Today’s Edition: Promises kept.

September 1, 2021

          President Biden addressed Americans on the day after the last U.S. soldier left Afghanistan. He explained his rationale for keeping his promise to extricate the U.S. from a twenty-year war. The lengthy speech can be summarized in two points:

I was not going to extend this forever war, and I was not extending a forever exit. . . . As Commander-in-Chief, I firmly believe the best path to guard our safety and our security lies in a tough, unforgiving, targeted, precise strategy that goes after terror where it is today, not where it was two decades ago.  That’s what’s in our national interest. 

          Before reading the media spin, I suggest that you read Biden’s speech, in full, and then judge Biden’s explanations for yourself. See WhiteHouse.gov, “Remarks by President Biden on the End of the War in Afghanistan.”

          A strong majority of Americans support the decision to end the war in Afghanistan—even after the difficult and deadly withdrawal. But the press was apoplectic over Biden’s remarks. They are dismayed that after weeks of unrelenting criticism, Biden has refused to bend to their will and adopt the media narrative. The NYTimes page-one reporting (not an editorial or op-ed) summed up its view of Biden’s speech by saying,

The president refused to offer any sort of mea culpa on Tuesday, even as the Taliban celebrated their “independence” from America with gunfire in the streets of Kabul.

          Of course, the premise of the Times’ reporting is that Biden owed the nation a “mea culpa” but “refused” to grant it. The Times is free to offer opinion, but it should make a modest effort to keep opinion out of news reporting. To similar effect are stories in The Hill, “Creating American hostages, abandoning Afghan allies,” Politico, “Biden tries to shift blame on Afghanistan,” and WSJ, “A Dishonest Afghanistan Accounting.”

          In a disappointing development, many Democrats seem to be running for cover, afraid that the criticism of Biden will spoil their chances in 2022. See CNN, “Vulnerable Democrats seek distance from Biden on Afghanistan ahead of contentious House debate.”

          The important news about the withdrawal isn’t the media’s coverage of the withdrawal, the fickle response by Democrats, or the lies of the GOP. The relentless harping by hostile journalists has obscured the reality of the moment. The real story is that Biden made a promise, kept it, and did so despite cynical and vociferous opposition from politicians, the media, and senior military leaders. Ending the war was the right course of action. The American people know that and support Biden. Military veterans know that and support Biden. So, ignore the din and hypocrisy. Be thankful that Biden had the courage of his convictions.

Hurricane Ida.

          The slow-rolling effects of Hurricane Ida threaten a catastrophe of significant proportions. Although the death toll is currently in the single digits, it is likely to climb higher as search and rescue missions continue. But the real suffering and loss may be caused power outages that could last up to three weeks. See Financial Times, “Louisiana power outages caused by Hurricane Ida could persist for weeks.” Everything from cell phone service, water, sanitation, hospitals, emergency services, and food supply chains are being affected. The dramatic winds and tidal surges are mostly gone, but the real suffering may be just beginning. The situation demands a nationwide response to prevent catastrophe.

          Amid everything else that is occupying the nation’s attention, relief efforts have become even more urgent. As with the earthquake in Haiti, I would appreciate reader recommendations for effective ways to provide immediate help to victims in Louisiana, Mississippi, and other states affected by Hurricane Ida.

Republican disregard for the rule of law.

          A series of stories on Tuesday highlight the fact that the GOP is the greatest threat to democracy in America today. As a party, it has abandoned any pretense of supporting the rule of law. Thuggery has replaced democracy in the GOP. Why does this matter? Because we must vote like the future of democracy depends on us. It does.

• Governor Ron DeSantis ignored a court order and imposed sanctions on school districts that adopted mandatory mask policies. See Politico, “Florida defies judge and punishes 2 school districts over masks.” When elected officials ignore court orders, chaos ensues.

