February 8, 2023

Peter Baker of the New York Times: "President Biden challenged the new House Republican majority on Tuesday night to work together with him to 'finish the job' of repairing America's unsettled economy and fragile democracy even as the emboldened opposition geared up to try to force him to change course. In the first State of the Union address of a new era of divided government that at times turned strikingly rowdy, Mr. Biden vowed to cooperate with the other party but offered no concessions to it. Instead, he called on Republicans to embrace his program of raising taxes on the wealthy and extending social aid to the needy, citing bipartisan legislation passed when Democrats were in charge." This is an update of a story linked yesterday, before President Biden delivered his SOTU address. The Guardian's report is here.

The White House has released the transcript of the speech, as prepared. (So it leaves out some of the good stuff.)

Katie Rogers of the New York Times: "President Biden was about midway through a speech of about 7,218-words on Tuesday when ... Republican lawmaker [Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia] tried to shut him down with a single one: 'Liar!'... Later in the speech, when Mr. Biden called for an end to the fentanyl crisis in the United States..., [-- Andy Ogles of Tennessee (R) --] yelled out, 'It's your fault!' -- a reference to the amount of drugs that are smuggled across the U.S.-Mexico border. Another lawmaker yelled out an expletive. His second State of the Union address was punctuated by outbursts, jeers and peels of mocking laughter, but Mr. Biden turned the tables on his Republican opponents and argued in real time with the insurgents. It appeared to be the start of his re-election campaign.... The president had a shaky start on the teleprompter as he raced through his remarks and mangled some lines, although he had plenty of energy. He got an even bigger burst once the Republicans heckles and boos began, and was most animated when he veered off the teleprompter and addressed them directly before a live television audience of millions. At times, the House floor seemed like the British Parliament, where catcalls and shouted insults from the opposing party are tradition.

