Biden's Transport secretary Buttigieg tells laid-off Keystone XL workers he hopes they get 'different union jobs'

Monica Showalter  "For a whiff of what's in store for the workers Democrats have long claimed to champion, take a look at this exchange between Secretary of Transport nominee Pete Buttigieg, and Sen. Ted Cruz, who ratted him out at his Senate confirmation hearings:" ...

. . . "The bottom line here is that right out the gate, Joe Biden has destroyed at least 1,200 union jobs, along with 10,000 planned union jobs that were expected to become available this year when he axed the Keystone XL pipeline. The knock-on jobs, of rental cars, restaurants, hotels, suppliers, and other small business that thrive on the edges of big infrastructure projects, are likely to go, too, some 42,000 of them, meaning quite a few new "good union jobs" to "create."

"And Buttigieg? He's got nothing but blithe scenarios, zero promises, no record, zero plan, and only "hopes" that all the people stiffed and disrupted by Biden will get  "different union jobs."

"Sound like a good start? Only to those who don't work in the real world for a living."

More on Mayor Pete: Biden's regressive energy policy is one big war on the poor . . . "Two things stand out: Buttigieg wants a tax hike for gasoline to fund his so-called infrastructure projects.  Who will pay those taxes?  Those who drive.  And if someone needs to drive a lot, such as an independent truck-driver or a low-wage service worker who can't afford to live in the blue city center, but instead makes due with a commute on the outskirts of town, the tax becomes regressive.  The tax is the same for the rich or poor, and maybe the rich can afford it.  But the poor live on a low margin — the tax will likely cut to the bone for the poor, forcing them to go without, say, in food supplies or other necessities.  Tax hikes that are the same and unavoidably hit the poor the hardest." . . .

There may be good railroad jobs coming:

2013: Up to 50 Still Missing After 'Train From Hell' Crash More

It's illuminating to compare Trump's first executive orders with Biden's

 Joe Biden signs whatever's put in front of him

http://www.terrellaftermath.com/

Andrea Widburg "Upon taking office, Biden signed nine out of 17 promised Executive Orders and then rested from his labors.  President Trump also started his presidency with some executive orders.  It's interesting to compare Trump's first executive orders with Biden's and to contemplate what demographics the different presidents were benefiting with those orders.

"Some of Trump's first 17 E.O.s are purely ministerial, but here are the substantive ones that he issued between his inauguration and mid-March.  After each, I've noted the probable beneficiaries of the E.O.:

"EO 13765: Minimizing the Economic Burden of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act Pending Repeal — As the title notes, this was to help people who had lost their old insurance and were unable to afford new insurance under the Obto repeal Obamacare in favor of a market-based solution." . . .

"EO 13766: Expediting Environmental Reviews and Approvals for High Priority Infrastructure Projects — updating infrastructure benefits all Americans.amacare requirements.  It's notable that a feckless Republican Congress, especially thanks to John McCain, was unable 

EO 13768: Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States 

EO 13769: Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States 

EO 13770: Ethics Commitments by Executive Branch Appointees 

EO 13771: Reducing Regulation and Controlling Regulatory Costs 

EO 13772: Core Principles for Regulating the United States Financial System 

EO 13773: Enforcing Federal Law With Respect to Transnational Criminal Organizations and Preventing International Trafficking 

EO 13774: Preventing Violence Against Federal, State, Tribal, and Local Law Enforcement Officers

EO 13776: Task Force on Crime Reduction and Public Safety 

EO 13777: Enforcing the Regulatory Reform Agenda 

EO 13778: Restoring the Rule of Law, Federalism, and Economic Growth by Reviewing the "Waters of the United States'' Rule — attacking insane, uncontrolled regulations.

EO 13779: White House Initiative To Promote Excellence and Innovation at Historically Black Colleges and Universities

EO 13780: Protecting the Nation From Foreign Terrorist Entry Into the United States 

EO 13783: Promoting Energy Independence and Economic Growth

EO 13784: Establishing the President's Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis

Meanwhile, these are the substantive EOs that Biden has issued so far: . . .

