Joe Biden

Battle Among House And Senate Republicans Over Support For Ukraine

The Republican Party in Congress is badly split over aid to Ukraine.

The majority of Senate Republicans, with top leadership including Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell, the Senate Minority Leader, want to give more aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russia.

But a small band of House Republicans, the most extreme right wing elements led by Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and others of that group, are resisting aid, and they have found an ally in new House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana, who while not well known before now, is clearly a MAGA Republican as these extremists are, totally willing to bend to the will of Donald Trump.

So a major crisis looms for President Joe Biden and members of both political parties who do not wish to see Russia threatening the rest of Europe, if they succeed in defeating Ukraine!

Alarming Antisemitism Emerges On Many College And University Campuses

The rise of antisemitism on so many college and university campuses, as well as in American society in general, is alarming.

One can believe that the lives of Palestinians matter, as much as Israelis, but the war between Israel and Hamas is causing a tremendous overreaction by some students and faculty members, and is causing danger and questions of personal safety and security for many American Jews.

The issue of antisemitism has always been a problem with white supremacist groups, but now it is rearing its ugly head in other communities. A small educated group of intellectuals and students have no concern about the reality of Jews in world history, and seem unaware or unconcerned about the Nazi Holocaust that slaughtered six million Jews under Adolf Hitler in World War II.

To deny Israel has a right to exist is as horrible as to say that Palestinians have no similar rights to peace, tranquility, and acceptance!

The Biden Administration is working on coming up with support for the Jewish community, both on college campuses, and in society in general.

Dean Phillips Challenge To Joe Biden For Nought!

Dean Phillips is a 4th term Democratic Congressman from the Minneapolis-St Paul area of Minnesota, with a one hundred percent support of President Joe Biden, but is challenging him for renomination in a quixotic manner as he feels Biden’s age is an issue, and that Democrats should have an alternative.

Phillips was the promoter of the product of Talenti Gelato, which he later sold, and is the grandson of Dear Abby, Pauline Phillips, who wrote her advice column under the name Abigail Van Buren.

Many observers think Phillips is trying to make a name for himself for a future Presidential run in 2028, and that could well be reality, but despite fears and doubts about Joe Biden and his age, for now, he is in a commanding position, and the heir apparent, if things go awry, is Vice President Kamala Harris.

Republicans Who Abandoned Their Principles And Supported Mike Johnson As Speaker Of The House!

This author and blogger wanted to give slack to 18 House Republicans whose districts voted for Joe Biden in 2020, but now realizes he was naive!

Many of these 18 House Republicans are part of the so called “Problem Solvers Caucus”, and yet, they voted unanimously for a hardline extremist right wing Speaker, Mike Johnson of Louisiana, who is more extreme than Kevin McCarthy, and similar to Jim Jordan, but with a more amenable personality, which effectively hides his extremist views!

So it is time to stop believing that there are any Republicans in the House of Representatives who can be trusted on doing what is proper and mainstream, and Democrats must work to defeat as many of these Biden district Republicans as possible in the upcoming Congressional Elections of 2024!

However, this author and blogger is particularly angry at the following:

Don Bacon of Nebraska
Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania
Tom Kean Jr of New Jersey
Mike Lawler of New York
Marc Molinaro of New York
Anthony D’Esposito of New York
Nick LaLota of New York
Brandon Williams of New York
David Valadao of California
Mike Garcia of California
Michelle Steele of California
Young Kim of California
John Duarte of California

So these New York and California Republicans, in particular, are on notice that they are in danger due to their support of a MAGA Republican for the Speakership of the House of Representatives!

MAGA Republicans In Charge In House Of Representatives: Its Implications!

Having “slept” on the elevation of Mike Johnson to the Speakership of the House of Representatives, this author and blogger has woken up to the horrors of this MAGA Republican, who seems to be a “nice” person on the surface, but has horrendous views on so many issues!

This man, now two heartbeats away from the Presidency, is a rabid social conservative who is vehemently opposed to abortion, gay rights and gay marriage, and has a hardline Christian view of marriage and family, more like the 1950s and earlier!

Johnson also led the Election Denier movement in support of Donald Trump, and has never backed away from refusing to accept that Joe Biden is President.

Also, he has spoken in favor of changing Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid.

Johnson is the Speaker with the least government experience since the 1880s.

He is also not a supporter of Ukraine in its war with Russia under Vladimir Putin, and is likely to have a difficult relationship with President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

So, while the whole fiasco of the Speakership battles is likely to harm the Republican Party in 2024, for the next year, and including through the lameduck session after the Presidential Election of 2024, there could be a massive crisis in acceptance of the election results with a Trump supporting MAGA Republican in charge in the House of Representatives!

