Topic: The Joe Biden Presidency Thread - 46th President of the United States

[Red Beret]

   

Greta Thunberg                    @GretaThunberg

"So happy that USA has finally rejoined the Pittsburgh Agreement. Welcome back!"

Senator Ted Cruz                  @SenTedCruz

"By rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, President Biden indicates he’s more interested in the views of the citizens of Paris than in the jobs of the citizens of Pittsburgh. This agreement will do little to affect the climate and will harm the livelihoods of Americans."

The sass of that young woman is epic.

[Lotus Eater]

Joe giving a very measured, competent press conference on Covid

Like a breath of fresh air

[Buggy Eyes Alfredo]

The sass of that young woman is epic.

Aye. Speaking of sass.

Joe Exotic                  @joe_exotic

"I was too innocent and too GAY to deserve a Pardon from Trump. I only mattered to Don Jr. when he needed to make a comment about me to boost his social media post. Boy were we all stupid to believe he actually stood for Equal Justice? His corrupt friends all come first."

[Red Beret]

Aye. Speaking of sass.

Joe Exotic                  @joe_exotic

"I was too innocent and too GAY to deserve a Pardon from Trump. I only mattered to Don Jr. when he needed to make a comment about me to boost his social media post. Boy were we all stupid to believe he actually stood for Equal Justice? His corrupt friends all come first."

Not everyone was stupid, Joe. Just you. And approximately 74 million other Americans.

[mickeydocs]

   

Greta Thunberg                    @GretaThunberg

"So happy that USA has finally rejoined the Pittsburgh Agreement. Welcome back!"

Senator Ted Cruz                  @SenTedCruz

"By rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, President Biden indicates he’s more interested in the views of the citizens of Paris than in the jobs of the citizens of Pittsburgh. This agreement will do little to affect the climate and will harm the livelihoods of Americans."

Great response but Cruz should really be focused on his defence.

[Caligula?]

It's so refreshing to see someone who actually cares and is surrounded by competent people who at least know how to plan for the challenges that lay ahead. The executive orders signed today in regards to COVID relief/planning were much needed. We've gone from a President that barely acknowledged its existence to someone who's tackling it head on. Fuck me, I can't even believe I'm saying that.

[Lotus Eater]

It's so refreshing to see someone who actually cares and is surrounded by competent people who at least know how to plan for the challenges that lay ahead. The executive orders signed today in regards to COVID relief/planning were much needed. We've gone from a President that barely acknowledged its existence to someone who's tackling it head on. Fuck me, I can't even believe I'm saying that.

Remember though - the majority of the 72 million that voted for Trump also barely acknowledged its existence

[rafathegaffa83]

Great response but Cruz should really be focused on his defence.

Cruz knows the rubes will buy it. He's a fucking moron otherwise. Did the Warsaw Pact only apply to Poland's capital or the Treaty of Versailles to Versailles? Because that's how it is according to that infantile logic when the City of Pittsburgh was one of several cities who planned to keep to the accord despite the Trump administration's stance

[Lone Star Red]

That's the same Cruz who cared so much about the citizens of Pittsburgh, he tried to get their votes thrown out, right?

He's such an embarrassment to this state. Backbone made of Jell-O. Brain made of shit.

[rafathegaffa83]

That's the same Cruz who cared so much about the citizens of Pittsburgh, he tried to get their votes thrown out, right?

Exactly

[rafathegaffa83]

All the stupid idiotic things Trump spent his last days pushing through and yet...

Newly sworn in President Joe Biden and his advisers are inheriting no coronavirus vaccine distribution plan to speak of from the Trump administration, sources tell CNN, posing a significant challenge for the new White House.

The Biden administration has promised to try to turn the Covid-19 pandemic around and drastically speed up the pace of vaccinating Americans against the virus. But in the immediate hours following Biden being sworn into office on Wednesday, sources with direct knowledge of the new administration's Covid-related work told CNN one of the biggest shocks that the Biden team had to digest during the transition period was what they saw as a complete lack of a vaccine distribution strategy under former President Donald Trump, even weeks after multiple vaccines were approved for use in the United States.

