Biden's Presidency Isn't Sinking Because of the Left—It's Because of Right-Wing Democrats by Miles Kampf-Lassin
July 23, 2022
Extract:
(Common Dreams) (R)ather than deal with the uncomfortable truth that so-called “moderates” are the ones imperiling both Biden’s presidency and Democrats’ electoral fortunes, establishment-friendly commentators are yet again lazily training their sights on their favorite scapegoats — the Left.
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BBB (Build Back Better) is popular across the political spectrum. Polling has shown that a clear majority of Americans back the legislation itself, as well as the constituent elements of the bill: universal pre K, free community college, long-term care investments, modernizing the electricity grid, lowering the Medicare age, capping the costs of prescription drugs and creating a Civilian Climate Corps all command over 50 percent support.
In short, both the U.S. public and progressives in Congress want Biden’s agenda to become law. But instead, BBB is “dead,” according to Sen. Joe Manchin (D W.V.) — one of the right-wing Democrats responsible for killing the bill.
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To respond to inflation, progressives have pushed for policies that would punish corporations that are jacking up prices on consumers while raking in record profits. One proposal would impose a windfall tax on the profits of Big Oil companies, which are rewarding wealthy shareholders with stock buyback programs. Others are proposing measures to crack down on corporate price gouging and dominance of supply chains, including by the meat industry, where just four beef companies control 85 percent of the market. Polls suggest that this response to inflation would be favored by the public. The Federal Reserve, meanwhile, with Biden’s blessing, is taking the opposite route, raising interest rates — which will likely lead to higher unemployment and decreased worker bargaining power, i.e. more neoliberal austerity.
If the chattering classes were serious about assessing the reason for Biden and the Democrats’ shrinking poll numbers, they would place blame on the real culprit — an unwillingness among the party establishment to take bold action to address the issues facing the country, from a broken healthcare system to economic plunder of working people by the super-rich to bought-and-paid-for politicians acting on behalf of their corporate funders.
Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney says she doesn't think Biden will run for reelection
Source: CNN
Washington (CNN)Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York said Tuesday evening she doesn't believe President Joe Biden will run for reelection in 2024, the latest Democrat to publicly cast doubt on a second Biden term.
"I don't believe he's running for reelection," Maloney said when asked if the President should run again during a congressional primary debate in New York's 12th district.
Responding to the same question, Rep. Jerry Nadler, who is running against Maloney following redistricting, said it's "too early to say" and that it "doesn't serve the purpose of the Democratic Party" to deal with the question until after midterms. Maloney's other opponent, Suraj Patel, simply answered, "Yes."
Democrats have privately shared concerns about Biden, who is 79 and struggling with poor approval ratings, running for a second term in the 2024 election. The President and his aides have pushed back on any idea that he won't run for a second term, and most Democrats have publicly said they will support Biden if he runs for a second term.
Biden approval rises to 40%, highest in two months, Reuters/Ipsos shows
Source: Reuters
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's public approval rose this week to its highest level since early June following a string of legislative victories, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll completed on Tuesday.
The two-day national poll found that 40% of Americans approve of Biden's job performance, a level of support that is historically low for a U.S. president.
But the recent upward turn in Biden's approval rating - including gains in each of the last three weeks - could temper the concern among his Democrats that the party is poised to take a drubbing in the Nov. 8 midterm elections, when Republicans hope to seize control of the U.S. Congress.
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Tuesday's poll showed 78% of respondents who identified as Democrats approved of Biden, up from 69% a month earlier. Only 12% of Republicans approved of Biden this week, a figure that has remained largely steady in recent weeks.