"In 2009, it was considered a travesty when Representative Joe Wilson, a South Carolina Republican, shouted 'you lie' at President Barack Obama during a joint address to Congress. Back then, Mr. Wilson was formally rebuked by the whole House. Times have changed. Republican lawmakers shouted both 'liar' and 'bullshit' at parts of Mr. Biden's speech, and no one appeared shocked.... Some lawmakers even prepared to mock Mr. Biden in advance: Ms. Greene carried a white helium balloon around the Capitol, mocking Mr. Biden's response to a giant Chinese spy balloon.... When the president returned to the White House late Tuesday night, the staff stood and applauded him." ~~~

~~~ Matt Viser & Amy Wang of the Washington Post: "Midway through the State of the Union address, the room turned feisty as some Republican lawmakers began booing President Biden. Some pointed fingers toward his position at the center of the House chamber. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) stood and yelled at him: 'Liar!'... Hours before the speech, [Speaker Kevin] McCarthy (Calif.) and other Republican leaders had told lawmakers during their weekly conference meeting that all eyes would be on them as Biden delivered his remarks.... Halfway through a speech that was by turns folksy and feisty -- and contained more than a hint of swagger -- [Biden] looked to the Republicans sitting in the chamber to his left, chiding them for a lack of specificity in their approach to cutting the budget. Their decisions under Trump, he said, added more to the national debt than any president, triggering boos from Republicans. 'They're the facts!' Biden responded. 'Check it out. Check it out!' It was one of a number of moments in which he was heckled in the chamber, and he seemed to relish the open exchanges that broke out in the House chamber and played on national television. McCarthy, sitting directly behind Biden and in view of the cameras, several times appeared to shush his colleagues.

"As Biden mentioned potential cuts to Social Security and Medicare — and how some Republican-backed proposals could lead to cuts in the entitlement programs — it triggered one of the most disruptive moments of the night, and loud protests that had been kept at bay for much of the speech were unleashed.... 'I enjoy conversion,' Biden quipped, suggesting that minds in the room had changed on the topic. After some of the commotion had died down, Biden said that everyone in the room apparently agreed that 'Social Security and Medicare is off the books! We got unanimity!... So tonight, let's all agree -- and apparently we are -- and stand up for seniors,' Biden added, after which most in the chamber stood up. 'Stand up and show them! We will not cut Social Security! We will not cut Medicare! Those benefits belong to the American people. They earned it. ... If anyone tries to cut Medicare, I'll stop them. I'll veto it ... But apparently it's not going to be a problem.'" A Huffington Post story, by Arthur Delaney, is here. ~~~

Marie: Why, it's almost as if those who predicted yesterday that Republicans would behave badly were right.

Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post: President "Biden came prepared for catcalls from far-right members of the new House majority.... Rather than being rattled or angered by GOP outbursts, Biden seemed to relish them -- at times, even to provoke them. And he tossed out an ample supply of folksy Bidenisms in response.... While he was touting the benefits of the bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that he signed into law in 2021, he noted that some Republican members of Congress had voted against it. Nevertheless, he said, 'I'll see you at the groundbreaking.'... Biden used the august occasion -- and used undisciplined Republicans as foils -- to display his own vigor, sense of humor and aura of command.... There is ... great peril for the slim Republican majority, in spending the next two years saying no to everything that Biden and the Democrats propose, while passing 'statement' bills that have no chance of making it through the Senate. Republicans might believe their planned kangaroo-court investigations of Hunter Biden and other manufactured villains will win them support, but I am skeptical."

Amy Wang & Leigh Ann Caldwell of the Washington Post: "Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) exchanged harsh words on the House floor Tuesday night before the State of the Union began, with the Republican senator telling the freshman GOP lawmaker that he should not be in Congress.... Romney glared at Santos, who smiled slightly, nodded and seemed to dismiss Romney before continuing to greet others.... 'I didn't expect that he'd be standing there trying to shake hands with every senator and the president of the United States,' Romney told reporters after Biden's speech concluded Tuesday night, when asked why he had confronted Santos. 'Given the fact that [Santos is] under ethics investigation, he should be sitting in the back row and staying quiet instead of parading in front of the president and people coming into the room,' Romney added.... [MB: Santos reportedly arrived early to grab a prime seat near the aisle where dignitaries entered the chamber.] After the State of the Union concluded, Santos lashed out at Romney on social media. 'Hey @MittRomney just a reminder that you will NEVER be PRESIDENT!' he posted to Twitter.... Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) later defended Santos, describing Romney's words as 'the rudest I've ever seen a human being be to another human being.'" MB: Because yelling "liar" and "bullshit" at the POTUS is polite. CNN's report is here. ~~~

     ~~~ Manu Raju of CNN: "New York Republican Rep. George Santos is expected to face an investigation from the House Ethics Committee, a probe that could derail his already imperiled political career depending on the secretive panel's findings. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy initially told CNN 'yes' on Tuesday when asked if the embattled freshman is under investigation by the committee, something that even Republicans acknowledge could lead to his expulsion from Congress if the panel turns up serious evidence of wrongdoing. But McCarthy later clarified his remarks and said that he meant that Santos is the subject of ethics committee complaints.... 'Ethics is moving through, and if ethics finds something, we'll take action,' McCarthy told CNN on Tuesday when asked about calls for his resignation. 'Right now, we're not allowing him to be on committees from the standpoint of the questions that have arisen.'" MB: Gee, Kevin, George Anthony said he initiated the decision to step away from his committee assignments.

The Washington Post captures photo & video highlights & lowlights here.

Melissa Quinn of CBS News: "Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders on Tuesday sought to draw distinctions between her fellow Republicans and President Biden following his State of the Union address, characterizing the differences between the GOP and Democrats as extending beyond policies, but rather a choice between 'normal and crazy.'... Sanders focused her response on many of the "culture war" issues that have motivated conservatives, and largely bucked the message of unity and bipartisanship that wound through Mr. Biden's address. Instead, she attacked the president as the 'first man to surrender his presidency to a woke mob that can't even tell you what a woman is.'... Declaring Mr. Biden 'unfit' to serve, Sanders sought to contrast Republicans' agenda with that of Democrats, and vowed the GOP will resist political correctness to 'do what's right.'... 'It's time for a new generation to lead...,' she said." MB: Hmmm, doesn't sound like she's advocating for her old boss, the aged Trump.

CBS Boston News: "Former Boston mayor Marty Walsh is leaving the White House for the NHL. Walsh, who is the current US labor secretary under President Joe Biden, is set to become the next executive director of the NHL Players' Association. He'll be formally installed in his new gig in the coming days, according to Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff. The league's executive board will still have to vote on Walsh's appointment, and 18 of the 32 player reps will have to vote in favor of Walsh for him to become the next executive director. But the Daily Faceoff is reporting that Walsh is expected to be unanimously approved." (Also linked yesterday.) Update: A Washington Post story is here.

Ellen Nakashima, et al., of the Washington Post: "The U.S. intelligence community has linked the Chinese spy balloon shot down on Saturday to a vast surveillance program run by the People's Liberation Army, and U.S. officials have begun to brief allies and partners who have been similarly targeted. The surveillance balloon effort, which has operated for several years partly out of Hainan province off China's south coast, has collected information on military assets in countries and areas of emerging strategic interest to China including Japan, India, Vietnam, Taiwan and the Philippines, according to several U.S. officials.... Officials have said these surveillance airships, operated in part by the PLA air force, have been spotted over five continents." ~~~

