The Hill "Earlier this month, a president who voted for the Defense of Marriage Act in 1996 as a senator signed the bill to officially repeal it and enshrine marriage equality into law.
"President Biden has always fashioned himself as a centrist, even when seeking the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination, which makes his evolution on particular issues a fascinating weather vane.
"After finally hearing progressives’ calls on everything from climate change and student debt to a filibuster carve-out this year, where might Biden advance next in 2023
“What’s been interesting is to watch his evolution,” said Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) in a wide-ranging interview with The Hill this week. It’s been “really good to see him absorb information, take information in, and move.”
"Immigration, climate, judicial nominees, overtime pay — the list is lengthy. And wondering what Biden will tackle next has progressives on the edge of their seats.
"Many who preferred other candidates in the 2020 presidential primary were skeptical that lifelong moderate Biden would push for their priorities, having seen him spend decades as a centrist Senate homebody. They saw more liberal contenders such as Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) advocate on behalf of progressive causes, and some were pessimistic about Biden’s desire to work with their flank.
"But as he ticked off major successes, from the American Rescue Plan to the Inflation Reduction Act, many warmed to the idea that Biden could indeed become something akin to the FDR-style leader he now aspires to be. The more he accomplished, the more the left wing offered its trust. And progressives started drafting longer wish lists to try their luck in the new year.
"“We were very careful in putting together our executive action list to work very closely with the administration,” Jayapal said. “I would say 90 percent of what was on our list was stuff that they also were very interested in.”
"Jayapal, who was just elected to another term as chairwoman of the House Progressive Caucus, was pleased about the White House’s receptiveness to progressives’ agenda. When legislation stalled, frequently by moderate Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and now-Independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) and a small group of members in the House, she said administration officials were often enthusiastic to work on executive actions as workarounds to the narrow congressional majority.". . .More...
Democrats Get Reminded That Before George Santos, There Was Joe Biden
“I’ve done some dumb things, and I’ll do dumb things again. I’ve done some dumb things as senator, and I’ve done some dumb things as a lawyer. Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve been dumb,” then-Sen. Joe Biden said during his failed 1988 presidential campaign over allegations he was a serial plagiarist.
Tuesday night on Tucker Carlson’s program, former Democratic Congresswoman and 2020 presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard grilled Rep.-elect George Santos (R-N.Y.) over what he admitted were lies he told on the campaign trail about who he is and his educational and family background.
In my opinion, Santos did not come off smelling like a rose during their lengthy exchange, but here’s the video so readers can decide for themselves what to think: https://twitter.com/i/status/1607917139154837504
Is there any precedent at all to this George Santos situation? Has Congress ever had someone with so many remarkable biographical holes?
— Sam Stein (@samstein) December 22, 2022
"The answer is yes – and that “someone” is named Joe Biden. Take, for instance, the repeated lies he told about his and his family’s history while on the campaign trail during his failed 1988 presidential run. Not only was he untruthful about his life story, but he also was caught numerous times lifting passages from the speeches of other prominent politicos, including Robert Kennedy and JFK, without attribution:
Too bad the media lost their appetite for Biden scandals when he actually became their nominee. pic.twitter.com/tLNVGQgSc8
— NewsBusters (@newsbusters) December 27, 2022
Much more here. The man is a treasure trove. A sad condemnation of the Democrat Party and what it has become. TD