I think he needs to create something like a Pandemic Council that can start leading right now.
Gather outstanding scientific experts, and leaders in the medical community. But also business and civic leaders. And of course governors and mayors who have to integrate this at their level too with their local health, education, business, and civic leaders.
We really can not waste any time getting this together.
Seems like he can't really do much until he's actually in office. Of course he can start assembling a team. But for anything such as a cabinet position he can be obstructed by McConnell and a Republican Senate, even after inauguration. I read an article on that subject yesterday (unfortunately I lost the link); one possible way around that would be to appoint people already in the government, perhaps in a civil service position. Supposedly they would not be subject to Senate approval. The example given was that he could appoint Anthony Fauci as head of Health and Human Services.
ReplyDeleteHe could adopt trumps favorite trick for bypassing senate approval and appoint “acting Directors “
DeleteBiden should have a frank chat with Mitch McConnell and ask him to compose a "common ground" list of issues the GOP feels it can work with Biden on. If Mitch announces that the the GOP goal is merely to ensure Biden fails, as he did with Obama, then Joe might have to resort to tricksy maneuvers. But I expect Biden to at least try to work with Repubs.
DeleteI suppose he has to go through the motions of trying to work with the Republicans. I'm sure the Turtle has a list of things they can work on together. None of them will benefit you or me or any other average American. The Republicans don't even want democracy, now that brown folk can vote. How can anyone work with that?
DeleteI suppose he has to go through the motions of trying to work with the Republicans. I'm sure the Turtle has a list of things they can work on together. None of them will benefit you or me or any other average American. The Republicans don't even want democracy, now that brown folk can vote. How can anyone work with that?
DeleteThe analysts in the WaPo this morning are throwing wet blankets all over Biden's prospects of doing much more than reversing Trumps exec orders or circumventing appointment confirmations as Ann and Katherine mentioned above.
DeleteIt will be interesting to see how Trumpism will affect the Repubs and how much infighting there will be. Boehner was fed up with the intractability of the Tea Party when he was Speaker.
I predict a lot of squabbling between moderate and leftists factions among Dems, but that's their normal m.o.
I'd be happy if also he did was promise no more alternative facts, no more sidelining or muzzling science-based info, no more pandering to foreign dictators, no more name calling political opponents.
ReplyDeleteHe should acknowledge the right of Trump supporters to demonstrate their disappointment peacefully and invite them to work with their elected representatives.
The major concerns I have that I will listen for:
Short term:
Pandemic control and vaccine distribution
Economic aid to those unemployed by pandemic
DACA and reuniting immigrant children separated from families
Long term:
Income inequality and health care
Global warming and natural disasters
Infrastructure
Troop withdrawal in Middle East
Gun control and domestic terrorism
Restoration of relationships with allies
Stabilizing SS and Medicare
Those all sound like worthy goals to me. And about reuniting immigrand parents and children, if we can do "23 and me" we should be able to utilize DNA technology to facilitate it.
DeleteJust got finished watching Joe Biden's and Kamala Harris' speech. I thought it was good. Seemed like the crowd was pretty jubilant.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Thought he was speaking from the heart and had his game face on. Pretty modest and un-wacko agenda, too.
DeleteYes, I was pleased with the speeches. Thought the Eagles Wings was good both as a recognition of those who have died in the pandemic as well as language that might resonate with Evangelicals.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I recognized the Eagles Wings lyrics too. It might resonate with evangelicals, but any Catholic is going to recognize it, I think it was an outreach to them.
DeleteI distinctly recall Biden using On Eagles Wings in his withdrawal announcement in 1988. He must like it.
DeleteAs far as hymns go it's not on my top favorites list. However if our choir gets a request to sing somebody's fave it is usually Eagle's Wings. When our younger son and daughter-in-law got married they said they wanted some traditional songs for the wedding. I was thinking they meant something like Schubert's Ave Maria. Nah. Eagle's Wings was one of them. The lyrics, taken from Psalm 91, seem to resonate with people.
DeleteOn Eagle's Wings has crossed over denominational boundaries, probably because of its scriptural basis. Sometime ago I did a post on the hymn society competition for most popular hymns. It was seeded as one of the possibilities in the "refrain" category but failed to beat out "O Come All Ye Faithful" as a finalist.
DeleteWhile the vote counts were going on, I kept thinking of that Advent hymn, "Patience, People".
DeleteI am reading that church bells rang and fireworks were going off in Europe to celebrate the results. Apparently Trump had caused the jitters over thete, too.
