Come for the politics, stay for the snark.
This post is in: LGBTQ Rights Are Human Rights, Music, Open Threads, President Biden, Proud to Be A Democrat
Among the 2,000 people in attendance tonight at the White House celebration of "everyday history makers": Malala Yousafzai, Ruby Bridges, Billie Jean King and Jeanne White-Ginder, Ryan White's mother https://t.co/xA7gaJHHSo
— Katie Rogers (@katierogers) September 24, 2022
Elton John sings "Tiny Dancer" at the White House. pic.twitter.com/vubtvpgzNd
— CSPAN (@cspan) September 24, 2022
At the White House, Elton John says he wants to end AIDS by 2030. “Let’s keep the fight on.” pic.twitter.com/fsoeayZFhW
— Ramin Setoodeh (@RaminSetoodeh) September 24, 2022
At the end of the show, President Biden surprised the singer with the National Humanities Medal, for his songbook and his long legacy of advocacy. https://t.co/JzRrstx8ug
— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 24, 2022
A beautiful moment to see the great Elton John awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Biden: for his joyous music, & for his work to end AIDS & “to advance the simple truth that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity & respect” pic.twitter.com/RrEhSrkcdj
— Ben Phillips (@benphillips76) September 24, 2022
Biden with his arm around Elton John:
"It's all his fault we are spending $6 billion in tax payer dollars on HIV and AIDS this month" pic.twitter.com/Hql7RfxEsL
— Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) September 24, 2022
Congratulations to my friend Elton John, who has received a National Humanities Medal from President Biden for “for moving our souls with his powerful voice…and who found purpose to advance a simple truth: that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect.” pic.twitter.com/w4p3iyeMEE
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) September 24, 2022
It was an honour to perform @whitehouse and be presented by President @JoeBiden with the National Humanities Medal for my contribution to music and the work through @EJAF to end AIDS!
We’ve reached over 100m people with HIV and we couldn't have done it without our supporters?? pic.twitter.com/YiZM8eUQme
— Elton John (@eltonofficial) September 24, 2022
Now that Trump is gone, A-list celebrities, including Elton John, have returned to the White House… via @NYTimeshttps://t.co/5SevlkHQI9
— Joy-Ann (Pro-Democracy) Reid 😷 (@JoyAnnReid) September 24, 2022
Here’s a recording of the whole thing; Sir Elton’s performance starts at approximately the 23:00 mark.
Saturday Morning Open Thread: Congratulations, Sir Elton JohnPost + Comments (110)
This post is in: Open Threads, President Biden, Proud to Be A Democrat, Show Us on the Doll Where the Invisible Hand Touched You
White House says @POTUS called Puerto Rico governor Pierluisi from Air Force One:
"President Biden described the surge of Federal support to the island, where more than 300 Federal personnel are already working to assist with response and recovery."— Nandita Bose (@nanditab1) September 19, 2022
I am sick and tired of trickle-down economics. It has never worked.
We're building an economy from the bottom up and middle out.
— President Biden (@POTUS) September 20, 2022
I'm not quite prepared to say that Biden is definitely the most pro-union president in US history but you can make the case and I made it here. And other than FDR, I have no idea who you could make the case for as #2. Not Truman or LBJ anyway. https://t.co/1zXf97xLKQ
— Erik Loomis (@ErikLoomis) September 20, 2022
… The overall history makes Biden look pretty good. But I think there’s one additional point to be made here. The rail unions are notoriously conservative and have been for over a century. Biden didn’t do this because he necessarily expected the rail unions to repay Democrats in the fall. This is MAGA union country, and for a lot of rail workers, listening to their NRA propaganda means a heck of a lot more than anything Joe Biden does. Some might vote against the agreement just because they hate Biden so much.
