A report card on the Biden administration

[Luckyone]

Not a lot. The Senate will not convict. That is virtually certainty.



That pie-in-the-sky approach to Washington politics and keeping Trump in the news for the sake of principle can cause other principles to shoved aside. The reality is, Biden needs the help of Republicans to achive his principles; principles such as the war on Covid-19 and economic stimulus to the millions of Americans who are unemployed and close to losing their homes. Biden is not likely to get that help when members of his party want to convict a Republican.

Are you willing to give up those principles for the principle of trying Trump and failing?

How about this principle? The sanctity of the Office of the President.

Trump incited an insurgency against our government. That is at a minimum sedition in every court in the land. But he is being tried not in a court. He is being tried in the Senate, half of whom are Republicans. So, Trump is vindicated.

Meaning a President can do anything as long as he is properly represented in the Senate! That has already happened.

Americans lose twice. They don't get the help and they need, and the Senate spawned an all powerful President. Wonderful.

All for the sake of principle, because that is all it is.

Well, let me begin by saying that all my life I have stood on principle and doing that has cost me my relationship with my son. The way I see it is "If I don't live (and die) by my principles then I have no value as a person as I can be "bought" when it suits me. When I do that, I am no different (or better) than anyone else.

On the other side of the coin, my principles is what brought me my wife (extremely principled woman that does not bend an inch when it comes to principles) and that has been not only the best thing that ever happened to me. I do know if she did not respect me for who I am, she and I would not be together.

Trump was a bad (if not totally evil) person and in those cases, you cannot bend or give in on the principle of fighting evil with everything you have. Evil often wins and that means that if all the people that fight for good see others giving in for their best interests, you will not find anyone in the future fighting evil and that means evil would not win often but win "all the time".

Like I said, it is not the result that counts but the path that is followed. The path of fighting evil til the last breath.

As far as your example of not impeaching the president simply because the end result is virtually guaranteed and therefore useless to impeach, the lesson learned is not what you think it is. If you decide to not impeach, it shows that when the odds are against you, you should give up. It does not mean that future presidents will try the same given that not always will the Senate (or the House) be bought.

By the way, there are 12 Republican Senators that have stated they will probably vote to impeach. The Democrats need only 5 to turn and impeach as the number of Republicans voting for impeachment is 17. This means that they might be able to convince or coherse 5 to vote for impeachment. Meaning that it is not the sure thing you are saying.

My view is that it has to be done, no matter what. Consequences do not concern me in the least. I think there is much more to gain that what is there to lose. It is a risk worth taking every single time when the stakes are what they are.

 

[Luckyone]

Biden has had since Nov election to do something.He has failed.Derelict at his duty.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

First of all there is a chance that they will impeach Trump given that a lot of Republicans (most importantly McConnell) are in favor of it happening.

CNN is a pro-Biden network. It reports, "The path in the Senate to convict Donald Trump is extremely slim, with a growing number of Republicans expressing confidence that the party will acquit the former President on a charge that he incited the deadly insurrection aimed at stopping President Joe Biden's electoral win."

For that reason, the Democrats are looking at the 14th Amendment to prevent Trump from taking office again. Section 3 of the 14th Amendment says that no public officials who had “previously taken an oath” to support the Constitution will hold office if they “have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof."

But it's complicated, and use of the 14th might require conviction in the Senate. Catch-22.

For more on the 14th Amendment see: https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/535467-democrats-float-14th-amendment-to-bar-trump-from-office

 

[Sandy Shanks]

As far as your example of not impeaching the president simply because the end result is virtually guaranteed and therefore useless to impeach,

Notwithstanding Biden's principles which you want ignore, trying something when failure will result is a complete waste of time. The Senators can make better use of their time ... something like Biden's principles which are far more important. They involve millions of Americans.

You chose to ignore them, too.

By the way, there are 12 Republican Senators that have stated they will probably vote to impeach.

Those were 12 members of the House. Read your own source.

Do you want Biden to fail? Sounds like it.

 

[Jay59]

Already judging Biden after only 3 days on the job? Wow, you must have been expecting Superman.

Don't silly. I am critiquing his first days on the job. This should be a very busy week. Compare 2009 and 2017. This is the time when his support is strongest and he has fullest access to introduce his agenda and set plans in motion. Instead, we get checking boxes on someone else's list.

He's not getting help from Pelosi and Schumer. All they are giving him is grief. See post #40.

Given his weak presentation so far, they may assume he's a rubber stamp and nothing more.

Notwithstanding Biden's principles which you want ignore, trying something when failure will result is a complete waste of time. The Senators can make better use of their time ... something like Biden's principles which are far more important. They involve millions of Americans. You chose to ignore them, too.

You seem to be saying that the entire point of impeachment is to prevent Trump from running again, which is a dubious goal.

Those were 12 members of the House. Read your own source. Do you want Biden to fail? Sounds like it.

