President Biden in action!
Open thread.
by WaterGirl| 83 Comments
This post is in: Biden Administration in Action, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Open Threads
President Biden in action!
Open thread.
This post is in: Biden Administration in Action, Open Threads, President Biden, Proud to Be A Democrat
Joe Biden turned 81, and then promptly:
-Mixed up Britney Spears and Taylor Swift.
-Directly engaged in high stakes international diplomacy and delivered a truce deal between mortal enemies to release hostages and increase humanitarian aid.I know which one is more important.
— That Unhinged Biden Guy (@What46HasDone) November 22, 2023
Condolences to those who have to work-for-pay today, especially if it involves going in to an otherwise deserted office. Also to those who are recovering from the stress, physical or emotional, of the holiday itself. If it makes you feel any better about *your* celebratory choices:
President Biden did the polar plunge today. What did Donald Trump do? ?? https://t.co/LE1NmV8AjU
— Chris D. Jackson (@ChrisDJackson) November 24, 2023
White House officials blanketing TV this morning, day after Israel-Hamas hostage deal announced. https://t.co/FTUnsk3qic
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) November 22, 2023
Caring is sharing!
If you:
Bought Dolly Parton’s new album,
Plan to buy tickets to the upcoming Rolling Stones tour,
Rushed to watch Cher in the Macy’s parade today,You shouldn’t be worried about Joe Biden’s age.
— Rebekah, Thankful Crone ?? ?? ?? (@RebekahWriter) November 23, 2023
Biden works his ass off every day to do what he thinks is right – you can agree/disagree with his politics but the media's portrayal of him as a doddering old man who should bow out of the 2024 race is at odds w/his actual performance as President. It's journalistic malpractice https://t.co/IUcglppLGK
— scary lawyerguy (@scarylawyerguy) November 23, 2023
Joe Biden trained for this moment his entire career.
Inside the “excruciating” work of a secret U.S. cell that negotiated the hostage deal – USA TODAY https://t.co/r0XbM6bPz4
— Rachel Bitecofer ?????????????? (@RachelBitecofer) November 23, 2023
For 4 long years, Donald Trump made us a laughingstock, kowtowing to authoritarians across the globe.
Under President Biden, America once again leads the free world. Our allies are stronger, and our enemies are weaker. President Biden is an American President. pic.twitter.com/iTZvTmLHEw
— The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) November 23, 2023
Friday Morning Open Thread: Holiday Hangover DayPost + Comments (176)
This post is in: Biden Administration in Action, Open Threads, Politics
Maybe you, like me, have been intending to read Joe Biden’s statement of his position, in the Washington Post OPINION piece?
I finally read it just now, and it was worth the 5 minutes it took to read the whole thing. We probably all guessed that Biden was pissed when he called David Axelrod a prick. After reading this, I’m pretty sure it’s not just Axelrod the he’s pissed at.
*Are there really people who don’t know that Joe Biden is President of the United States?
Joe Biden is president of the United States.
Today, the world faces an inflection point, where the choices we make — including in the crises in Europe and the Middle East — will determine the direction of our future for generations to come.
What will our world look like on the other side of these conflicts?
Will we deny Hamas the ability to carry out pure, unadulterated evil? Will Israelis and Palestinians one day live side by side in peace, with two states for two peoples?
Will we hold Vladimir Putin accountable for his aggression, so the people of Ukraine can live free and Europe remains an anchor for global peace and security?
And the overarching question: Will we relentlessly pursue our positive vision for the future, or will we allow those who do not share our values to drag the world to a more dangerous and divided place?
Both Putin and Hamas are fighting to wipe a neighboring democracy off the map. And both Putin and Hamas hope to collapse broader regional stability and integration and take advantage of the ensuing disorder. America cannot, and will not, let that happen. For our own national security interests — and for the good of the entire world.
The United States is the essential nation. We rally allies and partners to stand up to aggressors and make progress toward a brighter, more peaceful future. The world looks to us to solve the problems of our time. That is the duty of leadership, and America will lead. For if we walk away from the challenges of today, the risk of conflict could spread, and the costs to address them will only rise. We will not let that happen.