"From his first day in office, Trump acted for Americans.  From his first day in office, Biden has acted for illegal aliens, racial disharmony, sexually confused people, big government, and terrorists." 

Is there any doubt in our minds that President Trump was a man on the side of this nation and its people? How can anyone absorb the lessons of this article and fail to realize the corruption and ignorance of much of the American media? TD

Sen. Rand Paul Shreds George Stephanopoulos for Being a Liberal Hack

 Townhall   "Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) on Sunday spared with ABC News host George Stephanopoulos over the results of the 2020 presidential election. According to Paul, so-called "journalists" like Stephanopoulos repeatedly interject themselves into the voter fraud narrative, saying there is no evidence fraud existed." . . .

. . . "According to Stephanopoulos, the only reason Republicans are concerned about election integrity is because President Trump "fed them a big lie."

"Paul disagreed with the assessment. Instead, he slammed the host for inserting himself into the equation.

“ 'George, where you make a mistake is people coming from the liberal side like you, you immediately say everything’s a lie instead of saying there’s two sides to everything," Paul said. "Historically what would happen if I said I thought there were fraud, you would interview someone who said there wasn’t. Now you insert yourself in the middle and say the absolute fact is everything I’m saying is a lie.”

"The senator said reporters like Stephanopoulos have automatically called Republicans with concerns "liars" instead of presenting both sides of the equation."... More...

The leader of America and the free world

Buyer's Remorse Sets in Over Joe Biden, But It's Much too Late for the Crying  "Elections have consequences. That’s not a new adage, but it’s certainly one that’s extremely relevant right now. Joe Biden has been in office for all of four days, and he’s already destroyed tens of thousands of jobs while putting hundreds of thousands of other jobs in jeopardy. His moves in the energy sector alone promise to kill industry and raise the cost of living for everyone. He even managed to destroy women’s sports in between his moves to blow up our immigration enforcement. The myth of Biden being a moderate took all of a few days to get blown to bits."...

Why do such incompetent people so often get to be leaders over others?

. . . Joe Biden, by contrast, exhibits nothing resembling true leadership.  Only his accomplices, who coordinated the election fraud, can claim any organizational ability.  Biden will likely soon become a footnote, the predecessor to the only future president to be even less qualified than him. . . .

 Joe Biden signs whatever's put in front of him As with Col. Blake in "M*A*S*H":

 . . . "On many occasions, O'Reilly would put multiple requests on Blake's desk and wait impatiently for them to be signed.  The hapless, oft-confused Blake would say, "Radar, what the heck am I signing?" "The clever O'Reilly would reply, "Oh, don't worry, sir. You want this."  "Okay, Radar.  If you say so." Joe Biden is this country's Lt. Colonel Henry Blake

New Mexico, Other Western States, Native American Tribes All Up In Arms Over Biden Energy Decisions  ..."Half of New Mexico’s production is on federal lands. It provides over 100,000 related jobs and it’s what provides money for education and other government programs. It will crush the state’s economy which is already struggling, according to Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway"...

'California is America, only sooner': how the progressive state could shape Biden's policies

Californians are poised for key jobs in an administration likely to use the state’s efforts as a guiding force

 UK Guardian

. . . "It was already a given that Californian interests would be well represented in Congress, with Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco serving as speaker of the House and Vice-President Kamala Harris, born and raised in the Bay Area, holding the tie-breaking vote in the Senate. But Biden has also tapped several Californians for key cabinet positions. Biden called on the state’s attorney general, Xavier Becerra, to run the US health department. He nominated the former Federal Reserve chair and University of California, Berkeley, professor Janet Yellen to serve as treasury secretary. Yellen’s colleague Jennifer Granholm was nominated as the next energy secretary." . . .

Any forests in your state?  How Regulations Made California's Fires Worse

 For a dry and warm state prone to fires, regular clearing measures removing this vegetation should be common sense.  However, California has enacted several laws that heavily restrict such vital fire-preventing measures as logging, removal of dead trees, and clearing of dry underbrush.

