Inflation has been called “the cruelest tax,” and that might understate how much people dislike it.
As President Biden has attempted to highlight positive developments about the economy, such as the creation of a record 6.4 million jobs last year, polls suggest many Americans aren’t listening. They’re more focused onrapidly rising prices, with the annual inflation rate soaring to its highest point in decades.
It’s no surprise that inflation has drowned out sunniereconomic news touted by the Biden administration. Inflation holds a unique psychological power over Americans’ perception of the economy, overshadowing other economic indicators, polls and studies show. Sharply rising prices smack everyone in the face whenever they go to the grocery store or the gas station, and during their worst times, have proved to be a slayer of household budgets and presidential administrations. ,,,
It’s a prospect that’s clearly gotten under the president’s skin. Biden, who has been tarred by Republicans for what they call “Bidenflation,” called a Fox News reporter a “stupid son of a b****” on a hot mic last week for asking whether he was worried that inflation would be a political liability for him. (Biden later apologized.)
“As long as inflation keeps rising faster than salaries, Americans are going to feel more pressured and more frustrated and, unless something changes, they’re going to take it out on Democrats in the midterms,” said Brad Bannon, who heads a political polling and consulting firm that works for Democratic candidates.
“If you ask Americans what they’re worried about, rising prices and inflation are right at the top of the list,” he said. “It’s a big problem, and the administration has to recognize it and talk about it and be much more aggressive.” …
In recent weeks, even as month-to-month price growth has slowed, Biden has begun to acknowledge consumers’ pain while also trying to emphasize positive news on jobs and economic growth to counterbalance inflation fears. But when prices are going up, it’s hard to convince Americans that other economic developments matter.
“Inflation, when it is substantial or shows the risk of becoming substantial, is clearly perceived as a national problem of enormous proportions,” Nobel Prize-winning Yale economist Robert Shiller wrote in an extensive study of inflation attitudes published in 1997.
He reported that the word “inflation” is the economic term most commonly used by the general public. And surveys his research assistants conducted in the United States, Germany, and Brazil found that most respondents “would choose low inflation even if it meant that millions more people would be unemployed.” …
… In recent weeks, even as month-to-month price growth has slowed, Biden has begun to acknowledge consumers’ pain while also trying to emphasize positive news on jobs and economic growth to counterbalance inflation fears. But when prices are going up, it’s hard to convince Americans that other economic developments matter.
“Inflation, when it is substantial or shows the risk of becoming substantial, is clearly perceived as a national problem of enormous proportions,” Nobel Prize-winning Yale economist Robert Shiller wrote in an extensive study of inflation attitudes published in 1997.
He reported that the word “inflation” is the economic term most commonly used by the general public. And surveys his research assistants conducted in the United States, Germany, and Brazil found that most respondents “would choose low inflation even if it meant that millions more people would be unemployed.”
… While high now, the annual inflation rate is well below the double-digit levels reached in the 1970s and early 1980s. That also was a time of stagnant economic growth, leading to a double whammy known as stagflation. …
This from Brad Bannon, not to be confused with Steve.
“As long as inflation keeps rising faster than salaries, Americans are going to feel more pressured and more frustrated and, unless something changes, they’re going to take it out on Democrats in the midterms,” said Brad Bannon, who heads a political polling and consulting firm that works for Democratic candidates.
“If you ask Americans what they’re worried about, rising prices and inflation are right at the top of the list,” he said. “It’s a big problem, and the administration has to recognize it and talk about it and be much more aggressive.” …
Bannon thinks Biden should take more aggressive stances, like calling out oil companies for their huge profits amid the gas price spikes.
“Inflation is something that Americans confront directly. It’s not an abstract economic concept,” Bannon said. “You have to acknowledge to Americans that you understand their pain and suffering. If you don’t, you pay the price.”
A record-setting spike in coronavirus cases wasn’t enough to derail the job market recovery at the beginning of the year.
U.S. employers added 467,000 jobs in January, the Labor Department said on Friday. That showed the resilience of the recovery in the face of a resurgent pandemic.
The unemployment rate rose to 4.0 percent.
The January data was collected in the first weeks of the year, when coronavirus cases topped 800,000 a day and millions of workers were kept home by positive tests, suspected exposures or child care disruptions. That led many economists — and even the White House — to set expectations for a weak report.
