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Author Topic: U.S. Politics  (Read 94764 times)

Offline Rick Plant

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Re: U.S. Politics
« Reply #248 on: March 26, 2022, 11:46:20 PM »
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"I visited Ukrainian refugees who have fled to Poland this afternoon. You don’t need to speak the same language to feel the roller-coaster of emotions in their eyes. I want to thank my friend Chef José Andrés, his team, and the people of Warsaw for opening your hearts to help." - President Joe Biden


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Re: U.S. Politics
« Reply #248 on: March 26, 2022, 11:46:20 PM »


Offline Rick Plant

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Re: U.S. Politics
« Reply #249 on: March 27, 2022, 12:26:02 AM »
The authoritarian aggression is also here at home with a Republican Party who attempted an illegal coup to keep Trump in power via an insurrection.

Biden says Putin ‘cannot remain in power’ in sweeping speech on Russian invasion of Ukraine

President Joe Biden said Russian leader Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power” over his invasion of Ukraine.



In a sweeping speech in Poland that marked the finale of a three-day trip to Europe, Biden urged democracies around the world to unify and commit to a long fight against authoritarian aggression.[/i]

President Joe Biden on Saturday said Russian leader Vladimir Putin “cannot remain in power,” ratcheting up international pressure and further uniting NATO allies against Putin over his invasion of Ukraine.

“A dictator, bent on rebuilding an empire, will never erase the people’s love for liberty,” Biden said at the end of a sweeping speech in Poland. “Ukraine will never be a victory for Russia, for free people refuse to live in a world of hopelessness and darkness.”

“For God’s sake, this man cannot remain in power,” Biden said.

Biden has hurled invective at Putin throughout the crisis in Ukraine, labeling him a “murderous dictator” and a “war criminal,” but has previously stopped short of calling for his removal from power.

Later Saturday, a White House official attempted to clarify that Biden “was not discussing Putin’s power in Russia, or regime change,” but rather was making the point that Putin “cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region.”

The president’s address at the Royal Castle in Warsaw marked the grand finale of a three-day trip to Europe. While in Poland, Biden met with Ukrainian refugees who had fled Russian aggression, as well as with U.S. troops stationed in Rzeszow, near Ukraine’s border.

In his speech, Biden urged democracies around the world to unify against Russia and commit to a historic battle against authoritarian aggression.

“In this battle, we need to be clear-eyed,” he said. “We need to steel ourselves for the long fight ahead.”

Biden directly and repeatedly condemned Putin throughout the speech, accusing the Russian president of “using brute force and disinformation to satisfy a craving for absolute power and control.”

Biden slammed Putin for invoking Nazi imagery as a pretext for an invasion, calling it an “obscene” lie. And he said it is “Putin who is to blame” for the mountain of international sanctions that are crushing Russia’s economy and its currency, noting that the Russian ruble has been reduced to “rubble.”

Biden also spoke past Putin, attempting to deliver an appeal to whichever Russian citizens may be able to hear the speech.

“This is not the future you deserve for your families and children,” Biden said. “I’m telling you the truth, this war is not worthy of you, the Russian people.”

Biden’s message to Ukraine was more direct: “We stand with you. Period.”

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/26/biden-says-putin-cannot-remain-in-power-in-sweeping-speech-on-russian-invasion-of-ukraine.html

Offline Rick Plant

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Re: U.S. Politics
« Reply #250 on: March 27, 2022, 02:59:36 PM »
WATCH: Marjorie Taylor Greene throws tantrum over Constitution's ban on insurgents running for Congress



Controversial Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) lashed out over a lawsuit challenging her eligibility to run for office following her efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

"A lawsuit filed on behalf of a group of Georgia voters on Thursday seeks to bar Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene from running for re-election over her support for rioters who attacked the U.S. Capitol last year," MSNBC's Ja'han Jones reported. "The complaint resembles a lawsuit filed against Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) in January, which also cited the 14th Amendment’s language prohibiting people who have 'engaged in insurrection or rebellion' from serving in Congress."

