Biden: “I’ve Had Enough!” Quits Race!!!

I never thought I would see the day when Joe Biden would back out of the race for his reelection, but it’s happened. Late last night, long after the news channels had their nightly repeats on, Joe Biden addressed a very small gathering at the White House (well past his bedtime), and announced to the gathering, “I needed to come and tell you this. I’ve had enough. I can’t take the campaign schedule that they’ve laid out for me. Hell, I’m 81 years old! I’m not a spring chicken any more. So, it’s with that in mind that I’ve talked at length with Jill and the family, and decided that I’m going to call it quits at the end of this term.”

K-baby Harris, who was standing in the background was gleeful. She smiled throughout the entire 48 second announcement. Jill Biden was nowhere to be seen, but reportedly wasn’t happy with the incident. The news also caught all of the White House staffers, most of whom had gone home for the day, by surprise.

Harris has called a news conference for 10am (EDT) this morning to announce her candidacy, and Biden has said that he would release all of his delegates to her and only her because he couldn’t see another female of color entering the race at this point in time.

It’s not the first time that a sitting president has decided not to run for reelection. That has been a relatively normal occurrence throughout our history. What is rare is for a president to announce his presidency, get enough delegates to be nominated at his party’s convention and THEN back out. I’ve gone through the history of presidential elections and I can’t find one instance where this sort of thing has ever happened.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he was sad to hear the news because it’s a “passing of a generation” with Biden stepping down. Nancy Pelosi is rumored to be at the top of Harris’ list for running mates. At 83 years old, Pelosi will become the oldest person ever to run on a presidential ticket, if given the chance to be Vice President.

Former president, Donald Trump was asked about the event, and shook his head and said, “Well, I’m surprised he made it this far. But I think he did it just to pardon Hunter.”

Carry on world… and, oh…yeah…APRIL FOOL’S!

Schumer’s Tirade

I’ve waited a while to gather my thoughts on this one. Senate Majority Leader, Chuckles Schumer blasted Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu a week or so ago and called for his ouster in a childish and poorly worded rant on the floor of the US Senate. My only question was,

What in the world was Schumer thinking?

Here is a guy that has derided Republicans when he thought that Russia was trying to influence our elections. He was judge, jury, and executioner in the whole Russian collusion case. He wanted to have Donald Trump put to death over “treasonous actions”. And yet, he has the nerve to stand there on the floor of one of the most highly thought of political sites in the world, and say that Israel needs to get rid of their leader? What is going through that man’s mind?

Well, there are several possible answers, and truth be told, we’ll never ever find out the real reason he was so bombastic. The first thing that comes to mind is he did it as a favor to Biden. Joe Biden doesn’t like Netanyahu at all. That’s because Bibi makes Joe look stupid, which he is when it comes to foreign policy. Joe wants to be seen as this uber-leftist guy that cares about all of those poor Palestinians that are being displaced as Israel wipes Hamas off the face of the earth. He’s playing to his most liberal base after originally coming out in full support of Israel. Now, he only supports Israel, as long as they do what he wants. It doesn’t work like that.

But someone in the White House is smart enough to realize that if Biden were to deliver that speech, and call for Bibi’s ouster, all hell would break loose. So, one theory is that he had Schumer, himself a Jew, do it for him. Maybe there’s a Supreme Court appointment in it for Schumer should Biden defy the odds and get reelected?

Another theory is that Schumer realizes that the Democrat Party is moving farther and farther to the left as people like Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, AOC, and her whackjob gang start to influence politics in this country. He knows that if he doesn’t climb on board that train soon, he’ll be left at the station. I doubt Schumer is actually that liberal that he would go against everything he has railed against his entire career, but it could be Schumer playing politics. After all, both parties have been known to switch position as soon as it becomes viable to do so if it means votes!

The final theory is that Schumer actually believes that Israel is wrong and wants to stand up for what is right. I think this is the least-likely theory because quite frankly, Schumer is a politician first. He watches which way the wind is blowing, and then reacts. Remember him standing on the steps of the US Supreme Court, calling our Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh in a mocking display of anger. But let’s just say that if he truly believes that the Palestinians are the ones being hurt here, not the Israeli’s who were viciously attacked, then it’s probably the most stand-up thing he could do. But there certainly are better places and ways to accomplish it.

