EDITOR’S NOTE: Over the next few weeks we will be enjoying spring break and this blog will publish only periodically.
a follow up on two stories
Yesterday we said there was a deal behind the scenes for a lower corporate tax and that the 28% was just a conversation balloon.
Well, this from the President:
President Biden said that he is willing to scale back a proposed corporate tax increase in his massive infrastructure plan amid resistance from a key Senate Democrat and a new study that said the plan would sap wages and economic growth in the long run.
The key Senator, of course, was to make Joe Manchin look good, because his polls in W. Va. have been declining.
Speaking of Manchin, he came out today to say he will not vote to change the filibuster. Pretty strong, uh? Oh yea, yesterday Senator Sinema (AR.) took that position. When she did the chance for a filibuster change was zero.
Story two was the talk of an Olympic boycott of the China games. Well here’s what happened with that when China spoke up:
The Biden administration sought Wednesday to tamp down speculation it is considering a boycott of next year’s Winter Olympics in China, amid growing pressure from human rights groups and the threat of a “forceful” response from Beijing if Washington tries to rally countries to pull out of the Games.
i still say failed leadership
I have railed here about the failed vaccine leadership goals that they keep touting beginning with 100 million in 100 days. It should be 250 million and how anyone could call 100 million leadership is like giving everyone a trophy.
Anyway, remember a few weeks ago the administration announced the goal of everyone who wants to be vaccinated will be by May 1?
Well guess what. Not two weeks later they announced this:
President Biden said all U.S. adults should be eligible for Covid-19 vaccines by April 19, speeding up a timeline he set out, as he urged Americans to be patient and take precautions as the rollout continues.
Leadership is not setting makable goals, claiming success and moving dates up. Leadership is motivating people to do what seems the impossible. The press calling this a success just shows how far they have fallen.
These “goals” are a far cry from John Kennedy’s challenge to place a man in the moon and bring him back safely before this decade is out.
Congress
Rep. Alcee Hastings, a Democrat from Florida, passed away this week. He was 84 and had been suffering from cancer. His death and open seat makes the current congress 218 to 211, with several vacancies. It will become 218-212 in a week when Republican Rep.-elect Julia Letlow of Louisiana is sworn in.
The way things are moving through congress you would think the numbers would be larger in the House and Senate (50-50), wouldn’t you?
Hastings, by the way, was the first Black federal judge in Florida. He was a trailblazer. However, he was impeached and removed from his judgeship and then ran for Congress. He won and was reelected every two years.
the border
What is going on with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas? On top of saying he may close the border fence holes, he now says he is preparing to take on sanctuary cities that refuse to work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and he wants more illegal immigrants to face criminal prosecution for jumping the border.
He also rejected calls from some in President Biden’s political base to abolish or split up the government’s deportation agency.
He revealed theses hard-line stances last week during a virtual town hall forum with ICE employees.
The Washington Times has reviewed notes of the conversation in which Mr. Mayorkas said he is working on a set of deportation guidelines to govern how and when officers can arrest and attempt to deport illegal immigrants. Pressed by ICE employees worried about public resistance to the agency’s work, Mr. Mayorkas said ICE has a “noble mission.” Noble? The VP called them the KKK.
“I’m 100% opposed to the abolition of ICE,” he told the employees. “It is the opposite of what I think needs to occur. I think we need to strengthen our policies and practices and communicate more effectively what we do and why we do it.”
but not all changed
Homeland Security removed a press release announcing the arrest of two terrorism suspects along the southwest border because it wasn’t approved by higher-ups, and revealed sensitive information.
The Border Patrol had announced Monday that agents arrested two Yemeni men who were on the FBI’s terrorist watch list over the past two months, confirming lawmakers’ reports that terrorism suspects were attempting to sneak into the country as part of the migrant surge.
One of the men was nabbed last week near Calexico, California, after he jumped the border.
The 26-year-old was found to be on both the FBI’s terrorism watch list and the No-Fly list.
The other man was arrested near Calexico, California, early in the morning on Jan. 29, just days after President Biden was inaugurated. That 33-year-old was also on both the watch list and the No-Fly list.
Agents also said they found a cellular phone sim card concealed under the man’s shoe insole.
Why are we removing this information? It’s been said at least six believed terrorists have been caught so far.