# The Biden Administration - the first 1,500 days \[NOT an Afghanistan discussion\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 8, 2020, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-the-first-1-500-days-not-an-afghanistan-discussion/925057 "2020-11-08T15:09:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 39
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2021, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-the-first-1-500-days-not-an-afghanistan-discussion/925057/762 "2021-05-31T01:30:30Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > (CNN headline) > For Biden, the White House is ‘a Monday-through-Friday kind of place’ I think this is an excellent program for maintaining his physical and mental health. The country needs him to survive the killer stress of the job and go the distance. Self-care is what it’s all about. _“Put on your own oxygen mask first,” etc., etc._ ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-the-first-1-500-days-not-an-afghanistan-discussion/925057/763 "2021-06-01T14:48:13Z")
Have to admit, I get where the Garland DOJ is coming from, but this irks me a little: > **[House Democrats are still pursuing Trump's tax returns but Biden...](https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/01/politics/trump-taxes-house-democrats-biden-play-ball/index.html)** > > After notching recent wins in their long hunt for material to help bring legal accountability to former President Donald Trump, congressional Democrats fear the Biden administration won't be helpful when it comes to obtaining the documents they covet... And see: > **[In summer, the stakes are rising for Biden | CNN Politics](https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/01/politics/president-joe-biden-agenda-summer/index.html)** > > Can President Joe Biden avoid the "summer slump"? For most Americans, the unofficial arrival of summer with Memorial Day is a cause for celebration. But for newly elected presidents, it's more often been a reason for dread. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-the-first-1-500-days-not-an-afghanistan-discussion/925057/764 "2021-06-01T14:56:50Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Have to admit, I get where the Garland DOJ is coming from, but this irks me a little:- I appreciate that you now add at least a line of text when you post your very interesting links, but I’d like to know more of YOUR opinion. What is it that irks you about the first story-- that the Dems are pursuing, that they are irritated at Biden, or that Biden may not see it as a priority. Enquiring minds want to know. ---
**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:** [June 1, 2021, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-the-first-1-500-days-not-an-afghanistan-discussion/925057/765 "2021-06-01T15:06:14Z")
I don’t know who “the officials” are but this irks me: > [@](#): > > Part of that effort, the officials say, is refraining from using the department to relitigate controversies from the previous administration. Apparently investigating potential criminal actions the previous administration committed is “relitigating controversies”. Can’t investigate them while they’re in office, and can’t “relitigate” afterwards, apparently, so as long as the party of the President in office holds enough power in Congress and is inclined to cover for him, the guy in the White House can do whatever the hell he wants. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2021, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-the-first-1-500-days-not-an-afghanistan-discussion/925057/766 "2021-06-01T16:36:50Z")
Yeah, pretty much. That’s what irks me. The U.S. Code specifically gives chairs of two Congressional tax committees the right to see anyone’s tax returns; Mnuchin stiff-armed Congress when the request was duly made for Trump’s, and now the Biden White House seems to be dragging its feet. The law is clear. This will only embolden Presidents who already believe themselves _above_ the law. ---
**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:** [June 1, 2021, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-the-first-1-500-days-not-an-afghanistan-discussion/925057/767 "2021-06-01T21:41:15Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Apparently investigating potential criminal actions the previous administration committed is “relitigating controversies”. And anyway, how is it “relitigating” things that were never really litigated in the first place? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2021, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-the-first-1-500-days-not-an-afghanistan-discussion/925057/768 "2021-06-03T15:10:02Z")
On a lighter note: > **[Bidens celebrate first lady's birthday at her favorite place | CNN Politics](https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/03/politics/jill-biden-70th-birthday-rehoboth-beach/index.html)** > > In a rare move for President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden, the first couple on Wednesday left Washington for a mid-week trip to their beach house in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. It is the first time during Biden's presidency that he will pay a... ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2021, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-the-first-1-500-days-not-an-afghanistan-discussion/925057/769 "2021-06-06T10:57:08Z")
> The Group of Seven rich nations secured a landmark deal that could help countries collect more taxes from big companies and enable governments to impose levies on U.S. tech giants such as [Amazon Inc.](https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/0855443D:US) and [Facebook Inc.](https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/FB:US) > > The agreement by the G-7 finance ministers in London satisfies a U.S. demand for a minimum corporate tax rate of “at least 15%” on foreign earnings and paves the way for levies on multinationals in countries where they make money, instead of just where they are headquartered. [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-05/g-7-reaches-historic-deal-on-minimum-global-corporate-tax-rate](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-06-05/g-7-reaches-historic-deal-on-minimum-global-corporate-tax-rate) Yellen is the most impressive cabinet appointee so far imo. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2021, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-the-first-1-500-days-not-an-afghanistan-discussion/925057/770 "2021-06-06T14:26:43Z")