That conviction is at the root of my approach to supporting the people of Ukraine as they continue to defend their freedom against Putin’s brutal war.
We know from two world wars in the past century that when aggression in Europe goes unanswered, the crisis does not burn itself out. It draws America in directly. That’s why our commitment to Ukraine today is an investment in our own security. It prevents a broader conflict tomorrow.
We are keeping American troops out of this war by supporting the brave Ukrainians defending their freedom and homeland. We are providing them with weapons and economic assistance to stop Putin’s drive for conquest, before the conflict spreads farther.
The United States is not doing this alone. More than 50 nations have joined us to ensure that Ukraine has what it needs to defend itself. Our partners are shouldering much of the economic responsibility for supporting Ukraine. We have also built a stronger and more united NATO, which enhances our security through the strength of our allies, while making clear that we will defend every inch of NATO territory to deter further Russian aggression. Our allies in Asia are standing with us as well to support Ukraine and hold Putin accountable, because they understand that stability in Europe and in the Indo-Pacific are inherently connected.
We have also seen throughout history how conflicts in the Middle East can unleash consequences around the globe.
We stand firmly with the Israeli people as they defend themselves against the murderous nihilism of Hamas. On Oct. 7, Hamas slaughtered 1,200 people, including 35 American citizens, in the worst atrocity committed against the Jewish people in a single day since the Holocaust. Infants and toddlers, mothers and fathers, grandparents, people with disabilities, even Holocaust survivors were maimed and murdered. Entire families were massacred in their homes. Young people were gunned down at a music festival. Bodies riddled with bullets and burned beyond recognition. And for over a month, the families of more than 200 hostages taken by Hamas, including babies and Americans, have been living in hell, anxiously waiting to discover whether their loved ones are alive or dead. At the time of this writing, my team and I are working hour by hour, doing everything we can to get the hostages released.
And while Israelis are still in shock and suffering the trauma of this attack, Hamas has promised that it will relentlessly try torepeat Oct. 7. It has said very clearly that it will not stop.
The Palestinian people deserve a state of their own and a future free from Hamas. I, too, am heartbroken by the images out of Gaza and the deaths of many thousands of civilians, including children. Palestinian children are crying for lost parents. Parents are writing their child’s name on their hand or leg so they can be identified if the worst happens. Palestinian nurses and doctors are trying desperately to save every precious life they possibly can, with little to no resources. Every innocent Palestinian life lost is a tragedy that rips apart families and communities.
Our goal should not be simply to stop the war for today — it should be to end the war forever, break the cycle of unceasing violence, and build something stronger in Gaza and across the Middle East so that history does not keep repeating itself.
Just weeks before Oct. 7, I met in New York with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The main subject of that conversation was a set of substantial commitments that would help both Israel and the Palestinian territories better integrate into the broader Middle East. That is also the idea behind the innovative economic corridor that will connect India to Europe through the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel, which I announced together with partners at the Group of 20 summit in India in early September. Stronger integration between countries creates predictable markets and draws greater investment. Better regional connection — including physical and economic infrastructure — supports higher employment and more opportunities for young people. That’s what we have been working to realize in the Middle East. It is a future that has no place for Hamas’s violence and hate, and I believe that attempting to destroy the hope for that future is one reason that Hamas instigated this crisis.
This much is clear: A two-state solution is the only way to ensure the long-term security of both the Israeli and Palestinian people. Though right now it may seem like that future has never been further away, this crisis has made it more imperative than ever.
A two-state solution — two peoples living side by side with equal measures of freedom, opportunity and dignity — is where the road to peace must lead. Reaching it will take commitments from Israelis and Palestinians, as well as from the United States and our allies and partners. That work must start now.
To that end, the United States has proposed basic principles for how to move forward from this crisis, to give the world a foundation on which to build.
To start, Gaza must never again be used as a platform for terrorism. There must be no forcible displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, no reoccupation, no siege or blockade, and no reduction in territory. And after this war is over, the voices of Palestinian people and their aspirations must be at the center of post-crisis governance in Gaza.
