Biden's promises kept vs. Trump's trail of broken promises

May 9, 2024

On Wednesday, President Biden traveled to Racine, Wisconsin to deliver a campaign speech emphasizing the economic benefits of his Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and CHIPS Act. The combined effect of those bills—enacted under Biden—incentivized Microsoft Corp. to announce the construction of $3.3 billion data center in Racine by 2026. The data center will create 2,300 union construction jobs and approximately 2,000 permanent jobs in Racine. Over the next decade, Microsoft plans to train 100,00 employees in Racine—a long-term boost to the Wisconsin economy.

Microsoft’s Chairman, Brad Smith, “credited Biden's legislation on infrastructure, chips and climate change with laying the groundwork for the investment.” See Reuters, Biden touts new $3.3 billion Microsoft data center at failed Foxconn site Trump backed. Even better news for Racine is that Microsoft will make investments in the Racine school system to increase STEM education and in youth summer employment programs.

Investments in construction, high-tech jobs, science education, youth employment, and a community business boost to house, feed, and entertain 100,000 trainees over the next eight years. It doesn’t get much better than that. Those are tangible manifestations of Biden’s legislative accomplishments over the last three years.

President Biden’s appearance in Racine punctuated and punctured one of the great cons of the Trump administration. In 2017, Trump announced with great fanfare a $10 billion investment by Foxconn to build a high-tech television manufacturing plant in Racine. Wisconsin granted Foxconn $4 billion in incentives and related infrastructure improvements to support the factory, which, according to Trump, would create 13,000 jobs. Trump said the new plant would be the “Eighth wonder of the world.”

It seemed too good to be true.

It was.

The Foxconn announcement was a high-stakes bait-and-switch by Trump. Within three years, Foxconn admitted what many critics said was obvious: Racine was too distant from parts suppliers to make the investment in a high-tech television monitor plant prudent. But that didn’t stop the bulldozing of 100 homes to make room for a plant never built. See CNBC,  (4/21/21), Foxconn mostly abandons $10 billion Wisconsin project touted by Trump (cnbc.com)

Foxnonn did build a scaled-down factory that produces older-technology televisions (rather than the cutting-devices promised by Foxconn). Instead of a $10 billion investment that created 13,000 jobs, Foxconn invested $670 million in a plant that employs about 1,400 workers. While that investment should not be dismissed, it is a fraction of what Trump overpromised in 2017.

Recent polling shows voters do not know that Biden is responsible for the infrastructure-building boom that is helping to drive the good economic news of the last three years. See WhiteHouse.gov (11/15/23), Job Gains in Construction After Two Years of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

President Biden is just beginning his campaign in full. He has good news to spread as he travels across America. Trump, on the other hand, will be embarking on a “broken promises tour” of the states and cities that he conned during this administration. Help to spread the good news of Biden’s accomplishments.

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President Biden announces potential change in US policy regarding arms to Israel

On Wednesday, President Biden appeared in an exclusive interview with “Erin Burnett OutFront.” During the interview, he announced a contingent change in US policy. See CNN Politics, Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah.

Per CNN Politics, Biden said

I made it clear that if they go into Rafah – they haven’t gone in Rafah yet – if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities – that deal with that problem.

We’re not walking away from Israel’s security. We’re walking away from Israel’s ability to wage war in those areas.

We’re going to continue to make sure Israel is secure in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks that came out of the Middle East recently. But it’s, it’s just wrong. We’re not going to – we’re not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells.

Reactions were varied:

• Per the NYTimes, Biden indicated that he had “heard the message” of college students protesting on campus. (“Asked if he hears the message of those young Americans, Mr. Biden said: “Absolutely, I hear the message.”)

• Republican leaders in Congress have demanded that President Biden provide additional information on existing and future delays of arms shipments to Israel. See Axios, Johnson, McConnell demand White House give details on Israel weapons pause.

• The Times of Israel headlined as follows, In bluntest threat yet, Biden says Israel will have to choose between Rafah op, US arms. (“Warning marks stunning shift from president, who has long rejected conditioning aid to Israel; official says US still committed to freeing hostages, denies politics hardened stance.”)

• The Jewish Insider highlighted opposition by Jewish groups in the US: Biden’s Israel threat slammed by pro-Israel lawmakers, mainstream Jewish groups. (Rep. Moskowitz said that “delaying arms sales is “not helpful to get us to a ceasefire” because it shows Hamas “we don’t need to rush, there’s no pressure.”)