America as a whole feels Chuck Schumer is wrong when it comes to his Israel speech. Four-fifths of the country support Israel, and are against Hamas in this one. And to be honest, I can’t for the life of me figure out why any person of Jewish heritage could even think of doing such a thing or backing Hamas in any way. If Schumer were living in Israel, he’d be hung for treason.

Carry on world…you’re dismissed!

Biden Admits It Was A Hoax

Say what you will about Joe Biden, but the guy has no filter what-so-ever when it comes to spouting off at the mouth, and that is precisely why the folks that handle him at the White House were afraid to let him do that three-minute halftime interview during the Super Bowl.

You’ve heard all the hype and crying from people like my senator, Krysten Sinema, and Chuck Schumer about how the border deal bill that the Senate Republicans and Democrats negotiated with Joe Biden, right? You heard how it was a “great bill” and that it should have passed. It’s all the Republicans fault for not negotiating in good faith. Well, it’s all a bunch of crap.

Joe Biden himself, in another rare moment of telling the truth and saying what should never have been said, has now admitted that the whole reason behind the border deal he negotiated was two-fold. First it would allow the 12 million illegals that are in this country to stay and gain citizenship, which has been the Democrats’ focus all along. Second, it allows, as I mentioned back on Tuesday, 1.5 million illegals to come to this country (that’s 5,000 per day), and get in. And that would continue for the rest of time. Democrats are counting on the fact that if they allow these people into the country, and allow them the right to become citizens, then they’d get their votes. After all, wouldn’t the illegals owe the Democrats SOMETHING?

And there it is in a nutshell.

This was something most of us believed all along. There was an ulterior motive behind this deal, and it wasn’t to save face in a tight presidential election. That was a side benefit. It was a show piece that Biden could say, “See? I fixed the border with Republicans’ help! I deserve to be elected!” and take it away from Trump. All the while he’d be letting over 1.5 million illegals into this country every single year, with all of the trappings of everything you and I hold dear as citizens. And it would give amnesty to all of the others that got here as well. But you didn’t hear that from Chuck Schumer or Krysten Sinema, did you? I guess they ran out of time when they were explaining that part of the bill.

But that’s just what the Democrats would have gained had this bill actually passed. There was more down sides to it. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) came out and suggested that if you grant amnesty to the 12 million illegals already here, wages for the America’s working and middle class would fall because of it. And of course, it would cut costs for businesses because they wouldn’t have to pay so much for unskilled labor. And that is the reason the Republicans never wanted to do anything with immigration. Clamping down on the number of illegals in the country would mean that businesses out there couldn’t hire them, and would have to pay prevailing wages, which would cut into their profits. So, both sides would gain something by keeping the status quo. And now you know why no one has brought up immigration reform before!

On top of that, amnesty to those already here, and to add 1.5 million illegals per year to our census rolls, would raise housing demand, which is already tough to get because of high interest rates, and inflated housing prices. It also would put a strain on the job market. Now, I’m not saying that the illegals would start taking tons of jobs from American citizens, but they’d cut into that figure, most certainly.

There is a lesson to be learned from this fiasco. Democrats always seem to have a hidden agenda, and no, you’re not who they care about. They care about furthering their own wants and wishes, far beyond what’s best for you and me. And that’s something the American public is now just starting to learn. Let’s hope and pray that when November 5th comes around, they pull the levers and don’t forget it.

Carry on world…you’re dismissed!

A Lump Of Coal For Ukraine

I think the GOP was incredibly smart (for a change) to tie the additional aid to Ukraine to fixing the southern border. It’s become a bi-partisan issue with Democrats ranging from Eric Adams, New York City’s Mayor, to Muriel Bowser, Washington DC’s Mayor and several in Congress siding with what the Republicans have said all along.

The southern border is out of control.

For whatever reason that the Democrats don’t want to deal with it, be it they want to make those folks citizens quickly thinking they could use the additional 11 or 12 million votes, or that it’s Congress’ job to rewrite the immigration law and make it more fair, it is the Democrat Party and Joe Biden who have turned their noses up at fixing the immigration problem.

Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer (D-NY) has been crying to the world that he wanted to schedule a vote on the aid package to Ukraine that included some of what the Republicans wanted at the border. But Republicans in the Senate are balking at the idea. They aren’t close enough to get the GOP on board and stop the mass migration of illegal immigrants who constantly invade our southern border. Nothing has been even discussed on how to treat those that are already here. In fact, the Department of Justice has released statistics showing that there are now over three MILLION applications to be heard for asylum into this country. Most don’t have anything to do with actual asylum…they have to do with those illegals wanting a better life. That’s not asylum.

It wouldn’t actually matter if the Senate did vote on a new package and it passed. Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson (R-LA) has repeatedly said he will not call the House back to work until after the New Year break. So, it will most likely be done next year sometime. But, if the Republicans in the House don’t like how far the Biden administration caved in order to get the funding, I doubt very seriously they are going to budge on the topic.

And while 43% of Americans say that we are sending Ukraine the “right amount of aid” to fight the way, 45% are against sending more money. That’s a huge shift from earlier in the year. And Joe Biden’s handling on that conflict is abysmally low as well. Only 35% of Americans approve his handling of Ukraine.

So, there is a lump of coal heading for Ukraine’s stocking this Christmas. Sorry to say, but you’re going to have to wait for additional funding in your war with Russia. Maybe there are other countries out there, a bit closer to you, with a bit more on the line that can step up and fill the gap. But shouldn’t that be the way it is anyway?

Carry on world…you’re dismissed!

Will Biden Cave On The Border?

Senate Democrats are working closely with the White House to try and appease a very aggressive House bill that basically ties securing the southern border to providing continuing money for Ukraine in it’s battle against Russia.

It has a lot of Dems in the Senate upset because over the past weekend, Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer had his team working overtime to try and get it done so a) Ukraine could get the money Biden promised them, and b) the bill would have enough teeth on the border to appease the Republicans in the House. The GOP has said they would vote down anything that didn’t address the southern border being strengthened.

Basically what the bill does is at least at this point in time, would be to allow the president greater freedom to deny asylum to any of the illegal immigrants crossing the southern border without an asylum hearing. Right now, all of the illegals are given an asylum hearing date and an NTA (Notice To Appear) at a federal court for the judge to hear their asylum plea.

Currently over 90% of those that get such notices fail to show up for their hearing. That means that if they are ever caught, they will most likely be deported. Another problem that Border Patrol agents are seeing is that a majority of people crossing the border illegally are claiming they are here to “better their lives” through more money. Unfortunately, according to international law, that’s not a reason to claim asylum, which they are claiming. So, the majority of these folks need to be shipped back to wherever it is they came from. Of course, if 90% of them never appear, they can’t be shipped back unless and until they are caught.

Joe Biden has refused to make any sort of move at trying to get these people deported in the numbers that should be represented by their lack of attendance at their hearings. Since Biden took office, 5.6 million illegals have made their way into the country, with 3.9 million getting hearing dates, and about 1.7 million classified as “got aways”. Want the scary news? There have been 284 people on the terrorist watch list that have been known to get into the country, and are part of the 1.7 million “got aways”. Where these people are and what they are planning is anybody’s guess. Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas has no idea where any of the people given hearing dates, or the got aways are. Yet, he claims the border is secure.

The overall thing that Republicans want that the White House has balked at to date isn’t more money. It’s the ability to deport those that come to the country with bogus asylum claims, or have a criminal record or have committed a crime since coming here. The White House sees “border security” as adding more people to process the illegals, not deport them, and there’s the rub. Under the framework worked out by Schumer and the White House, Biden would have to start sending people back home. Whether he would do that or not is another problem, he currently is breaking the law by letting illegals into the country without proper vetting, as per current immigration laws.

Is this the beginning of the end of the southern border crisis? Doubtful. It will continue to be a campaign issue next year, and it’s doubtful that enough Democrats will go along with the plan, or that Biden will actually follow the law and make it happen if it passes both houses of Congress.

Carry on world…you’re dismissed!

McCarthy’s Next Battle

I think Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy has already taken a step to winning his next big battle, after passing the Republican side of the debt limit argument. He has now got Joe Biden to back off of the “I’ll never negotiate on anything but a clean debt limit increase bill”, to the point where now he almost HAS to sit down with the GOP. And it’s slated for the next week or so.

