Biden Swings for the Fence!

As the baseball season heads toward the fall series, we already know that the Washington Nationals, who traded away their best players recently, are not going anywhere near the playoffs this season. Many pundits have claimed that the Democrats will not show any gains in the upcoming midterm elections in November as the party in power traditionally loses seats. But some recent events seem to tip the balance toward Democrats a bit. President Biden’s poll numbers are creeping back up. Some close elections in the Midwest, in areas usually strongly Republican, the vote in Kansas supporting abortion rights and most recently, a special election in New York State for an empty Congressional seat, went to the Democratic candidate. Pundits try to read the tea leaves, but some other legislative wins and actions by President Biden contributed to these changed numbers. Do you think the Democrats will have an October surprise? I’m thinking I need my four-leaf clover charm, my lucky penny, and my virtual rabbit's foot to pull this off, but I am game!

Some polls show Independents are moving toward the Democrats. But moves such as the Inflation Reduction Act, the passing of the semiconductor chip manufacturing bill, and the PACT Act supporting veterans all ring true for promises the president made. This week the President, by Executive Action, reduced student debt by $10,000 for some students (income-tested) and $20,000 for those who hold Pell grants. This move is popular and was requested by many younger voters who hold a lot of college loans. Democrats need a high turnout from younger voters and Black voters to win in the Fall.

After the Dobbs' decision on abortion, women have turned out to register in high numbers, so this may be good news for Democrats. White women with college degrees supported Biden in 2020; working-class women did not, but Black women gave him overwhelming support as did suburban women.

Republicans cried foul at the tuition loan move, claiming that Democrats were trying to buy votes. Others said the move was classist as it does not benefit workers who never went to college. But, as has been proven, high student debt keeps recent graduates from entering fully into society and often keeps them from being able to buy a house or start a business. Democrats noted the Republicans gave the top 1% an enormous tax cut amounting to more than a trillion dollars at the start of the last administration; they did not pay for this in the budget and, as a result, this drove up the national debt.

And the most delicious irony is the high number of Republicans who received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans during COVID that were forgiven. After criticism of the student loans, the White House Twitter account posted these notices: (thanks to Heather Cox Richardson)

{Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) said: “For our government just to say ok your debt is completely forgiven. it’s completely unfair.” Greene had $183,504 in PPP loans forgiven.

Representative Vern Buchanan (R-FL) said: “Biden’s reckless, unilateral student loan giveaway is unfair to the 87 percent of Americans without student loan debt and those who played by the rules.” Buchanan had more than $2.3 million in PPP loans forgiven.

Representative Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) said: “We do not need farmers and ranchers, small business owners, and teachers in Oklahoma paying the debts of Ivy League lawyers and doctors across the U.S.” Mullin had more than $1.4 million in PPP loans forgiven.

Representative Kevin Hern (R-OK) said: “To recap, in the last two weeks, the ‘Party of the People’ has supercharged the IRS to go after working-class Americans, raised their taxes, and forced them to pay for other people’s college degrees.” Hern had more than $1 million in PPP loans forgiven.

Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA) said: “Asking plumbers and carpenters to pay off the loans of Wall Street advisors and lawyers isn’t just unfair. It’s also bad policy.” Kelly had $987,237 in PPP loans forgiven.

Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) said: Everyone knows that in a $60 Billion+ European land war, it’s always the last $3 Billion that kicks in the door….” Gaetz had $482,321 in PPP loans forgiven.}

Biden appeared in Rockville MD at a National Democratic Committee rally this week for the candidates running in Maryland state and Congressional races. Wes Moore, the candidate for governor, gave an excellent speech before introducing President Biden. Appearing before a partisan crowd estimated to be around 5000, Biden was charged up. He came out swinging right from the start, took off his coat, rolled up his sleeves, picked up a hand-held mike, and went into full campaign mode, pulling no punches. C-SPAN carried it live; you can view it here: C-SPAN . I also found a wonderful description in Richardson’s “Letters from an American” as noted above where she said:

“Then Biden gave a barn-burning speech to the Democratic National Committee in Rockville, Maryland, clearly dividing the Republican Party between the MAGAs and mainstream Republicans. The MAGA philosophy is “semi-fascism,” he said, and we are seeing either its beginning or death knell. 