Somewhat of a stock market rebound today after yesterday’s Facebook-inspired flash-crash. MSFT, AMZN & TSLA all up significantly. FB up slightly. Buying opportunities still abound.
Stocks on Wall Street rose on Friday, as an unexpectedly strong jobs report scrambled investors’ expectations for coming interest rate increases and as the latest round of earnings reports offset some fears about declining corporate profits.
The S&P 500 climbed about 1 percent in mid-afternoon trading, a day after its steepest one-day drop in nearly a year. The index is heading for a weekly gain of about 2 percent. The Nasdaq composite rose about 2 percent.
Markets were initially unsteady, after the government reported that U.S. employers added 467,000 jobs in January, well over expectations for an increase of about 125,000 jobs. …
The Republican Party on Friday officially declared the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and events that led to it “legitimate political discourse,” formally rebuking two lawmakers in the party who have been most outspoken in condemning the deadly riot and the role of Donald J. Trump in spreading the election lies that fueled it. …
… On Friday, the party went further in a resolution slamming Ms. Cheney and Mr. Kinzinger for taking part in the House investigation of the assault, saying they were participating in “persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse.”
It was an extraordinary statement about the deadliest attack on the Capitol in 200 years, in which a mob of Mr. Trump’s supporters stormed the complex, brutalizing police officers and sending lawmakers into hiding. Nine people died in connection with the attack and more than 150 officers were injured. The party passed the resolution without discussion and almost without dissent. …
(AP) Former Vice President Mike Pence on Friday directly rebutted Donald Trump’s false claims that Pence somehow could have overturned the results of the 2020 election, saying that the former president was simply “wrong.”
In a speech to the conservative Federalist Society in Florida, Pence addressed Trump’s intensifying efforts this week to advance the false narrative that he could have done something to prevent Joe Biden from taking office.
“President Trump is wrong,” Pence said. “I had no right to overturn the election.”
While Pence in the past has defended his actions on Jan. 6 and said that he and Trump will likely never see “eye to eye” on what happened that day, the remarks Friday marked his most forceful rebuttal of Trump to date. And they come as Pence has been laying the groundwork for a potential run for president in 2024, which could put him in direct competition with his former boss, who has also been teasing a comeback run. …
(A few GOP members are critical of this RNC action. Now they will probably be censured also.)
Boston Globe – Feb 4
… Moderate Republicans blasted a vote by the Republican National Committee Friday to declare the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol “legitimate political discourse” as they voted to censure Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger. …
Cheney, a Republican from Wyoming, tweeted a video shortly after the vote Friday depicting graphic and violent moments from the Jan. 6th insurrection. Cheney said curtly, in reference to the video, “This was January 6th. This is not ‘legitimate political discourse.’”
Representative Adam Kinzinger released a statement ahead of the censure and prefaced it by saying “I am now even more committed to fighting conspiracies and lies.” …
Senator Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who also has a reputation for irritating conservatives with his moderate stances, spoke out against the reprimand ahead of the vote on Friday, tweeting:
“Shame falls on a party that would censure persons of conscience, who seek truth in the face of vitriol. Honor attaches to Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for seeking truth even when doing so comes at great personal cost.”
In addition, Senator Bill Cassidy, a Republican from Louisiana, tweeted Thursday in seeming disbelief, “The RNC is censuring Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger because they are trying to find out what happened on January 6th – HUH?”
Representative Tom Rice, another House Republican who voted to impeach Trump last year, tweeted “Someone should definitely be held accountable for Jan. 6. The RNC chose Cheney and Kinzinger?” He then sarcastically finished the tweet with “That makes perfect sense.”
The censure mainly accused Cheney and Kinzinger of not aligning their actions with the best interests of the Republican Party. The document referenced a fear of Biden’s agenda and a perceived need to unite the Republican party. …
On a Friday afternoon in February, I finally sense a glimmer of hope. Mike Pence finding truth in his heart and openly confronting Trump & his lot of criminals by reinforcing the fact that he had no authority to overturn the election and saying Trump is “wrong”. A direct slap in the face to Trump. Maybe it will be the beginning of the formal split in the party between right & wrong/evil. Along with Liz Cheney & Adam Kinzinger maybe it will give others the courage to stand up against the Trump cult. Bottom line a big formal fracture in the GOP may open up opportunities for Dems to maybe pick up some Congressional seats. Also sense upcoming Jan 6 Committee findings & public meetings may change some GOP minds.