As we strive for peace, Gaza and the West Bank should be reunited under a single governance structure, ultimately under a revitalized Palestinian Authority, as we all work toward a two-state solution. I have been emphatic with Israel’s leaders that extremist violence against Palestinians in the West Bank must stop and that those committing the violence must be held accountable. The United States is prepared to take our own steps, including issuing visa bans against extremists attacking civilians in the West Bank.
The international community must commit resources to support the people of Gaza in the immediate aftermath of this crisis, including interim security measures, and establish a reconstruction mechanism to sustainably meet Gaza’s long-term needs. And it is imperative that no terrorist threats ever again emanate from Gaza or the West Bank.
If we can agree on these first steps, and take them together, we can begin to imagine a different future. In the months ahead, the United States will redouble our efforts to establish a more peaceful, integrated and prosperous Middle East — a region where a day like Oct. 7 is unthinkable.
Open thread.
This post is in: 2024 Elections, Biden Administration in Action, Books, Foreign Affairs, Proud to Be A Democrat
A model for us all!
"Before we get going, are there any Moms for Liberty in the house? No? Good. then hands will not need to be thrown tonight."
Host LeVar Burton kicks off this year's National Book Awards ceremony. #NBAwards pic.twitter.com/tQtLj8azGS
— Publishers Weekly (@PublishersWkly) November 16, 2023
President Joe delivers:
Chinese President Xi Jinping signaled late Wednesday that China will send new pandas to the United States, calling them “envoys of friendship between the Chinese and American peoples.” https://t.co/cvM6NfNWiQ
— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) November 16, 2023
Biden at last night's presser:
1) He looks, sounds, "reads as," and is … old.
2) He also walked across an absolute minefield of issues and Qs — PRC/Taiwan, detente-but-diff w Xi, Gaza, Ukr, etc—without any missteps.
#2 is much harder than it seem. He is still doing the job.
— James Fallows (@JamesFallows) November 16, 2023
??NEW VIDEO??
On Nov. 5, 2024, American democracy will be in imminent danger if we don't unite.
Democracy needs you ????#TomorrowIsTooLate pic.twitter.com/r8Bt4bXUBZ
— Eleven Films (@ElevenFilms) November 16, 2023
This post is in: Biden Administration in Action, President Biden, Proud to Be A Democrat, Republican Stupidity
Today marks two years since I signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
It's a once-in-a-generation investment in our roads, bridges, transportation, clean water systems, high-speed internet access, and it's creating good-paying, union jobs you can raise a family on. pic.twitter.com/rSWK9uDwu9
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) November 15, 2023
Under my predecessor, “Infrastructure Week” became a punchline.
On my watch, we got it done. pic.twitter.com/321tJ20wll
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) November 15, 2023
Biden winning with Xi's wife. From US official, per pool note: "Biden wished Xi’s wife a happy birthday– (she) and Biden share the same birthday. Xi said he was embarrassed, had been working so hard and had forgotten that his wife’s birthday was next week."
— Shaun Tandon (@shauntandon) November 16, 2023
https://t.co/Eg2zEHlfaz pic.twitter.com/esec0Tz9XC
— Professional Shitposter (@FlexasaurusWrex) November 15, 2023
Biden lambasted Trump for comparing his political enemies to “vermin,” saying the language evoked that of Nazi Germany.
“A specific phrase — it’s just a specific meaning,” Biden said Tuesday at a political fundraiser in San Francisco.https://t.co/DSa32qwkNn— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) November 15, 2023
Activist judges!
Lindsey Graham asks Ramona Manglona, Biden's nominee to the District Court of the Northern Mariana Islands, how long it takes to get to DC from Saipan.
"24 hours one way, door to door."
Graham: Is there anything we can do to make you job easier?
Manglona: "Um, confirm me?" ?? pic.twitter.com/uTGgXQDcKU
— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) November 15, 2023
Biden today announced plans to nominate the 1st Muslim to serve on a federal appeals court — Adeel Mangi.