• House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy threatened to put communication companies out of business if they comply with document requests from the House Select Committee investigating the insurrection on January 6th. See Politico, “McCarthy threatens companies that comply with Jan. 6 probe’s phone records requests.” McCarthy said, “If these companies comply with the Democrat order to turn over private information, they are in violation of federal law and subject to losing their ability to operate in the United States.” McCarthy’s threat is simultaneously outrageous, pathetic, and laughable. The communication companies will squash McCarthy like a bug if he tries to terminate their ability to operate in the U.S. McCarthy must be really, really worried about what his cell phone records will show about his communications on or about January 6th.

• GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn told supporters, “If our election systems continue to be rigged and continued to be stolen then it's going to lead to one place and that's bloodshed.” Cawthorn also suggested (by negative implication) that he would “dread . . .  pick[ing] up arms against a fellow American.” See Des Moines Register, “Madison Cawthorn warns of 'bloodshed' in pushing election fraud claims.” Such comments should result in the expulsion of Cawthorn from the GOP caucus and from Congress. Cawthorn claims that his comments were intended to discourage violence over claims of election fraud. Cawthorn’s explanation is bogus, as demonstrated by the fact that in the same speech, he described the insurrectionists arrested on January 6th as “political prisoners.”

• Republican appointees on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals have set aside all pretense of following the law. See WaPo op-ed by Ruth Marcus, “The 5th Circuit is staking out a claim to be America’s most dangerous court.” As explained yesterday, two Trump appointees on the Fifth Circuit joined in an order that prohibited a federal district judge from holding a hearing on the constitutionality of the Texas abortion statute. That is not how the legal process works. Disputes are heard and resolved at the trial court level. Courts of appeal then decided whether the trial court acted properly based on the evidentiary and legal record developed in the trial court. But the Fifth Circuit simply divested the trial court of its jurisdiction to hear cases that raise constitutional issues. [Note: the issue is now before the U.S. Supreme Court, with a decision expected shortly.]

          I could go on, but you get the picture. To Republicans, the law is an impediment to their effort to extend their failing grip on power. We must stop them at the ballot box by encouraging turnout. Read on!

Support High School Voter Registration

The following comes from a loyal reader who has been instrumental in the work of The Civics Center project:

          Most high school students are eligible to register to vote before they graduate from high school. But most schools do little to help.

          The Civics Center, a national nonprofit, nonpartisan organization is sponsoring national High School Voter Registration Week, which will occur this year from September 27 to October 1. Students across the country will be holding voter registration drives in their high schools. High school student leaders can sign up for a free training to learn how to lead a drive in their schools. Students receive a free Democracy in a Box toolkit. For details check out The Civics Center .

Spread the word about vaccinations.

          Another loyal reader suggested a way to encourage friends, families, and followers on social media to get vaccinated. Spread the Word provides resources to easily promote its campaign, “Don’t Hesitate. Vaccinate.” If you are a user of Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or have your own website, check out the link above for instructions on how to urge followers to get vaccinated.

Concluding Thoughts.

          I listened to Ari Melber interview filmmaker Michael Moore on Tuesday afternoon—after Biden’s speech. Moore said that he was an early and ardent supporter of Bernie Sanders in the 2020 election. Moore was effusive in his praise of Joe Biden, saying, “I have been completely surprised and feeling that we’re all blessed to have Joe Biden in the White House.” Moore commended Biden not only for refusing to “walk back” his campaign promise about ending the war in Afghanistan, but for his handling of the pandemic, and his sweeping proposals to end child poverty, pay for community college, increase unemployment, and address climate change (among other items).

          Moore can be a tough critic about almost everyone and everything. But his reaction to Biden aligns with the feelings of many Americans. Some voters may have voted for Biden because he was not Trump. Others may have viewed him as a caretaker president. To the surprise of many, most especially his critics, Biden has an agenda and a vision that he is promoting tirelessly every day. Biden is not perfect and has fallen short (to date) on some key issues. But he has also exceeded expectations—and the performance of his predecessors—on many important measures. Moore is right. We are blessed to have Joe Biden in the White House during this challenging time in our nation’s history.

          Talk to you tomorrow!