Seven Of Nine Contenders For House Speakership Election Deniers!

THe Republican Party has nine contenders to become Speaker, as I write this, and seven of them are election deniers, following the lead of MAGA Republican leader Donald Trump!

Only Tom Emmer of Minnesota and Austin Scott of Georgia supported the election results which made Joe Biden the 46th President.

About two thirds of Republicans in the House of Representatives refused to endorse the Electoral College results, a shocking statistic.

Emmer is the House Majority Whip and should be the next Speaker, but seems unlikely, due to the opposition of Donald Trump. Scott has served since 2011, and also did not challenge the election results in 2020.

With less than a month to November 17, and with two international crises in Ukraine and Israel, it is horrifying how the Congress is at a standstill, without much prospect of a solution anytime soon!

From Danger Of Cuban Missile Crisis 1962 To Israel-Hamas War Crisis In 2023!

Six decades ago, America and the world faced the news of the greatest crisis since World War II–the Cuban Missile Crisis under the Presidency of John F. Kennedy.

Now, the world faces the greatest crisis in the history of the Jewish people and the nation of Israel, the Hamas massacre of 1,400 Israelis and foreigners on October 7, the greatest loss of Jewish lives since the Holocaust 80 years ago!

It is also the equivalent of 14 September 11’s, as if more than 40,000 Americans had been killed!

The leadership of President Kennedy was a great strength then, and now the leadership of President Biden has been a great boost to the Israeli government, as it plans for an ultimate war that could become, potentially, a regional and world conflict. It could be as dangerous if not more so, than the Cuban Missile Crisis was 61 years ago!

There is also a growing threat to Jews around the world, including the United States, with all Jewish institutions on an alert for antisemitic statements and threats!

Jim Jordan Would Have Been A National Security Threat As Speaker Of The House Of Representatives!

This author and blogger, unfortunately, was offline for three days due to computer issues, but glad to be back!

It has been a tortorous few days watching the potential Speakership of Jim Jordan, who would have been a national security risk, as an Insurrectionist on January 6, 2021, and still refusing to accept that Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump!

Thank goodness it looks as if finally he is done as a candidate for Speaker of the House, which is only two heartbeats away from the Presidency, due to the Presidential Succession Act of 1947!

But the Republican Party is still a total mess, leaving the House of Representatives unable to meet its responsibilities!

Support Of Israel And Ukraine Linked, Especially For American Jews!

Military support for both Israel and Ukraine has become essential to promote and preserve democracy against Hamas and Russian authoritarianism.

Particularly for American Jews, and Jews around the world, there is an emotional commitment to preservation of both nations’ ability to survive against massive threats to their sovereignty.

Personally, this author and blogger, being Jewish and whose ancestry is from Ukraine, and with Israel being the national homeland of the Jewish people, feels a special affinity to continued support for both nations.

The vast majority of the Democratic Party is behind continued support of Israel and Ukraine, while many Senate Republicans and some House Republicans agree.

But the MAGA Republican element, as respresented by Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan’s bid to be Speaker, are a dire threat to Ukraine, and unreliable on their Israeli support, as they bow to the evil of Donald Trump, who now attacks Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for accepting Joe Biden’s victory in 2020, and praises Hezbollah, the threat to Israel from Lebanon. And Trump was impeached in 2019 for trying to force Ukraine to help him against Joe Biden, and is a known supporter of Vladimir Putin and the Russian Federation!

A Turning Point Crisis In Israel Will Affect Presidential Election Of 2024!

The horrendous massacre and mass murder of Hamas against civilians in Israel, including the kidnapping of hostages, is uniting most Americans around the great, compassionate, and dedicated support of President Joe Biden and his administration toward the Jewish state in this moment of existential crisis.

Even many conservatives and Republicans are applauding President Biden’s statements and actions on this most significant crisis of 2023.

Meanwhile, the Republicans cannot even select a Speaker of the House, and former President Donald Trump has demonstrated that he is willing to attack Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on petty grounds that he accepted and acknowleded Joe Biden’s victory in the Presidential Election of 2020.

Additionally, Trump praised Hezbollah, the terorrist group in Lebanon, as being “smart”, alienating many Republicans with such an outrageous statement.

So one can expect that Joe Biden will gain mightily from his handling of the Israel-Gaza War crisis, not because of the fact itself, but instead the continued demonstration of compassion, decency, competence, and experience that Joe Biden has brought to the Presidency.

The Republican Party, and its likely nominee, Donald Trump, truly the equivalent of a “suicide mission” for the party, will suffer dearly as they well deserve to do so a year from now, by what is likely a smashing defeat in the Presidential and Congressional Elections of 2024!