Biden can thank Janet Yellen for that.

Yellen announced to Congress this past week that yes, we will indeed need to increase the debt ceiling by June 1st, or we are possibly going to have to shut down the government, run out of money, and default on our loans (which no one wants to do). That has forced Biden’s hand to say he’ll sit down with the top four leaders in Congress (Mitch McConnell and Chuckles Schumer from the Senate, and McCarthy and Hakeem Jefferies from the House) and talk to them. Ah, but Biden is still demanding (at least for now) that the spending cuts be separate from a debt ceiling increase.

So, the next battle that Kevin McCarthy is going to have to wage is to convince Biden, Schumer, and Jefferies that if you don’t have spending cuts of some kind in the bill to increase the debt ceiling, it won’t pass the House, and it will cause a default. Just for the record, the United States has never defaulted on it’s debt payments…at least yet.

The question at this point is, will McCarthy be the one to cave, or will Biden? My initial feel is that it will be Biden. I will say this. While a lot of people thought it demonstrated weakness that McCarthy needed fifteen votes in the House to actually become Speaker, I take it as a badge of courage of sorts. If McCarthy were at all weak, he could very easily have backed down and let someone else take the job. He didn’t care how long it took, he stood his ground. When it was obvious that in order for the GOP to put it’s mouth where the money was in passing their own debt ceiling bill, McCarthy stood firm, and negotiated a deal that allowed a majority in the House to get on board. Even though that bill will never see the light of day in the Senate, and Biden will be long dead and buried before it gets signed, it shows the American people that McCarthy could indeed be the man for the job.

Now the next test is how well he stands up to Biden with these negotiations. We are all aware that Congress can’t pass gas without a deadline. They have to scream at each other and finger point until the last possible minute before they teeter on the brink of disaster before passing something controversial. That’s why we don’t have anything passed about immigration reform. There is no deadline. And McCarthy has to stand firm. It’s actually very easy to do.

All McCarthy has to do is tell the Dems that there is no way that a clean debt ceiling increase bill is going to pass the House. And if they want to default on the debt, they are headed in the right direction by not negotiating in good faith. Any deal must include at least a three times increase in the debt ceiling in spending reduction. Without that, there is no further discussion needed, and it will be sung from the highest rooftops that it was the Democrats who decided to balk at this. It has nothing to do with reduction in social spending. It has to do with the fact that we just plain can’t keep spending money this way.

Remember back in the Obama Administration, it was Biden that went up to Capitol Hill and negotiated a bill that neither side liked, but both sides accepted. And if Biden could negotiate that back in 2011, he can certainly do it again. McCarthy and McConnell just have to be very firm. After all, nothing passes either chamber of Congress without the Republicans on this issue.

If McCarthy holds fast, and I really pray he does, he can change the course of Biden’s drunken spending spree. It’s something the country needs. We can’t afford another two years like the last two years!

Carry on world…you’re dismissed!

Giving McCarthy Some Credit!

Kevin McCarthy’s job is something I certainly wouldn’t envy. The guy has to heard a bunch of whining, screaming cats every single day he shows up at work. He has to get cohesiveness out of Jello, and make it look like caviar. And he actually did it with what has to be his biggest coup of his short career as Speaker of the Houe or Representatives.

He passed a bill showing the Democrats what the Republicans actually want in order to raise the debt ceiling.

I have to give the California Republican (yes, Virginia, there ARE some Republicans in Cali!) credit. Not only did he craft a bill that got all but four Republicans on his side, but he did so and stayed true to his prinicples. Yes, he raised the debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion or until March 31st of next year, whichever comes first. But in return, he got cuts to the eight billion new IRS agents, slashed Green New Deal spending in the infrastructure bill, and basically lowered the federal debt by some $4.5 trillion over the next decade. That’s not a bad start.

Now, you and I both know that McCarthy’s work is lost. It won’t go anywhere. It’s dead on arrival in the US Senate, and Chuckles Schumer probably won’t even entertain it, much less get people to vote for it. And even if he did, and if miracles happened and it passed, Joe Biden would pull out the veto pen faster than he trips going up the steps to Air Force One.

