Three More Years

After decades in the Senate, two terms as vice president and a desultory campaign, Joe Biden entered the White House with the electorate’s understanding/support that he was not Donald Trump. The former president’s rants, self-absorption, and absence of any semblance of diplomacy doomed his reelection effort. Most voters simply had enough drama. Enter the man who is not Trump and proves it immediately. 

A laundry list of President Biden’s actions: 

Day One — cancel Keystone Pipeline, apparently unaware that the crude comes across the border anyway — at greater expense and danger via rail and truck. For the next 364 days and beyond watch domestic crude supply decline and then beg OPEC to produce more — and — raise Russian imports to 500,000 barrels per day! That is certainly not Trump!  

What Is It with Michigan Governors? 

Mr. Biden nominated former Michigan governor Granholm to head the Energy Department and is perhaps the least qualified Secretary of Energy ever. She laughed when asked about solutions to price and dwindling supply. Her energy experience appears to be limited to seeing a pink Energizer bunny on TV. What is it about Michigan governors?  The current edition wants to shut down Line 5 from western Canada refineries through her state and into Ontario. It has operated without incident for decades.  The socio-economic impact would be devastating for Canada as the line provides much of the feedstock for aviation fuel that supplies Toronto’s international airport. Another debacle and foreign snafu in the making. 

In January 2022 Biden eliminated US support for the Med 5 natural gas pipeline which would deliver natural gas to Europe from Israel. The stated rationale was that the US does not support fossil fuels. How that squares with begging OPEC for more production and approval of Russia’s Nord Stream pipeline to Germany is open to debate. 

Climate change — Installing VIP John Kerry as Presidential Special Envoy assures the nation that Very Important Matters and Very Important Government Ongoing Rigorous Inquiries to Save Humanity will be pursued with vim and vigorish (gotta skim while the skimming is good!). Davos-man will be at every Paris, Tokyo, Amsterdam, Oslo, Jackson, Reykjavik, and all other climate confabs assuring that no wine goes unsipped and no brie goes unsampled. 

Private jets are at the ready to whisk his nibs to wherever climate nabobs are palavering. Remember, Greta Thunberg, snotty Swedish scold, says we have only 10 years left! The alarmists would do well to consult with Dr. Steven Koonin, Undersecretary for Science in the Department of Energy during the Obama Administration. In his 2021 book Unsettled he states: 

“…because of the central role energy plays in society, creating an emissions-free energy system will be broadly disruptive – both economically and behaviorally. Even if such a transformation did come to pass, it would make very little difference, if any, to the climate: the U.S. accounts for only some 13 percent of global greenhouse gas. Of course, there is the argument that the rest of the world would follow our lead. But how likely are they to do that when their energy needs are so pressing and the benefits of reductions so murky?”

(Page 235) 

 What follows are more Biden Administration “achievements.” 

Immigration — Assign VP Harris, the cackler-in-chief, to solve the problem. After a year in office, wave after wave – estimates place the number at 2+ million – of immigrants cross the border, are arrested or not, resulting in a tide of undocumenteds that continues to rise and shows no signs of slowing. The main differences from previous years are that now illegals are not just from Mexico and Central America, they are from the Middle East, across multiple African nations and even South America and former Soviet satellites…and the Department of Homeland Security is flying them to cities across the nation. The 2021 count? 2+ million!

That is some progress. In fairness, no recent President has prioritized immigration reform, which is desperately needed.  It would stem the tide, make immigration less onerous and expensive. It would boost the US work force with seasonal workers, and it would cut the blood money paid to human traffickers. VP Harris could continue to avoid the border. 

Crime — Woke acolytes on the left advocate defunding the police in face of stunning rises in carjackings and executions of law officers. Meanwhile Mr. Biden aligns himself with crime-stager Jussie Smollett, maligns a Wisconsin teenager as a white supremacist (he was found innocent in a jury trial) and claims Attorney General Garland’s focus on white supremacists and election security is primary, rather than drugs pouring in across the southern border, plus criminals and repeat offenders who continue to return. 

Health care/Covid — One month before the election he vowed that he would “…shut down the virus, not the country.” The man has a history of making promises he cannot keep and statements that are simply untrue. Perhaps most politicos cannot help themselves. But on this one, with the country half shut down there was no need to stake this claim.  

A simple pledge to devote his and the national will to the battle would suffice. Harken back to George H.W. Bush and his promise “No new taxes.” There is a price to be paid for huge misses like that.  Another false claim, Biden said he signed legislation to end surprise medical bills. Surprise! That consumer protection bill was signed by President Trump in December 2020 before he left office.  Biden also is of two minds on drug companies, like Trump, celebrating the vaccine while railing against drug prices. Big pharma, enemy, or friend?  

Economic Policy — shovel out trillions of dollars, jack up Inflation, advocate more spending and assure that it is all paid for, good union jobs are the answer to what ails. Okay! 

Loyal opposition– In his inaugural address, The President said, “Today on this January day, my whole soul is in this. Bringing America together. Uniting our people. And uniting our nation.” One year later he characterized those who opposed his policy agenda as akin to George Wallace, Bull Connor, and Jefferson Davis (btw, all three were Democrats). In his effort to nationalize elections he waved his arms, raised his voice and the level of rancor — another page from the Trump playbook. It is fair to observe that Biden has not advanced policy that aligns with any Republican position with the lone exception of the bi-partisan Infrastructure bill. He cannot and will not unite a country that does not want to unite with him. 

Afghanistan, China, Russia/Ukraine — Nothing good to see here, let’s just move along, oh wait! A minor incursion by Russia into Ukraine might not be a big deal…it depends… 

Hunter Biden — Ditto, but more to come. When the mid-terms are behind us Republicans are sure to bring up the Biden Ukraine, Russia, and China deals — a disaster in waiting. 

After all this, he declared in January 2022 there would be no change, but doubled down for more of the same. This brought into sharp focus the warped reasoning for his vitriolic January speech in effect labeling his opponents knuckle-dragging racists. He followed it up with a disastrous 2-hour press conference for which he was widely castigated by Rs, Ds and Independents alike. His popularity sank to new lows. And thanks to the snide remarks now a trademark of Kamala Harris’s public exchanges, her approval is also leagues under water.  

These tactics are directly out of the Trump Playbook. Trump swaggered and bullied, and now Harris and Biden mirror the pugnacity. Trump stormed across the nation holding rallies and excoriating “fake news,” and Biden’s plan for 2022 is to do the same. He waves his arms, yells, and calls one reporter a “stupid S.O.B.” When Harris is not laughing, she turns smug and sneers at reporters. Trump lost the White House by employing similar histrionics, despite the effectiveness, even grudging acceptance of his policies. Polls show President Biden’s policies enjoy no such approval. 

In nearly everything they’ve touched in the first year, they are upside down. This administration owns, among others: 

• The fantasy of quashing Covid, while overseeing an “unexpected” variant 
• Failed withdrawal, with fatalities from Afghanistan 
• An unprecedented assault against law enforcement officers and violence against private citizens. 
• The southern border immigration debacle 
• Dwindling energy production, increased prices and resulting inflation 

With three years remaining, and ugly prospects for the mid-term election, a grid-locked Congress, and a likely controversial Supreme Court nominee, Mr. Biden, nearing 80 years old, will face challenges that would exhaust anyone decades younger.  

He claims he will run again with Ms. Harris as his running mate. Absent a major turnaround, 2024 will be the end of one of the most forgettable Presidential terms in U.S. history. With Trump lurking in the wings, it’s entirely possible for Republicans to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.