President Biden thread

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Wow.  No one has started such a thread yet?

After promising that most K-8 students would be in schools in the first 100 days,  apparently Joe is afraid to lead on this and has drastically scaled back that goal.

Instead, we're shooting for about half to go to school at least one day a week,  by the end of April.

https://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2021-02-09/bidens-goal-for-school-reopenings-suddenly-became-more-attainable

 

10 hours ago, Tweety said:

You didn't even know she was LGBT until she was released and now somehow you have knowledge that's why she was released?   What an ugly thing to presume.

It get the rest.  Trump and conservative media are saying the same thing. It's definitely looks like a win for Putin.

 

Now, I know more.  

And that includes what I heard from the likes of Don Lemon and Van Jones.

Don Lemon spoke of how her situation highlites the dangers gays and trans face across the world.   Of course, we know that her arrest had nothing to do with that.

Van Jones said that the US couldnt let a black American icon be snatched off a plane (she wasnt) and be like treated garbage.  And that the Biden, Harris, Griner's wife all there for the announcement is a "decade defining moment" that people will remember 20 or 30 years from now.

He also said Biden cared enough about this individual to get her released.

So, why does he care enough about Griner, and not Whelan or Marc Vogel, the strait white guy in prison under similar circumstances?

About Vogel:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2022/07/28/marc-fogel-teacher-russia-prison/

 

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10 hours ago, subee said:

Or it could be viewed that Biden swallowed his pride for the greater good of retreiving an American citizen.  It remains to be seen how Putin will treat the arms dealer when he is returned to his homeland.

Biden didn't swallow his pride as much he bent over.

So, Russia released a basketball player who knowingly broke the law.  We agreed to let go the "Merchant of Death" in exchange.  A man who has a hand in 10's of thousands of deaths and probably is even less fond of the US now.  Was once number 2 on world's most wanted list after Bin Laden.  Has the past has been called the most dangerous man in the world.

Please enlighten me on how this was done for the greater good.

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11 hours ago, Tweety said:

We may never know.  But Biden was under intense pressure from the public sympathetic to her to get her out.  

Pressure from who?  Not anyone in my circles.  Yours?

Why pressure to get her out and not the marine, or the teacher who is in prison under similar circumstances?

Who was putting this pressure on him, and why?

11 hours ago, Tweety said:

Hopefully in the time in prison his ability to do his dirty work is over, particularly since he's so high profile, and he lays low.

Well, I'm always for hope.  I guess that's what we have to hang our hat on.  Great. 

11 hours ago, Tweety said:

I'm sure the administration considered that he's not just going to walk back in to his old job and kill Americans.

What are you basing that assumption on?  You probably should say "I hope" instead of "I'm sure".

And, it's more about that there are many others who want to kill Americans.  And he's the guy to can supply the arms to do it.

11 hours ago, Tweety said:

Personally, while Trump and others may disagree, I think that being able to negotiate this while we are supplying weapons to Ukraine and Russia is invading Ukraine, it's a win for the Biden admnistration.

I have no idea what you're trying to say here.

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A 60 Minutes report on Bout that aired shortly after his arrest in 2010:

 

An NPR interview with a reporter who interviewed him in prison:

https://www.npr.org/2022/12/09/1141969755/viktor-bout-is-back-in-moscow-is-he-still-a-national-security-threat-to-the-u-s

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A recent article by Michael Braun, former Chief of Operations for the DEA.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/08/05/viktor-bout-brittney-griner-russia-trading-arms-dealer-hostages-prison/

It is indefensible what our President had done.

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5 hours ago, Beerman said:

Pressure from who?  Not anyone in my circles.  Yours?

Why pressure to get her out and not the marine, or the teacher who is in prison under similar circumstances?

Who was putting this pressure on him, and why?

That he was under pressure was something I read in more than one analysis.  Griner was receiving widespread support from the public, her wife apparently was very vocal about it, celebrities took up her cause.   Obviously none of us have access to Biden so I'm not meaning personally, but in my social media she was all over the place.  

As to why?  The punishment was too harsh?  Why her cause became so elevated in the public's eye in relation to other hostages, I'm not sure.   Maybe because she's female?  Black?  A basketball player?  Widespread public support for medical mj use?  Queerness and concern for her safety because of this?   We'll disagree that her being LGBT was the reason she was released by Biden.

