2020 Election Results Part 9: Biden Wins Again And Continues Building An Administration

[Howl]

PUTIN?  This is too delicious.  

Putin's doing a little sucking up because... *ominous music* Sanctions. Are. Coming. 

[AmazonGrace]

Biden wins again.

Putin gave Moscow Mitch his permission I guess.

[47of74]

And now Mitch finally conceded President-Elect Biden won. 

Quote

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell recognized Joe Biden as the president-elect of the United States for the first time on Tuesday, after declining to do so while President Donald Trump contested the election results.

"Our country has officially a president-elect and a vice president-elect," the Kentucky Republican said.

What took you so long Mitch?  You can go self fornicate yourself if you think I’m going to thank you fir doing something you should have done a month ago. 

[AnywhereButHere]

Looks like Mitch got Putin's permission to stick his neck out of his shell.

 

[HerNameIsBuffy]

7 hours ago, Nothing if not critical said:

I know we've moved on from the WSJ article, but this quote:

Seriously? They think that's a valid argument? Just because I'm fine with my husband calling me his little snuggly-wuggly poo (just kidding, I'd kill him if he did) doesn't mean mean Mr Epstein can do it. ?

Right?  I'm sure Joe is allowed to take many liberties with Jill she doesn't grant to just anyone.  Kind of goes along with being married...or even family.

And yes, I routinely call mine kiddos even though they are young adults, but it's my prerogative having pushed their giant heads into this world.

 

[formergothardite]

So Putin and Mitch have declared Trump the loser. His delicate feelings must be hurting bigly today. 

[onekidanddone]

6 minutes ago, formergothardite said:

So Putin and Mitch have declared Trump the loser. His delicate feelings must be hurting bigly today. 

Mitch took his cue from  Putin as Puty Put acknowledged Biden’s win

[HerNameIsBuffy]

12 minutes ago, formergothardite said:

So Putin and Mitch have declared Trump the loser. His delicate feelings must be hurting bigly today. 

So the big question...is Trump going to return the ring now that the love triangle imploded?  It must be hard being the only member of the thruple to be dumped.  

[47of74]

32 minutes ago, HerNameIsBuffy said:

So the big question...is Trump going to return the ring now that the love triangle imploded?  It must be hard being the only member of the thruple to be dumped.  

Yeah that mental image of them in a love triangle...excuse me while I whip out this stuff...

By the time this day is over I'll need to have one of these delivering my popcorn shipments...

[47of74]

Another day, another misogynistic cannon of douche complains about Dr. Biden

Quote

Fox News host Tucker Carlson took aim at incoming first lady Jill Biden on Monday evening, downplaying her doctoral degree in education amid the escalating controversy over whether she should use the prefix "Dr."

"Jill Biden is not a doctor, no," Carlson said on his nightly program. "Maybe in the same sense Dr. Pepper is." 

He added Biden has the "same degree as Dr. Bill Cosby." 

Biden, a community college teacher, earned a doctorate of education from the University of Delaware in 2007. 

Tucker do the world a favor and go self fornicate yourself. 

[Black Aliss]

2 hours ago, AmazonGrace said:

Biden wins again.

Putin gave Moscow Mitch his permission I guess.

The "Electoral College has spoken", my ass. The American people have spoken, you venal old bigot. 81,283,495 of us, to be precise.

Well, I'll be darned. There is fraud in AZ after all! 

https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/elections/2020/12/14/arizona-groups-fake-electors-try-cast-11-electoral-votes-trump/6536056002/

[Emma]

The people who submitted those alternate electors called themselves sovereign citizens. I’m confused. I thought sovereign citizens didn’t recognize US government at all, much less participate in elections or government.

Sigh, the cognitive dissonance is strong.

Edited December 15, 2020 by Emma

[HerNameIsBuffy]

30 minutes ago, Emma said:

The people who submitted those alternate electors called themselves sovereign citizens. I’m confused. I thought sovereign citizens didn’t recognize US government at all, much less participate in elections or government.

Sigh, the cognitive dissonance is strong.

I swear to God this whole election has me reliving my first marriage in both nightmares, pervasive memories, and positing as a subject matter expert regarding crazy people.