That's par for his course.

Biden has a really large problem. The media has convinced most Americans that Trump was incompetent, even though the opposite is true. Hence, Biden needs to exceed Trump's results of look like a failure.

Based on the transition period and first days in office, it appears Biden is not even going to try governing, leaving everything to the bureaucracy and Congress.

 

[vegas giants]

I am very impressed with Biden so far

 

[Patriotic Voter]

I give Biden an F. He is a complete failure so far.

He has been in office less than a week so far. There is no reason to call him a failure this early in his term.

 

[Luckyone]

Notwithstanding Biden's principles which you want ignore, trying something when failure will result is a complete waste of time. The Senators can make better use of their time ... something like Biden's principles which are far more important. They involve millions of Americans.

You chose to ignore them, too.



Those were 12 members of the House. Read your own source.

Do you want Biden to fail? Sounds like it.

The Senators have been "wasting their time" for many, many years. You think a few weeks more makes a difference to them......or to the country? Lets talk reality here, it is not as if they have been accomplishing anything recently, right?

 

[gulfman]

He has been in office less than a week so far. There is no reason to call him a failure this early in his term.

He's a week President alright.He's already set this country back years.

 

[Patriotic Voter]

He's a week President alright. He's already set this country back years.

There is no way you can know that less than a year after all of his executive actions officially take effect. The current President did everything he could to make sure in just his first week he would turn America around to move the right direction.

 

[gulfman]

There is no way you can know that less than a year after all of his executive actions officially take effect.

we shall see

 

[Patriotic Voter]

We shall see.

I certainly will. You have to take your red glasses off first.

 

[NWRatCon]

Biden Nominees:
Confirmed: Avril Haines, DNI; Lloyd Austin, SecDef.
Hearings in Progress
Nominee for Treasury Secretary: Janet Yellen
Nominee for Transportation Secretary: Pete Buttigieg
Nominee for Department of Homeland Security Secretary: Alejandro Mayorkas
Nominee for Secretary of State: Antony Blinken
No information on hearing dates:
Nominee for Attorney General: Merrick Garland
Nominee for Secretary of Labor: Marty Walsh
Nominee for Commerce Secretary: Gina Raimondo
Nominee for Education Secretary: Miguel Cardona
Nominee for Environmental Protection Agency Administrator: Michael Regan
Nominee for Interior Secretary: Deb Haaland
Nominee for Energy Secretary: Jennifer Granholm
Nominee for Agriculture Secretary: Tom Vilsack
Nominee for Housing and Urban Development Secretary: Marcia Fudge
Nominee for Veterans Affairs Secretary: Denis McDonough
Nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary: Xavier Becerra

 

[Sandy Shanks]

He's a week President alright.He's already set this country back years.

What an incredibly stupid comment. This guy definitely has to be a Trump fan. He sure sounds like one.

Biden has been in office for less than a week, the Senate is in turmoil and is about to make a failed attempt to try Trump, and this jackass is already declaring Biden a failure.

 

[calamity]

Biden? A+ so far.

Next question.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

You seem to be saying that the entire point of impeachment is to prevent Trump from running again, which is a dubious goal.

I have not said that, although that may be the goal for Pelosi and Schumer. If you read more of my reports, you will learn that I consider impeachment a serious error in judgement that will result in failure in the Senate. Better to let the courts decide Trump's fate, not politicians with an agenda, nearly half of who are loyal to Trump.

 

[Jay59]

It goes without saying that it's a serious error in judgement, but that's pretty much SOP for the Democrats lately. Anything to do with Trump makes them crazy.

The kicker is that very little of Trump's four years will be easy to unravel. The administration prepared for this day by taking time to do things thoroughly--seating judges, revamping regulations, establishing procedures, etc. Executive orders will not be sufficient and several states are poised to sue when Biden tries. Texas has already filed suit concerning the Wall.

 

[Razoo]

Convene a grand jury, indict he and associates in crime, haul all of them into court then convict and sentence. The only way for criminals.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

"New York (CNN Business)Many once-loyal members of Mar-a-Lago are leaving because they no longer want to have any connection to former President Donald Trump, according to the author of the definitive book about the resort.

"Trump moved to the Palm Beach, Florida, estate after his term ended last week. But without the cachet of the sitting president of the United States working at the estate, guests are finding Mar-a-Lago lost a step. There isn't any entertainment on the property during the pandemic, and Leamer added, "It's a sad place ... it's not what it was.'"

 

[Luckyone]

"New York (CNN Business)Many once-loyal members of Mar-a-Lago are leaving because they no longer want to have any connection to former President Donald Trump, according to the author of the definitive book about the resort.

"Trump moved to the Palm Beach, Florida, estate after his term ended last week. But without the cachet of the sitting president of the United States working at the estate, guests are finding Mar-a-Lago lost a step. There isn't any entertainment on the property during the pandemic, and Leamer added, "It's a sad place ... it's not what it was.'"

