# The Biden Administration: a puppy-hug in the making **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 19, 2021, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-a-puppy-hug-in-the-making/930886 "2021-01-19T15:24:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-a-puppy-hug-in-the-making/930886/162 "2021-12-25T01:07:41Z")
I’m trying to imagine a cat in the White House. Maybe it’s just confined to the residence? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-a-puppy-hug-in-the-making/930886/163 "2021-12-25T01:45:57Z")
I trust cat people. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-a-puppy-hug-in-the-making/930886/164 "2021-12-25T03:02:36Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > I trust cat people I trust people that cats trust. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-a-puppy-hug-in-the-making/930886/165 "2021-12-25T05:51:56Z")
What other First Pets have we had in this country? Has there ever been a First Parrot? ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2021, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-a-puppy-hug-in-the-making/930886/166 "2021-12-25T07:08:03Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Has there ever been a First Parrot? [https://www.cheatsheet.com/culture/the-most-bizarre-white-house-pets-ranked.html](https://www.cheatsheet.com/culture/the-most-bizarre-white-house-pets-ranked.html) Martha Washington reportedly had a parrot, so the First Parrot was one of the first pets! ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2022, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-a-puppy-hug-in-the-making/930886/167 "2022-01-06T04:22:23Z")
Not a dog-centric thread. Heh, 'aight? 🐕 🧐 🐩 > **[Psaki hits back at Ted Cruz for threatening to impeach Biden](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/jen-psaki-ted-cruz-impeachment-b1987515.html)** > > Cruz says immigration policy is ‘strongest grounds right now for impeachment, but there may be others’ > [@](#): > > “Well, our reaction is: Maybe Senator Cruz can work with us on getting something done on comprehensive immigration reform and putting in place measures that will help make sure smart security is what we see at the border, taking a more humane approach to the border instead of name-calling, accusation calling, and making predictions of the future,” Ms Psaki said. Sure, an easy target, but still, a fine, measured take-down. I can only hope when Psaki steps down (soon? doing the mom stuff?) that her replacement is as good. ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2022, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-a-puppy-hug-in-the-making/930886/168 "2022-01-07T17:43:42Z")
> **[Biden, Harris to address voting rights Tuesday in Atlanta](https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-joe-biden-georgia-kamala-harris-state-elections-906b2c6ba05b70635cd24b74cbbd352e)** > > WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will renew his push for federal legislation to protect voting rights next week in Georgia, where a new law limits how and when people can cast ballots, the White House announced Wednesday. Just gotta keep hammering, stumping away at this. A lot of it will be preaching to the choir, sure, but regardless: this messaging has to be constantly ramped up now. FUCKING CONSTANTLY NOW. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Bredin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@John\_Bredin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Bredin)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2022, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-a-puppy-hug-in-the-making/930886/169 "2022-01-08T03:07:08Z")
But that’s not good enough for some, and some in the choir have decided to tear paper and blow noisemakers during the preaching. [Article.](https://www.ajc.com/politics/dont-come-to-atlanta-without-a-plan-to-pass-voting-laws-groups-tell-biden-harris/7KHTSRMZORF6THXEZVY64NW44A/?campaign_id=56&emc=edit_cn_20220108&instance_id=49795&nl=on-politics®i_id=101065141&segment_id=79055&te=1&user_id=8a51a02854e7fca29b68128b3407e7c2) The money quote: > [@](#): > > we reject any visit by President Biden that does not include an announcement of a finalized voting rights plan that will pass both chambers, not be stopped by the filibuster, and be signed into law; anything less is insufficient and unwelcome. And he’s got the weekend and a day to do it before the visit of the President and Vice-President that > [@](#): > > has been forced on them 🎶 Superman and [Green Lantern](https://www.vox.com/2014/5/20/5732208/the-green-lantern-theory-of-the-presidency-explained)ain’t got nothing on him. 🤨 ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-a-puppy-hug-in-the-making/930886/170 "2022-01-12T06:09:26Z")
Figured this is good as any spot to plop this… > **[Democrat Cherfilus-McCormick to fill Florida US House seat](https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-florida-special-elections-election-2020-general-elections-588c116f9ba12be99c25302d6dadc17a)** > > Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick will fill Florida’s vacant U.S. House seat. Cherfilus-McCormick defeated Republican Jason Mariner during a special election Tuesday. > [@](#): > > Cherfilus-McCormick defeated Republican Jason Mariner in the 20th Congressional District, which is firmly Democratic. [Late Democratic Florida U.S. Rep. Alcee] Hastings was the longest-serving member of the Florida delegation before he died in April of pancreatic cancer. > [@](#): > > Reclaiming Hastings’ seat will increase the Democrats’ slender House majority to 222-212, leaving room for no more than four Democratic defections as Speaker Nancy Pelosi tries moving her party’s bills through the House. For much of 2021, that margin was three. > [@](#): > > She will have to immediately defend the seat in an August primary and, if she wins, the November general election. The runner-up to Cherfilus-McCormick in November’s primary, Broward County Commissioner Dale Holness, has sued to try to overturn the election results. He also plans to run in the August primary. Her opponent, Mariner, did two years for drug and theft convictions, released in 2013. Good on a former inmate for trying to turn his life around, but to attempt to do that with the GOP is the wrong idea. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2022, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-a-puppy-hug-in-the-making/930886/171 "2022-01-13T16:14:19Z")