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DeleteEurope is very happy. The PMs are being proper in their congratulations to Biden/Harris, the mayor of Paris tweeted “Welcome back, America. Merci!” A German friend of one of my sons called him to tell him that people were dancing in the streets in Frankfurt. DC had a huge street party - a beautiful day, so the streets were full of people celebrating. Same in NYC and LA. One son is visiting friends in Mexico in a small town an hour from Cancun. Lots of Americans on the beach, all celebrating together. I saw a European poll last week (wonder if they are better than ours) showing how many wanted Biden or Trump to win. Single digits for trump in most countries. He got the most support in Italy - 13% wanted trump. Trumps isolationism and intentional trashing of our western alliances (NATO, encouraging the breakup of the EU, etc) have been a big concern in Europe, particularly as Russia has been becoming more aggressive. Our French belle-famille (literally, beautiful family - a lovely term for those of us related through the marriage of our children) are thrilled with the outcome.
Ho-hum. We have heard Biden's "look, folks" speech for 35 years. He did mention the pandemic and DACA specifically, so I was happy to hear that.
ReplyDeleteWhite Catholics who voted for Trump are not going to be impressed that Biden knows "Eagle's Wings."
I'm just glad Trump will be gone in a few months. It will be a relief to have just one national disaster to deal with for awhile.
Meantime, Trump hasn't tweeted for 15 hours. That must be some kind of record for him. He tweeted more at Walter Reed when he had the covid. Maybe he's busy picking up the paper towels that people are throwing over the WH fence.
It's sort of sad that he bragged about bringing out rage in people. That rage is now being used to humiliate him when he has lost.
I read that Biden is preparing a series of executive orders to reverse Trumpism on DACA, the Paris Accords, withdrawal from WHO and others. Trump wanted to erase Obama's legacy. Time to erase HIM. I would imagine there is a sigh of relief in the EPA, CNC and other competencies that this ignorant thug is leaving. His lack of tweets might indicate he is actually thinking for a change. How not to go bankrupt. How to avoid jail.
ReplyDeleteCDC, not CNC (Computer Numerically Controlled).
Delete... and he's up guzzling diet Coke and re-tweeting Jonathan Turley and Newt Gingrich rants.
DeleteOverturning Trump's worst exec orders would be enough for me (which shows how pitiful my hopes and dreams for Our Nation have become). However, DACA orders are only a bandaid. Congress needs to come up with a legal and permanent fix for this.
Biden and McConnell apparently have a cordial relationship. McConnell said, in a sort of back-handed tribute to Biden as outgoing VP and pres of the Senate, that Biden is "unbowed, unbroken, and unable to stop talking." https://www.npr.org/2020/11/08/932744275/how-biden-and-mcconnell-will-work-together
If they are able to work together to get things done, those things will be extremely modest, and to the consternation of the progressives and Trumpists.
How well Harris can run interference with progressive congressional representatives, many of whom are people of color to whom Biden owes his majority, will be critical.
And, of course, Trump will be there tweeting his lies and conspiracies and continuing to agitate his base, which, hopefully, will shrink with time.
I would be surprised if there were not umpteen TV talk and reality shows hoping to get him in front of a camera ASAP. He'll make (and squander) loads of cash. It's what he does. Unless the IRS and the New York state courts can somehow manage to get him to pay up at last.
Interesting to see how many Republicans are still standing by their fighter now that they don't have to. I thought Lindsay Graham (who became a lost and drifting soul after McCain died) was particularly gracious in announcing he'll pick Biden's secretary of state and attorney general, or Biden won't get one.
ReplyDeleteIf I were Lindsay I'd be a little more careful with the hubris. For about a milli-second I felt a little bit sorry for him when AOC was giving him a going over. That feeling passed. If he's going to say s$%t like that he deserves everything the Squad dishes out to him.
DeleteFor what it's worth, as I mentioned previously, I think Biden has some other options should the Republican Senate prove too obstructive about his cabinet appointments. He can pick, I believe, someone already in the government in a non-partisan position because they wouldn't require Senate approval. And yes he can follow Trump's example and just name "acting" ones. But that's not fair to the individual or to good government.
Stephen Miller will be gone. We have been spared this possible mess reported in The Nation, though The Nation is not above worst-casing things:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thenation.com/article/society/stephen-miller-trump-election/
I wonder if he can see his reflection in the mirror. I pretty much think he's one of the undead.
DeleteKatherine, I commented above about Europeans celebrating Biden’s election.
ReplyDeleteIreland’s national TV network had a very moving sign-off about the election.
https://www.irishpost.com/news/irish-broadcasters-powerful-tribute-to-biden-following-presidential-win-goes-viral-across-the-world-197211