"There is nothing for us to rework. We are going to have to build everything from scratch," one source said.

Another source described the moment that it became clear the Biden administration would have to essentially start from "square one" because there simply was no plan as: "Wow, just further affirmation of complete incompetence."
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2021/01/21/politics/biden-covid-vaccination-trump/index.html?

[Son of Spion]

Joe giving a very measured, competent press conference on Covid

Like a breath of fresh (h)air

It's genuinely refreshing to see a real human being in the White House now, rather than that repugnant orange reptile.

[BarryCrocker]

More winning.

TV audience for Biden inauguration tops Trump's viewership four years earlier

Roughly 40 million people watched live coverage of Democrat Joe Biden’s inauguration as U.S. president on six TV networks, according to Nielsen data released on Thursday, a 4% increase over the number that tuned in for Donald Trump’s swearing in four years ago.

The figure covers the 30-minute span starting at 11:45 am on Wednesday, when Biden took the oath of office and delivered his inaugural address from the U.S. Capitol. It includes the audience on broadcasters ABC, CBS and NBC and cable channels Fox News, CNN and MSNBC.

In 2017, about 38.3 million people watched Republican Trump’s inauguration and speech on those networks.

Biden became the 46th U.S. president on Wednesday in a ceremony that included performances by Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez and Garth Brooks. Kamala Harris made history as she became the first Black person, first woman and first Asian-American to serve as vice president.

The TV viewing figures do not capture people who tuned in via digital platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube that streamed the event live, or others who watched on TV at places outside of their homes such as bars and restaurants.

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-inauguration-tv-ratings/tv-audience-for-biden-inauguration-tops-trumps-viewership-four-years-earlier-idUSKBN29Q30E?rpc=401&

[rafathegaffa83]

Articles of impeachment filed... by Marjorie Taylor Greene against Joe Biden

[BarryCrocker]

Articles of impeachment filed... by Marjorie Taylor Greene against Joe Biden

She's got form.

Fact check: 11 false claims Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has tweeted in the last month

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/01/21/politics/fact-check-marjorie-taylor-greene-twitter-election-capitol/index.html

[BarryCrocker]

Remember this everyday for at least the next 4 years.

[Red Beret]

More winning.

TV audience for Biden inauguration tops Trump's viewership four years earlier

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-inauguration-tv-ratings/tv-audience-for-biden-inauguration-tops-trumps-viewership-four-years-earlier-idUSKBN29Q30E?rpc=401&

The Orange Fungus only has himself to blame.  If he'd sorted Covid everybody wouldn't have had to watch it at home.

I see Hannity is already trying to lay into Biden.

[Red Beret]

 

<a href="https://youtube.com/v/YRcTVunomRA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://youtube.com/v/YRcTVunomRA</a>

[Kekule]

Joe giving a very measured, competent press conference on Covid

Like a breath of fresh air

Fauci looks like a weight has been lifted from his shoulders. 

[Red-Soldier]

At least the US has got it's shit together.

God knows when/if it'll happen in the UK.

[Kekule]

And this is what he’s up against.  I know he had to talk about unifying the country and that he will go about it as he normally would regardless of what these c*nts say, but these republicans have no interest in unity, just sowing more division.

Basically “you talked about unity, therefore you must give the minority what we want”. 

https://twitter.com/marcorubio/status/1352602139764420609?s=21

Marco Rubio

A radical leftist agenda in a divided country will not help unify our country, it will only confirm 75 million Americans biggest fears about the new administration

Give them an inch and they demand a thousand miles. Radical leftist indeed. Not being a c*nt is now “radical left” to these people.  They are just lost to the human race.

[Red Beret]

Not agreeing with the Right makes you Radical Left.