~~~ Alex Horton of the Washington Post: "U.S. service members have recovered substantial remnants of the Chinese surveillance balloon that was shot down over the Atlantic on Saturday, according to newly released photos that provided the closest glimpse yet of the craft. Photos from the Sunday recovery show Navy sailors dragging the deflated balloon and parts of its structure onto inflatable boats off the coast of Myrtle Beach, S.C.... While officials said it is too early to tell how much of the craft would be intact, the photos provide a sense that some material has survived the encounter with a fighter jet's missile. The balloon itself is about 200 feet tall and carrying equipment measuring roughly the size of a regional jetliner, [Gen. Glen] VanHerck said, estimating its weight at about 2,000 pounds."

Eileen Sullivan & Zolan Kanno-Youngs of the New York Times: "On Tuesday, federal border officials began testifying before the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability. The hearing is the latest piece of an aggressive push to scrutinize [Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro] Mayorkas that some Republicans have said should result in his impeachment. The panel is led by Representative James R. Comer, Republican of Kentucky, who has already made up his mind that Mr. Mayorkas, 63, should be removed for his handling of the record number of unauthorized crossings at the southern border since President Biden has been in office. Even though the spike in illegal entries is part of a global migration trend, Mr. Mayorkas has become the face of the intractable problem, particularly for Republicans who see failures at the border as a winning political strategy...." (Also linked yesterday.)

     ~~~ Marie: In the few snippets I've seen of Comer speaking, he strikes me as the pre-Alpha version of a Gym Jordan clone: as nasty as Jordan, but dumber and uglier.

Greg Sargent of the Washington Post: "Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), chairman of the Judiciary Committee, has subpoenaed top Justice Department officials, supposedly to investigate the department's suppression of information about the persecution of conservative parents.... Democrats should make these hearings about what Republicans did. This entails using spectacle to show what happened to educators as a result of Republicans systematically smearing them with hateful propaganda.... The country deserves a real debate about the real consequences of our culture wars, not one that unfolds strictly in the information universe Republicans are manufacturing." MB: I get the idea from Sargent's post that Democrats on the committee have not organized any kind of response. They need to get their act together. (Also linked yesterday.)

A Stealth Committee Assignment. Scott Wong of NBC News: "House Speaker Kevin McCarthy has quietly appointed Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., who led the unsuccessful push to derail McCarthy's bid for speaker, to the select committee investigating the so-called weaponization of the federal government. There was no announcement of Gaetz's appointment by either McCarthy, R-Calif., or Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who chairs both the Judiciary Committee and the weaponization subcommittee. Instead, McCarthy's appointments to the special committee, including Gaetz, were read into the Congressional Record a week ago and only noticed by reporters on Tuesday. Gaetz, who had been under FBI investigation of allegations of underage sex trafficking, was not part of the original slate of names McCarthy rolled out for the panel two weeks ago. According to the select panel's roster on its website, Gaetz replaced Rep. Chip Roy of Texas.... A member of the weaponization panel said Roy asked for the change because he will serve on three demanding committees...."

News You Can Use. Jacob Bogage of the Washington Post: "The Internal Revenue Service is telling taxpayers -- including more than 16 million in California -- to hold off filing their taxes until the agency can issue guidance on state-issued inflation payments. Dozens of states distributed stimulus-like payments or tax rebates in 2022 to counter inflation, which reached a 40-year high in 2022. The IRS on Tuesday said it needed more time to determine which of those payments are federally taxable and told taxpayers not to submit returns until it finalizes those rules.... Nearly two dozen states issued payments to combat inflation over the summer."

>Beyond the Beltway

Pennsylvania. Neil Vigdor of the New York Times: "Democrats swept three special elections in solidly blue House districts in western Pennsylvania on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press, putting the party in the majority by a single seat and breaking a Republican legislative monopoly that has recently focused on election restrictions and anti-abortion bills. All three races were in Allegheny County, which includes Pittsburgh.... Control of the Pennsylvania House had been shrouded by uncertainty since the midterms in November, grinding legislative business to a halt while the parties clashed over ground rules and the timing of the special elections. Democrats had appeared to flip the chamber in the fall for the first time in a dozen years, but one lawmakers death and the election of two others to higher offices delayed the final outcome."