So, we can begin by saying the bill isn’t going anywhere. It was never meant to become law or to get Democrats on board. Biden had basically said, “Show us your bill if you don’t like mine!” And he did just that. So he took Biden’s shot, and slammed back across the net. Now it’s the president’s turn to do something with it. We saw what Biden wanted. We see what McCarthy wants, and let’s see if Biden is man enough to actually do what he said he was going to do all along…work across the aisle to get things done. My guess is he’s not going to.

Traditionally, Republicans are the ones that always seem to get the heat when it comes to shutting down the government, or threatening to not increase the debt ceiling. Democrats don’t seem to mind however large the debt ceiling is. They just want to keep spending. Because that’s what liberals do. They spend until they run out of other people’s money. Then they blame the Republicans (in this case) for not getting them more money. But in this case, McCarthy has made the case that Democrats need to come to the table and at the very least talk about getting a debt ceiling increase. It’s not going to happen automatically. And that’s what should happen.

Biden is going to have to back down from his wish for a clean debt ceiling bill. And McCarthy is going to have to back down from erasing the eight billion IRS agents, and cutting all of Biden’s cherished Green New Deal money that he hid in his inflation relief bill, and his infrastructure bill. Neither will get what they want. That’s called politics.

So, where does it go from here? Well, it is going to be a long hot, humid summer in Washington. And we’re going to see exactly what Kevin McCarthy is made of. Is he going to do what the Republicans typically do and cave on everything in his bill? Or his he going to stand firm, even at the thought of the US defaulting on it’s debt? It’s probably going to be one way or another. And IF he decides to back down, what does that say for his credibility? He will basically lose everything he has built up to this point.

McCarthy is in a very tough spot if you think about it. And I think he has only one play. Get as much of his bill through, but he has to get something additional besides a “clean debt ceiling bill”. If he doesn’t do that, he may as well resign as Speaker now, and save the country the trouble of watching him twist in the wind for the next year and a half or so.

I will give Nancy Pelosi this…she was very tough when it came to getting her people in line, and holding that line against whatever the opposition had to say. I’m just wondering if McCarthy was cut from the same cloth, or if that’s just a San Francisco thing?

Carry on world…you’re dismissed!

Dead Man Walking!

There hasn’t been a lot of people in government that are so toxic that they infuriate the other side of the aisle to the point of gag reflexes. Oh, of course, you’ve got Nancy Pelosi and Donald Trump. Joe Biden is rapidly joining their small group. I’d put Mitch McConnell and Chuck Schumer into that mix, certainly an Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and you’ve got to include K-baby Harris. As far as Republicans go, I can’t think of any that are toxic than those already listed.

Well, there’s one more that you probably need to add to the Democrats’ list. Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas. The Homeland Security Secretary is probably one of the most hated members of the party by the Republicans since certainly Eric Holder, and would include such notables as Janet Reno and Hillary Clinton.

Mayorkas has now reached the point where the House is ready to impeach him. Now, while I personally think that would be wrong at this point because it’s a waste of time and we have many more important things to accomplish than getting rid of an idiot, who will most likely be replaced with yet another idiot.

Mayorkas is at the very least contentious, and at the most, bombastic. He certainly isn’t afraid to dress down Representatives and Senators in Congress. He was up on the Hill the other day trying to impress Congress on why he needed such a huge increase in his annual budget next year. I don’t think he succeeded.

Republicans and Democrats alike aren’t really in love with this guy. He’s been told he needs to be fired. He’s been told he needs to resign. He’s been told the only reason he is going to get any money at all is because of the border patrol agents that would suffer if money were taken away from the southern border crisis.

Mayorkas has been at odds, still to this day saying that the southern border is secure, when countless hours of video footage exists of people wandering over the border unimpeded. He was asked directly if he agreed with the head of the Border Patrol who said the southern border was far from secure. He said he’d “respectfully have to disagree with that assessment.”

I think it’s fair to say that Congress has made Mayorkas, and maybe Transportation Secretary, Pete Buttigieg post children for how inept the Biden administration is. Mayorkas has been absolutely abysmal at his job when it comes to protecting the southern border (at the order of the president), and Buttigieg has been AWOL more than he’s been at the job for one reason or another. And while both deserve to be unemployed because they frankly aren’t suited for the jobs they are in, unless they quit because they can’t stand the heat, that most likely isn’t going to happen.