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The moment ends a brutal nine months for Griner, who was detained at a Moscow airport for possession of vape cartridges containing hash oil. She was sentenced in August to nine years in prison and was recently sent to a penal colony 300 miles outside of the Russian capital. Along with her sports fame, the fact that she was a gay, Black woman heaped immense pressure on the Biden administration to get her stateside.

 I have often wondered why some stories blow up in relation to others, such a child murder or the one this year about the guy that murdered his girlfriend and then presumably killed himself (I'm drawing a blank on the name, but there were endless stories for a few weeks about it when this sort of thing happens all the time.).  Or yes, why her case and not Fogel?  

I suppose the good news is that her case has elevated Fogel's and Whelan's.  Especially Whelan, I've been reading about him for a while.

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What are you basing that assumption on?  You probably should say "I hope" instead of "I'm sure".

And, it's more about that there are many others who want to kill Americans.  And he's the guy to can supply the arms to do it.

Reporters have asked about the security risk and the answer was it was a decision that wasn't taken lightly which is vague but all we got and that's what I'm basing my assumption on and a feeling that they knew who Bout was and what he's capable of.  

After 11 years it also seems an assumption to say "he's the guy to can supply the arms to do it".   He was the guy 11 years ago and the world has moved on and there are more than likely other arms dealers making money that won't give up that business.  I'm not sure his old job awaits him as you presume.  But I'll concede it might.  There's no telling what Putin or Moscow will make him do in exchange for his freedom. There most likely aren't any Soviet area extra arms for him to buy and deal with as Russia is in a War. Maybe being in prison 11 years changed him and he wouldn't want to risk going back to prison.   He's 55 years old and maybe wants to live in peace and enjoy his freedom.    But again, it's only hope.  

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I have no idea what you're trying to say here.

Then never mind.   I was trying to say that getting her released while we are supplying arms to their enemy is a diplomatic win for his administration.  Politico and other articles I've read have the same opinion.  I'm separating that from the cost and the nature of the prisoners.  

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In the last few weeks, President Joe Biden was presented with a one-or-none choice: Bring Brittney Griner home now, or risk leaving both her and fellow American Paul Whelan in Russian custody.

So Biden made the “very painful decision” to release a man charged with conspiring to kill Americans to secure the basketball star’s release, a senior administration official said. While Biden scored a major diplomatic victory, he again disappointed the Whelan family that has waited four years to embrace him.

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/12/08/biden-griner-whelan-russia-00073044

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3 hours ago, Tweety said:

We'll disagree that her being LGBT was the reason she was released by Biden.

I guess we will. 

It's interesting though that then you posted a quote from somewhere and highlighted  "along with her sports fame, the fact that she was a gay, Black woman heaped immense pressure on the Biden administration to get her stateside."

That seems to back up my opinion.

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3 hours ago, Tweety said:

After 11 years it also seems an assumption to say "he's the guy to can supply the arms to do it".   He was the guy 11 years ago and the world has moved on and there are more than likely other arms dealers making money that won't give up that business.  I'm not sure his old job awaits him as you presume.  But I'll concede it might.

I agree.  He definitely won't be as effective as he was.  But it's unlikely he's simply going to retire to a job as a Wal-Mart greeter.  

So, how many arms to terrorists and others that lead to how many deaths before we can say this was a terrible deal.  My number is 1.  Yours?

Regarding the "one or none".  It should have been none. Including for Whelan.

Yes, as for Griner the punishment was too harsh.   If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.  Now, to get her out the rest of the world has to deal with this thug.

And, there is some speculation it wasn't a one or none, but one or the other.  Apparently, a NBC report by Andrea Mitchell first reported  that then changed their story.  Our president, under the pressure you described, chose the gay, black woman.

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2022/12/09/tucker_carlson_nbc_changed_their_report_on_griner_and_whelan_to_follow_the_biden_administrations_claim.html

 

 

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46 minutes ago, Beerman said:

I agree.  He definitely won't be as effective as he was.  But it's unlikely he's simply going to retire to a job as a Wal-Mart greeter.  