Tennessee. Alexander Cardia, et al., of the New York Times: "Tyre Nichols faced an onslaught of impossible demands and brutal beatings at the hands of Memphis police officers on Jan. 7 -- much of which was caught on three police body cameras and a street camera.... The New York Times analyzed the available footage and radio traffic to identify and track which of the six officers threatened, chased and beat Mr. Nichols after he was pulled over for alleged reckless driving. The videos do not show what initially prompted the traffic stop. The Times found no verbal communications or actions by officers during the encounter that signaled Mr. Nichols posed a potential threat or was even acting aggressively. Yet each of the six officers immediately used physical force. The analysis also found the officers' actions lacked coordination and served no clear tactical purpose. They continued to escalate their use of force even as Mr. Nichols became increasingly incapacitated and incoherent." The analysis goes into detail about who did what when. ~~~<

Jessica Jaglois, et al., of the New York Times: "As Tyre Nichols sat propped against a police car, bloodied, dazed and handcuffed after being beaten by a group of Memphis police officers, one of those officers took a picture of him and sent it to at least five people, the Memphis Police Department said in documents released by the state on Tuesday. The documents painted a picture of repeated misconduct by the officers, starting in the first moments after Mr. Nichols was pulled over for a traffic stop, through an arrest carried out with excessive force and continuing on through the many minutes when Mr. Nichols lay on the street in dire need of medical help. Sending the photograph to acquaintances, including at least one outside of the Police Department, violated policies about keeping information confidential, according to the documents. But police officials said it was also part of a pattern of mocking, abusive and 'blatantly unprofessional' behavior by the officers that also included shouting profanities at Mr. Nichols, laughing after the beating and 'bragging' about their involvement."

Way Beyond

France. They Paved Paradise to Put Up a Solar Plant. Michael Birnbaum of the Washington Post: "French parking lots could soon generate as much electricity as 10 nuclear power plants, after a law is expected to win final passage on Tuesday requiring canopies of solar panels to be built atop all substantial lots in the country. The plan makes France a world leader in efforts to cover as many surfaces as possible with solar panels, a step advocates say will be crucial in broader plans to phase out fossil fuels in the coming years. The expansion could add as much as 8 percent to France's current electrical capacity." (Also linked yesterday.)

New Zealand. Andrew Jeong of the Washington Post: "New Zealand authorities have seized more than three tons of cocaine that was wrapped into 81 bales and cached at a floating transit point in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, in the single largest drug bust in the nation's history. The cache, estimated to be worth $315 million, is large enough to supply the Australian market for a year, and New Zealand's for three decades, New Zealand Police Commissioner Andrew Coster told reporters Wednesday. The cocaine -- which weighed 3.2 metric tons, or 3.5 tons in the United States -- came from South America and was destined for Australia, police said."

Switzerland. Catherine Hickley of the New York Times: "Bruno Stefanini, a Swiss real estate magnate who died in 2018, spent his life collecting huge numbers of buildings, fine art and historic memorabilia, everything from castles to paintings to the toothbrush Napoleon is said to have used at Waterloo.... But Stefanini was better at collecting things than caring for them.... Items in his collection became contaminated with mildew, woodworm or worse -- asbestos, mercury and radioactivity.... Now Stefanini's Foundation for Art, Culture and History, led by his daughter, is trying to clean things up, not just of grunge, but of any taint of Nazi-era looting.... Last month, Bettina Stefanini ... announced that an independent panel of experts would evaluate the research and make binding decisions on whether to return items originally owned by Jews and deemed lost due to Nazi persecution."

Ukraine, et al. The Washington Post's live briefing of developments Wednesday in Russia's war on Ukraine is here: "Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is set to visit the United Kingdom on Wednesday to meet with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and address Parliament, Downing Street said in a statement.... The trip will be Zelensky's second out of Ukraine and first to Britain since Russia's invasion nearly a year ago. He spoke to Congress in Washington in December. Britain has recently pledged to increase its support for Ukraine and help train fighter pilots and marines.... President Biden reiterated U.S. support for Ukraine during his State of the Union address Tuesday, calling Russia's invasion 'a test for America' and the world. Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, was present at the event, representing 'not just her nation, but the courage of her people,' Biden said. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg will meet with senior Biden administration officials in Washington on Wednesday, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan.... The [U.S.] State Department has 'made a determination approving' the potential sale of $10 billion in artillery rocket systems to Poland, a NATO ally that shares a border with Ukraine."