‘Go Back to Moscow': Airplane Banners Near Mar-a-Lago Taunt ‘Pathetic Loser’ Trump

Former president plans to make Florida resort his primary residence
Rosemary Rossi | January 24, 2021 @ 2:37 PM

Two planes circled the skies near Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, each pulling behind it a banner with rather uncongenial greetings.

“TRUMP WORST PRESIDENT EVER,” read one banner; the other reading, “TRUMP YOU PATHETIC LOSER GO BACK TO MOSCOW.”

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Impeaching Trump was an incredibly dumb idea. In the first place, the impeachment trial in the Senate is doomed to fail and a lot of valuable time will be wasted.

The DOJ is investigating whether Trump "engaged in an improper attempt to have the DOJ seek to alter the outcome" of the 2020 election.

The investigation comes in the wake of a New York Times report that alleged Jeffrey Clark, the head of DOJ's civil division, had plotted with President Trump to oust acting Attorney General Jeffery Rosen in a scheme to overturn the election results in Georgia.

Which causes one to consider another way the Democrats are screwing with the Democratic President.

Biden's DOJ should be investigating Trump for sedition as well as other related crimes. They can't. The Democrats are using the allegation in an impeachment trial in the Senate which is likely to fail.

Democratic lawmakers know all this. Which is why they do not talk about the projection of that Senate trial. They talk about many aspects of Trump's behavior, but they avoid any discussion concerning the outcome of the trial.

It is almost as if they know they are being foolish and counterproductive, but are doing it anyway.

Pelosi delivered the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate today. The abortive trial begins Feb. 8. Because they know failure is in the cards, there are hints the Democrats want to keep it short and get it out of the way.

Only a fool attempts something that is destined to fail.

 

[Luckyone]

The DOJ is investigating whether Trump "engaged in an improper attempt to have the DOJ seek to alter the outcome" of the 2020 election.

The investigation comes in the wake of a New York Times report that alleged Jeffrey Clark, the head of DOJ's civil division, had plotted with President Trump to oust acting Attorney General Jeffery Rosen in a scheme to overturn the election results in Georgia.

Which causes one to consider another way the Democrats are screwing with the Democratic President.

Biden's DOJ should be investigating Trump for sedition as well as other related crimes. They can't. The Democrats are using the allegation in an impeachment trial in the Senate which is likely to fail.

Democratic lawmakers know all this. Which is why they do not talk about the projection of that Senate trial. They talk about many aspects of Trump's behavior, but they avoid any discussion concerning the outcome of the trial.

It is almost as if they know they are being foolish and counterproductive, but are doing it anyway.

Pelosi delivered the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate today. The abortive trial begins Feb. 8. Because they know failure is in the cards, there are hints the Democrats want to keep it short and get it out of the way.

Only a fool attempts something that is destined to fail.

Wrong. Trying something meaningful though destined to fail inspires others to try and achieve.
48 Famous Failures Who Will Inspire You To Achieve

“Failure is unimportant. It takes courage to make a fool of yourself.” — Charlie Chaplin

 

[Sandy Shanks]

It's complicated, but the logjam in the Senate is probably over, and things can get done, assuming the failed Senate impeachment trial doesn't last very long.

NBC News reports, "Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., signaled late Monday night that he was open to a power-sharing agreement with Democrats that did not include a written commitment to keeping the filibuster.

"McConnell had said he wanted Democrats to promise to preserve the 60-vote threshold to pass nearly every piece of legislation — a rule known as the filibuster — in exchange for the transfer of control of the Senate's committees."

With cooperation of two Senate Democrats and President Biden, McConnell has dropped that demand.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

NBC News reports, "The House delivered its article of impeachment against former President Donald Trump to the Senate on Monday, kicking off preparations for the coming trial."

"Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told MSNBC's Rachel Maddow in an interview airing Monday evening that Trump must be held accountable for encouraging the rioters, which Schumer said was "the most despicable thing any president has ever done.'"

Nothing from Schumer or Pelosi about the overwhelming consensus that trial will end with Trump's exoneration, and he proclaiming it loudly to everyone who will listen.

In the first weeks of the Biden administration, the Democrats are about to awaken an obnoxious jerk who has been asleep for three months, afraid to show his face to the public. No more, thanks to the Democrats.

Little wonder why they and other Democrats do not want to talk about that.

 

[Sandy Shanks]

Wrong. Trying something meaningful though destined to fail inspires others to try and achieve.
48 Famous Failures Who Will Inspire You To Achieve

Those examples are all about personal achievements. You are comparing apples and oranges. The failed attempt at an impeachment trial and its unwelcomed consequences, including emboldening future Presidents, has absolutely nothing to do with personal achievements.

That said, Trump will be encouraged by your inspiration. He could even try again in 2024. Were you trying to inspire Trump?