I took a brief hiatus yesterday … my sanity depended on it. But today I return … renewed, refreshed, and …. Oh heck, it’s all a lie. Who do I think I’m kidding? I am neither renewed nor refreshed … I am, rather, exhausted and depressed, but for better or for worse, I am back with my usual … um … bit of ‘tude.
Trump is now “the former guy”
Remember January 20th, 2017 when President Obama left the White House, attended the inauguration of Donald Trump, and then was rarely in the news? His time in the limelight was over, it was time to pass the baton, and move on with his life. That is as it should be, folks. So why the Sam Hell is Donald Trump’s face continually splattered over every media site, and his every word published ad nauseam?
It is time to step away from Donald Trump, my friends. It is time for the media to focus on today’s reality, not yesterday’s lies. I call on the press to stop … cease and desist … before they make the same mistake they made in 2016 of giving him so much free airtime that ultimately he was seen as something he wasn’t: human. A few days ago, Biden chose not to refer to Trump by name, and called him ‘the former guy’. I suggest that become his new moniker … it suggests his current irrelevance, and that is what is needed right now if this nation stands a chance of healing. He has no meaning to us, is naught but a private citizen like you and I. I hope to be writing about the charges, both federal and state, against him over the coming year, but that’s about all I care about regarding him or his activities or rhetoric.
I and other bloggers have focused on the attacks of January 6th, incited and financed by the former guy, and the related impeachment trial, in hopes he would be held accountable for his actions for once. The impeachment is over, the Republican Party is forever stained for their refusal to hold him accountable, and no, we won’t forget … ever. However, it’s time now to realize that the former guy is no longer relevant to our lives, and focus on what is happening in our government, in the world today. The former guy is history, he is boring for he is a broken record with only 5 phrases on his track. A recent survey, taken 3 days after the pathetic impeachment vote, claims that 54% of republicans plan to back Trump as a presidential candidate in 2024. Okay, fine, wonderful, but the election is not for another three-and-a-half years, some 45 months from now. There is work being done by the Biden administration that is far more important than what the former guy does or says. And frankly, I think the squirrel on my back porch has as much chance of winning in 2024 as Trump. So, let’s put the ugly man aside, leave him to languish in his fancy digs or rot in prison, and let us focus more on the things that matter in our lives.
Joe Biden brings to our government fresh blood, people who are intelligent, educated, and knowledgeable in their fields, and he brings policies that will make positive contributions to our lives, our health, and our environment.
The Biden cabinet
To date, seven of President Biden’s nominations for cabinet positions have been confirmed, most by a significant majority:
- Tony Blinken, Secretary of State, was confirmed on January 26th by a vote of 78-22
- Janet Yellen, Secretary of Treasury, was confirmed on January 25th by a vote of 84-15
- Lloyd Austin, Secretary of Defense, was confirmed on January 22nd by a vote of 93-2
- Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of Transportation, was confirmed on February 2nd by a vote of 86-13
- Denis McDonough, Secretary of Veteran’s Affairs, was confirmed on January 27th by a vote of 87-7
- Alejandro Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security, was confirmed on February 2nd by a vote of 56-43
- Avril Haines, Director of National Intelligence, was confirmed on January 20th by a vote of 84-10
Next week, confirmation hearings are scheduled for …
- Merrick Garland, Attorney General, February 22-23
- Debra Haaland, Secretary of the Interior, February 23
- Xavier Becerra, Secretary of Health and Human Services, February 23
The Biden cabinet is coming together nicely, and I’m pleased that there has been no significant disruption in the process, apart from the time spent in the impeachment trial. Every one of these people have the background, education and experience to handle the job, unlike their counterparts in the previous administration. I don’t foresee a problem with the confirmations of Garland, Haaland, or Becerra, though I could always be overlooking something. After all, it was me who declared 5 years ago that the former guy didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of winning the presidency. Sigh. Sooner of later I’ve got to be right … right?
You’ll remember that Mayor Pete ran as a candidate for president in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries and gained significant momentum in mid-2019 when he participated in several town halls and debates. Buttigieg narrowly won the Iowa caucuses and placed a close second in the New Hampshire primary. By winning Iowa, he became the first openly gay candidate to win a presidential primary or caucus. Buttigieg dropped out of the race on March 1st 2020, and endorsed Joe Biden the following day.
“Patrick Harvie is nothing more than a national embarrassment with his pathetic antics that only serve himself and his political agenda. If Harvie and the rest of the Scottish government continue to treat overseas investors like this, it will deter future investors from conducting business in Scotland, ultimately crushing their economy, tourism and hospitality industries.”
Merrick Garland is … or should be … a shoo-in for the Attorney General position, and confirmation hearings are likely to be more of a formality, as he is well-known and well-respected by members of both parties. But Lindsey Graham likes to play games, even when his games are a threat to the nation. Because as of yesterday, the two parties had not yet managed to come to terms on the ‘organizing resolution’ for the Senate, which is currently split 50-50, Lindsey Graham is still the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman.
Filosofa's Word 