Greene lashed out at the constitutional eligibility requirement.

"They are trying to take away my district's right to vote for me," she said, even though the lawsuit says her district has no such right to vote for her after she broke her oath.

"Their lawsuit is such a scam, it is so ridiculous, it's obvious they've never read the Constitution before," she argued, even though the Constitution appears quite clear on the point.

"No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress...who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress...to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same," reads Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.

Watch: https://twitter.com/BobBrigham/status/1507816756898787330

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Re: U.S. Politics
« Reply #250 on: March 27, 2022, 02:59:36 PM »


Offline Rick Plant

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Re: U.S. Politics
« Reply #251 on: March 27, 2022, 03:07:56 PM »
Rogue FBI informant tried to keep Whitmer kidnap plot alive, destroy evidence, feds say



DETROIT — A rogue FBI informant tried to keep the Gov. Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping plot alive, obstruct justice and destroy evidence after federal agents arrested more than a dozen men in fall 2020, prosecutors said Friday.

The informant, Wisconsin resident Stephen Robeson, urged others to destroy evidence, warned accused plot ringleader Barry Croft that he was wanted by the FBI and told another to destroy evidence by throwing a gun in a lake, according to a court filing.

Prosecutors leveled the allegations while trying to prevent Robeson from being called as a defense witness during the ongoing trial of four men charged with plotting to kidnap the governor.

Defense lawyers are expected to call Robeson as a witness in the next week or two and ask about his work as an FBI informant and leader of a fake militia who organized trainings and meetings and recorded members of the alleged kidnap plot.

Prosecutors Friday said Robeson is likely to invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination due to the possibility he would be charged with new crimes related to the kidnap plot.

Prosecutors Friday said Robeson is likely to invoke his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination due to the possibility he would be charged with new crimes related to the kidnap plot.

The court filing Friday provides new details about Robeson's breakup with the FBI and wrongdoing that led to the convicted felon being indicted on a gun charge and dropped from the kidnap case in October 2020.

That is the same month FBI investigators arrested 13 men in connection with the alleged plot.

"The reason: Steve had been breaking the law without authorization and surreptitiously assisting the other conspirators," Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler wrote.

FBI agents sanctioned Robeson's activities, paid him, rewarded him, gave him secret recording equipment and let him commit illegal activities while working for the government, defense lawyers wrote in a request earlier this week to have Robeson testify.

"Robeson now seeks to assist the government to avoid answering for their actions by hiding behind the pretense of self-incrimination despite being given nearly carte blanche authority by his agents and handlers to gallivant across the country, parading himself as the leader of a national militia and being a significant link in the defendants’ case," defense lawyers Joshua Blanchard and Christopher Gibbons wrote.

They represent accused plotters Croft, 46, of Delaware and Adam Fox, 38, of Potterville. They are standing trial alongside Lake Orion resident Daniel Harris, 24, and Brandon Caserta, 33, of Canton Township.

The group was arrested in early October 2020. Robeson knew about the looming arrests and was instructed not to tell anyone. He warned Croft anyway, and told another person, who was secretly working as an FBI informant, to encrypt a training roster, according to prosecutors.

Robeson also said despite the arrests, he was willing to continue helping with the kidnap plot, prosecutors wrote. He called another FBI informant, Dan Chappel, and told him to throw Croft's gun in a lake and get rid of a vehicle that was used during surveillance, according to the government.

"Steve dubiously claimed in a statement to agents that he did the above things to try and avoid being 'outed' as a source," Kessler wrote.

Robeson was indicted in March 2021 and accused of illegally obtaining a sniper rifle in what amounted to the first sign of trouble with a high-profile case of domestic terrorism that has revealed and raised questions about FBI agent misconduct.

He pleaded guilty in October and avoided a prison sentence under terms of a deal with prosecutors.

Prosecutors Friday asked Chief U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker to schedule a hearing outside the presence of jurors so Robeson can be questioned. Then Robeson's testimony in front of jurors should be barred, according to the filing.