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Marjorie Taylor Greene’s effort to oust Mike Johnson fails spectacularly

In a stunning defeat to Marjorie Taylor Greene and the “Freedom” Caucus, members of both parties in the House voted to table her motion to oust Speaker Mike Johnson. The vote to “table” the motion passed 359-43, meaning that strong majorities of both parties voted against Greene’s effort to oust Johnson. Greene not only lost, she was humiliated in the process. See Washington Post, Greene booed as Republicans turn on her over bid to oust Speaker Johnson.

Per WaPo, members of Greene’s own party shouted her down: “They heckled her, shouted boos as she rose to speak and some hissed at her—and those were the voices from the same side of the aisle as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Her failed effort drew a rebuke from Trump, who spent an hour last weekend trying to talk Greene out of her crusade to dump Speaker Mike Johnson. See Fox News, Trump rebukes Marjorie Taylor Greene's failed attempt to oust Speaker.

Among the handful of Republicans who supported Greene’s motion were the most odious and extreme members of the Freedom Caucus: Chip Roy (TX), Paul Gosar (AZ), Tom Massie, (KY), Andy Biggs (AZ), and Barry Moore (AL).  

All Americans should heave a sigh of relief over this development. It has broken Greene’s thuggish power in the House of Representatives. She will now be relegated to her proper status as a crackpot backbencher respected by no one.

While we haven’t heard the last of Greene and her small band of political anarchists, the vote exposed the size of the tiny cabal: only 11 members (out of 217). And it remains true that the entire GOP caucus is capable of engaging in performative nonsense. But the ability of Marjorie Taylor Greene to steer the entire caucus on matters of national importance is over!

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The courts aren’t going to save us; the ballot box will

Two developments regarding the scheduling of criminal trials against Trump have shaken the confidence of Americans who look to the courts to hold bad actors accountable for their crimes. I understand and share the outrage and disappointment of readers over these developments. But the most recent developments only confirm foregone conclusions. They are not new impediments to holding Trump to account before the election, merely continuations of old impediments.

My advice is to avoid worrying about the timing of the criminal trials. We have known for at least six months that the defense secrets trial in Florida and the election interference trial in Georgia state court would not be held before November. Trump will eventually stand trial in both matters—as long as Joe Biden is re-elected. That’s the most important takeaway from this story: Holding Trump accountable legally depends on the outcome of the election; the outcome of the election is not dependent on convicting Trump before November.

With that sage advice firmly in mind, let’s look at the two developments:

Judge Aileen Cannon issued an order that removed the existing trial date from the calendar and failed to set a new trial date. Her reason for doing so is that she has failed to rule on a flurry of meritless pre-trial motions filed by Trump. Any experienced federal judge acting in good faith would have disposed of the motions and set a trial date over the summer. Not Judge Cannon, who continues acting like she is a member of Trump's defense team. See Order Setting Second Set of Pretrial Deadlines.

In indefinitely delaying the trial, Judge Cannon found that the public’s interest in a speedy trial was outweighed by her laziness in not ruling on Trump's meritless motions. She wrote, in part,

Finally, the Court has evaluated the statutory factors set forth in the Speedy Trial Act . . .  including the public’s interest in the efficient administration of justice. Upon such review, the Court finds that the ends of justice served by this continuance . . . outweigh the best interest of the public and Defendants in a speedy trial. . . Time under the Speedy Trial Act is therefore tolled . . . to permit adequate time for hearings and adjudication of substantive pretrial motions, discovery disputes, and CIPA issues, many of which present novel and difficult questions.

Yes, Judge Cannon’s transparent deliberate delay to favor Trump is corrupt. But she cannot delay trial forever. Her judgment will be left to the hands of history. See Talking Points Memo, It Will Be Up To History Now To Render A Verdict On Aileen Cannon.

The second disappointing development is the acceptance for appellate review of Judge McAfee’s ruling that Fani Willis is not disqualified from handling the Georgia election interference case. See Georgia Recorder, Georgia appeals court to review decision allowing DA Willis to prosecute Trump case.

Again, this decision is not a surprise. Judge McAfee “certified” his ruling for immediate appeal. The Court of Appeal merely granted review of the decision. Yes, the appellate review will delay the time to trial, but Fani Willis had no chance to bring the case to trial before the election. Any hope of doing so disappeared as soon as Judge McAfee decided to hold a mini-trial on the romantic relationship between Fani Willis and Nathan Wade.