Hope you are right, but I highly doubt it. Once the elections start their base will follow in lockstep and vote as they always have. If Trump somehow avoids arrest and is allowed to run, he will be declared the primary winner shortly after they start.
Moderate Republicans blasted a vote by the Republican National Committee Friday to declare the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol “legitimate political discourse” as they voted to censure Representatives Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger.
At a meeting of party officials in Salt Lake City, members formally rebuked the two moderate Republican lawmakers who voted to impeach former president Donald Trump for his role in the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection, signing onto a declaration that Cheney and Kinzinger’s participation in the House Jan. 6 committee amounts to persecuting “ordinary citizens” who were engaged in “legitimate political discourse.”
Cheney, a Republican from Wyoming, tweeted a video shortly after the vote Friday depicting graphic and violent moments from the Jan. 6th insurrection. Cheney said curtly, in reference to the video, “This was January 6th. This is not ‘legitimate political discourse.’” …
(The Globe article cites about a half-dozen ‘moderate’ GOP persons.)
(Presumably, they will be ignored by the rest of their party, just as Pence will steamrolled by Trump. ‘Too little, too late’ the pundits are saying.)
Ron (RC) Weakley (A.K.A., Darryl For A While At EV) says:
While I would not bet good money on JPMcJ’s prognostication, then I am still hopeful that he is correct. The margins in a significant number of federal office elections is narrow enough that voter defections less than 10% of either party will not just shave points, but rather alter several outcomes.
More than 2,600 Americans are dying from Covid-19 each day, an alarming rate that has climbed by 30 percent in the past two weeks. Across the United States, the coronavirus pandemic has now claimed more than 900,000 lives.
Yet another, simultaneous reality of the pandemic offers reason for hope. The number of new coronavirus infections is plummeting, falling by more than half since mid-January. Hospitalizations are also declining, a relief to stressed health care workers who have been treating desperately ill coronavirus patients for nearly two years.
All that has created a disorienting moment in the pandemic: Though deaths are still mounting, the threat from the virus is moving, for now, farther into the background of daily life for many Americans. …
The Omicron surge has brought with it an especially potent and fast-moving wave of death across the United States. The country’s per capita death rate still exceeds those of other wealthy nations, a reflection of widespread resistance to vaccines and boosters in the United States. During the Omicron surge, hospital admissions in the United States have been higher than in Western Europe.
The pace of deaths across the country has accelerated throughout the fall and winter. When the United States reached 800,000 deaths in mid-December, the most recent 100,000 deaths had occurred in less than 11 weeks. This time, the latest 100,000 deaths — many from the Omicron variant — have been reported in just over seven weeks. …
… The country is moving into a new phase of the pandemic, officials say, where a virus threat will persist indefinitely, but where most people can rely on vaccines to protect them from the worst consequences. …
… The country is moving into a new phase of the pandemic, officials say, where a virus threat will persist indefinitely, but where most people can rely on vaccines to protect them from the worst consequences. …
The number of competitive House districts is dropping, as both Republicans and Democrats use redistricting to draw themselves into safe seats.
The number of competitive congressional districts is on track to dive near — and possibly below — the lowest level in at least three decades, as Republicans and Democrats draw new political maps designed to ensure that the vast majority of House races are over before the general election starts.
With two-thirds of the new boundaries set, mapmakers are on pace to draw fewer than 40 seats — out of 435 — that are considered competitive based on the 2020 presidential election results, according to a New York Times analysis of election data. Ten years ago that number was 73.
While the exact size of the battlefield is still emerging, the sharp decline of competition for House seats is the latest worrying sign of dysfunction in the American political system, which is already struggling with a scourge of misinformation and rising distrust in elections. …
Senators working to overhaul the law said recent revelations about former President Donald J. Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election made their work even more crucial. …
Two senators working on an overhaul of the little-known law that former President Donald J. Trump and his allies tried to use to overturn the 2020 election pledged on Sunday that their legislation would pass the Senate, saying that recent revelations about the plot made their work even more important.