Let’s be honest. If Joe Biden is set to include K-baby Harris as the vice presidential running mate for a second time even though there hasn’t been one successful mission she’s been given where she’s succeeded, he’s going to certainly stick with Mayorkas. After all, the bald-headed freak is just mimicking what he’s been told by the guys running this administration. And he’s certainly making more (about $200k/year) at his current gig than he would be if he were to say, drive an Uber for a living.

I really hope that Kevin McCarthy doesn’t decide to impeach Mayorkas. It’s been a LONG while since a cabinet member has been impeached. It was back in 1876 when William K. Belknap, the Secretary of War was impeached by the House. He was great at getting kickbacks and being rather corrupt (sound familiar?). But I don’t think it does the House well to try and impeach anyone for any reason if the Senate isn’t going to go through and back them up on it. Currently, there aren’t the votes in the upper chamber to remove Mayorkas from office, so the whole thing becomes a waste of time and money. Just ask Donald Trump and Bill Clinton.

I say let Mayorkas continue. Let him continue to screw up the southern border. It’ll have to be one of the top issues in the 2024 election cycle. And hopefully if American learned anything over the last two years (I’m not sure they have), they will boot this administration to the curb and get someone in office that can actually run the country. Or maybe I’m still asleep and I’m dreaming?

Carry on world…you’re dismissed!

Is A GOP Senate Possible BEFORE 2024?

Well, if you’re wondering if the GOP has enough oomph left in the tank after failing to have the anticipated midterm results, and if they can actually succeed in taking over the Senate in 2024, I can’t answer that. I CAN say unequivocally that I think they can actually do it before 2024.

Here’s why.

There are always Senators and Representatives that go out and get elected, and then for some reason, they retire mid-stream. Maybe it’s a health issue. Sometimes it’s a family issue, but it seems that there are always things going on that will preclude at least some members of Congress from completing their term. This year and next year is not any different. According to The Hill, there are five Senators that could step down between today and the election in 2024. So, in no particular order, here they are:

Joe Manchin: Manchin is the only Democrat to win a state-wide election in West Virginia. He’s been a thorn in Joe Biden and Chuck Schumer’s side for the past two years, and most likely will continue to be. He has stated that he has no desire to switch parties and become a Republican, and I don’t see him becoming an independent, like Arizona’s Kyrsten Sinema did. But I do see him not running in 2024. He’s already hinted at that. But becoming a thorn in Schumer’s side has a price to pay. And Manchin may not enjoy that his ethics and morals differ so greatly from a party that he once loved. He may just bolt and resign prior to the election in 2024.

John Testor: The Montana Senator has won his election as a Democrat in a usually red state three times. But he’s not quite so sure that a fourth is in the cards. Testor is only 66 years old (he’ll be 68 by the 2024 elections), and while there are a ton of people older than him in the Senate, he may decide not to go through another battle with Matt Rosendale, who he only beat by single digits in 2018.

Bob Casey: Casey is a Democrat from Pennsylvania, and was recently diagnosed with colon cancer. Now, he says that his prognosis is good, and that he plans on beating it through some aggressive treatments, but you never can tell with cancer. And you can never tell about Pennsylvania. A lot will depend on who the Republicans decide to run in 2024 should Casey opt to stay in the fray. If it’s going to be a weak candidate like Mehmet Oz, the chances of this seat flipping are next to nothing. But never underestimate what a health problem can do to a sitting Senator. It happens all the time!

Tammy Baldwin: Baldwin watched, probably with tears in her eyes, as fellow Democrat, Mandela Barnes lost to Ron Johnson in one of the closest races of this past November. And with Wisconsin definitely a “battleground state” now with Trump having beaten Clinton in 2016, and Biden beating Trump by single digits in 2020, it could be interesting to see if Baldwin wants to go through the hassle, not knowing the outcome. Baldwin won her first race by 6 points and her reelection bid in 2018 by 10. But Ron Johnson’s win may signal that Wisconsin is ready to be a little more conservative than Baldwin may like, and she may decide to pull the plug before 2024.