For some reason, apparently the word "Progressive" is now also a dirty word for Republicans.

[Red Beret]

Further Republican idiocy.

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/v/-QuQNyYPQtA" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" class="bbc_link bbc_flash_disabled new_win">https://www.youtube.com/v/-QuQNyYPQtA</a>

Unity.  Yeah.

[Chakan]

Irony is completely lost on republicans.

I really hope the Democrats stop playing by the rules.

[J_Kopite]

Irony is completely lost on republicans.

I really hope the Democrats stop playing by the rules.

I don't.

[ShakaHislop]

And this is what he’s up against.  I know he had to talk about unifying the country and that he will go about it as he normally would regardless of what these c*nts say, but these republicans have no interest in unity, just sowing more division.

Basically “you talked about unity, therefore you must give the minority what we want”. 

https://twitter.com/marcorubio/status/1352602139764420609?s=21

Give them an inch and they demand a thousand miles. Radical leftist indeed. Not being a c*nt is now “radical left” to these people.  They are just lost to the human race.

McConnell Threatens Senate Agreement Over Filibuster

Schumer has said the Senate should adopt the same power-sharing deal the Senate adopted the last time the chamber was split 50-50, including even numbers of members on committees but with Democrats holding the gavels and controlling the agenda.

McConnell wants more, given the talk among some Democrats of ending the longstanding practice, which is not in the Constitution.

McConnell also argued the narrow 2020 election was not a “sweeping mandate for ideological transformation” and he sharply criticized Biden’s opening executive actions, which stop construction of the wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, rejoin the Paris climate accord and kill the Keystone XL pipeline.

While the two sides are still talking, no deal appears imminent, potentially slowing work on Biden’s agenda.

Schumer’s No. 2, Dick Durbin of Illinois, said Thursday they would not give in to McConnell’s demand, lest Republicans take that as license to obstruct.

And Democratic Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii was incensed at McConnell’s demand.

“McConnell is threatening to filibuster the Organizing Resolution which allows Democrats to assume the committee chair positions,” he complained on Twitter. “It’s an absolutely unprecedented, wacky, counterproductive request. We won the Senate. We get the gavels.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-21/mcconnell-threatens-senate-s-unity-kickoff-over-filibuster-fears

Schumer says McConnell’s demand on the filibuster is “unacceptable and it won’t be accepted"

https://twitter.com/igorbobic/status/1352635960585052161

[Red Beret]

Irony is completely lost on republicans.

I really hope the Democrats stop playing by the rules.

The Democrats should just do what the Republicans did, and make the rules up as they go along. Then they can play by the rules and incense the Republicans at the same time.

[TSC]

Couple more exec orders signed today so far;

Increase the minimum wage
Increase help for those most impacted by Covid, eg re jobless, etc.

[Kekule]

The Democrats should just do what the Republicans did, and make the rules up as they go along. Then they can play by the rules and incense the Republicans at the same time.

It seems to me that if you are in power in the USA, and you don’t want to do what the other side are asking for, you can just say that what they want “is unconstitutional” and then you get to carry on with what you were going to do anyway.  It seems to a phrase that fits all positions, even if you yourself held the opposing position very recently, or might want to hold that position in the future.

They should keep saying it to everything just to see Ted Cruz, and his ilk, heads explode.

[Chakan]

The Democrats should just do what the Republicans did, and make the rules up as they go along. Then they can play by the rules and incense the Republicans at the same time.

Absolutely, if it's good for the Republicans to do it, why can't the democrats? Start fighting dirty.

[Qston]

I was reading Barack Obama's book last night and he mentioned something in it that I hadn`t heard of before that I think is a useful indicator of why bipartisan working is so unlikely. He basically referred to previous examples of when parties (usually minority) who tried bipartisan working and nearly all failed at the next election. It would seem the electorate don`t see it is pragmatism and sensible politics. Given that positions are now more entrenched than ever I think the democrats are going to have to move heaven and earth to get rid of the fillibuster to have a chance of real change in key areas, the environment being one.