It seems highly unlikely that the appellate court will overturn Judge McAfee’s ruling. However, the delay in resolving the issue on appeal will be substantial.

So, we are not in a materially different place than we were six months ago. But the courts continue to fail the public by indulging in unnecessary delays in cases that demand expediency to protect the public interest. Since we cannot intervene in the cases or influence the judges, it is better for us to focus our efforts on winning the election in 2024—the single most important thing we can do to bring Trump to justice.

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Opportunities for reader engagement

Reminder: Today’s Edition Newsletter fundraiser for Colin Allred

I will be hosting Colin Allred on a special Zoom event for readers of Today’s Edition Newsletter. Colin is challenging Senator Ted Cruz for a seat in the US Senate.

The event will take place on Tuesday, May 14 at 5:30 pm Pacific / 7:30 pm Central /8:30 pm Eastern. Although tickets to fundraisers for US Senate candidates are usually expensive, Colin and his campaign have worked with me to ensure that readers making smaller donations can join. What we may lack in megadonor readers of this newsletter, we hope to make up by encouraging hundreds of readers to attend and make small donations. The link to donate and register for the event is here:  Colin Allred for US Senate | Today's Edition Virtual Fundraiser.

If you signed up already, you will receive a Zoom link 48-hours before the event.

Join VoteRiders to learn how to fight voter suppression!

Here is a note from one of my favorite organizations, VoteRiders, for a free virtual event -- June 13, 10am PT / 1pm ET:

38 states and counting have voter ID laws in place this year, and more Americans than ever before now live in a state with a voter ID law. While these restrictive and confusing laws put millions of votes at risk, there are also available resources and free help services to ensure every eligible voter can cast a ballot that counts. Please join VoteRiders, the nation's leading organization focused on the increasingly crucial issue of voter ID, for a webinar to learn how to fight back. We'll share insights from new research on who lacks ID in America, what citizens know about voter ID laws where they live, and most importantly -- what we can do to ensure no voter stays home this November despite the rising tide of ID laws.

Register here to save your spot!

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Concluding Thoughts

I received a lot of thoughtful feedback in response to my discussion yesterday about lower reader engagement after I highlighted Joe Biden’s activities as the first item in each newsletter. Three responses deserve comment because they are helpful and important for all readers.

First, many readers said, “It’s all too much. I need a break.” If that’s you, take a guilt-free break! If you are overwhelmed or exhausted, you owe it to yourself and your family to protect your physical and emotional health. Taking a break will make you a better, stronger volunteer in future battles!

Second, some readers said that they are now subscribing to several Substack newsletters, and they can’t read them all each day. I cannot tell you how happy it makes me to hear that readers are finding other good sources of news on Substack. Having more pro-democracy newsletters on Substack is a wonderful development! Substack has become an important alternative to the constant negativity of the news media. So if you have found other writers that help you navigate these challenging times, by all means read (and if possible, support) those other Substack newsletters.

Finally, one reader sent a very polite and respectful note saying he found the newsletter less helpful because I had become a “cheerleader” for Joe Biden. I told the reader he was right (although I don’t think “cheerleader” is the best description). Major news media sites have adopted an unrelenting negativity in reporting on Biden. I believe readers are entitled to a counterweight to that negativity. I am intentionally positive about Joe Biden. If I highlighted disagreements that I or others have with Biden’s policies, I would simply be piling onto the negative reporting. What good would that serve?

Although I strive to report on Joe Biden through a positive lens, I also strive for accuracy and honesty in my summaries. That is one reason I include so many links to underlying sources. I am not a journalist; I comment on the news; and show my work by linking to the sources I comment on.  

Fortunately, the truth is that there are many positive aspects of Joe Biden’s presidency to include in this newsletter. Unfortunately, those positive aspects do not get the attention they deserve. I am trying to correct that imbalance. If that makes me a cheerleader for Biden, I accept that description proudly and will do my best to continue praising Biden in an intellectually honest, positive manner.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to write today. I appreciate your kind words and notes of support for this newsletter's mission. We are a community of concerned citizens fortunate to stand next to one another in the most important struggle of our lifetime. Thank you for all you do. I am proud to be by your side in this battle.

Talk to you tomorrow!