No, Biden did this because he believes in union power, even if those unions don’t necessarily support him. That’s been at the core of Biden’s actions toward unions through his entire presidency. That’s what motivated him to engage in an unprecedented intervention in the 2021 Amazon election in Alabama by sending a public message reminding that workers have the choice for a union and calling out Amazon by name. That’s what has motivated him to empower Walsh and Vice President Kamala Harris to chair a taskforce to see how the administration can increase union power through executive action, which is necessary given the hostility of Congress and rightwing courts…
BREAKING: NYAG Tish James will make a MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT tomorrow at 10:30 AM ET. Ooooh, I bet I know what it is! https://t.co/KKRPMmMF9K
— Mueller, She Wrote (@MuellerSheWrote) September 20, 2022
JUST IN: the next public hearing of the @January6thCmte will take place on September 28, 2022, at 1:00 p.m. ET. https://t.co/xYiUPTZjFW
— Katie S. Phang (@KatiePhang) September 20, 2022
POTUS and FLOTUS to host an Elton John concert on South Lawn of White House this Friday night pic.twitter.com/Eu5bKTsYWR
— Emily Goodin (@Emilylgoodin) September 20, 2022
Wednesday Morning Open Thread: Prosocial CalendarPost + Comments (149)
This post is in: Open Threads, President Biden, Proud to Be A Democrat, Repubs in Disarray!, Show Us On the Doll Where the Invisible Hand Touched You
.@POTUS and ?@FLOTUS? boarding AF1 for the flight to London wearing their Air Force jackets to commemorate its 75th anniversary as a service tomorrow. ?@Andrews_JBA? is holding an air show this weekend. pic.twitter.com/IAaSlz3aFA
— darlene superville (@dsupervilleap) September 17, 2022
I woulda slapped the stupid out that man’s mouth but that’s why I’m not president https://t.co/2XkNT6jOVB
— Dark Brandon High Cleric (@TonyMoonbeam) September 17, 2022
Someone should cut an ad about how Republicans' solution to every problem is to stick it on a plane and fly it to a blue state
Need an abortion? Go to NY/CA.
Immigrant? One way ticket to MA— The okayest poster there is (@ok_post_guy) September 17, 2022
It's also a tacit admission that they know you have a problem, and they just don't care. Like 20 years ago at least Republicans attempted to have solutions. They were bad, and frequently just giveaways to private interests, but at least they recognized the need to have something
— The okayest poster there is (@ok_post_guy) September 17, 2022
… But that can *feel* like a disadvantage, given the Disloyal Opposition and its Media Idiot enablers:
Unlike most other things, people notice gas price drops even absent news coverage. But every economic issue is seemingly like this – big coverage when the GOP is trying to rile up bad news for Dems, then news of the problem being solved or resolving gets no coverage. https://t.co/tEkp4v093T
— Michael Tae Sweeney (@mtsw) September 17, 2022
Or the shift from overriding concern with unemployment to overriding concern with inflation as soon as the unemployment report made a Dem President look good. Pretty interesting!
— Michael Tae Sweeney (@mtsw) September 17, 2022
— Michael Tae Sweeney (@mtsw) September 17, 2022
It's not cope to believe that Biden and his senior appointees have been dealing from the outset with a compromised system, the shit takes time and effort that could have been pointed elsewhere under normal circumstances. And maybe only now there's some sense of (limited) control.
— Nick (@getyrtrouserson) September 17, 2022
Everyone said the only way to get legislation passed was to take Joe Manchin's dog hostage and then the IRA got passed doing the exact opposite of that, so maybe the people who want maximally belligerent politics can take a step back for a bit.
— Le Brandón Sinistre (@agraybee) September 17, 2022
Sunday Morning Open Thread: Democrats Are Better for the Country…Post + Comments (138)
This post is in: Foreign Affairs, Immigration, Open Threads, President Biden, Proud to Be A Democrat
"And we have a process in place to manage migrants at the border. We're working to make sure it's safe and orderly and humane. Republican officials should not interfere with that process."
He went on to call for comprehensive immigration reform. https://t.co/WVXRt45TdY
— Daniel Marans (@danielmarans) September 16, 2022
Yes, there is a ton of information on this week’s big stories that should be shared, and the sheer weight of it is deeply dispiriting, which inspires in me an urge, to — as they say on line — touch grass. Sooo grateful there are fine people, like Joe Biden, who are professionals at this!
"If, in fact, they'd gone on a strike… We would've seen a real economic crisis."
President Joe Biden tells 60 Minutes what went into the deal that stopped a nationwide railroad strike. See the full interview, Sunday. https://t.co/l6qgPfYE2e pic.twitter.com/2tAVcqUrJG
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) September 16, 2022
they’ve moved onto high fiving human trafficking into new england https://t.co/U9iFl11nAR
— kilgore trout, death to putiner (@KT_So_It_Goes) September 17, 2022
President Joe Biden has met with family members of WNBA star Brittney Griner and another American detained in Russia, Paul Whelan. It was the first face-to-face encounter the president has had with the relatives. https://t.co/juv8REeadm
— The Associated Press (@AP) September 17, 2022
'For you, the day Brandon destroyed your candidate was the worst of your life. For me … it was Tuesday.'
— James Palmer (@BeijingPalmer) September 16, 2022
https://t.co/TuvDr2Dzwp pic.twitter.com/30XSupInC1
— Pomodoro (Dad Joke Era) (@ilpomodoro2) September 15, 2022
Dark Brandon is the guy who gets stuff done. A world wherein the mainstream Dems get stuff done is far better than one in which they don’t.