During a congressional hearing in May, California congressman Tom McClintock blasted environmentalists for having fervently opposed such measures since the early 1970s.  Instead, they have been advocating that forests be left to their own devices – despite the fact that thousands of years of history shows that forests need to be appropriately maintained in order to reap all their benefits and reduce the risk of fires.  This understanding of the environment has too often been trumped by politics in California.

This article goes on...

...While California officials are happy to help, it’s clear they hope the offer goes both ways. Calling their new partnership a “game-changer for Californians” in a letter to Biden, Newsom championed the new administration’s goals and acknowledged the role he expects his state will play shaping national policy.

“Congratulations on your historic victory and for setting America on a path to build back better,” Newsom wrote. “California is eager to support your bold agenda by sharing our experiences implementing progressive policy on everything from workers’ rights to climate change.”

Newsom included several requests, including reinstated funding for the high-speed rail that’s far behind schedule and badly over budget, help with financing programs to house the homeless, and additional emergency aid beyond what was already promised to the state in the December stimulus.  ...

Report: Trust in Media Just Hit An All-Time Low

Joy Reid claims GOP is ‘jealous’ because Dems are ‘cultured’, Tucker reacts   Adam Carolla says ‘the left’ acts like they are still in high school and care more about popularity than doing right by the people on ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’

MSNBC’s Joy Reid is the wrongest person on television

Democrats: every day we awake wondering what they will do to us next

One of Biden's first priorities was to re-establish corrupt slush funds for political supporters "President Trump got rid of the Obama/Biden slush funds where the Justice Department, CFPB and EPA shook down corporations and then used the negotiated settlements that they were forced to pay (taxpayer money) to funnel kickbacks to their political supporters.

"But one of Biden’s first priorities was to reestablish these corrupt slush funds.  Why didn’t the media highlight this magnificent, corrupt, first day action? The answer is clearly that the complicit media will gladly hide anything from the public that might shed a bad light on their chosen one." . . .

. . . "And they blame Trump and his supporters for dividing the country while they falsely claim they are uniters who are the empathetic party.

"For the Obama/Biden eight years and for the next four years of Biden/Harris we will be treated to a love fest. The truth, science, the law and corruption will not matter."  Image: Donkey Hotey

Rural America, Prepare for Biden's Newly-Proposed Tax  . . . "It turns out that Biden favors Buttigieg's transportation views, specifically the idea that America should move away from the gas tax and instead opt into a tax based on the number of miles a person travels. It would be a new way to provide cash for the Highway Trust Fund, which currently funding from the federal gas tax. As it currently stands, the federal gas tax is 18.4 cents per gallon and 24.4 cents per gallon for diesel." . . .

Isn't it great that the oil from Canada will now be moved by trains and trucks? "Now that the Keystone XL pipeline is canceled by President Joe Biden, the world is supposedly greener.

"Really?  Fact is, it's the opposite.  Instead of getting more environmentally friendly, the carbon footprint from that oil will be increased substantially because it will be shipped by trucks and trains above ground instead of through underground pipe.  It is also much less safe and efficient: shipping by trucks and trains means more accidents — and an increased human cost.  What sheer brilliance!  I thought all of Biden's decisions were going to be based on facts and science.

"I read the other day in the WSJ that demand for ships that specialize in building and servicing wind farms is growing." . . .  

Image by Ned Cosby

Order of the Brown Nose; Sycophantic pundits compare Biden to God, call him the nation’s new father, and say ‘cleansing’ is underway.

National Review  "Britain’s essential fortnightly magazine Private Eye, whose trademark stance of delivering hard news with a witty bipartisan cynicism about politics has no parallel in the U.S., runs a regular feature entitled “O.B.N.” Longtime readers understand this to be the Order of the Brown Nose, an honor given to the most outlandishly, hilariously sycophantic punditry of the moment. If Private Eye were a U.S. publication, its O.B.N. feature would have to be expanded to sprawl across several pages as it considers the media’s bulk delivery of valentines to the incoming administration.