In a joint interview on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Senators Joe Manchin III, Democrat of West Virginia, and Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, said their efforts to rewrite the Electoral Count Act of 1887 were gaining broader support in the Senate, with as many as 20 senators taking part in the discussions.
“Absolutely, it will pass,” Mr. Manchin said of an overhaul of the law, which dictates how Congress formalizes elections.
He said efforts by Mr. Trump and his allies to exploit “ambiguity” in the law were “what caused the insurrection” — the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. That misreading of the statute led to a plan by Mr. Trump and his allies to amass a crowd outside the Capitol to try to pressure Congress and Vice President Mike Pence, who presided over Congress’s official count of electoral votes, to overturn the results of the election.
Ms. Murkowski said the rewrite could be expanded to include other protections for democracy, such as a crackdown on threats and harassment against election workers.
“We want to make sure that if you are going to be an election worker,” Ms. Murkowski said, “you don’t feel intimidated or threatened or harassed.”
A bipartisan group of at least 15 senators — which includes Mr. Manchin and Ms. Murkowski and is led by Senator Susan Collins, Republican of Maine — recently began discussions with another group that features top Democrats who have studied the issue for months. That group includes Senator Angus King, independent of Maine; Senator Amy Klobuchar, Democrat of Minnesota; and Senator Richard J. Durbin, Democrat of Illinois. …
Mr. King’s group last week released draft legislative text for a rewrite of the Electoral Count Act that would address deficiencies exposed by Mr. Trump’s plan. The bill would clarify that the vice president has no power to reject a state’s electors and ensure that state legislatures cannot appoint electors after Election Day in an effort to overturn their state’s election results.
It would also give states additional time to complete legitimate recounts and litigation; provide limited judicial review to ensure that the electors appointed by a state reflect the popular vote results in the state; enumerate specific and narrow grounds for objections to electors or electoral votes; raise the thresholds for Congress to consider objections; and make it harder to sustain objections without broad support by both chambers of Congress. …
The transfer of political power is perhaps the most delicate moment in the life of a democracy. It follows an election which the party in power lost and its opponents won. Inevitably, feelings are raw, tempers are short, and mistrust can run high … all as control of the nation is changing hands.
Because politics is how a self-governing society resolves its differences peacefully, it is essential that the rules of this transfer are as clear as they can be. If they are not, they can be exploited to create confusion and discord. In the extreme, as the world saw on Jan. 6, 2021, ambiguity on the page opens the door to bloodshed in the streets — exactly what the rules aim to avoid.
This is why Republicans and Democrats in Congress are right to train their sights on fixing, at long last, the 135-year-old federal law that sets out the process for tabulating the electoral votes that decide who becomes president, known as the Electoral Count Act.
Legal experts have been raising the alarm over the act for years. Its most consequential provision, dealing with Congress’s counting of electoral votes, is “a virtually impenetrable maze,” one scholar wrote in 2019. This was the provision that President Donald Trump, assisted by a posse of partisan lawyers, zeroed in on to encourage arguably unconstitutional behavior by Vice President Mike Pence and members of Congress, potentially criminal behavior by Rudy Giuliani and his dozens of fake electors, and obviously criminal behavior by hundreds of rioters who laid siege to the Capitol. …
Jan. 6 Was a Warning. Will Lawmakers Do Anything to Protect the 2024 Election?
The transfer of political power is perhaps the most delicate moment in the life of a democracy. It follows an election which the party in power lost and its opponents won. Inevitably, feelings are raw, tempers are short, and mistrust can run high … all as control of the nation is changing hands.
Because politics is how a self-governing society resolves its differences peacefully, it is essential that the rules of this transfer are as clear as they can be. If they are not, they can be exploited to create confusion and discord. In the extreme, as the world saw on Jan. 6, 2021, ambiguity on the page opens the door to bloodshed in the streets — exactly what the rules aim to avoid.
This is why Republicans and Democrats in Congress are right to train their sights on fixing, at long last, the 135-year-old federal law that sets out the process for tabulating the electoral votes that decide who becomes president, known as the Electoral Count Act.