— Malraux (@jed_white) September 15, 2022
Saturday Morning Open Thread: Thank Murphy for the WeekendPost + Comments (186)
This post is in: Biden Administration in Action, Open Threads, President Biden, Proud to Be A Democrat, Tech News & Issues
.@POTUS, after revving the engine of a new Corvette, jokingly informs the Secret Service that he will be driving home. pic.twitter.com/JYns8L2v7H
— Jeff Mason (@jeffmason1) September 14, 2022
Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg says EVs are going to be the future, the only questions are:
1. Will it happen quickly enough to address climate change?
2. Will it be affordable enough?
3. Will it be a made in America EV revolution?Says under current leadership, “hell yes”
— Rachel Louise Just (@RLJnews) September 14, 2022
Stabenow: Whitmer “said she’d fix the damn rods, and there’s enough orange cones out there that I actually believe her!”
— Rachel Louise Just (@RLJnews) September 14, 2022
Like Pete Buttigieg, Governor Whitmer is going places:
Whitmer gets a standing ovation when she mentions Reproductive Freedom for All. pic.twitter.com/wz7QwhuViL
— Rachel Louise Just (@RLJnews) September 14, 2022
Biden says the “great American road trip will be fully electrified.”
— Rachel Louise Just (@RLJnews) September 14, 2022
The Biden administration said it has approved ambitious plans by 34 states and Puerto Rico to create a national electric vehicle charging network as the U.S. begins its transition away from gas-powered transportation. https://t.co/X6Pdbt6Zfx
— The Associated Press (@AP) September 14, 2022
“All books should be in the library. All books. This is America. We don't ban books." – @DrBiden ?? pic.twitter.com/RuMxSh7iLE
— FIRE (@TheFIREorg) September 14, 2022
Couldn’t agree more, Rick. And if anyone else wants to read your plan to put Social Security and Medicare on the chopping block, they should go to https://t.co/xDudwYX85v.
Thanks for stopping by. https://t.co/9YXhMisGf5
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) September 14, 2022
ETA: There’s a tentative agreement to avoid a potentially catastrophic rail strike:
The Biden Administration applauds all parties for reaching this hard-fought, mutually beneficial deal.⁰⁰Our rail system is integral to our supply chain, and a disruption would have had catastrophic impacts on industries, travelers and families across the country. (2/2)
— Secretary Marty Walsh (@SecMartyWalsh) September 15, 2022
Thursday Morning Open Thread: President Joe Biden, Car DudePost + Comments (213)
This post is in: Healthcare, Open Threads, President Biden, Proud to Be A Democrat, Repubs in Disarray!
President Biden at the JFK library on 60th anniversary of “moonshot” speech: “Cancer does not discriminate red and blue. It doesn’t care if you’re a Republican or a Democrat. Beating cancer is something we can do together.”
— Monica Alba (@albamonica) September 12, 2022
U.S. President Joe Biden signed orders to push more government dollars to the U.S. biotechnology industry, as he promoted his ‘Cancer Moonshot’ initiative to create new life-saving cancer treatments https://t.co/LonKMx3Gvp pic.twitter.com/l3x1bpILUn
— Reuters (@Reuters) September 13, 2022
the hope of electing democrats is that they will cure cancer but the reality is that they will only reduce cancer deaths by 50% and turn terminal cancer into a chronic disease which can be managed with medication https://t.co/Pfrt78Ccva
— biharmonic eigenface (@revhowardarson) September 13, 2022
Mohegan Chief Marilynn “Lynn” Malerba has been sworn in as U.S. Treasurer. She's the first Native American to serve in the post. Her signature will now appear on U.S. currency alongside Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. https://t.co/AfCvJMP1gs
— The Associated Press (@AP) September 13, 2022
Here’s ?@MaryPeltola? at the Capitol, doing interviews outside the DY office that will soon be hers. She gets sworn in tomorrow. So for now, no keys! pic.twitter.com/W38fLihGmV
— Liz Ruskin-AK public radio reporter (@lruskin) September 12, 2022
Meanwhile, the Republicans are throwing *all* their spaghetti against the wall, looking for something that might stick:
I think they do have an inkling since they're gonna force a vote on it https://t.co/L8d1XZF05A
— your himbo boyfriend (@swolecialism) September 13, 2022
Yeah, it's absolutely awesome that the American people collectively own hundreds of millions of acres of land, which we've decided to sustainably manage to provide benefits to the American people in perpetuity. It's an honor and privilege to do that work. https://t.co/hYhlAPOA1P
— Travis Mason-Bushman (@polarscribe) September 12, 2022
There's good reason to think Trump is not on the ballot this year, but reporters covering polling averages and not the fucking news is turning me into a "the only poll that matters is election day" guy. https://t.co/iwueBJbS1e
— Pomodoro (Dad Joke Era) (@ilpomodoro2) September 12, 2022
This might be rattling them more than Trump losing. https://t.co/NHaJs0CFfh
— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) September 12, 2022
Funny how a whole lot of Republicans are turning toward Moscow today and asking “How high?”