News Lede

New York Times: "Transporting international aid and rescue workers to the quake-stricken areas of Turkey and Syria has become a huge logistical hurdle as time is running out to find survivors, two days after an earthquake hit the two countries and left more than 9,600 dead.Crews have rescued more than 8,000 people in Turkey alone. But the chances of unearthing people still alive in the heaps of rubble dropped quickly as the third day of rescue efforts dawned on Wednesday." This is a liveblog.

Comments

[P.D. Pepe]

The NYT fact checks Biden's speech:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/08/us/politics/fact-check-biden-state-of-the-union.html

I thought his delivery much better than expected and loved the way he dealt with the cat calls. And by the way did anyone get a glimpse of Sinama's outfit? She looked like a pale lemon butterfly ready to take off and fly. As for the Huck-a=bee retort I can only say "who let the dog out!"

[Akhilleus]

Behaving like spoiled children who were served the wrong flavor ice cream, the traitors hooted and screamed and hollered all through the SOTU. Biden did a good job of giving it back to the thugs and the showoffs. MTG made sure to dress up like Cruella DeVille so as to maximize her “shining moments” of juvenile hysteria. All she needed was the spindly cigarette holder. No doubt Fox will replay her showing her ass a hundred times today.

They resembled nothing so much as bitter drunks in a bar watching their team lose the big game on the TV, shouting impotent imprecations and tired, threadbare threats to the refs, coaches, players, and fans of the other team. They forgot “Your mother wears army boots!”

But as sad and silly a spectacle as they made, it should (but probably won’t) be clear to even casual viewers what a miserable and misanthropic mob sits in those traitor seats.

Capping it off we heard the immensely unqualified Sarah Sanders who never spent a single day governing anything (much less her insatiable taste for outright lying to the American public) call President Biden “unfit”. This from a bible thumping, misery hawing liar.

More than anything Biden could say, this display by intemperate, spoiled brats, offered a clear view of the state of at least part of the nation.

[Forrest Morris]

The whole world must be in stitches after seeing last nights
shitshow in D.C.
Or maybe they're pitying the saner part of the country, and we know
who we are.

[Marie Burns]

As even Joe Scarborough pointed out this morning, what Republicans were booing and heckling were facts, like how "Nearly 25% of the entire national debt, a debt that took 200 years to accumulate, was added by [Trump's] administration alone."

In fairness to the nitwits, most of them probably didn't know any of the facts they heckled because it is unlikely Fox "News" ever reported them.

[Marie Burns]

@P.D. Pepe & @Akhilleus: As to the outfits the ladies were wearing, I don't get it. Sinema looked like a ripe banana in a sleeveless dress, while My Little Margie had on her Cruella DeVille wool coat with a big fur collar over whatever the rest of her outfit was. How could they both have been comfortable? (BTW, Manchinema were sitting with the Republican senators.)

[Jeanne]

I thought it was vintage Joe, and I was pleased how he rose to the occasion. He was folksy but direct and that slow smile he flashes when he is being tongue-in-cheek is marvelous. The brat pack behaved just as we all expect, and MyKevin is, as always, a dolt. The shushing was because this was Kevin's night up there and he was embarrassed by those lovely folks... I didn't see Lemon Slice until way at the end, but I am not surprised she was joining Mansion-- he loves to relate how he always "works across the aisle" even though we know what a fraud he is. I wonder if Lemon Slice knows how irrelevant she has become and will remain... I felt sad for Nancy, as she seemed diminished...Her husband looked hearty but is still wearing a hat and I don't know if he wore a glove, also... We can never forgive all those people who behaved inhumanly when sympathy and empathy were preferable-- that means ALL the leadership of the cult.

Joe won the night, fuzzy words included. As usual, the cult is Losers Ltd.

[Forrest Morris]

"You lie!" reminds me of a joke:

What kind of cereal will Republicans never warm to?

Fact Chex.

[NiskyGuy]

Mighty rich of Senator mike lee to misquote the President, who said there were a few Rs that wanted to sunset SS and Medicare (Lookin' at you, rick scott), when lee himself started his campaign for the US Senate ON THE PLATFORM of eliminating SS and Medicare:

https://youtu.be/5th1c4dsD28?t=170

No shame at all.