Mangi would be the 4th Muslim judicial nominee put forth by Biden and the 1st to serve on any circuit court, per @sethstern https://t.co/5a482kV64O
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) November 15, 2023
Is our Repubs learning?…
Greene: I posted them on my Twitter account
Wray: I don’t spend a lot of time on Twitter
Greene: I’m sure you do because the DHS organized with other offices and censored people like myself
Wray: I’m not part of the DHS pic.twitter.com/DV8nzD5e52
— Acyn (@Acyn) November 15, 2023
Marjorie Taylor Greene tried and failed to impeach Secretary Mayorkas with a bigoted and false resolution. Today, she tried again to interrupt me as I corrected her lies. pic.twitter.com/kcjk7dm1D5
— Congressman Robert Garcia (@RepRobertGarcia) November 15, 2023
Thursday Morning Open Thread: Not Yet Tired of All the WinningPost + Comments (344)
This post is in: Biden Administration in Action, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat, Republican Stupidity, Republicans in Disarray!
President Biden takes questions from journalists on the South Lawn. For @nytimes pic.twitter.com/dNVEjJNGQO
— Tom Brenner (@tombrennerphoto) November 13, 2023
WATCH: @POTUS announces $6 billion in new investments from Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to make communities across the nation more resilient to climate change! pic.twitter.com/67qnGBKK3g
— Building Back Together (@BuildingBack_US) November 14, 2023
And the Prez that pulled this off WHILE resurrecting the manufacturing base, passing infrastructure, reducing poverty, AND wrecking the Russian Army without a US shot fired…has a chattering class demanding he resign cuz he has a childhood stutter idiots confuse for senility. https://t.co/AuLMWjlhaE
— zeddy (@Zeddary) November 14, 2023
https://t.co/Eg2zEHlfaz pic.twitter.com/esec0Tz9XC
— Professional Shitposter (@FlexasaurusWrex) November 15, 2023
I’m in San Francisco for the 2023 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leaders Meeting. @POTUS and I look forward to welcoming leaders from throughout the Indo-Pacific and working together to promote economic growth and prosperity in the region. pic.twitter.com/SdTNgotKQE
— Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) November 15, 2023
Tonight, @HouseDemocrats welcome to our Caucus a trailblazing public servant and steadfast advocate for the American people — Congressman @GabeAmo!
Looking forward to working alongside our newest Member to deliver for hardworking families across New England and the country. pic.twitter.com/CMfdXylyGZ
— Katherine Clark (@WhipKClark) November 14, 2023
Minutes before Rachel Maddow walked out on our stage, we got word that the House passed Speaker Mike Johnson's bill to fund the government into the new year. Here's how @maddow reacted.#Colbert pic.twitter.com/BNwj4jVm4z
— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) November 15, 2023
Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Democrats Are Getting It DonePost + Comments (178)
This post is in: 2024 Elections, Biden Administration in Action, Military, Popular Culture, Proud to Be A Democrat
I mean, in fairness, it is one way to get a free trip to Japan. https://t.co/JB3jBNwpTE
— Open Source Stupidity (OSSTU) Starfish (@IRHotTakes) November 10, 2023
Elsewhere…
"A deal is a deal. 2/3 of those House Republicans voted for this deal. This is their responsibility. They need to keep the government open."@Morning_Joe
— Karine Jean-Pierre (@PressSec) November 9, 2023
South Carolina Democrats are the backbone of the Democratic Party. @ClyburnSC06, got room for one more? ?? https://t.co/lZnrzRYDvz
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) November 9, 2023
We took the heat when we lost VA in 2021, and we were going to get run out of town if the red wave hit in 2022, so the biden-skeptics shouldn’t get it both ways. https://t.co/h2wOP6qpSB
— Ronald Klain (@RonaldKlain) November 9, 2023
Biden's secret weapon is that his opponents keep insisting he's a vegetable who has no idea where he is, which sets the bar so low that he easily vaults over it when voters do see him and discover that he's not what they've been told. This helped him in 2020, it'll help in 2024. https://t.co/8oixzE7BHm
— Yair Rosenberg (@Yair_Rosenberg) November 9, 2023
Today in "Joe Biden is good at politics" https://t.co/OFUCwLnOD6
— Mark Copelovitch (@mcopelov) November 10, 2023
Saturday Morning Open Thread: Veterans DayPost + Comments (168)