"Step forward, Eddie Glaude of MSNBC, who on Tuesday night compared Joe Biden to the Lord and said his ascension would comfort the dead: “President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President Harris pulled the grief and regret out of the privacy of our hearts,” he said. “I’m reminded of the Psalmist, you know? ‘He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.’ Maybe the dead will speak to us now. Maybe they can rest now.”

"Close competition came from CNN’s David Chalian: “I mean, those lights that are, that are, just shooting out from the Lincoln Memorial, uh, along the reflecting pool, it’s like almost extensions of Joe Biden’s arms embracing America.” John Harwood of CNBC didn’t wait for Joe Biden to be sworn in before informing us that his presidency would surely go beautifully, observing the morning of January 20 in a tweet that the transition from Donald Trump to Biden meant a journey from “ignorance” to “knowledge,” from “amorality” (he meant “immorality”) to “decency,” from “corruption” to “public service” (the Biden family members who have gotten rich selling their connections high-five each other) and from “lies” to “truth.” Hours later, a Biden official hiding under a cloak of anonymity falsely stated that the Trump administration never developed a national vaccination plan and printed it as the truth shortly before Anthony Fauci clarified that there certainly was a vaccination plan and noted that many millions had been given their shots under it.

"Assessing Biden’s unremarkable inaugural speech, Lawrence O’Donnell of MSNBC mislabeled it “astonishing,” which is like calling Scranton a megalopolis. “The unity Joe Biden was talking about was both poetic and realistic at the same time,” O’Donnell claimed. “What he did in about 21 minutes was absolutely astonishing under these incredibly challenging circumstances.” Meanwhile, former Democratic campaign operative George Stephanopoulos of ABC News said the address contained “echoes of Lincoln,” and Major Garrett of CBS News said the famously undisciplined speaker sounded “like a priest explaining something from the Bible or something.' ” . . .

Biden Press Secretary Jen Psaki FAILS to Condemn Antifa Violence. Why? Read on...

 PJ Media

"Joe Biden’s press secretary, Jen Psaki, failed to condemn antifa rioters who committed acts of vandalism and property destruction in Portland, Ore., and Seattle, Wash., this week.

“ 'Does the president have any comment on the ongoing violence in Oregon and Washington State?” asked a reporter.

“ 'Well, certainly, we had our team on the ground, our national security team, even before 12:01, early in the morning on Inauguration Day because we wanted to be able to monitor events happening across the country and any unrest that was resulting from the last couple of weeks,” Psaki began. “I haven’t spoke with him specifically about those events but it is something our national security team, Liz Sherwood-Randall, is closely monitoring, of course, but if we have an additional update I’m happy to provide it to you.”

"The Trump administration repeatedly made clear that they condemned the violence caused by BLM and antifa rioters. Why won’t the Biden administration do the same thing?

"The truth is, this isn’t shocking at all. Kamala Harris called the BLM protests, which resulted in an estimated $1 – $2 billion in property damage between May 26 and June 8, 2020, and dozens of deaths, including that of retired St. Louis police officer David Dorn, a “movement” that “should not” stop.

“They’re not going to stop. They’re not going to stop. This is a movement, I’m telling you. They’re not gonna stop. And everyone beware because they’re not gonna stop. They’re not gonna stop before Election Day and they’re not going to stop after Election Day. And everyone should take note of that. They’re not gonna let up and they should not.”

"At least 13 Biden campaign staffers posted on Twitter about their donations to the Minnesota Freedom Fund to pay bail fees of rioters in Minneapolis, and Kamala Harris also promoted the group on Twitter.

"Joe Biden and Kamala Harris didn’t condemn the BLM riots that plagued cities nationwide like Portland, Minnesota, Seattle, Atlanta, Chicago, and Kenosha over the summer until polling suggested that they needed to. Joe Biden also refused to condemn BLM and antifa thugs who attacked Trump supporters in Washington, D.C., in November."

Press Secretary Jen Psaki Dodges Question on Biden's Mask Mandate Hypocrisy  "Joe Biden’s Press Secretary Jen Psaki may be getting the respect from the media that was never afforded to any of President Trump’s press secretaries, but she’s already proven that she deserves it the least. And I’m not even talking about that scandal during her stint in the Obama administration.

