I watched Biden’s State of the Union speech last night, and overall I think he did well. Here’s a transcript, if you want to review. One could always quibble that he might have said more about this or that, and at one point he did say “Iranian” when he meant “Ukrainian.” But overall, I believe he may have accomplished a lot. Most people who watched gave it positive reviews.
I didn’t watch the Republican response, but I understand it sucked. Of course, I’m getting that from partisan sources.
In Ukraine — it appears that Kherson is about to be overcome, although it hasn’t been overcome yet. The Russian convoy on its way to Kyiv is stalled. No one seems to no for certain why.
I thought POTUS Biden did a very good job.
He covered Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine at the very beginning. And then he talked about some of the specific things in his Build Back Better plan – but without mentioning its name. I thought that was smart.
I wish he'd mentioned 1/6/21. To me, it seemed obvious that he was avoiding talking about it. Actually, on Cup O' Schmoe's show, he was complimented for not mentioning it. I think it would have helped us in November if he'd talked about the 1/6 Coup in his SOTU.
Congresscreature LeMoron Bo-bo of CO couldn't keep her stupid yap shut, and heckled the President.
What an asshole!!! On the plus side, she's getting killed on the inter-tubes for yelling out something or other.
Actually, she was trying to make some sub-moronic point about the number of US soldiers killed when we finally bugged out of Afghanistan, but that 13 number is also her IQ. Quite a koinky-dink, no?
I watched the SOTU also. There were a few bobbles that Fox will play back to back for a week. Biden hit on several paired hot items. 1) Hold police accountable 2) FUND the Police and 3) I support Capitalism 4) Capitalism requires competition. He followed that last item with an example – the consolidation of meatpacking plants which creates a near-monopoly (though Biden did not use the word 'monopoly'.
These were strategic – to appeal to moderate independents and beat back the accusation of extreme liberalism. There was a bunch of good content and a small crowd of guests in attendance to point to. The announcement that DOJ will be going after Covid benefit cheats will be popular with voters, I predict. In the best of times, Biden will never be as slick as Obama as a speaker but so far, the results of an alliance is encouraging.
Joe can't take credit for what DOJ is doing without suggesting that DOJ is operating as an extension of the WHite House – and that's what Trump did with his A/G picks. Biden went after price-gouging by big-pharma. One last SOTU observation – Biden looked like he hadn't practiced the speech, maybe tired, and that suggests he's given the crisis in Ukraine the bulk of his time. That is appropriate.
Regarding Ukraine… it's a hot mess. The people are resisting, not welcoming. Soldiers on both sides are dying and well as Ukrainian civilians. It's taking longer and costing more than Putin expected – and that's before sanctions. But I can't celebrate that – the harm done to bystanders is too great.
Best-case outcome would be Putin's assassination with his replacement blaming Putin for the screw-up and pulling out completely. I'm not saying that's likely but if reports are correct, Putin is in a bunker mentality – paranoid and very aware that he's making enemies of the oligarchs who are the foundation of his power.
Where's the Russian mafia when you need them?
Russian Mafia… Russian Government
How can anyone find a line between those two things? 🙂
Here, Mr. Putin, have a hot cuppa tea. Very hot tea. Like what you served to Litvinenko.
But that's not likely. No doubt some in the Kremlin have thought about brewing that cup, but unfortunately so has he. And in any case that must needs be a matter internal to Russia.
Such optimism aside, I suspect that the most likely outcome is a ten year meatgrinder. Ukraine devasted, Russia crippled, the rest of us inconvenienced, China least of all.
But what do I know? The fog of war is upon us.