"The government believes that — at a minimum — Steve will invoke his privilege against self-incrimination in response to the government’s questions on cross-examination," the prosecutor wrote. "Assuming he does, his refusal to testify will be based on a well-founded fear of incriminating himself arising from his obstructive and other potentially criminal actions outside the scope of his work as a(n informant)."

Meanwhile, defense attorneys on Friday in court Friday tried to blunt the testimony of a man who said he plotted to kidnap Whitmer, getting him to admit that after his arrest he had referred to the group as a “bunch of jokers” just playing roles.

But Kaleb Franks, who pleaded guilty in February, said he had lied to the FBI because he feared going to jail for his part in a staggering scheme to grab Whitmer from her vacation home in northern Michigan just before the 2020 national election.

Franks said he was hoping that “LARPing” — live-action role-playing — would “explain the firearms ... all the stuff that was a part of the crime."

“If you were LARPing, would you have pled guilty?” Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Roth asked.

“No,” Franks replied.

He testified on the 10th day of trial of the four men charged with conspiring to kidnap Whitmer. Franks agreed to cooperate with prosecutors with the hope of getting a lighter sentence in June.

He said Fox believed Whitmer’s COVID-19 restrictions were “tyrannical” and that the U.S. Constitution gave the men a right to strike back. Earlier in the week, another man who pleaded guilty, Ty Garbin, said a kidnapping could ignite a U.S. civil war involving anti-government groups and possibly prevent the election of Joe Biden.

Franks' main testimony occurred Thursday in federal court in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He described training in summer 2020 for an eventual assault on Whitmer's second home in Elk Rapids, reinforcing testimony earlier in the week from Garbin, the first person to plead guilty.

“I was going to be an operator,” Franks said. “I would be one of the people on the front line, so to speak, using my gun.”

He said he stayed with the group because he was depressed and had hoped he would be killed in a shootout with police.

Defense attorneys on Friday tried to trip Franks up by highlighting inconsistencies.

“Your testimony from the last couple days has been, ‘These guys were serious.’ That's not what you said to the FBI when you were arrested,” Croft lawyer Joshua Blanchard said. “You referred to the group as a whole as a bunch of jokers, that they're LARPing. ... When we use that term we're referring to people who go to the comic con to dress up as Pokemon."

Franks acknowledged telling investigators that Fox, described as the leader, was regularly egged on by a man who turned out to be an FBI informant secretly recording conversations for months. It conflicted with his earlier remarks that Dan Chappel didn’t try to steer the group.

“I was untruthful in that interview because I was trying not to go to jail,” Franks told the jury.

He also acknowledged a heroin problem and that he had illegally used an opiate substitute while in custody in the case.

Defense attorneys were trying to show the jury that there was no credible plot, just a lot of profane, violent and crazy talk about Whitmer and other politicians trampling their rights during the pandemic.

The jury was sent home about 50 minutes early Friday because a government witness hadn't arrived yet. Jonker was unhappy.

© The Detroit News

Offline Rick Plant

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Re: U.S. Politics
« Reply #252 on: March 27, 2022, 03:23:10 PM »
This is a landmark proposal from President Biden, a minimum tax that also applies to unrealized gains—as a prepayment against future capital gains. This should get serious consideration as a fair and efficient way to raise significant revenue.



President Biden to unveil new minimum tax on billionaires in budget
https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2022/03/26/billionaire-tax-budget-biden/

Biden budget seeks minimum tax on households worth $100m

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden intends to propose a minimum tax of 20% on households worth more than $100 million and cut projected budget deficits by more than $1 trillion over the next decade, according to a fact sheets released Saturday by the White House budget office.

The introduction of the minimum tax on the wealthiest Americans would represent a significant reorienting of the tax code. It would apply to the top 0.01% of households with half of the expected revenue coming from households worth $1 billion or more. The minimum tax would effectively prevent the wealthiest sliver of America from paying lower rates than families who think of themselves as middle class, while helping to generate revenues to fuel Biden’s domestic ambitions and keep the deficit in check relative to the U.S. economy.

