The Biden Presidency

[Scopedog]

As a bit of an update, in Georgia, the Republican push to remove any hope of ousting Republicans in a fair vote continues.



Of special concern, though...



Yup. That's a remarkably easy rule to abuse to rig elections, right there. **** the Georgia GOP.

President Biden seemed to reference this at the press conference today so I think it's helpful to examine the claims of Daily Kos, Marilyn Marks, and Stacey Abrams:

1. " ... banning people from giving food and water to voters waiting in line, ... "

Title 18 U. S. Code § 597 states:
https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title18-section597&num=0&edition=prelim

§597. Expenditures to influence voting
Whoever makes or offers to make an expenditure to any person, either to vote or withhold his vote, or to vote for or against any candidate; and
Whoever solicits, accepts, or receives any such expenditure in consideration of his vote or the withholding of his vote-
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than one year, or both; and if the violation was willful, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.

Free food and water for voters has apparently been specified as illegal in many jurisdictions but rarely enforced. This is California's rule for federal elections:
https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/publications-and-resources/guide-vr-drives

You may not offer food, prizes, discounts, or any other form of compensation to encourage voter registration or to encourage people to vote in elections in which there is a candidate for federal office on the ballot (e.g., President, U.S. Senate, U.S. Representative).

I think offering food and water to people in a long line at a polling location in order to influence their decision to remain in line constitutes " ... compensation ... to encourage people to vote ... "

I don't have a position on whether the practice of offering food and water to voters in line should be prohibited or not. The new Georgia law says this in Section 32 at 1797:

"(e) This Code section shall not be construed to prohibit a poll officer ... from making available self-service water from an unattended receptacle to an elector waiting in line to vote."

2. " ... limiting early voting days for larger counties, ..."

I think this refers to Section 1 at 80 (and Section 27 at 1407) which states:

More than 100 counties have never offered voting on Sunday, while many metro Atlanta counties did so in 2020. As a result, standardized advance voting hours means a dramatic increase in voting hours for some counties with slight decreases in other counties, but uniformity across the state will be achieved and all voters in Georgia will have access to multiple opportunities to vote in person on the weekend for the first time;

Some counties have more days and/or longer times and others have less days and/or shorter times so some county's days and times would be reduced and others would be increased.

3. " ... and adding ID requirements to absentee ballots."

This is probably Section 24 at 884. I don't have a strong position about voter ID requirements. Georgia Code Title 21 § 21-2-417 offers various options.

4. " 'It's hard to express the danger of what it is they are trying to do,' she tells me, explaining how the State Board of Elections (currently a five-person board, with one Democrat) would 'be able to take over any County where they don't like how the County is counting the votes, how the County's election processes work...really with no due process. With just a few minor violations -- which anybody can find with any County -- the State Election Board can come swooping in [and] put their partisan appointee in the place of the public Board. They wipe out the public [County] Board of Elections and put one person in charge.' "

Section 6 (which adds 21-2-33.2. to the code) at 292 states in regards to removing and replacing election superintendents:

(b) In addition to the authority provided in Code Section 21-2-33.1 and notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary, upon receipt of a petition filed pursuant to subsection (a) of this Code section or a report under Part 5 of this article, the State Election Board may suspend a county or municipal superintendent pursuant to this Code section if at least three members of the board find, after notice and hearing, that:
(1) By a preponderance of the evidence, a county or municipal superintendent has committed at least three violations of this title or of State Election Board rules and regulations, in the last two general election cycles; and the county or municipal superintendent has not sufficiently remedied the violations; or
(2) By clear and convincing evidence, the county or municipal superintendent has, for at least two elections within a two-year period, demonstrated nonfeasance, malfeasance, or gross negligence in the administration of the elections.

Section 5 at 262 adds the following:

"(f) After following the procedures set forth in Code Section 21-2-33.2 [Section 6 above], the State Election Board may suspend county or municipal superintendents and appoint an individual to serve as the temporary superintendent in a jurisdiction. Such individual shall exercise all the powers and duties of a superintendent as provided by law, including the authority to make all personnel decisions related to any employees of the jurisdiction who assist with carrying out the duties of the superintendent, including, but not limited to, the director of elections, the election supervisor, and all poll officers.
(g) At no time shall the State Election Board suspend more than eight county or municipal superintendents pursuant to subsection (f) of this Code section.
(h) The Secretary of State shall, upon the request of the State Election Board, provide any and all necessary support and assistance that the State Election Board, in its sole discretion, determines is necessary to enforce this chapter or to carry out or conduct any of its duties."

