President Biden is going to run for re-election from what we read. It's time to address a topic that I would have preferred were not necessary. When the incumbent president in our party is running for re-election unless there is a moral disqualification, we need to back him. Maybe you would prefer that he were younger. He likely would prefer to be younger. I might prefer that he were younger too, but he's running and he is in good health, has shown great moral leadership, and has done a great job as president. So, since he has chosen to run for re-election, then we need to back him. And we don't need to back arguments against him. Below you can see what a great job he has done this far!
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www.dailykos.com/…
"The new plan has been championed by President Joe Biden, who is expected to formally announce his reelection campaign in the coming months. "
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I kind of feel that the Associated Press buried the lede. I had heard suspicions that he might run for reelection, but nothing pretty certain. This sounds like it is already decided.
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Under the leadership of President Biden, the American economy has seen extraordinary growth. If things continue as they have (by no means guaranteed but there's no obvious reason it would turn negative), then President Biden has a strong economic record to run on. It's tough to defeat a president presiding over a strong economy, especially after where this one came from. Let's review some of that good news.
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Inflation has reduced six months in a row.
https://apnews.com/article/december-2022-inflation-report-72bb938a443ab0500bd72d23f62214ad
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"US inflation eases grip on economy, falling for a 6th month"
We have the lowest unemployment rate in 53 years.
"Employers added 517,000 jobs in December—more than double economists' estimates—and the unemployment rate fell to a 53-year low of 3.4%, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported last week.46 mins ago
https://fortune.com › 2023/02/06"
All job creation after August was growth beyond what was lost due to the pandemic.
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"Employment’s back to pre-pandemic levels with more than 500,000 new jobs added in July
- Mitchell Hartman
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6 months ago
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Twelve million jobs have been created in the last two years. That's astounding!
www.whitehouse.gov/...
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"Add that all up, it means we created 12 million — 12 million jobs since I took office. That means we have created more jobs in two years than any presidential term, than any time, in two years.
That’s the strongest two years of job growth in history by a longshot."
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Here's more of that good news:
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"Well, more people are coming into the market looking for jobs and getting jobs, a positive sign for the health of the economy going forward.
And even as the job market reaches historic highs, inflation continues to come down. Inflation has now fallen for six straight months. Gas prices are down more than $1.50 a gallon since their peak. Food inflation is falling as well.
And as inflation is coming down, take-home pay for workers is going up. Real wages are up. Wages for lower-income and middle-income workers have gone up even more.
A couple — couple that with a 2.9 percent economic growth last quarter and here’s where we stand: the strongest job growth in history; the lowest unemployment rate in 54 years; manufacturing rebounding at a faster rate than in the last 40 years; inflation coming down; real rac- — real wages going up — but moderately going up, not going through the roof; the economy growing at a solid clip.And what’s more: Black and Hispanic unemployment are near record lows. This matters. "
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Then let's look at the legislative victories that President Biden and the Democratic Party achieved on behalf of the American people.
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www.npr.org/…
"American Rescue Plan in response to COVID-19
The White House sent Americans in the low-to-medium income range a $1,400 payment to help fund basic necessities like rent and groceries. Biden also extended a $300 a week federal unemployment benefit for some 9.7 million people out of work at the time, temporarily expanded the child tax credit program, allotted $7.25 billion for small business loans and $128 billion in grants for state educational agencies.
A bipartisan infrastructure bill
The legislation was a major bipartisan achievement, made possible by 32 Republicans — 13 in the House and 19 in the Senate — who crossed the aisle to ensure it passed. Former President Donald Trump had pressed conservatives to vote against the bill, but key GOP leaders Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky supported the legislation.
The first major gun-safety bill in decades
Building semiconductors at home through the CHIPS Act
The Inflation Reduction Act
That original piece of legislature (Build Back Better) stalled, but after months of negotiations, resurfaced under a different name; the Inflation Reduction Act.
It took almost a year for Biden's ambitious package to pass through Congress, with Vice President Harris' vote breaking the Senate's 50-50 party line vote. It cleared the House in a 220-207 vote along party lines, without a single Republican voting in favor.
The bill aims to tackle inflation by reducing the federal deficit, promote production of certain goods and limit the cost of some prescription drugs, as NPR previously reported.
The package also includes:
- $369 billion for a climate initiative to reduce greenhouse emissions and promote lean energy technologies.
- $300 billion in new revenue through a corporate tax increase.
- $80 billion for the Internal Revenue Service to hire new agents, modernize its technology, audit the wealthy and more.
- A $2,000 annual cap for out-of-pocket prescription drug costs for those insured by Medicare.
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And the PACT ACT:
www.whitehouse.gov/...
PACT Act Marks Most Significant Expansion of VA Health Care in 30 Years
Today, President Biden is delivering on his promise to strengthen health care and benefits for America’s veterans and their survivors by signing the bipartisan Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act. The PACT Act is the most significant expansion of benefits and services for toxic exposed veterans in more than 30 years.
In his first State of the Union address, President Biden called on Congress to send a bill to his desk that would comprehensively address toxic exposures that have impacted veterans, as well as their families and caregivers, and provide them with the health care and benefits they have earned and deserve. Thanks to the bipartisan leaders of the House and Senate Veterans Committees, the PACT Act does just that. "
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This is a very strong record to run on.
The choice of president is a serious, solemn one. We have a proven and experienced leader who has led us through perilous times and into a future that looks bright. The Republican Party will nominate an extremist, probably a conspiracy theorist and an election denialist, somebody without the decades of experience needed to navigate Congress and Washington DC in these partisan times. President Biden stated, even when voters in his own party rolled their eyes at his naivete, he would work with Republicans in Congress to pass good legislation that they both supported without compromising our values. Their voters will require they nominate a clown or somebody who will act like a clown. Voters will be presented with a clear choice, President Biden, a proven leader, and an extremist. Enough Republican voters in the midterms to allow us to defeat their extremist election deniers in every election involving a position administering or overseeing elections in swing states. Remember that there were eight percent more republican voters than voters who are democrats. They recognized that there was a choice and they voted for the Democratic Party's candidates in order to defeat the extremist, conspiracy theory, election denialists.
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Supporting a primary challenger for President Biden is a serious mistake, a recipe for defeat. He has exceeded the expectations of almost all of us despite Senators Manchin and Sinema. A primary challenger won't defeat President Biden. All that will do is echo and reinforce arguments made by the republicans. We don't need to do the republicans job for them by making arguments that claim he is too old. The truth is that vitality depends upon the individual. We can't afford to lose the 2024 presidential election. We have a great candidate with a strong record to run on, one who is well-supported by our base, African Americans, especially African American women.
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