Fuck this guy Manchin. “WASHINGTON (AP) — A key Democratic senator says he will not vote for the largest overhaul of U.S. election law in at least a generation, defying his party and the White House and virtually guaranteeing the failure of the legislation after a near party-line approval in the House. … The bill would restrict partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts, strike down hurdles to voting and bring transparency to a murky campaign finance system that allows donors to anonymously bankroll political causes. Among dozens of other provisions, it would require states to offer 15 days of early voting and allow no-excuse absentee balloting.” > **[Manchin's opposition clouds future of Dems' elections bill](https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-voting-rights-bills-elections-government-and-politics-3eb2968199c9ceccd537c01c4cfdfb0f)** > > WASHINGTON (AP) — A key Democratic senator says he will not vote for the largest overhaul of U.S. election law in at least a generation, leaving no plausible path forward for legislation that his party and the White House have portrayed as crucial... ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2021, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-the-first-1-500-days-not-an-afghanistan-discussion/925057/771 "2021-06-06T15:50:03Z")
He’s not wrong that preserving democracy has become a partisan issue. He’s just wrong on what side he is fighting for. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2021, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-the-first-1-500-days-not-an-afghanistan-discussion/925057/772 "2021-06-06T16:06:04Z")
I think that gerrymandered House districts are a big reason why politics in Washington are so paralyzed and compromise is impossible. If your seat is safely Democratic or Republican, you have little reason to want to appeal to voters on the other side of the aisle. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Wiggler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/red_wiggler/32/13190_2.png) [@Red\_Wiggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Wiggler)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2021, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-the-first-1-500-days-not-an-afghanistan-discussion/925057/773 "2021-06-06T17:18:16Z")
They are indeed but the negative effects of gerrymandering are almost impossible to negate with legislation. The best method continues to be proportional representation replacing single-member districting. ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2021, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-the-first-1-500-days-not-an-afghanistan-discussion/925057/774 "2021-06-06T18:15:26Z")
If I’m Biden I would call him and simply say “if you are so desperate for bipartisanship why have you not been able to convince one republican to come across the aisle?” ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2021, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-the-first-1-500-days-not-an-afghanistan-discussion/925057/775 "2021-06-06T19:08:10Z")
Biden is no stranger to Capitol Hill. I suspect he has asked Manchin just that, or something like it. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2021, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-the-first-1-500-days-not-an-afghanistan-discussion/925057/776 "2021-06-06T19:43:16Z")
The Manchin stuff is surface theater. Or at least, it might be. There’s no way for us to know. Behind the scenes, it’s possible Manchin is saying “I need a few more months of Republican obstruction before I can get away with saying ‘screw it, I gave them a chance but they’re not interested’”. Or he’s saying exactly what he’s saying in public (though I doubt that). Or something else. There’s just no way to know until an actual vote comes around. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2021, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-the-first-1-500-days-not-an-afghanistan-discussion/925057/777 "2021-06-07T00:03:29Z")
I’m no “Manchin whisperer,” but another consideration that he may have on the For the People Act is that much of it is likely to be struck down by the courts. Even I cast a dubious eye on some of the provisions from a Constitutional standpoint (even if they are good policy), and this Supreme Court is extremely likely to gut the act if it were passed. Manchin may figure that it’s not worth risking his “Mr. Bipartisan” bona fides for voting rights changes that will never actually take effect. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2021, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-the-first-1-500-days-not-an-afghanistan-discussion/925057/778 "2021-06-07T00:30:05Z")
Well as long as he, like Bernie, pretends to be a Democrat when it suits him, all is right with the coat tail rider society. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-the-first-1-500-days-not-an-afghanistan-discussion/925057/779 "2021-06-08T15:26:30Z")
Forget Biden calling him. Have the Big Money Donors call him and say “Get this thing passed or you’re going to be primaried by the first clubhouse errand boy we can find.” ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-the-first-1-500-days-not-an-afghanistan-discussion/925057/780 "2021-06-08T17:28:26Z")
If somehow the “Big Money Donors” were able to defeat Manchin in a primary, the victorious Democrat would go on to lose the West Virginia Senate race by 30 points to a MAGA-spewing Republican. Frustrating as he may be, the inevitable alternative to Joe Manchin is a Republican in that seat. And Manchin at least has voted for Biden nominees, passed the stimulus, and made Chuck Schumer Majority Leader instead of Mitch McConnel. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2021, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-the-first-1-500-days-not-an-afghanistan-discussion/925057/781 "2021-06-08T17:48:31Z")
Seriously, if he’s the best we can do for a WV Senator, let’s just set the whole f-ing country on fire now and save ourselves the trouble later. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-the-first-1-500-days-not-an-afghanistan-discussion/925057.md?page=38) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-biden-administration-the-first-1-500-days-not-an-afghanistan-discussion/925057.md?page=40)