In his proposal expected Monday, the lower deficits also reflect the economy’s resurgence as the United States emerges from the pandemic. It’s a sign that the government’s balance sheet will improve after a historic burst of spending to combat the coronavirus.

The fading of the pandemic and the growth has enabled the deficit to fall from $3.1 trillion in fiscal 2020 to $2.8 trillion last year and a projected $1.4 trillion this year. That deficit spending paid off in the form of the economy expanding at a 5.7% pace last year, the strongest growth since 1984.

For the Biden administration, the proposal for the budget year that begins Oct. 1 shows that the burst of spending helped to fuel growth and put government finances in a more stable place for years to come as a result. One White House official, insisting on anonymity because the budget has yet to be released, said the proposal shows that Democrats can deliver on what Republicans have promised before without much success: faster growth and falling deficits.

Yet the Biden budget would pledge to do so through a kind of wealth tax that many Republicans say would hurt the economy by diminishing private investment in companies that create jobs and cause the wealthy to put their fortunes to work abroad.

Biden inherited from the Trump administration a budget deficit that was equal in size to 14.9% of the entire U.S. economy. But the deficit starting in the upcoming budget year will be below 5% of the economy, putting the country on a more sustainable path, according to people familiar with the budget proposal who insisted on anonymity to discuss forthcoming details.

The lower deficit totals will also be easier to manage even if interest rates rise.

The expected deficit decrease for fiscal 2022 reflects the solid recovery in hiring that occurred in large part because of Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. The added jobs mean additional tax revenue, with the government likely collecting $300 billion more in revenues compared to fiscal 2021, a 10% increase.

Still, the country will face several uncertainties that could reshape Biden’s proposed budget, which will have figures that don’t include the spending omnibus recently signed into law. Biden and U.S. allies are also providing aid to Ukrainians who are fighting against Russian forces, a war that could possibly reshape spending priorities and the broader economic outlook.
« Last Edit: March 27, 2022, 03:29:06 PM by Rick Plant »

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Re: U.S. Politics
« Reply #252 on: March 27, 2022, 03:23:10 PM »


Online Richard Smith

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Re: U.S. Politics
« Reply #253 on: March 28, 2022, 12:31:08 AM »
This is a landmark proposal from President Biden, a minimum tax that also applies to unrealized gains—as a prepayment against future capital gains. This should get serious consideration as a fair and efficient way to raise significant revenue.



President Biden to unveil new minimum tax on billionaires in budget
https://www.washingtonpost.com/us-policy/2022/03/26/billionaire-tax-budget-biden/

Biden budget seeks minimum tax on households worth $100m

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden intends to propose a minimum tax of 20% on households worth more than $100 million and cut projected budget deficits by more than $1 trillion over the next decade, according to a fact sheets released Saturday by the White House budget office.

The introduction of the minimum tax on the wealthiest Americans would represent a significant reorienting of the tax code. It would apply to the top 0.01% of households with half of the expected revenue coming from households worth $1 billion or more. The minimum tax would effectively prevent the wealthiest sliver of America from paying lower rates than families who think of themselves as middle class, while helping to generate revenues to fuel Biden’s domestic ambitions and keep the deficit in check relative to the U.S. economy.

In his proposal expected Monday, the lower deficits also reflect the economy’s resurgence as the United States emerges from the pandemic. It’s a sign that the government’s balance sheet will improve after a historic burst of spending to combat the coronavirus.

The fading of the pandemic and the growth has enabled the deficit to fall from $3.1 trillion in fiscal 2020 to $2.8 trillion last year and a projected $1.4 trillion this year. That deficit spending paid off in the form of the economy expanding at a 5.7% pace last year, the strongest growth since 1984.

For the Biden administration, the proposal for the budget year that begins Oct. 1 shows that the burst of spending helped to fuel growth and put government finances in a more stable place for years to come as a result. One White House official, insisting on anonymity because the budget has yet to be released, said the proposal shows that Democrats can deliver on what Republicans have promised before without much success: faster growth and falling deficits.

