into the U.S.’s second-highest office. https://t.co/yuPtZTtEZj
— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 20, 2021
??: In a sign of the covid times — a fist bump between Joe Biden and his former boss, Barack Obama #InaugurationDay https://t.co/1j6ZJcRBZT pic.twitter.com/WSq9ya4s3x
— Bloomberg (@business) January 20, 2021
Harris swears in Sens. Warnock, Ossoff and Padilla as Democrats take control of the Senate, cementing party’s power in Washington https://t.co/mpVnhSOJOb
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 20, 2021
Thanks to American voters, we are back in the #ParisAgreement. America is once again poised to lead the world on climate action, working with our allies to build a better future for us all. Time to get back to work!
— Al Gore (@algore) January 20, 2021
Now the real work begins, folks. Follow along at @POTUS as we build back better. pic.twitter.com/fHViqSqwp2
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) January 20, 2021
Spotted at the White House: Ron Klain, the White House chief of staff, sporting a unity mask. It’s the message of the day. pic.twitter.com/n1r3DPCGW5
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) January 20, 2021
and I mean like hundreds of people all bringing their a-game all the time, for joe. these things don’t just happen. it’s window dressing but it indicates the stuff that matters will get the same treatment.
— kilgore trout, brad r’s brother (@KT_So_It_Goes) January 21, 2021
The inauguration security barriers will start coming down on Wednesday night, and take 36 hours to be completely removed. https://t.co/OoqFXbjLa9 pic.twitter.com/4NgLJJS9PM
— DCist (@DCist) January 21, 2021
Asian stocks jumped to record highs as investors bet the new U.S. administration under President Joe Biden could mean bigger stimulus spending https://t.co/mHHVL9IQBf pic.twitter.com/HeYh9FMqSH
— Reuters (@Reuters) January 21, 2021
Thursday Morning Open Thread: What A Difference A Day MakesPost + Comments (185)
This post is in: Biden-Harris 2020, Open Threads, Readership Capture
The time has finally come for President Trump to find a space at Mar-a-Lago for his $50,000 room-size golf simulator, his collection of Brioni suits and the first lady’s matching Louis Vuitton luggage she has hauled around the globe. @anniekarni https://t.co/LG0mwgAsDb
— Eric Lipton (@EricLiptonNYT) January 19, 2021
… By Wednesday at 12:01 p.m., hours after Mr. Trump himself plans to leave Washington, all the first family’s stuff will have followed him out the White House door, en route to his new home in Palm Beach, Fla. And by the end of the day Joseph R. Biden Jr. and his wife, Jill, will arrive to a deep-cleaned living quarters where their bags will be unpacked, their furniture arranged and their favorite foods stocked in the fridge.
It’s the awkward pas de deux performed every four or eight years when one family moves in and another moves out, an undertaking carried out by the 90-person White House residence staff in about five hours. A complicated, highly choreographed process is done on a tight schedule that often requires boxing up whatever has been left unpacked — some outgoing presidents are more prepared to leave the executive mansion than others.
This year, people involved in the process said, moving day also involves additional cleaning and safety precautions because of the coronavirus…
The Bidens were never invited to meet the residence staff, or canvass the second floor of the White House, which has 16 rooms and six bathrooms and will now be their home. Michelle Obama, by contrast, had been through the White House twice at the invitation of Mrs. Bush before her husband’s 2009 inauguration.
“Mrs. Trump should have invited Dr. Biden in for the traditional coffee,” said Capricia Marshall, who served as White House social secretary in the Clinton administration and oversaw that president’s departure in 2001, referring to Melania Trump, the first lady. “Typically, she would come prepared with questions, she’ll meet and talk to the chef, the full time residence staff and have an opportunity for them to break the ice. It’s a courtesy, but logistically it’s incredibly helpful. That didn’t happen.”…
“The good news is there’s a process, there’s a checklist,” Ms. McBride said. “The staff knows what they need to do. And the Bidens know the building, they know the people. They’ve been there plenty.”
Theme for the (first) Biden Administration: No panic, we’ve done this before.
White House cleaning crews are scrubbing the press secretary’s office to prep for the arrival of @jrpsaki. The cleaners are all over the West Wing and residence this morning, Inauguration Day. Some Trump aides left notes behind for the new staffers. pic.twitter.com/H1VLXPJvTb
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) January 20, 2021
An interesting revelation in this @CNN piece, which confirms something we've heard about the Trumps. This re the deep, deep clean that's going down at the White House to free it of germs, given that it has been a COVID hotspot thanks to the Trumps. https://t.co/u7tRC1r3lj pic.twitter.com/zyCTa0rUnF
— Joy WE VOTED!! WEAR A MASK!! Reid ??) (@JoyAnnReid) January 18, 2021
classless trash to the end https://t.co/rnoACjltee
— kilgore trout, brad r’s brother (@KT_So_It_Goes) January 20, 2021
(Literal) Housekeeping (At the White House) Open ThreadPost + Comments (103)