“I want to be crystal clear about what’s on the ballot this year. Your right to choose is on the ballot this year. The Social Security you paid for from the time you had a job is on the ballot. The safety of our kids from gun violence is on the ballot…. The very survival of our planet is on the ballot. Your right to vote is on the ballot. Even…democracy.” “The MAGA Republicans don’t just threaten our personal rights and economic security,” he said. “They’re a threat to our very democracy. They refuse to accept the will of the people. They embrace…political violence. They don’t believe in democracy.” “This is why in this moment, those of you who love this country—Democrats, Independents, mainstream Republicans—we must be stronger,” he said.”

To my knowledge, this is the first time he has spoken so strongly about the extreme claims being made by many of the MAGA followers and candidates. These remarks seemed to foreshadow the end of his attempt at reaching out to Republicans in a regular way; instead, he called for moderate Republicans, such as Maryland’s Governor Larry Hogan, to join with him. He asked Independents to come along also and move to take back our country, stepping away from the extreme agendas so many on the right espouse. A recent NBC News poll showed that the number one concern on voters’ minds was the threat to our democracy. I believe that the January 6^th hearings showed just how close we came to having that democracy irreparably damaged.

Now, you may not know that I collect stamps. It is basically a solitary hobby, shared with a few of my friends. However, among those who have an interest, I sometimes discuss a new stamp or groups of stamps added to my collection. With the recent FBI search of Mar-a-Lago, some of DJT’s associates claim that he just kept these highly secret papers to occasionally peruse and perhaps share with his friends, just as I do with my stamps! Now, if you believe that, I am certain there is a bridge to nowhere in your future!

Seriously though, with the latest tales of a Russian-speaking Ukrainian woman and known scammer, claiming to be a Rothschild heir, roaming around the resort and golfing with the then President and Senator Graham, two failed attempts by Chinese nationals to enter with faked credentials we know about, and unscreened club members overhearing substantive discussions with foreign leaders, what other leaks were at that place? Where was the Secret Service? The FBI has listed that among the documents recovered were those with security ratings of the highest order. Initially, when the National Archives, after a year of asking for documents to be returned, received a cache of several boxes earlier this year, authorities soon realized that there were classified materials in those boxes. The tally then was 184 documents with varying levels of classified status, so they sent a criminal referral to the Department of Justice. Noting that more known documents were still missing, the DOJ reached out again, this time with a subpoena that DJT ignored. Agents found additional classified documents on a personal visit in June; lawyers asserted then that there were no more documents. Finally, after letters from the Archives noting still missing documents and entreaties from Justice with no adequate responses, a search warrant was requested and ordered. The result was that they found documents secreted at varied places around the residence, including the recently locked basement. Among the unsecured boxes found in this search were 11 more documents, including those identifying secret agents or assets, signals intelligence intercepts, and others not further identified. No one has been able to adequately explain why the former president felt a need to hold on to such secret documents, other than his claim that the papers were his. His claims to have declassified all such materials have been debunked by many who worked with him in the White House. Did he keep them so that he could impress resort visitors or unknown others with our nations’ secrets, such as he did in the oval office with his Russian visitors? Since there are notations by DJT on some of these papers, it would be difficult to claim that he was unaware of the nature of the clearly labeled classified papers.

We do not know where the DOJ will go with this investigation. We know there is a Grand Jury investigation. Former FBI officials discussed criminal charges that could be in play, such as obstruction of justice, destruction of official documents, and improper possession of classified materials. Any other person would probably already be in jail for such offenses. Any charges, no matter how carefully drafted, will be politically charged, so Attorney General Garland will have to move carefully.

Media outlets, and supposedly DJT, want a full release of the original warrant. The DOJ presented a heavily redacted version that was accepted by the judge. The DOJ wanted less knowledge of the content of the documents and protections for the witnesses they interviewed. Now the former president’s lawyers are asking for a special master to go over the documents to remove any private, privileged, or protected materials; he is still trying to claim executive privilege for these papers even though the courts have decided that he is no longer entitled to that status. As they say, stay tuned. I just keep on shaking my head as each week’s news tops the next!

“Til next week-Peace!