What they are saying in that they don't acknowledge a government, yet still try to hijack it for their own benefit is so similar to my ex husband saying even though we're legally divorced any sex I had after marriage is adultery because neither he nor God acknowledge our divorce.  But he could have sex (and briefly remarry) because I left him, so he's not technically married to me but I am still his wife so my original vows still apply.  

I had no idea my honorary PhD in dealing with cluster B would come in so handy when trying to understand politics.  I think I'm the narcissist whisperer.

Edited December 15, 2020 by HerNameIsBuffy

[AmazonGrace]

 

[ADoyle90815]

[AmazonGrace]

Pete Buttigieg got the gig as Secretary of Transport.

 

[GreyhoundFan]

Yay: "Biden to name Pete Buttigieg as transportation secretary"

Quote

President-elect Joe Biden will nominate Pete Buttigieg to be his secretary of transportation, elevating the onetime rival to a key role in the incoming administration’s push to rebuild American infrastructure and the economy, according to three people familiar with the decision.

The former mayor of South Bend, Ind., dropped out of the presidential race and endorsed Biden at a critical moment in March ahead of the Super Tuesday primaries. Shortly afterward, an emotional Biden compared the former intelligence officer for the Navy Reserve, who served a tour in Afghanistan, to his son Beau, who died of brain cancer at age 46.

“It’s the highest compliment I can give any man or woman,” Biden said then, citing Buttigieg’s “moral courage” and “backbone like a ramrod,” and predicting a long and bright future. “I promise you, you’re going to end up, over your lifetime, seeing a hell of a lot more of Pete than you are of me.”

Buttigieg, 38, built his presidential bid on calls to pass the torch to a new generation of leaders, something Biden himself called “absolutely essential.” He was the first openly gay major party candidate to win delegates in a bid for the White House, and his campaign was aided by the supportive presence of his husband, Chasten.

If confirmed, the first Washington chapter of Buttigieg’s political story will be at a vast agency long viewed as a solid, if unflashy, perch that could provide an opportunity to make a lasting mark.

Biden’s promise to pursue vast new investments in transportation and other infrastructure, while moving to sharply cut greenhouse gas emissions, will require a deft touch on questions involving technology, labor and partisanship on Capitol Hill.

Whether Buttigieg, a former Rhodes scholar and McKinsey and Co. consultant with a wonkish eye for policy but no real Washington experience, finds success in that and other challenges could play a significant role in the new president’s early successes or disappointments.

The transportation post could also provide Buttigieg with a chance to make inroads with African American voters, a slice of the population that showed little enthusiasm for his presidential bid. He faced criticism over the shooting death of a Black man by a White police officer in South Bend, as well as questions over diversity on the city’s police force.

The top transportation job offers a chance to confront the nation’s history of constructing highways through disadvantaged neighborhoods, and what advocates say are the lasting social, economic and environmental consequences of doing so.

The transportation job will also provide a steep learning curve and sheer test of management skills. Buttigieg would oversee about 55,000 employees at the department, roughly half the population of South Bend. Some transportation experts have raised questions about Buttigieg’s lack of experience in the nitty-gritty, often-dense realm of federal transportation policy.

The sprawling department with a budget of almost $90 billion funds highways and transit systems, runs the air traffic control system, guarantees the safety of aircraft and airlines and regulates a trucking industry that employs millions of people.

If confirmed, one of the most pressing tasks for Buttigieg will be helping to rebuild the nation’s transportation networks, which have been battered by the coronavirus pandemic.

As passengers have stayed home and revenue has plummeted, airlines have laid of tens of thousands of employees and major transit agencies like the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority are planning deep cuts in service for the coming year. State transportation agencies responsible for roads and bridges have projected shortfalls in the billions.

The Biden campaign has released ambitious plans to revamp the country’s transportation infrastructure — such as repairing old bridges and highways — while reducing the impact of transportation on the environment by promoting electric cars, rail and transit ridership.

Getting a big infrastructure bill through Congress would be a critical early goal for Buttigieg and the administration, but one with major pitfalls.

Republicans didn’t pass major infrastructure legislation when they controlled the House and Senate early in President Trump’s term, instead prioritizing far-reaching corporate and other tax cuts.

Depending on the outcome of two Senate races in Georgia, which will determine control of the chamber, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) could again be in a position to block the type of ambitious infrastructure spending Biden, fellow Democrats and some Republicans argue is long overdue.

Biden has promised to repeal some Trump tax cuts to fund crucial infrastructure and other investments, but McConnell last year called that notion a “non-starter.”