[Ray K]

Schumer also said that they'll be receiving the impeachment article from Nancy next Monday with the trial starting next week.

[oldfordie]

Schumer also said that they'll be receiving the impeachment article from Nancy next Monday with the trial starting next week.

Wonder if Trump will be called as a witness? is he compelled to attend by law.
What happens if a witness refuses to answer question.
I assume it's a criminal offense to lie when answering questions.

[12C]

Wonder if Trump will be called as a witness? is he compelled to attend by law.
What happens if a witness refuses to answer question.
I assume it's a criminal offense to lie when answering questions.

“Um, unlike Lying Bill Clinton I had bigly sexual relations with that woman because many people say I can grab them because I’m famous... most famous person ever”

“Mr President, we didn’t ask you about that, we asked about the riot...”

[Currywurst]

At least the US has got it's shit together.

God knows when/if it'll happen in the UK.

Yeah, through the past years of Tory malice and incompetence, particularly with regard to Brexit, we've been able to say OK, things are bad here, but at least we don't have Trump in charge. Now we don't even have that dubious crumb of comfort.

[ShakaHislop]

Unilaterally restoring Bears Ears National Monument to its former size, Mitt Romney says, "will only deepen divisions in this country."

https://twitter.com/Sammy_Roth/status/1352310336959901700

https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-environment-native-americans-622fb12ca567ba466030916ded2cc9cc

Joe Biden putting his socks on before his trousers will only deepen divisions in this country.

[TSC]

Yeah, through the past years of Tory malice and incompetence, particularly with regard to Brexit, we've been able to say OK, things are bad here, but at least we don't have Trump in charge. Now we don't even have that dubious crumb of comfort.

Biden administration will have a ‘positive’ impact on UK though compared to the previous.  At a basic level it prevented a ‘no-deal’ brexit, even though the Brexit ‘deal’ is still poor from a UK perspective.  Looking ahead hopefully it may impinge to some extent on the far right extreme faction of the Tory party.

[12C]

https://twitter.com/Sammy_Roth/status/1352310336959901700

https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-environment-native-americans-622fb12ca567ba466030916ded2cc9cc

Joe Biden putting his socks on before his trousers will only deepen divisions in this country.

Just shows that Trump was doing his best for the Republican carpet baggers

[Chakan]

Quick question, does it require the republicans to actively hand over power?

[Red Beret]

Wonder if Trump will be called as a witness? is he compelled to attend by law.
What happens if a witness refuses to answer question.
I assume it's a criminal offense to lie when answering questions.

A quick google search turned this up:

Failure to respond to a subpoena is punishable as contempt by either the court or agency issuing the subpoena.  Punishment may include monetary sanctions (even imprisonment although extremely unlikely).  Generally, a hearing will be held where the party charged with noncompliance has an opportunity to explain its side of the story, and the court or agency has broad discretion to determine an appropriate punishment given the circumstances presented. 

In most cases in a contempt proceeding, the court determines the appropriateness of withholding any documents under a claim of privilege.  In such cases, the outcome is more likely to be an order to produce, coupled with an award of attorneys’ fees to the party that had to initiate the contempt proceedings.


https://chancellor.berkeley.edu/what-are-penalties-if-you-ignore-subpoena-or-don%E2%80%99t-comply

Trump's lackies routinely ignored subpoenas during his term, and with Republicans controlling so many committees it wasn't practical for the Democrats to pursue non-compliance.  Whether they could, or would be willing to, run interference for Trump if he chose to ignore a summons, and what the consequences might be, remain to be seen.

But yes, it's definitely a federal crime to lie under oath; it's one of the crimes Mike Flynn was done for, amongst other things, I believe. (He was certainly done for lying to the FBI.)  Trump likes like you or I sweat, so getting him on the stand would be a glorious popcorn moment.