 

[Ladewig]

President Biden seemed to reference this at the press conference today so I think it's helpful to examine the claims of Daily Kos, Marilyn Marks, and Stacey Abrams:

1. " ... banning people from giving food and water to voters waiting in line, ... "

Title 18 U. S. Code § 597 states:
https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title18-section597&num=0&edition=prelim



Free food and water for voters has apparently been specified as illegal in many jurisdictions but rarely enforced. This is California's rule for federal elections:
https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/publications-and-resources/guide-vr-drives



I think offering food and water to people in a long line at a polling location in order to influence their decision to remain in line constitutes " ... compensation ... to encourage people to vote ... "

I don't have a position on whether the practice of offering food and water to voters in line should be prohibited or not. The new Georgia law says this in Section 32 at 1797:




2. " ... limiting early voting days for larger counties, ..."

I think this refers to Section 1 at 80 (and Section 27 at 1407) which states:




Some counties have more days and/or longer times and others have less days and/or shorter times so some county's days and times would be reduced and others would be increased.

3. " ... and adding ID requirements to absentee ballots."

This is probably Section 24 at 884. I don't have a strong position about voter ID requirements. Georgia Code Title 21 § 21-2-417 offers various options.

4. " 'It's hard to express the danger of what it is they are trying to do,' she tells me, explaining how the State Board of Elections (currently a five-person board, with one Democrat) would 'be able to take over any County where they don't like how the County is counting the votes, how the County's election processes work...really with no due process. With just a few minor violations -- which anybody can find with any County -- the State Election Board can come swooping in [and] put their partisan appointee in the place of the public Board. They wipe out the public [County] Board of Elections and put one person in charge.' "

Section 6 (which adds 21-2-33.2. to the code) at 292 states in regards to removing and replacing election superintendents:




Section 5 at 262 adds the following:

Thank you.
The citations were helpful.

 

[Ladewig]

Duplicate post

 

[Ladewig]

Charlie Kirk tweets

@charliekirk11
Kamala Harris doesn’t salute members of the military as she gets on Air Force Two, breaking with a customary tradition of respect

Remember when she and Joe Biden tried to sell the lie that *Trump* was the one who didn’t respect the troops?

No. I don’t remember them telling a lie about President Trump not respecting the troops.

I do remember DJT being exceptionally disrespectful while speaking to troops in Iraq.


For more than two decades, members of the US military have received annual raises. Each raise was based on the annual increase in the Employment Cost Index (ECI). The raises between 2008 and 2017 have been between 1% and 4%.

In December 2018, President Trump flew to Iraq and talked to some of the troops. In this impromptu address, (which is available on the WH website) he said

“You haven’t gotten one [a raise] in more than 10 years — more than 10 years. And we got you a big one. I got you a big one. I got you a big one. They said: ‘You know, we could make it smaller. We could make it 3 percent. We could make it 2 percent. We could make it 4 percent.’ I said: ‘No. Make it 10 percent. Make it more than 10 percent’ ... And I guess there will be others, too. Would you like one sooner, or do you want to wait another 10 years? I don’t know.”​

The actual rise turned out to be 2.6%.


Aside: what kind of businessperson thinks that after not getting any raises for 10 years a 10% raise is “a big one”?

 

[gnome]

It was also untrue that it had been more than 10 years since a raise. Last I heard lying to people was disrespectful also.

 

[Andy_Ross]

Kayleigh McEnany tweets

@kayleighmcenany
President Biden begins his first press conference by touting the rate of vaccines being administered, a feet solely made possible by President Trump's Operation Warp Speed.

 

[Delvo]

I am sure I recall some previous recent events in which Biden walked into a room that had a bunch of reporters & cameras & microphones in it, stood at the front of the room, told people stuff, and responded to questions. There were even comments by observers about the details of what he said & how he said it during these events. But they apparently weren't press conferences.

Apparently, the newest task we're all expected to perform in paying attention to politics is analyzing & keeping track of some really strange criteria for when a press conference is a press conference and when it isn't, which have nothing to do with how much like a press conference it is.

 

[Paul2]

Kayleigh McEnany tweets

@kayleighmcenany
President Biden begins his first press conference by touting the rate of vaccines being administered, a feet solely made possible by President Trump's Operation Warp Speed.

Pfizer’s vaccine was not part of Warp Speed. Pfizer disavowed connection with WS.

 

[kookbreaker]

Anybody watching Biden's live press conference? A few minor stumbles, but articulate, well-informed, compassionate and on-message.