Yet the Biden budget would pledge to do so through a kind of wealth tax that many Republicans say would hurt the economy by diminishing private investment in companies that create jobs and cause the wealthy to put their fortunes to work abroad.

Biden inherited from the Trump administration a budget deficit that was equal in size to 14.9% of the entire U.S. economy. But the deficit starting in the upcoming budget year will be below 5% of the economy, putting the country on a more sustainable path, according to people familiar with the budget proposal who insisted on anonymity to discuss forthcoming details.

The lower deficit totals will also be easier to manage even if interest rates rise.

The expected deficit decrease for fiscal 2022 reflects the solid recovery in hiring that occurred in large part because of Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. The added jobs mean additional tax revenue, with the government likely collecting $300 billion more in revenues compared to fiscal 2021, a 10% increase.

Still, the country will face several uncertainties that could reshape Biden’s proposed budget, which will have figures that don’t include the spending omnibus recently signed into law. Biden and U.S. allies are also providing aid to Ukrainians who are fighting against Russian forces, a war that could possibly reshape spending priorities and the broader economic outlook.

Inflation, crime, open borders, record gas prices, and world war are not enough?  Biden has to add more taxes to the misery that he has unleashed on the American public.  That sounds like a winning agenda for the Dems.  Keep up the good work bungling Joe!  The mid-term elections are just around the corner.  And when the republicans control the House and Senate, Joe can blame his failures from that point onward on the republicans.  His only hope to now avoid going down as the worst President in history.

Offline Rick Plant

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Re: U.S. Politics
« Reply #254 on: March 28, 2022, 01:10:27 AM »
Inflation, crime, open borders, record gas prices, and world war are not enough?  Biden has to add more taxes to the misery that he has unleashed on the American public.  That sounds like a winning agenda for the Dems.  Keep up the good work bungling Joe!  The mid-term elections are just around the corner.  And when the republicans control the House and Senate, Joe can blame his failures from that point onward on the republicans.  His only hope to now avoid going down as the worst President in history.

More BS:

Criminal Donald handed a total disaster off to President Biden including an economic crisis and COVID disaster. President Biden has created the best economy on record and the most jobs of any President in history with 7.4 million. And now the pandemic is under control for a second time. Crime, inflation, and gas prices all started under Criminal Donald. Those are the facts. And once again, you have zero sources for your propaganda.         

We had record crime and homicide under Criminal Donald.   

Provisional data from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, released early Wednesday, suggest the homicide rate for the United States rose 30% between 2019 and 2020. It is the highest increase recorded in modern history.

Researchers noted that provisional data on gun-related deaths also increased last year, climbing from a rate of 11.9 firearm deaths per 100,000 in 2019 to 13.6 per 100,000 in 2020 -- a 14% increase.

The FBI released its annual Uniform Crime Report for 2020, showing that the number of homicides increased nearly 30% from 2019, the largest single-year increase the agency has recorded since it began tracking these crimes in the 1960s.



Inflation started in 2020 under Criminal Donald.           

More Groceries, Less Gas: The Pandemic Is Shaking Up The Cost Of Living
September 11, 2020

https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/09/11/911880715/more-groceries-less-gas-the-pandemic-is-shaking-up-the-cost-of-living


Oil companies are setting gas prices high for profit. 

Excluaive: oil companies’ profits soared to $174bn this year as US gas prices rose
Exxon, Chevron, Shell and BP among group of 24 who resisted calls to increase production but doled out shareholder dividends[/i]
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/dec/06/oil-companies-profits-exxon-chevron-shell-exclusive


Biden is doing what Americans demand by taxing billionaires. The overwhelming majority of Americans support taxing billionaires and corporations who pay nothing while Rick Scott's tax America plan will soak working Americans and seniors while ending social security and Medicare. The GOP will get wiped out in November.     