Tim Kaine: Kaine, from Virginia is the former running mate of Hillary Clinton. He’s a two-term Senator and will most likely be facing an uphill election in a state that was once solidly blue, but has turned bright purple recently. The reason is simple. Glenn Younkin beat an incumbent Terry McAuliffe to win the Governor’s seat a few years back, and in 2021, the Republicans flipped the state’s House of Delegates. That could bode poorly for Kaine. Especially if Youngkin decides that he wants to run against him. Current polling shows that race a dead heat at the moment. Kaine may decide to jump ship, retire at 65, and enjoy his retirement.

If the Democrats see three of these guys retire or quit early, it could very well put the Republicans in charge of the Senate prior to 2024. All of the Governor’s of these states are Republicans with the exception of Pennsylvania. That would mean that if more than one would retire prior to the end of their term in 2024, the GOP would take back the Senate, and give Republicans the entire Congress.

And, while I really don’t see two or three retiring, there is always that possibility!

Carry on world…you’re dismissed!

Biden’s 2023?

If I’m Joe Biden, and I’m looking down the road, I’m not so sure I want 2022 to end. Oh, it’s not been the best year ever for the guy, I’m sure, but when I look at what’s ahead for 2023? He’s gotta be wondering if he can spend the year in the basement of the White House!

Biden’s 2023 is going to be an absolute mess when you think of it.

He’s got the border issue that is rapidly blooming into one of the biggest catastrophes that Washington has ever had to deal with. Immigration reform needs to be done. And in order to do that, the border has to be secured. Not “Biden secured”. Really secured. The 87,000 IRS agents that are supposed to be hired to come and audit you and me quicker, need to be trained on how to go to the border and keep illegals out. And folks, they ARE illegals. They may not have documentation, but they ARE illegal. Can we get that straight moving forward?

There is the problem with the inflation rate, which they just announced last week was at 7.1% over the last 12 months. Yes, it’s coming down. That’s not the point. It shouldn’t have been allowed to go that high in the first place. And don’t believe the BS coming from Karine Jean Pierre that it’s all because of Vladimir Putin and Ukraine, or that it’s a world-wide problem. Yes, other countries have high inflation rates too, but that happens all the time. We don’t have high inflation rates traditionally. Usually our leaders know how to quell that animal.

And you’ve got the whole crime issue. Crime is out of control in major cities in this country. People are shooting people at will. If you’re not getting shot, you’re in danger of getting clubbed over the head with a baseball bat as happened in New York City last week. And can we lump the homeless problem in that? I mean, the homeless are both the victims and the perps in a lot of cases…and that problem isn’t going away anytime soon either.

What about the supply chain issues? What about Ukraine? How invested are we going to be in 2023 in Ukraine, and that leads to China. Is Biden strong enough to deal with the Chinese? I have my own theory about Russia and China. I think possibly Russia could be fighting Ukraine in order to wear down our military hardware so we won’t have it to fight China when they invade Taiwan. How is that mess going to end?

And speaking of Russia, let’s not forget we’ve got some people still over there. And Paul Whelan, that former Marine would like to come home soon. Any chance of that happening? Probably not if the UAE doesn’t get involved again!

And, what I want to know is how Biden is going to react to the latest news about the scientists that put together the first fusion fuel. That was a truly amazing event last week, and it could mean that if we can develop fusion for our vehicles, forget about charging stations! Forget about EV’s. Sorry Tesla. This would actually put us in “Back To The Future” mode. Is Biden going to embrace this newly discovered technology? Of course, we’re still at least a decade off from any appreciable applications!

So, Joe Biden has his plate full. And that’s not tackling any of the problems that he thinks is so near and dear to his heart. I just wonder at the tortoise pace that Washington DC works at, is this something Biden is going to take to accomplish over the next year?

And of course, I’ve left the biggest question for last…something to ponder about as we wrap those last few gifts for Christmas next week…will Biden truly work across the aisle with the Republicans in congress to get things done? Or will he do as Democrats in the House and Senate have done for the past few years and worry only about party, nothing about country? It’s worth asking about.

Carry on world…you’re dismissed!