Legal experts have been raising the alarm over the act for years. Its most consequential provision, dealing with Congress’s counting of electoral votes, is “a virtually impenetrable maze,” one scholar wrote in 2019. This was the provision that President Donald Trump, assisted by a posse of partisan lawyers, zeroed in on to encourage arguably unconstitutional behavior by Vice President Mike Pence and members of Congress, potentially criminal behavior by Rudy Giuliani and his dozens of fake electors, and obviously criminal behavior by hundreds of rioters who laid siege to the Capitol. …
Not every week the worst people in the sports world get together with the worst people in the real world.
” It’s difficult to ascertain exactly which character trait—Hubris? Hypocrisy? Indecency?—motivates someone to furiously demand the freedom to exercise his rights while being applauded by benefactors from a regime that dismembers its critics for doing just that. Or to pause his guzzling from the teat of Middle Eastern royalty only long enough to denounce the “obnoxious greed” of an organization that made him an enormous sum of money (which is not to presume he still has it). For all the moments that have defined Phil Mickelson’s estimable career—the emotional first major victory at Augusta National, the improbable last one at Kiawah Island, even the fumbled finish at Winged Foot—it’s his intemperate comments in Saudi Arabia this week that risk defining his enduring reputation. At best, his words suggest that what he possesses in self-regard, he lacks in self-awareness. And at worst? That he’s a willing dissembler for a government bent on using golf to sportswash its human-rights depredations and war crimes.”
“Olympics Jerk Watch: The American Skier Who Chose to Represent China
Wait, what’s that? Eileen Gu will be skiiing for China at the Winter Games? Those golds she’s poised to win will redound to the glory of good ol’ Uncle Xi?
She chose to compete for the country that has clamped down on democracy in Hong Kong and oppressed the nation’s Uyghur minority? [brief pause while I pick up a pair of miniature American flags and wave them with anger and dismay] USA! USA! USA!….
That neutrality appears motivated in large part by a desire to protect her sizeable commercial interests. The New York Times noted this week that Gu, who works as a model when she’s not on the slopes, has sponsorship deals with “a slew of Chinese companies” and has been featured on the cover of the Chinese editions of Elle, Marie Claire, and Vogue. “There’s no need to be divisive,” she told the Times, explaining her decision to “pass” on answering questions about China. “I think everything I do, it’s all about inclusivity. And it’s all about making everybody feel as connected as possible.”
Eric Lander, President Biden’s chief science adviser who was previously the founding director of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, apologized to his staff in an e-mail last week for speaking to them in a “disrespectful and demeaning way,” according to POLITICO.
The apology came as POLITICO is investigating Lander, who heads the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, for his treatment of employees and colleagues, the news organization reported. …
In 2018, social media erupted after Lander gave a toast to James Watson, one of the scientists who discovered the double-helix structure of DNA but later became known for having racist and misogynist views, according to STAT. Lander apologized in an e-mail to members of the Broad Institute and said “People who have called this out are correct. I was wrong to toast, and I’m sorry,” STAT reported.
Two years earlier, Lander faced attacks online for an essay he wrote about the history of the genome-editing technology CRISPR in which critics said he downplayed the role of two female scientists who were key to the project, according to STAT.
Lander’s nomination to Biden’s cabinet in January 2021 was met with mixed reactions. An organization called 500 Women Scientists wrote an essay published in Scientific American that said Lander “exemplifies the status quo” and his appointment “fails to meet the moment.”
“This was a chance to substantively address historical inequalities and transform harmful stereotypes by appointing someone with new perspectives into the top science adviser role,” the group wrote. “Despite a long list of supremely qualified people that could have held this position and inspired a whole new generation of scientists, the glass ceiling in American science remains intact.”
President Vladimir Putin said diplomatic ideas raised in a meeting by French President Emmanuel Macron were worth pursuing, but did not rule out a Russian invasion of Ukraine. …
MOSCOW — President Vladimir V. Putin said he was prepared to keep negotiating over Russia’s security demands in Eastern Europe but offered a stark warning over the possibility of a full-scale war between Russia and the West — using a five-hour meeting with his French counterpart on Monday to keep the world guessing about his intentions.
Mr. Putin said that proposals made by President Emmanuel Macron of France in their one-on-one meeting at the Kremlin were “too early to speak about” but could create “a foundation for our further steps.” Mr. Macron, in a joint news conference with Mr. Putin after their hastily scheduled meeting, described the coming days as potentially decisive in heading off what the West fears could be a Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“We are in a situation of extreme tension, a degree of incandescence that Europe has rarely known in the past decades,” Mr. Macron said. …
(One has to wonder if Russia, having massed enough troops and equipment to invade and conquer Ukraine in a few days, might just decide to keep invading westward through Poland & into Germany. What’s to stop them? Diplomacy?)
