The Presidential Events: February 2022

The Environment:

While Democrats under Biden dither, the world is inexorably passing various points of no return related to global warming. The oceans, which have absorbed excess carbon dioxide and heat, can take no more. The IPCC warned that climate change is causing widespread disruption and damage that will only intensify. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court, which Biden refuses to reform, is preparing to strike down the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to regulate greenhouse gasses. But the Biden administration doesn't need another branch of government to give it the greenlight to pollute. Biden is allowing the US Postal Service to replace its current delivery trucks with a new set; 90% powered by gas. This plan was chosen by Trump holdover, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, who could be replaced by Biden. The EPA is trying to intervene, but without White House help, it looks like the United States will be saddled with a nearly all-gas fleet for the next forty years.

The EPA is also allowing Americans to be contaminated with toxic pollutants. Americans are exposed to 5,000 times the amount of bisphenol-A (BPA) considered safe by the European Union. BPA, in plastic and metal food packaging, causes cancer, immunotoxicity, behavioral changes, and sexual changes. One in three Americans also have detectable levels of 2,4-D, a toxic weed killer (and ingredient of Agent Orange), which causes cancer, birth defects, and hormonal imbalances. And in Michigan, beef used in schools and at farmer markets contained high levels of PFAS, a forever chemical that causes cancer, liver disease, kidney issues, and birth defects.

Afghanistan:

An Army report outlined the White House's failure to respond to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. Biden rejected the report, with the insinuation that the military-industrial complex was writing this report of blame, because it wanted to remain in Afghanistan indefinitely. In a further abdication of responsibility, Biden shifted control of the $7 billion frozen Afghan reserves from the executive branch to the judicial, giving half to victims of 9/11 and half to humanitarian causes in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, millions of Afghan citizens will starve, as a food emergency sweeps through the ruins of America's war.

The Supreme Court:

Biden has the opportunity to place a Supreme Court Justice, but is he moving quickly enough? Democratic Senator Ben Ray Lujan was hospitalized with a stroke, reducing Democrats to 49 votes. Mitch McConnell would love to delay the vote until after the midterms, and with a Republican majority, deny Biden his choice. Biden campaigned on nominating a Black woman. He's made many promises that he's already broken, like raising the minimum wage, so it wasn't clear he would follow through. But he did. He narrowed the list down to three, and even Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said Judge J. Michelle Childs could earn 60 votes (Childs is considered the most conservative of Biden's top three choices). Eventually Biden decided on Ketanji Brown Jackson, a DC circuit judge. She's considered more progressive than the three.

Corruption:

Nothing beats rewarding Rahm Emanuel with a cushy unearned job as Ambassador to Japan. But Biden holding onto the Italian ambassadorship as a reward for Pelosi, and then giving it to her ally when she announced her plan to run for reelection, is pretty gross. The ally, Stephen Robert, a wealthy Wall Street executive and Democratic donor, will live in a residence with a pool, gardens, and three-story wine cellar at taxpayer expense. The White House is also handing out ethics waivers for various positions, including Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar, allowing her to work on cases at the Supreme Court that relate to her previous jobs.

CIA Spying:

Under Trump and Biden, the Central Intelligence Agency illegally collected America's private information. America's spy agencies are dangerously unworthy of the power delegated to them.

The Coronavirus:

Thankfully the omicron surge collapsed. Daily cases dropped from 425,000 to 64,000, while hospitalizations fell from 136,000 to 47,000. Death significantly from 2,650 to 1,855 (But 1,800 is still a lot). The United States passed 900,000 total deaths, and is approaching one million with near certainty. The Biden administration insisted that the Omicron variant was less deadly. The White House repeatedly downplayed the danger. In one way they were correct; Omicron was less deadly per infection. But the number of cases made it extremely deadly. More people died in the United States from the Omicron surge than the initial surge in 2020, or the “more deadly” Delta wave. The White House is responsible for this catastrophe. Democratic governors followed suit, eliminating masking requirements and backing off of vaccine mandates. That's absurd. People have to be vaccinated against all sorts of milder diseases to attend school. The coronavirus killed more people in the United States in just the month of January (2022), than the flu killed in the past three years. Yeah, cases are finally going to go down, until they rise again. What will Democrats do then?

Also, regulators backed off of a coronavirus vaccine for children under five. Rightly so, since it was ineffective, but disappointing for parents of young children.

Economic Cruelty:

As a Senator from Delaware, Biden was responsible for writing draconian laws that prohibited students from declaring bankruptcy from college loans. In the Democratic primary, under pressure from Bernie Sanders, Biden made a promise few believed he would keep; to cancel some student debt. But as President he has not eliminated student loan debt. When a federal judge tried to eliminate an epileptic man's $100,000 loan, because he would never be able to pay, the Justice Department filed an appeal, seeking to enforce the debt. Under pressure from the outcry, the DOJ backed off its appeal. Good. But one has to consider the many times the White House does the wrong thing, and doesn't get called out, or doesn't back down. Too many times. Biden criticized an obscure Trump order allowing private equity to raid middle America's 401(k) retirement accounts. But in February his Labor Department made the slightly tweaked ruling permanent.

Build Back Better:

Democrats killed the BBB. They killed taxes on the super wealthy, the Child Tax Credit, paid daycare, lower prescription drug costs, a $15 minimum wage, and voting rights. They abandoned any attempt to reduce global warming. Conservative and progressive Democrats alike killed it. Imagine running on this record in the midterms, or the next Presidential election. Imagine saying, “Vote for us, we'll do better next time.”

Ukraine and Russia:

For most Americans it probably seemed like the war in Ukraine came out of nowhere. On February 10^th Biden warned Americans to leave Ukraine. The next day he said Russia would invade in days. It took another thirteen days, but Russia invaded Ukraine in a barbarous crime. Initially it seemed the only response from the White House would be perfunctory, insufficient sanctions. Biden eventually implemented tougher economic measures, though Russian oligarchs are still able to hide their money in the United States and other European countries. Ukraine appears to be holding out, which unfortunately, in an odd twist, makes the war more deadly for civilians, who face increased and indiscriminate bombing. More on Ukraine next month as the war continues.

Recent:

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The Presidential Events: January 2022

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