With Todays Jobs Report, President Biden Emphasizes the Need to Think Long Term and Pass His American Jobs and Families Plans

 266,000 jobs were created in the United States in April.

On most days, that would be a good revelation.

However, the monthly jobs report, while positive, showed a job market that was not as robust as March when close to 800,000 jobs were created.

The message from President Biden when addressing the American People:

Do not panic. Readers should also click here to watch Nobel Prize Economist Paul Krugman emphasize that very point. Remember 266,000 jobs were created, not lost.

Think Long Term.

The American Rescue Plan is meant to last a year, not 60 days.

Republican talking points of a labor shortage are mostly hogwash.

It is essential to Build Back Better with his Blue Collar Jobs Blueprint by passing the American Jobs and Families Plans in Congress.

Among the President's comments on the April Jobs Report were:

"When we came into office, we faced a once in a century and once in a generation economic crisis. We knew this wouldn't be a sprint. It would be a marathon. Quite frankly, we're moving more rapidly than I thought we would."

"When we passed the American Rescue Plan, I want to remind everyone that it was designed to help us over the course of a year, not 60 days."

"It's clear we have a long way to go. Overall our economy has added over 1,500,000 jobs since I took office. That's the most jobs created in any three months in any Presidency in our history."

"It (the job's performance) is a testament to our new strategy of growing this economy from the bottom up and the middle out. It's a clear testament to why it's so needed... Our efforts have started to work but the climb is steep."

"Let's keep our eye on the ball...Today's report makes clear. Thank goodness we passed the American Rescue Plan. Help is here. And more help is on the way. And more help is needed."

"Our economy still has eight million fewer jobs than when this pandemic started. The data shows that more workers are looking for jobs and many can't find them...There are millions of Americans out there through no fault of their own have been knocked flat on their back this past year. The virus stole their jobs and I am determined to give them a fighting chance."

"The (American) Rescue Plan is to get us back to where we were. But that's not nearly enough. We have to Build Back Better. That's why we need the American Jobs (with rebuilding the nation's infrastructure) Plan I proposed...to win the future of the Twenty-First Century."

"As my wife, Jill says, any nation that out educates us is going to out-compete us...Think about it. How much better off is the country if we have tens of thousands of graduating seniors from high school and beyond going to get two years of community college. Wouldn't that increase our capacity significantly..."

"This month's job numbers show we're on the right track. We still have a long way to go. as I said my laser focus is on growing the economy and creating jobs. My laser focus is on vaccinating our nation...My laser focus is...making sure working people in this country, hardworking people are no longer left out in the cold. They're gonna get a share of the benefits from the rising economy. It's been a long time since that happened. I call my plan the Blue Collar Blueprint for America."

"We still have a job to do in Washington. The American People are counting on us."

The President also announced that the first allotments of aid to state and local governments will be going out later this month and that will help bring back jobs to workers (firefighters, police, and sanitation workers) that were laid off due to budget cuts.

President Biden's approach should have the desired effect of bringing people (preferably the nonwhite nationalists) who thought Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump cared about them back into the Democratic Party.

Why?

Because Biden actually really cares about them whereas Reagan and Trump did not.

Plus, his American Jobs and Families Plans will actually help them whereas the Reagan and Trump tax cuts did not and Republican obstructionism led by Enemy of the People Mitch McConnell will not.
 

 

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki tells Obstructionist in Chief Mitch McConnell what his Priorities Should Be

It is so refreshing to have a White House Press Secretary in Jen Psaki that actually works for the American People and tells it like it is or should be.

Senate Prince of Darkness-Enemy of the People-Obstructionist in Chief-Moscow Mitch McConnell gave her an opportunity to demonstrate that again today (May 5, 2021.)

The Senate Legislative Grim Reaper said today that:

“One hundred percent of my focus is on stopping this new administration. I think the best way to look at what this new administration is: The president may have won the nomination, but Bernie Sanders won the argument.”

The Enemy of the People also accused the Biden/Harris Administration of leading the country toward socialism.

Of course, readers have to remember that raising the minimum wage a penny or fixing one public toilet would be socialistic to Moscow Mitch and his enablers.

They should also remember that the Senate Prince of Darkness sang the same tune during the Obama/Biden administration, saying his goal was to make them a one-term Administration.

McConnell's comments come two days after this disgrace to public service told the Biden/Administration to more or less take it or leave it ultimatum to the Republican infrastructure proposal.

In her daily press briefing today, Press Secretary Psaki was asked about McConnell's comments, and she skillfully and rightfully replied:

“The contrast for people to consider is 100 percent of our focus is on delivering relief to the American people and getting the pandemic under control and putting people back to work.”

Psaki is right.

While the Biden/Harris Administration is spending all of its time trying to help the American People, where is Moscow Mitch?

While the Biden/Harris Administration has worked to pass programs that would cut child poverty in half, put checks in people's hands, get out vaccines to stem the tide of the Coronavirus, and rebuild the country's infrastructure, where is Moscow Mitch?