So, how many arms to terrorists and others that lead to how many deaths before we can say this was a terrible deal.  My number is 1.  Yours?

Regarding the "one or none".  It should have been none. Including for Whelan.

Yes, as for Griner the punishment was too harsh.   If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.  Now, to get her out the rest of the world has to deal with this thug.

And, there is some speculation it wasn't a one or none, but one or the other.  Apparently, a NBC report by Andrea Mitchell first reported  that then changed their story.  Our president, under the pressure you described, chose the gay, black woman.

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2022/12/09/tucker_carlson_nbc_changed_their_report_on_griner_and_whelan_to_follow_the_biden_administrations_claim.html

 

The article I posted above sourced six senior officials anonymously.  I'm not saying I think the government bats a thousand in the honesty department.   I'm sure there's a lot they don't want to get out.

But I also don't get into conspiracy theories either based on one NBC reporters comment going around and being theorized about.  

I think Russia did play hard ball and I'm hearing they wanted a spy detained in Germany in exchange for him.  They did apparently reject a one for two deal.  But did they say "pick one", or did they want two for two?  Something hopefully will happen to get him out soon.  BTW he's a former marine and called a hero but was dishonorably discharged for larceny.  That's not relevant really.  There's conspiracy theories out there about him too.

Like I did during every Trump "witch hunt" and the election fraud claims, I'll take a back seat and let it play out.

Ultimately yes he chose to get her out and leave him behind. 

I wasn't overly sympathetic to her because she committed a crime. 

 

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1 hour ago, Beerman said:

I guess we will. 

It's interesting though that then you posted a quote from somewhere and highlighted  "along with her sports fame, the fact that she was a gay, Black woman heaped immense pressure on the Biden administration to get her stateside."

That seems to back up my opinion.

Yes I highlighted that on purpose to show some understanding of what you said, not agree with it.  I'm not saying it wasn't part of the equation of the pressure Biden felt. 

You said "Now, it's quite clear we let go the "Merchant of Death" for a basketball player, who knowingly broke the law, because she was black and LBGQT. " implying that's why he picked her over the white straight man.  You said prior something to the effect it's a good thing she's not a straight white man or she'll still be there.  

It's nuanced for sure and this is certainly why she got a lot of publicity over say Fogel, (whose wife declined to give interviews until now).  I think he got her out because he could and not "because she was black and LBGQT".  

But I do acknowledge the thinking.  

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"A border-state House Democrat ripped President Biden on Wednesday for not showing enough urgency about the immigration crisis at the southern border — claiming the situation will be out of control. 

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins that communities in his state will soon be “overwhelmed” by migrants crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico into Texas and that the 80-year-old president needs to “show up” at the border to in a demonstration of support for the impacted communities and the beleaguered members of law enforcement."

https://nypost.com/2022/12/14/house-dem-henry-cuellar-rips-biden-for-not-visiting-the-border/

"The Justice Department filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey over the construction of an improvised border wall made of shipping containers. 

The Biden administration argued in the lawsuit filed in US District Court for the District of Arizona that construction crews building the makeshift wall are trespassing on federal land."

https://nypost.com/2022/12/14/biden-admin-sues-arizona-over-border-wall-made-of-shipping-containers/

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48 minutes ago, Beerman said:

"A border-state House Democrat ripped President Biden on Wednesday for not showing enough urgency about the immigration crisis at the southern border — claiming the situation will be out of control. 

Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins that communities in his state will soon be “overwhelmed” by migrants crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico into Texas and that the 80-year-old president needs to “show up” at the border to in a demonstration of support for the impacted communities and the beleaguered members of law enforcement."

https://nypost.com/2022/12/14/house-dem-henry-cuellar-rips-biden-for-not-visiting-the-border/

"The Justice Department filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey over the construction of an improvised border wall made of shipping containers. 

The Biden administration argued in the lawsuit filed in US District Court for the District of Arizona that construction crews building the makeshift wall are trespassing on federal land."

https://nypost.com/2022/12/14/biden-admin-sues-arizona-over-border-wall-made-of-shipping-containers/

Other than the right to suspend entry into the country by any group or nationality (like Trump's Muslim ban) what power does the president enjoy to write immigration laws? 

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