I’ve already seen some conservative sites trying to claim he was totally demented and senile.

 

[Caroline13]

Poor guy, I didn't watch the press conference but heard some clips and he sure did lose h is train of thought in at least one place, maybe more places. Sad again that the DNC let this man go forward, where is the dignity for him?

 

[gabeygoat]

Poor guy, I didn't watch the press conference but heard some clips and he sure did lose h is train of thought in at least one place, maybe more places. Sad again that the DNC let this man go forward, where is the dignity for him?

Your President did fine. Watching a few clips out of context isn’t a good way to judge.

 

[Delphic Oracle]

Poor guy, I didn't watch the press conference but heard some clips and he sure did lose h is train of thought in at least one place, maybe more places. Sad again that the DNC let this man go forward, where is the dignity for him?

Yeah, that Trump sure could deliver a succinct, direct message. His digressions and asides were always on point with smooth segues.

 

[acbytesla]

Poor guy, I didn't watch the press conference but heard some clips and he sure did lose h is train of thought in at least one place, maybe more places. Sad again that the DNC let this man go forward, where is the dignity for him?

I watched the whole thing. Sounded good to me. Sure beats Trump's rambling nonsense and bragging.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

Kayleigh McEnany tweets

@kayleighmcenany
President Biden begins his first press conference by touting the rate of vaccines being administered, a feet solely made possible by President Trump's Operation Warp Speed.

These Trumpaholics are bizarre. They worship the monster and believe so should we.

Not to mention 500,000+ people died on Trump's watch, most of them unnecessarily.

 

[Bob001]

Poor guy, I didn't watch the press conference but heard some clips and he sure did lose h is train of thought in at least one place, maybe more places. Sad again that the DNC let this man go forward, where is the dignity for him?

You keep posting ridiculous offensive nonsense about what you yourself confess you don't know. Biden responded to numerous questions -- some deliberately obtuse -- with complex, detailed answers for over an hour. And you're prepared to assess something you didn't see?
https://www.c-span.org/video/?510139-1/president-biden-holds-news-conference&ICID=ref_fark
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing...marks-by-president-biden-in-press-conference/

 

[Caroline13]

The man is truly in dementia and you people who voted for him can't accept that and are in total denial...I voted for him as I'm a lifelong Dem and could not vote for Trump but in retrospect I should NOT have voted at all. I won't next election most likely.

All the questions were preplanned with answers and given to him in a booklet and certain press people ONLY were permitted. He's a puppet and it's disgraceful for our country and him.

 

[acbytesla]

You keep posting ridiculous offensive nonsense about what you yourself confess you don't know. Biden responded to numerous questions -- some deliberately obtuse -- with complex, detailed answers for over an hour. And you're prepared to assess something you didn't see?
https://www.c-span.org/video/?510139-1/president-biden-holds-news-conference&ICID=ref_fark
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing...marks-by-president-biden-in-press-conference/

It really is ridiculous. In other words Caroline is only interested in confirming what she already believes.

 

[acbytesla]

The man is truly in dementia and you people who voted for him can't accept that and are in total denial...I voted for him as I'm a lifelong Dem and could not vote for Trump but in retrospect I should NOT have voted at all. I won't next election most likely.

All the questions were preplanned with answers and given to him in a booklet and certain press people ONLY were permitted. He's a puppet and it's disgraceful for our country and him.

Wow! This is what happens when you limit your observations to short clips on right wing.media. Biden has a stutter, not dementia. You would know that if you watched it all. He seemed much more coherent than Trump has been the last decade.

 

[Mumbles]

I watched the whole thing. Sounded good to me. Sure beats Trump's rambling nonsense and bragging.

Nonsense, Biden didn't scream that someone was "fake news", galumph between five different subjects, or suggest something that would end up flooding emergency rooms with people who poisoned themselves a single time. I didn't even hear a group of paid campaign workers applaud him a single time!

0/10.

 

[SezMe]

All the questions were preplanned with answers and given to him in a booklet and certain press people ONLY were permitted. He's a puppet and it's disgraceful for our country and him.

False. He had a binder with detailed information about topics likely to arise or that he, himself, wanted to discuss. The only thing he was given was the names of people to call on, *NOT* the questions they would ask.

True, only "certain" people from the press participated...because requiring reporters to have press credentials is how it has always been. Plus, there's only so much room for people, especially in light of social distancing requirements.

Finally, I have a question: What's the difference between planned and preplanned?