It is time for Enemy of the People Mitch McConnell and his fellow obstructionists in the former Party of Lincoln to focus on helping the American People instead of continuing their 30-year track record of obstructing Democratic Administrations and their programs for moving the country forward and improving the lives of the masses of the nation.

UPDATE: Watch President Biden respond to McConnell and the Republican vision for governing by clicking on the video below. It starts just before the ten-minute mark and the President hit all the right notes. 

 

 

Editorial Poster/Cartoon from Kevin Kalluagher and Neil Degrasse Tyson

 

Democrats Should be Able to Beat the Party of the Big Lie and Reactionary Obstructionism in the 2022 Mid Terms

Photo from NPR.

With local, state, congressional, and gubernatorial candidates declaring their intentions to run and raise money for the 2022 midterm elections (even while final district lines have not been drawn yet,) it is not too early to start speculating if the Democratic Party can turn back the historical trend that the incumbent Presidents party mostly loses seats in off-year electoral contests.

Historically, the party that occupies the White House generally fares poorly in off-year mid-term elections. It does not matter if the President is popular or liked (Dwight Eisenhower, or Ronald Reagan in both their terms) or unpopular at the time (Harry Truman, Gerald Ford, Bill Clinton (1993), or George W. Bush (2006).)

The party of the President does not do well in most midterm elections.

That said, Democrats are hoping that 2022 is like the 1934, 1998, and 2002 midterm elections.

Why those years?

Because those are the years the President's party exceeded expectations and actually gained seats in either the House or Senate.

Franklin Roosevelt fared the best gaining nine House and Senate seats in the 1934 midterm elections with voters showing enthusiasm for the New Deal Programs and opportunistic persona supported and displayed by Mr. Roosevelt.

The Biden/Harris Administration, with its passage of the American Rescue Plan, calling for passage of the American Jobs and Families Plans, and the warm-empathetic-opportunistic-Happy Warrior personality of President Biden, are hoping for a 1934 Democratic showing at the polls in 2022.

Is that possible?

In a word yes.

If Democrats do the right things, they should be able to beat the Party of Traitors, the Big Lie, Know Nothing's, and Reactionary Obstructionism in the 2022 Mid Terms in both Arizona and across the country.

What are the right things the Democrats have to do to win in 2022?

Register to Vote, Fight Voter Apathy, Recruit Good Candidates, Fight for Fair Districts in Redistricting, Run on a Good Democratic Program, Remind Voters what Republicans Represent, Turn Out, and Vote Up and Down the Ballot.

This is the obvious task that Democratic-leaning voters, encouraged by candidates and activists, have to perform in 2022. Matt Grodsky, a former spokesperson for the Arizona Democratic Party and currently Vice President and Director of Public Affairs at Media State Strategies wrote a guest op-ed in AZ Central, calling for Democrats to intensify their voter registration efforts in the Grand Canyon State.

Grodsky wrote that:

"Arizona Democrats have a profound opportunity to extend their multicycle winning streak and defy history in the 2022 midterm elections. But one elusive problem looms and it threatens to dash the party’s ambitions: A voter registration gap that favors Republicans.

Despite registration gains over the last several years, Democrats are some 140,000 voters behind Republicans. Therefore, Democrats remain reliant on independent and moderate Republican voters.

In 2020, Joe Biden and Mark Kelly’s broad appeal resulted in wins at the top of the ticket. But voters retreated to their respective parties' down-ballot, and that’s where Republicans’ voter registration advantage came into play.

Unless 2022 Democratic down-ballot races are as appealing as top-of-the-ticket candidates (I’m thinking the gubernatorial race), ballot-splitting and voters’ nescience pose a significant challenge, just as they did in 2020."

Grodsky went on further to explain that to increase voter registration, turnout, and victories up and down the ballot, Democrats must:

• Fight apathy: Just because Donald Trump is no longer President, it does not mean Democrats can rest and relax going into the midterms. Not convinced. Go down to Veterans Memorial Coliseum and ask former State Representative and devoted Trump Zone cult member Anthony Kearn, how he is doing auditing Maricopa County Votes from 2020 for Cyber Ninjas and perpetuating the big lie of election fraud? Or ask women across the state about how they feel that their right to choose has been chipped away by the Republicans in the state legislature and Governor Ducey. Or go to the State Capitol and see what latest fringe ideas on voter suppression, tax cuts, or defunding Invest in Ed the Republicans are considering. Democrats need to treat this election just as importantly as 2018 and 2020. In many ways, Democracy and the American way of life are on the ballot.

What else Democrats need to do to Win in 2022?

• Recruit candidates that can win: Grodsky correctly notes that increased Democratic voter registration totals will likely help more Progressive candidates win statewide as well as local carved-out legislative and congressional districts. That said, in the race for winning now, it is important that Democrats recruit candidates that can appeal to Democratic-leaning Independents and willing Republicans. People like Senator Mark Kelly will need that coalition to win reelection in 2022. So will probably Congressional and Legislative district candidates in probable swing districts that are drawn after redistricting. Better to have these Democrats caucusing with Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer than being in the minority under Kevin McCarthy and Mitch McConnell.