If Joe Biden set up a research laboratory in the White House and found a cure for cancer in his spare time, the headline would be _ **Joe Biden Tortures Mice** _. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2022, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-a-puppy-hug-in-the-making/930886/172 "2022-01-13T18:16:43Z")
That’s true. And it’s not just Fox. Andrea Mitchell is very critical of Biden. CNN is as well. It’s just constant bullshit criticism. I want to pull my hair out. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2022, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-a-puppy-hug-in-the-making/930886/173 "2022-01-13T18:58:41Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > If Joe Biden set up a research laboratory in the White House and found a cure for cancer in his spare time, the headline would be _ **Joe Biden Tortures Mice** _ If Biden walked on water headlines would read: “Biden Can’t Swim”. \*\* this joke, as far as I know, originated with LBJ. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2022, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-a-puppy-hug-in-the-making/930886/174 "2022-01-14T01:52:46Z")
How about this headline: **Biden all but concedes defeat on voting, election bills** > **[Biden all but concedes defeat on voting, election bills](https://apnews.com/article/voting-rights-joe-biden-voting-elections-wv-state-wire-28fce7f5190404f5091158c912bf8d5d)** > > WASHINGTON (AP) — All but conceding defeat, President Joe Biden said Thursday he’s now unsure the Democrats' major elections and voting rights legislation can pass Congress this year. He spoke at the Capitol after a key fellow Democrat, Sen. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2022, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-a-puppy-hug-in-the-making/930886/175 "2022-01-16T22:17:57Z")
Mostly good; some bad: > **[By the numbers: Stats that tell story of Biden's first year](https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-climate-afghanistan-joe-biden-health-4d1a010a49e9c3d575b20f4392a9852e)** > > WASHINGTON (AP) — By some counts, President Joe Biden can lay claim to a banner first year in office. But numbers also reveal plenty of setbacks. Most in the United States got their COVID-19 vaccines, but other countries fared better. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2022, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-a-puppy-hug-in-the-making/930886/176 "2022-01-17T15:30:26Z")
Some more perspectives: > **[How's he doing? Americans weigh in on Biden's performance](https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-donald-trump-66d3c95e97587be584e4017edd6fda53)** > > President Joe Biden took office at a particularly polarized time in American history, so it's not surprising that citizens are divided on his performance at the one-year mark. A Georgia history teacher who voted for Biden would give him a “C” grade,... ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2022, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-a-puppy-hug-in-the-making/930886/177 "2022-01-19T01:47:55Z")
Andrew Jackson did: [https://www.presidentialpetmuseum.com/pets/andrew-jacksons-pet-parrot/](https://www.presidentialpetmuseum.com/pets/andrew-jacksons-pet-parrot/) ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2022, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-a-puppy-hug-in-the-making/930886/178 "2022-01-19T02:11:41Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Andrew Jackson did: Martha Washington had one years earlier, as I posted. Though it’s unknown if it talked, unlike Jackon’s which was filthy. William McKinley had a pet parrot named The Washington Post (seriously) and it sang Yankee Doodle Dandy. Both John Q Adams and Hoover had pet alligators. Teddy Roosevelt had a freaking zoo. The article I posted earlier was pretty fun. [https://www.cheatsheet.com/culture/the-most-bizarre-white-house-pets-ranked.html/](https://www.cheatsheet.com/culture/the-most-bizarre-white-house-pets-ranked.html/) ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2022, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-a-puppy-hug-in-the-making/930886/179 "2022-01-26T15:55:17Z")
The buzz in the WH Press Pool is that Biden went out and bought some ice cream. At first I thought this was another “tan suit” scandal, but it appears that the press are just bored while they wait for Russia to invade Ukraine. Isn’t it nice to have a boring president? > **[To highlight economic growth, Biden goes shopping for gifts](https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-health-business-lifestyle-7c4160845aeae4211cd3a7bddf0ef8a1)** > > WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden pledged last week to chat more with everyday Americans and took an initial step Tuesday afternoon by visiting a gift shop and ice cream store in Washington's Capitol Hill neighborhood. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2022, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-a-puppy-hug-in-the-making/930886/180 "2022-01-26T20:49:53Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > The buzz in the WH Press Pool is that Biden went out and bought some ice cream. Was he wearing a scrunchie? It only matters if he was. > **[22 Words](https://twentytwowords.com)** > > A blend of everything from the serious & creative to the silly & absurd. Funny & fascinating viral content as well as more obscure pics, videos, & more. (Stupid journalism – I had to poke through half-a-dozen Google hits before I found one that actually showed the relevant photograph!) ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2022, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-a-puppy-hug-in-the-making/930886/181 "2022-01-27T18:14:22Z")
Hug that puppy! > The nation’s gross domestic product — its total output of goods and services — expanded 5.7% in 2021. It was the strongest calendar-year growth since a 7.2% surge in 1984 after a previous recession. The economy ended the year by growing at an unexpectedly brisk 6.9% annual pace from October through December as businesses replenished their inventories, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. > **[US economy grew 5.7% in 2021 in rebound from 2020 recession](https://apnews.com/article/business-economy-ronald-reagan-gross-domestic-product-f3284b06f153a0b3939a266f0f81cd7e)** > > The U.S. economy grew last year at the fastest pace since Ronald Reagan’s presidency, bouncing back with resilience from 2020′s brief but devastating coronavirus recession. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-a-puppy-hug-in-the-making/930886.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-a-puppy-hug-in-the-making/930886.md?page=10)