‘The cruelest tax’: Inflation plays a unique role in America’s economic psyche
Boston Globe – Feb 4
This from Brad Bannon, not to be confused with Steve.
“As long as inflation keeps rising faster than salaries, Americans are going to feel more pressured and more frustrated and, unless something changes, they’re going to take it out on Democrats in the midterms,” said Brad Bannon, who heads a political polling and consulting firm that works for Democratic candidates.
“If you ask Americans what they’re worried about, rising prices and inflation are right at the top of the list,” he said. “It’s a big problem, and the administration has to recognize it and talk about it and be much more aggressive.” …
Bannon thinks Biden should take more aggressive stances, like calling out oil companies for their huge profits amid the gas price spikes.
“Inflation is something that Americans confront directly. It’s not an abstract economic concept,” Bannon said. “You have to acknowledge to Americans that you understand their pain and suffering. If you don’t, you pay the price.”
Strong Jobs Report Shows Resilience of Economic Recovery
NY Times – Feb 4
THE GENOCIDE GAMES BEGIN
Somewhat of a stock market rebound today after yesterday’s Facebook-inspired flash-crash. MSFT, AMZN & TSLA all up significantly. FB up slightly. Buying opportunities still abound.
Stocks climb as investors weigh a surprising jobs report and Amazon earnings
NY Times – Feb 4
GOP Declares Jan. 6 Attack ‘Legitimate Political Discourse’
NY Times – Feb 4
The Republican Party on Friday officially declared the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol and events that led to it “legitimate political discourse,” formally rebuking two lawmakers in the party who have been most outspoken in condemning the deadly riot and the role of Donald J. Trump in spreading the election lies that fueled it. …
Trump is ‘wrong’ to say 2020 election could be overturned, Mike Pence says
Boston Globe – Feb 4
Moderate Republicans react to RNC defending Jan. 6, censuring Cheney and Kinzinger
(A few GOP members are critical of this RNC action. Now they will probably be censured also.)
Boston Globe – Feb 4
On a Friday afternoon in February, I finally sense a glimmer of hope. Mike Pence finding truth in his heart and openly confronting Trump & his lot of criminals by reinforcing the fact that he had no authority to overturn the election and saying Trump is “wrong”. A direct slap in the face to Trump. Maybe it will be the beginning of the formal split in the party between right & wrong/evil. Along with Liz Cheney & Adam Kinzinger maybe it will give others the courage to stand up against the Trump cult. Bottom line a big formal fracture in the GOP may open up opportunities for Dems to maybe pick up some Congressional seats. Also sense upcoming Jan 6 Committee findings & public meetings may change some GOP minds.
https://www.politico.com/news/2022/02/04/pence-2020-election-january-6-00005846
Hope you are right, but I highly doubt it. Once the elections start their base will follow in lockstep and vote as they always have. If Trump somehow avoids arrest and is allowed to run, he will be declared the primary winner shortly after they start.
(Well, not my party, anyway.)
‘It’s a sad day for my party.’ Moderate Republicans react to RNC defending Jan. 6, censuring Cheney and Kinzinger
(The Globe article cites about a half-dozen ‘moderate’ GOP persons.)
(Presumably, they will be ignored by the rest of their party, just as Pence will steamrolled by Trump. ‘Too little, too late’ the pundits are saying.)
Fred,
While I would not bet good money on JPMcJ’s prognostication, then I am still hopeful that he is correct. The margins in a significant number of federal office elections is narrow enough that voter defections less than 10% of either party will not just shave points, but rather alter several outcomes.
I wish I could say I know who JPMcJ is, but I can’t.
Oh, J.P. McJefferson I guess.
It looks like Mike Pence is trying to great an opening for himself should the GOP come to its senses for some reason & dump Trump, however unlikely.
Was Pence as much of a VP as George Bush Sr?