 

• Fight to ensure that every legislative and congressional district boundary is fairly and competitively drawn.

There should be no new Congressional or Legislative District where repulsive figures like Kelly Townsend, Wendy Rogers, Debbie Lesko, Jake Hoffman, Paul Gosar, or Andy Biggs have a built-in advantage. Democrats need to ensure that the new Congressional and Legislative District boundaries are fair and competitive. Of course, there will still be some districts that overwhelmingly favor one party or the other but the process should not create opportunities for the fringes of the political sewers to gain power.

• Promote a program that appeals to anyone on the centrist to the left wings of the political spectrum.

There is nothing wrong with running on what the Biden/Harris Administration has achieved and most Democrats support. This includes the vaccine rollout, the American Rescue Plan, and the proposed American Jobs and Families Plan.

There is nothing in any of those proposals the majority of the country (including a substantial number of Republicans) do not support.

Democrats should run on that and not hide from it or other programs like law enforcement and immigration reform.

• Remind voters what Republicans in 2022 represent.

Which political party promotes the big lie that the 2020 election was stolen?

Which political party has traitorous members that helped mastermind the January 6, 2021, Domestic Terrorist Attack on the Nation's Capitol?

Which political party has known members of Qanon among its elected officials and supporters?

Which political party is actively championing legislation to suppress the right and access to vote?

Which political party had no members vote for the American Rescue Plan that cut child poverty in half,  put checks in people's hands, and COVID 19 vaccination shots in their arms?

Which political party thinks it is not okay to invest in Electric Vehicle charging stations, house veterans in better facilities, cut child poverty, provide better quality child and home care, and rebuild public school buildings?

Democrats should have a field day creating ads against Republican candidates in Arizona and across the nation that hold these views. It will help elevate Democratic turnout and sway Independent and like-minded Republican voters to vote blue.

• Turnout and Vote Up and Down the Ballot.

Democrats, as Grodsky noted in his op-ed, need to fight voter apathy and turn out at 2018 levels and possibly higher.

They also need to educate voters of the vital necessity of voting down-ballot and the candidates looking to win legislative district and county offices.

Unfortunately, while the Democrats did well at the top of the ballot in 2020, Democratic support fell off in local and county races for several reasons including voters not checking off all the down-ballot contests.

That needs to change.

So much of what affects our lives happens at the local level and it is important that public servants dedicated to moving the local communities, state, and nation forward are chosen.

So Democrats can have a historic midterm victory in 2022.

If they do all the right things.

Senate Prince of Darkness Mitch McConnell Can Take His Opening Bid on Infrastructure and Shove It

 Well, Democrats should hope Kyrsten Sinema, Joe Manchin, and other moderate Democrats that think they can get bipartisan support on an infrastructure-jobs plan through Congress was paying attention to remarks from Enemy of the People-Obstructionist in Chief-Legislative Grim Reaper-Moscow Mitch McConnell today.

According to reporting by the Hill, the Senate Minority Leader made it perfectly clear he and his fellow Republicans are not interested in doing much more than the $568 billion dollars meager (and insulting)  infrastructure proposal West Virginia Senator Shelly Moore Capito and her colleagues in the former party of Lincoln unveiled two weeks ago.

In remarks at a Kentucky Press Conference, the Republican Evil Machiavellian said:

"I think it's worth talking about but I don't think there will be any Republican support — none, zero — for the $4.1 trillion grab bag which has infrastructure in it but a whole lot of other stuff...We're open to doing a roughly $600 billion package which deals with what all of us agree is infrastructure," McConnell said. "If it's going to be about infrastructure, let's make it about infrastructure."

Remember the Reactionary-Republican definition of infrastructure does not include:

• Modernizing and rebuilding school buildings.
• Refit homes and businesses to make them more energy-efficient.
• Rebuild veterans care facilities.
• Constructing 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations.
• Investing in human infrastructures like home and child care.

Republicans are also not interested in paying for it by raising taxes on the wealthiest individuals or corporations with the Senate Prince of Darkness saying they are not interested in revising the 2017 tax cut that made the rich richer and had no positive long-term effects on the nation's economy.

In other words, it is 1993 and 2009 all over again with Republicans in Congress who would be against promoting a cure for cancer if a Democratic President proposed it.

These reactionaries seem to forget they lost the last election and the people support the Biden/Harris proposals.

If McConnell thinks his opening (and it seems only) bid for infrastructure legislation is acceptable, he can shove it up his ass.

If Republican Senators follow his lead, negotiations with them are a waste of time.

The Biden/Harris Administration and Democratic Congressional Leadership should just adopt a two or three-bill strategy where they pass a smaller bipartisan infrastructure measure and the rest through budget reconciliation and get it done before the fall.

It is obvious that is the only way to go forward unless the Problem Solvers Caucus group comes up with a detailed proposal that meets the needs of both sides. Right now, they have a program of good ideas (please click here to review) but no firm numbers.

Hopefully, Manchin, Sinema, and the other moderates will see the Republican stance for what they are: dragging out the process and obstruct and see that Democrats will probably have to again go at this alone.

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