"What I’m talking about is her absolutely pathetic dodging of a question about Joe Biden and his family not following Biden’s mask mandate Wednesday night, after the president had just signed the executive order earlier in the day.

"Fox News’ Peter Doocy confronted Psaki about the hypocrisy." . . .

Psakisms

Minimum wage hikes: the nail in the coffin for small businesses

I fear for our nation with this undereducated and demagogic band of politicians that are the Democrat Party and its voters. TD

Samantha Fillmore   . . . "Americans desperately hope that in 2021, lockdowns will be lifted. However, that is not a guarantee. Americans also  hope that the new year will bring better economic times and opportunities.

"Therefore, it is unsurprising that some lawmakers are flippantly considering implementing minimum wage increases in a misguided attempt to provide relief to their struggling constituencies.

"However, this is a deeply ineffective way to improve the economy. Moreover, arbitrary minimum wage hikes produce unintended consequences that can inflict even more pain upon the people they are supposed to benefit.

"Minimum wage hikes rarely meet the overinflated expectations of the policymakers who advocate for them. For example, they do not raise the living standards in any appreciable way for individuals and families, yet illogical wage increases have the propensity to shutter small businesses for good.

"A recent study by the Congressional Budget Office, titled “The Effects on Employment and Family Income of Increasing the Federal Minimum Wage,” examines how increasing the federal minimum wage to $10, $12, or $15 per hour by 2025 would adversely affect employment and family outcomes.

"According to the study, a $15 per hour minimum wage would boost the wages of 17 million workers. However, it would also push 1.3 million workers out of a job. In almost every scenario, minimum wage hikes result in some workers seeing their wages rise, while many more lose gainful employment." . . .

How the $15 Minimum Wage Reduces Entry Level Jobs and Closes Small Businesses  

Good luck opening this.

Iran says Trump’s life ‘will end,’ won’t stop until revenge on US for killing Soleimani in new statement

clarion.causeaction  "Iranian President Hassan Rouhani celebrated the departure of outgoing American President Donald Trump by calling him a “stupid terrorist” and urging now-President Joe Biden to return to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal his former boss, President Barack Obama, negotiated.

"Rouhani accused Trump of engaging in “state terrorism” for his decision to approve a drone strike against Major General Qasem Soleimani, the head of the Quds Force, a foreign terrorism unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iran’s IRGC is a U.S.-designated terrorist organization and Soleimani was personally believed to be responsible for hundreds of American deaths and thousands of severe injuries. Iran is the worst’s foremost state sponsor of terrorism.

"As a presidential candidate, Biden said that he would not have approved the strike on Soleimani.

"In addition to targeting Soleimani, the airstrike eliminated Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the head of the Iraq-based Hezbollah Brigade, an anti-American militia. The two were meeting in Baghdad, where Soleimani often visited to maintain ties with Iran-backed terrorists in the country.

"In his remarks Wednesday, Rouhani defined the attack on Soleimani, not Soleimani’s years of violence, the true terrorism, and expressed hope Biden would revert to policies more friendly to Tehran." . . .

Iran Threatens President Trump’s Life On Anniversary of Soleimani Killing

"Iran’s “moderate” President Rouhani: ‘In a few days, the life of this criminal will end’ "

"Tehran has renewed threats against U.S. President Donald Trump’s life as the January 2, 2021, one-year anniversary of the U.S. killing Iranian terrorist mastermind Qassem Soleimani approaches.

"Soleimani, who headed Iran’s foreign terrorist arm, al Quds Force, was killed near Baghdad on January 3, 2020, in a drone strike ordered by President Trump. You can read our “live” coverage of the event a year ago here . . ."

Rest easy, Iran. Biden watches over you.

Canadian pol rips Biden admin for canceling Keystone Pipeline

Yahoo

"Alberta Premier Jason Kenney is calling for reprisals after Joe Biden's administration revoked the presidential permit enabling construction of the cross-border Keystone XL pipeline."