— Cave Johnson (@Mad_Chortler) September 12, 2022
Tuesday Morning Open Thread: Moonshot(s)Post + Comments (54)
This post is in: Foreign Affairs, Open Threads, Proud to Be A Democrat, Republican Venality, United Kingdom
.@HillaryClinton: "I wish now that people would come together behind President Biden, who is doing an amazing job trying to rebuild our manufacturing sector, trying to deal with climate change […] and all the other things […] that the vast majority of Americans approve of." pic.twitter.com/pYGnFnOXGC
— The Hill (@thehill) September 12, 2022
Republicans for the past 20-30 years: Overturn Roe v. Wade and ban all abortions!
Republicans after seeing their poll numbers drop when SCOTUS overturned Roe: Did I say ban all abortions? What I meant to say was… https://t.co/e0EpaWz3Oe
— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) September 10, 2022
this is awesome, push for your school districts to offer it if you can https://t.co/Y6Ii9zwbQD
— bearded guy that yells at school board meetings (@CalmSporting) September 11, 2022
News of the state funeral:
President Biden has formally accepted an invitation to attend Queen Elizabeth’s funeral on Sept. 19, the White House says. First Lady Jill Biden will also attend.
— Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) September 11, 2022
Somebody’s little Republican heart is breaking:
Latest news from WH official: unlike in past similar state funerals — such as for Nelson Mandela, where the president assembled a US delegation to attend — Buckingham Palace extended WH invitations only to President and First Lady Biden. (Tho other Americans might be invited)
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) September 11, 2022
Next question: Will Charles send an invitation to the Obamas? (His mum certainly would have, and I assume his protocol office would consider it mandatory. We’ll see!)
But I’d bet a whole box of store-bought cookies that the last Oval Office occupant won’t be invited — if there’s anything to the rumor that TFG was airlifted to DC last night for medical attention, it may be his handlers thought he’d had an infarction when no oversized, gold-inlaid card was personally delivered in advance of President Biden’s announcement.)
Tiger Beat on the Potomac Thames has some details:
??SCOOP: Foreign heads of state and their spouses heading to London for the state funeral for Queen Elizabeth II have been asked to arrive in the U.K. on commercial flights and banned from using helicopters to get around.https://t.co/HsalMjw24t
— Cristina Gallardo (@gallardo_ortega) September 11, 2022
This sounds very much like something Charles would ask for, and also something that he does not really expect to happen. (Australia’s leader seems to have been the first to publicly point out the difficulties.) Old habits die hard, and he’s been failing to get people to agree to his climate goals for at least forty years.
He may be able to impose a bus ride, at least for the representatives of smaller, less powerful countries…
“Can you imagine Joe Biden on the bus?” one foreign ambassador based in London complained via WhatsApp message early Sunday.
— Cristina Gallardo (@gallardo_ortega) September 11, 2022
(No doubt being as thoughtful among the leaders as he’s famously been at humbler wakes for the last several decades. And it’s not as though President ‘Amtrak Joe’ Biden is a stranger to what might be deemed public transit. But the Secret Service are unlikely to agree to such exposure, IMO.)
As Britain mourns the death of its longest-serving monarch, frantic preparations are already underway in London for what is shaping up to be one of the century’s biggest diplomatic occasions.https://t.co/SRsTWvXRtI
— Cristina Gallardo (@gallardo_ortega) September 11, 2022
(Much) more here:
… Leaders including U.S. President Joe Biden, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern have already confirmed they will attend the funeral, which Buckingham Palace announced Saturday will be held on September 19, at 11 a.m. at Westminster Abbey.
The historic church, with capacity for 2,000 people, was the setting for Queen Elizabeth’s marriage to Prince Philip in 1947, and for all but two British coronations since 1066.
Also likely to attend the funeral are Japan’s Emperor Naruhito — who may travel alongside Empress Masako and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida — Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and French President Emmanuel Macron, among many more…
The most notable — albeit unsurprising — absence will be that of Russian President Vladimir Putin, after the Kremlin said his attendance is not an option. In gossipy diplomatic circles, just as important as who’s coming is simply who is receiving an invitation, with embassy officials eager to discover whether Chinese President Xi Jinping will be offered the chance to attend…
Monday Morning Open Thread: Another Monday, Another ShowPost + Comments (111)