Pirate's Cove

Obviously, the LA Times is coming down on the side of Biden, but, the column barely gets into specifics

Column: How do Biden’s first 100 days in office compare with Trump’s?

A president’s first 100 days are an arbitrary benchmark, a point of measurement journalists are fond of because it allows us to draw comparisons between the current officeholder and Franklin D. Roosevelt, the last chief executive whose first three months were truly momentous.

But in recent times, the 100-day trope has also been taken seriously by presidents — including both Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

During his 2016 presidential campaign, Trump promised that in his first 100 days he would repeal Obamacare, build a wall on the border with Mexico and persuade Congress to pass term limits.

None of those things happened, but Trump did outdo former holders of the office in one regard: producing unshirted chaos.

So, mean tweets is worse than instituting authoritarian policies?

The headstrong new president imposed a ban on immigrants and travelers from Muslim countries, but it was quickly reversed by federal courts. He stripped federal funding from sanctuary cities, but that, too, was quickly challenged. His national security advisor resigned amid a scandal over secret contacts with Russian officials.

That “Muslim ban” came directly from what the Obama admin was proposing. Who was VP then? Sanctuary cities? They’re violating federal law.

Biden, too, pledged quick action. He promised to deliver 100 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine in his first 100 days; when that proved too easy, he doubled the goal to 200 million (and reached it).

That would be the 100 million Trump promised, and with the vaccine that China Joe said would never be developed that quickly.

He promised COVID relief, and managed to push a massive $1.9-trillion bill through Congress without a vote to spare. He has proposed a $2.3-trillion infrastructure plan. And his approval in public opinion polls stands at about 54%, a higher level than his predecessor ever touched.

The $1.9 trillion of which only a small percent goes to COVID relief? And the infrastructure which is mostly not? There’s a few slight negatives aimed Biden’s way, but, they note

For all those cautions, Biden has succeeded in his first step: He has revoked dozens of Trump’s policies through executive orders and ended Trump’s crusade to defund and dismantle large parts of the federal government.

“He’s restored normal governance — and it’s amazing how quickly,” Kamarck told me. “This administration is almost boring some of the time. That was never the case under Trump.”

Weren’t we told that Presidents aren’t allowed to revoke policies of previous presidents? Or, is that only when ones named Trump are in office? And, it’s not a good thing that government is growing again.

Anyhow, let’s look at the difference in practical terms. Here’s Trump’s (giving a few highlights, you can read the whole thing, of course)

• Jan. 20. Trump signed an executive order to “ease the burden” of Obamacare. It directed federal agencies to do what they can within the existing law to lift the ACA’s mandates.2 It was the first move to implement Trump’s health care agenda.
• Jan. 24. Trump signed an order allowing construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines.
• Jan. 30. Trump signed an order reducing regulations. The order required any federal agency that proposed a new regulation to identify two existing ones to eliminate.
• Jan. 31. Trump nominated Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court.13 He was confirmed on April 7, 2017
• March 28. Trump fulfilled a campaign pledge to cancel restrictions on shale oil, clean coal, and other sources of energy production.
• April 18. Trump fulfilled a campaign pledge to review the U.S. visa program for abuse. He signed an executive order to replace the current lottery for H-1B visas. Instead, the order says, the Labor Department should only award H-1B visas to highly skilled workers.
• April 26. Trump released his tax plan.22 By the end of the year, this proposal worked its way through Congress and became the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Congress made significant changes, but many priorities outlined in the proposal were reflected in the final bill—many of them tax reductions—like lower personal tax rates, a reduced estate tax, and a steep cut to corporate tax rates.

And China Joe?

Joe Biden has been president for 96 days. It seems like a lifetime.

In just three months, under Biden’s presumed leadership, Democrats have threatened to pack the Supreme Court, eliminate the filibuster, abolish the Electoral College, grant statehood to Washington, D.C., federalize voting laws, and enact a labor bill that would overturn right-to-work statutes in 27 states.

As president, Biden has worsened race relations by frequently denouncing the United States as “systemically racist” and insulting the citizens of Georgia by foolishly declaring their legislators’ voting bill as “Jim Crow on steroids.” He has also larded his Cabinet with people like U.N. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who claimed the “original sin of slavery weaved White supremacy into our founding documents and principles.” (snip)

Those numbers will get worse as voters learn more about Biden’s proposals. For example, McLaughlin & Associates polling shows 67% of Arizona’s voters are unaware that H.R. 1, Democrats’ effort to federalize voting laws, would overturn their state’s popular voter ID and signature verification requirements.

Killing of Keystone XL, trying to force unionization, opening the borders, caging kids (who shouldn’t even be in the U.S.), got rid of proclamations blocking visas for people from COVID stricken nations, class warfare, race war, pushing restrictive climate scam measures….you know these things, most are about empowering the federal government over states, cities, private entities, and people, while at the same time allowing unfettered legal and illegal immigration, putting Americans at risk and taking away their jobs.

And, the guy can barely walk up stairs, calls lids early in the day, can barely speak without gaffes and brain farts.

But, mean tweets.