Speaker Pete & Delaware Media: Both Derelict In Their Duties. Speaker Pete finally surfaced. Just long enough to speak to a friendly group of D’s about legislation and emphatically not about KMG. Nobody from what passes for the press in Delaware bothered to cover his appearance. Speaker Pete’s ongoing silence and failure to take action that only he can take has been well-documented by us. Even initially by the press. However, the failure of (all things are relative) Delaware’s major media outlets to cover this appearance should cause embarrassment. You know that old journalistic saw: ‘We don’t make the news, we cover it.’ By not covering this, Delaware media has failed in its duty to cover the news–unless they don’t consider the Speaker of the House running interference for a convicted statewide elected official who doubled as his campaign treasurer as news. I understand though–a new coffee/music place just opened in Suxco. Can’t cover everything. Priorities, pipples.
Cure For Political Woes? Meet With Khashoggi’s Killer. I can’t even…:
“My views on Khashoggi have been absolutely, positively clear and I have never been quiet about talking about human rights,” he said in response to a question. “The reason I’m going to Saudi Arabia is to promote U.S. interests in a way that I think we have an opportunity to reassert our influence in the Middle East.”
Biden also said alienating the Saudis would contribute to a leadership vacuum and added “I always bring up human rights,” though he never explicitly said he would bring up Khashoggi’s killing (Spoiler Alert: He won’t).
In June, he said “I’m not going to meet with MBS.”
The White House has since confirmed the meeting with MBS, saying that Biden will encounter the crown prince as part of a bilateral meeting with Saudi King Salman and the country’s broader leadership team.
Any questions?
Biden Screws Up Pace Of Judicial Nominees. Due, in large part, to the ridiculous deal he cut with Moscow Mitch. Seriously, an anti-abortion judge in exchange for two Justice Department nominees?:
Biden could try towin support of a Meredith nomination with Republican votes in an evenly dived Senate. But a president fighting his own party for a lower-court judicial nominee would be highly unusual, and he would have to overcome a Judiciary Committee controlled by Democrats.
McConnell has refused to comment until Biden officially submits a nominee, but his camp has dismissed talk of a deal as “false information.”
Biden’s potential nomination of Meredith has fueled a backlash from progressive activists who have demanded bolder action from the Biden administration after the Supreme Court decision.
Several pro-abortion-rights groups have called the potential nomination “unacceptable” and demanded Biden not move ahead with it.
As to nominations slowing to a trickle (read this article in its entirety, it’ll make you very angry):
“As the number of announced judicial vacancies has risen to 119, we urge you to redouble your efforts in the final seven months of this Congress,” the organizations, including Demand Justice, MoveOn, and NARAL Pro-Choice America, wrote to Biden and Senate leadership. “At the current pace, dozens of these vacancies will remain unfilled at the end of the year, and we urge you to do whatever it takes to fill them all.” Of those 119 vacancies, there are around 80 that don’t have nominees.
Any questions?
Biden Drops The Ball On Abortion Rights. We’re sensing a theme here. Hope it’s not too subtle:
Senate Democrats believe the administration can do more. Declaring a public health emergency would allow Biden to “unlock powerful flexibilities and resources for federal, state, and local governments” in order to protect abortion rights, the senators argued — similar to what the administration has done during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Specifically, a public health emergency would allow doctors licensed in one state to provide reproductive health care in other states and expand the group of people covered by Medicaid programs allowing patients insurance coverage for out-of-state medical expenses. It would also protect access to medication abortion and help HHS gather information and research on which communities need the most aid in a post-Roe world.
If Biden declared a public health emergency, it would also aid physicians providing abortion care in health- or life-threatening situations — something HHS announced this week it’s specifically focusing on. Additionally, it would allow HHS to deploy federal, state and local medical personnel across the country — especially to rural areas where abortion access has effectively disappeared.
“While it is impossible to immediately undo the damage inflicted by the Supreme Court’s repeal of Roe v. Wade, the Biden-Harris Administration must use every tool within its power to fight back,” the senators wrote. “…Your leadership during this unprecedented crisis for women is more important than ever.”
Warren and fellow Senate Democrat Tina Smith (Minn.), another signatory of Wednesday’s letter, had already called on Biden to declare a national emergency the day Roe fell just over two weeks ago. But the White House said it “didn’t seem like a great option” because it “doesn’t release a significant amount of legal authority” to protect reproductive rights. Since then, Biden walked back those comments and told reporters he’s considering declaring a public health emergency.
What a team Biden’s got there.
What do you want to talk about?