Even keeping up with the status quo in federal transportation funding will be fraught for the new administration, given a deep shortfall in the Highway Trust Fund, which covers road and transit projects. The federal gas tax, a major source of its funds, has failed to keep up with inflation and national needs, leaving many states to raise fuel taxes on their own.

Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton both signed increases in the federal gas tax, and major business leaders have pushed in recent years to raise it again. The tax has stayed at 18.4 cents per gallon since 1993, and attempts to increase it would face strong opposition.

Within the department, Buttigieg would have broad discretion to reset priorities, which under current Secretary Elaine Chao have revolved around efforts to cut regulations — including those affecting the environment — and attempts to privatize government functions, such as air traffic control.

Some major transportation projects, undercut by Trump administration opposition, will likely be freed up to move ahead more swiftly. For example, political leadership within the Transportation Department took pride in stymieing the Gateway Program, a series of major tunnel and bridge projects connecting New Jersey and New York.

Gateway is a priority of Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), with whom Trump sparred energetically despite their shared connection to New York. Gateway’s former interim executive director, John Porcari, went on to become a Biden infrastructure adviser.

Another high priority early in the new administration will be reaching a deal with automakers on emissions standards, giving Buttigieg a role in a critical climate issue. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, part of the Transportation Department, shares the job of setting those standards with the Environmental Protection Agency. Under President Barack Obama, they were pushed upward, only for the Trump administration to roll them back. But some auto companies agreed with California to adhere to more stringent limits, prompting a legal fight with the federal government.

Technology is also rapidly changing transportation, with NHTSA also playing a key role in the oversight of self-driving cars. As in many areas, the Trump administration took a hands-off approach to automated vehicles, giving manufacturers latitude to conduct tests. But safety advocacy organizations have urged the Biden administration to do more to set rules.

The department also includes the Federal Aviation Administration, whose reputation took a battering after the deadly crashes of two new 737 Max jets. The agency recently approved design changes to the planes, certifying them as safe to fly again, but lawmakers are continuing to press for reforms.

 

[onekidanddone]

4 minutes ago, GreyhoundFan said:

Yay: "Biden to name Pete Buttigieg as transportation secretary"

 

Mitch’s wife will be heading for the unemployment line 

[fraurosena]

After losing the election, after losing Faux (sort of),  after losing 60+ court cases and losing McConnell, Trump now suffers another debilitating loss:

 

[GreyhoundFan]

42 minutes ago, onekidanddone said:

Mitch’s wife will be heading for the unemployment line 

She'll have her millions in grifted money to cushion the blow.

[AmazonGrace]

Electoral votes something something President elect something something but let's go to our panel, talking about Hunter Biden.

 

[TuringMachine]

1 hour ago, AmazonGrace said:

 

Somehow MAGAs are gonna turn this into some complicated conspiracy designed to make Hillary president.

[Smee]

This is satisfying in a way I honestly didn't expect. I thought the electoral college vote was just another step in the process of formalising things and getting all the adults ready for the transition, while the tangerine toddler and his sycophants would continue to ignore reality and throw their tantrums. I don't really understand why this is the line that makes them admit they truly were beaten, but I'll take it.

Also, I'm currently doing a PhD in creative writing. I cannot wait for the whiny douches who think only STEM subjects matter to have a tantrum while I go around calling myself Dr. I have no doubt that Dr Biden has encountered this kind of misogynistic anti-academic bull since the day she was awarded her degree, so I hope by now she's found a way to feed off their tears with great relish while continuing to use the title she earned.

[kpmom]

The electoral college vote formalizes what we all knew 5 weeks ago.  Now there's really no other path (THANK GOD!!) for Trump to go down.

It also shuts up everyone who said "News shows don't decide who won the Presidency, the Electoral College does!!".

Done and done.

ETA:  Some extended family are Trump lovers, and one in particular has been posting all kinds of anti-Biden stuff today.  More than usual.  Now I see in a post above that even NewsMax is admitting Biden won, so that explains all those angry posts.

I reported one where she refers to Biden as a child molester.  Hope it gets taken down and she gets pissed.  She was supposed to flounce off FB and onto Parler several weeks ago.  I wish she had.

 

Edited December 15, 2020 by kpmom

[Cartmann99]

The walls are closing in for the Trumpers.