OTOH, see Doonesbury for today
US Covid Death Toll Surpasses 900,000 as Omicron’s Spread Slows
NY Times – Feb 4
… The country is moving into a new phase of the pandemic, officials say, where a virus threat will persist indefinitely, but where most people can rely on vaccines to protect them from the worst consequences. …
How the Parties Are Killing Competition
NY Times – Feb 6
Overhaul of Electoral Count Act ‘Absolutely’ Will Pass, Manchin Says
NY Times – Feb 6
Will Lawmakers Do Anything to Protect the 2024 Election?
(Good news, above. Apparently, they intend to.)
NY Times editorial – Feb 5
NY Times editorial – Feb 5 (link will not post)
Jan. 6 Was a Warning. Will Lawmakers Do Anything to Protect the 2024 Election?
The transfer of political power is perhaps the most delicate moment in the life of a democracy. It follows an election which the party in power lost and its opponents won. Inevitably, feelings are raw, tempers are short, and mistrust can run high … all as control of the nation is changing hands.
Because politics is how a self-governing society resolves its differences peacefully, it is essential that the rules of this transfer are as clear as they can be. If they are not, they can be exploited to create confusion and discord. In the extreme, as the world saw on Jan. 6, 2021, ambiguity on the page opens the door to bloodshed in the streets — exactly what the rules aim to avoid.
This is why Republicans and Democrats in Congress are right to train their sights on fixing, at long last, the 135-year-old federal law that sets out the process for tabulating the electoral votes that decide who becomes president, known as the Electoral Count Act.
Legal experts have been raising the alarm over the act for years. Its most consequential provision, dealing with Congress’s counting of electoral votes, is “a virtually impenetrable maze,” one scholar wrote in 2019. This was the provision that President Donald Trump, assisted by a posse of partisan lawyers, zeroed in on to encourage arguably unconstitutional behavior by Vice President Mike Pence and members of Congress, potentially criminal behavior by Rudy Giuliani and his dozens of fake electors, and obviously criminal behavior by hundreds of rioters who laid siege to the Capitol. …
Not every week the worst people in the sports world get together with the worst people in the real world.
” It’s difficult to ascertain exactly which character trait—Hubris? Hypocrisy? Indecency?—motivates someone to furiously demand the freedom to exercise his rights while being applauded by benefactors from a regime that dismembers its critics for doing just that. Or to pause his guzzling from the teat of Middle Eastern royalty only long enough to denounce the “obnoxious greed” of an organization that made him an enormous sum of money (which is not to presume he still has it). For all the moments that have defined Phil Mickelson’s estimable career—the emotional first major victory at Augusta National, the improbable last one at Kiawah Island, even the fumbled finish at Winged Foot—it’s his intemperate comments in Saudi Arabia this week that risk defining his enduring reputation. At best, his words suggest that what
he possesses in self-regard, he lacks in self-awareness. And at worst?
That he’s a willing dissembler for a government bent on using golf to sportswash its human-rights depredations and war crimes.”
https://golfweek.usatoday.c…
“Olympics Jerk Watch: The American Skier Who Chose to Represent China
Wait, what’s that? Eileen Gu will be skiiing for China at the Winter Games? Those golds she’s poised to win will redound to the glory of good ol’ Uncle Xi?
She chose to compete for the country that has clamped down on democracy in Hong Kong and oppressed the nation’s Uyghur minority? [brief pause while I pick up a pair of miniature American flags and wave them with anger and dismay] USA! USA! USA!….
That neutrality appears motivated in large part by a desire to protect her sizeable commercial interests. The New York Times noted this week that Gu, who works as a model when she’s not on the slopes, has sponsorship deals with “a slew of Chinese companies” and has been featured on the cover of the Chinese editions of Elle, Marie Claire, and Vogue. “There’s no need to be
divisive,” she told the Times, explaining her decision to “pass” on answering questions about China. “I think everything I do, it’s all about inclusivity. And it’s all about making everybody feel as connected as possible.”
https://slate.com/culture/2…
White House science adviser Lander apologized for behavior toward staff, report says
Boston Globe – Feb 7
Putin Warns the West and Ukraine, but Keeps His Intentions a Mystery
NY Times – Feb 7
(One has to wonder if Russia, having massed enough troops and equipment to invade and conquer Ukraine in a few days, might just decide to keep invading westward through Poland & into Germany. What’s to stop them? Diplomacy?)