Poll: Two-thirds of voters say billionaires should pay a wealth tax
https://thehill.com/hilltv/what-americas-thinking/484771-poll-67-of-voters-believe-billionaires-should-pay-wealth-tax

GOP's new plan: Raise taxes on working people, end Social Security and Medicare
https://www.salon.com/2022/03/14/gops-new-plan-raise-on-working-people-end-social-security-and-medicare_partner/


Criminal Donald is already the worst "President" ever.     

Trump Ranks Among The Worst Presidents In History, According To Survey


JFK Assassination Forum

Re: U.S. Politics
« Reply #254 on: March 28, 2022, 01:10:27 AM »


Online Richard Smith

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Re: U.S. Politics
« Reply #255 on: March 28, 2022, 01:26:19 AM »
More BS:

Criminal Donald handed a total disaster off to President Biden including an economic crisis and COVID disaster. President Biden has created the best economy on record and the most jobs of any President in history with 7.4 million. And now the pandemic is under control for a second time. Crime, inflation, and gas prices all started under Criminal Donald. Those are the facts. And once again, you have zero sources for your propaganda.         

We had record crime and homicide under Criminal Donald.   

Provisional data from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, released early Wednesday, suggest the homicide rate for the United States rose 30% between 2019 and 2020. It is the highest increase recorded in modern history.

Researchers noted that provisional data on gun-related deaths also increased last year, climbing from a rate of 11.9 firearm deaths per 100,000 in 2019 to 13.6 per 100,000 in 2020 -- a 14% increase.

The FBI released its annual Uniform Crime Report for 2020, showing that the number of homicides increased nearly 30% from 2019, the largest single-year increase the agency has recorded since it began tracking these crimes in the 1960s.



Inflation started in 2020 under Criminal Donald.           

More Groceries, Less Gas: The Pandemic Is Shaking Up The Cost Of Living
September 11, 2020

https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/09/11/911880715/more-groceries-less-gas-the-pandemic-is-shaking-up-the-cost-of-living


Oil companies are setting gas prices high for profit. 

Excluaive: oil companies’ profits soared to $174bn this year as US gas prices rose
Exxon, Chevron, Shell and BP among group of 24 who resisted calls to increase production but doled out shareholder dividends[/i]
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/dec/06/oil-companies-profits-exxon-chevron-shell-exclusive


Biden is doing what Americans demand by taxing billionaires. The overwhelming majority of Americans support taxing billionaires and corporations who pay nothing while Rick Scott's tax America plan will soak working Americans and seniors while ending social security and Medicare. The GOP will get wiped out in November.     

Poll: Two-thirds of voters say billionaires should pay a wealth tax
https://thehill.com/hilltv/what-americas-thinking/484771-poll-67-of-voters-believe-billionaires-should-pay-wealth-tax

GOP's new plan: Raise taxes on working people, end Social Security and Medicare
https://www.salon.com/2022/03/14/gops-new-plan-raise-on-working-people-end-social-security-and-medicare_partner/


Criminal Donald is already the worst "President" ever.     

Trump Ranks Among The Worst Presidents In History, According To Survey


That is music to republican ears!  A sure strategy to lose by an historic margin in the midterms.  Blaming all the ongoing disasters of Biden's administration on Trump.  Two years into his term Biden is going to say he failed and it was all somehow Trump's fault?  And then raise their taxes.  What an inspirational message to voters!  The red tsunami has formed and will coming crashing down on the Dems in November.   That's the best thing that can happen to Old Joe as he can then use the Obama excuse to blame everything on the republicans.  This is the same guy who promised during the campaign that his experience in Congress would allow him to work across the aisle.  But when he gets into office he suddenly can't to do it.  That's the classic political bait and switch that led to Trump's election in 2016.   The American public is fed up with the political establishment lying to them and failing to deliver.  If you were truly interested in defeating Trump in 2024, it would not be through phony conspiracy theories and politically driven investigations to "lock him up" but through actual results that benefit Americans.  Unfortunately, that is not something Biden can deliver.  He is prototype swamp creature.  Promise the moon, fail to deliver, then blame someone else.  Stay in power so that your family acquires incredible wealth.