March 16, 2021

This is a Washington Post headline: "Biden and allies launch stimulus campaign focused on competitive battleground states."

Did they think they were praising him or are we seeing actual critique or genuine neutrality?  

Let's read: 

The early itinerary reflects a clear political calculation, with the first and second families visiting four states — Georgia, Nevada, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania — that could prove crucial to maintaining Democrats’ tenuous hold on the Senate in the 2022 midterms.... 

Though public polls show that the relief package is popular with the majority of the country, administration officials — many of whom also worked in the Obama administration — say they learned lessons from Democrats’ failure to rally the public around former president Barack Obama’s stimulus package in 2009 and the Affordable Care Act in 2010. They are hoping to use the travel campaign to harness existing momentum and inform Americans how they can benefit from the relief package....

Seems as though they think they are praising him for his political acumen.

82 comments:

wendybar said...

Funny, I wonder who they polled and what they actually asked. Because if the people actually knew what was in this CRAP bill, they would be out in the streets protesting, but because the left lies, and the MEDIA helps them keep the bad things secret....Don't say you weren't warned.

rastajenk said...

"harness existing momentum..." Is that a new euphemism for the bootheel of tyranny?

DavidUW said...

There's no reason to read a single lie from the WaPo.

narciso said...

Just more minitrue


https://thefederalist.com/2021/03/15/professor-who-called-acosta-treatment-truly-shocking-now-wants-to-ban-fox-news-from-white-house/#.YFCy5rug8DU.twitter

Roy Lofquist said...

Yeah, they dropped the ball in 2010. If they hadn't been remiss in selling the fiscal stimulus and Obamacare they might have avoided having a mackerel shoved up their ass - sideways. Republican Senators +6. Republican Representatives +63.

stevew said...

It is nonsensical to rally support for, aka: sell, legislation that is already passed and signed into law. They must not believe the polls that assert high levels of support around the country.

unknown said...

“ Though public polls show that the relief package is popular with the majority of the country,”

I keep seeing this little nugget in news stories about the stimulus package. I have to assume most people’s understanding of it is, “give me money good, no give me money bad.” Would you rather have $1400 or not? I doubt any pollster is asking people specific questions about their support for the majority of the package that isn’t spent on stimulus checks or Covid vaccine distribution.

It’s telling that reporters keep inserting this factoid about the public’s support, though. They feel the need to keep bolstering Biden.

narciso said...

Thats why they want hr 1 and then take your guns.

Leland said...

There's no reason to read a single lie from the WaPo.

Oh, I believe this story is true. They really do think it is cool to use taxpayer money to run re-election campaigns, so they can keep their campaign contributions to pay their family staff.

Just some rando on the interwebz said...

This is wonderful hack litmus test for the media. If you would report this story the completely opposite way with a different political party than you are a complete hack like this reporter.

Rick said...

Though public polls show that the relief package is popular with the majority of the country

I wonder what the numbers would be if the public understood only about 15% of the spending is what Dems publicized when they passed it and the rest is pork for their fat-cats. It must be nice to have a media function as your public relations department.

Temujin said...

Other notable Washington Post headlines include, "Did Trump break the law in his call to Georgia's Secretary of State? Some lawyers say yes."

That turned out to be utter fiction. Serious people need to stop quoting WaPo. It's not much different than quoting National Enquirer.

I would love to see multiple American citizens shouting out to Biden to go down to the southern Border instead of touring around trying to explain away his Covid Relief Bill that spends trillions, with less than 10% going toward covid relief, while the open border is allowing thousands of infected people to stream in where we then place them shoulder to shoulder in containers.

Time for tossed eggs. Enough of this charade.

Todd said...

So the #BadTouchBiden and #KneepadsHarris administration (with help from the racist Democrats) want to give us lowly residents of this country (don't say citizens cause illegal aliens can claim stimulus checks too) a few crumbs off of the big boy table while they drive the deficit ever higher AND give HUGE bailouts to their blue state buddies, the unions, and other big businesses.

Keep your stimulus and just open up the states!?! I know that is the Governor's job but the blue state Governors are less likely to when they can count on Uncle Suger (the drooling moron) to give them more "free" money.

Don't you love the boring?

MayBee said...

Wait.
The families are traveling to sell this? The first and second families? Stop this madness.

Rusty said...

The Washington Post is this nations high school newspaper of record. Nobody ever said it was a good high school newspaper.

Josephbleau said...

Isn't the millennial White house staff cute, They are going to put on a show in the old barn and drum up some support for war bonds. Can you imagine how cool these 20 year old staffers feel about their stunning plan to have a politician and a spouse visit a town and give a speech! Brilliant!! Always hire the Poly Sci majors, they know just what to do.

chuck said...

Money can buy you love.

bleh said...

"Wait.
The families are traveling to sell this? The first and second families? Stop this madness."

We were considered a banana republic where democracy was dying when Trump family members like Ivanka and Jared got involved in politics.

Iman said...

Democracy Dies in Dementia

Arturo Ui said...

Sounds great!

narciso said...

Starve out main street burn down what remains, make the people beg for scraps. Reward the looters.

n.n said...

There's no reason to read a single lie from the WaPo.

They are not gods. not even mortal gods. While they have the advantage of braying from their estate, there is information in published misinformation and disinformation. This is observable across the spectrum of their scientific, political, social, cultural, and quasi-religious special and peculiar interests.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

The states the left stole will be rewarded. Makes sense.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Rachel Maddow is the left's Q-anon
WaPO - is democrat party Pravda

LYNNDH said...

Of course they won't mentioned the Billions that are going to their cronies and other wasteful spending. Nor the true cost of the Pork Bill.

Rick said...

Seems as though they think they are praising him for his political acumen.

They are. If you think this is wrong you're not the target audience.

n.n said...

Redistributive change following 5 trimesters of misinformation and disinformation resulting in children in "cages", Planned Parent/hood, social contagion driving herd stampedes, denial and stigmatization of inexpensive effective treatments, and excess infections and deaths through intuitive science. Let them eat cake.

n.n said...

Other notable Washington Post headlines include, "Did Trump break the law in his call to Georgia's Secretary of State? Some lawyers say yes."

WaPo has been a leading publisher of misinformation and disinformation, and generally a reliable Democrat-affiliated spreader of propaganda. Demos-cracy is aborted in darkness.

Iman said...

Biden lost this, Biden lost that.

Meanwhile, Biden and his midget minions substantially increase the burden on and decrease the quality of life of our children, grandchildren and any who MAY follow. Fuck Biden.

RoseAnne said...

I recall Joe Biden talking about promoting the already passed bill to "the country". Then I saw a comment on a post saying that the tour of "the country" wouldn't take them west of the Mississippi. I laughed because that would be an incredibly tone deaf decision on the part of the Biden administration.

Well, I was wrong - that it was the decision, not that it is incredibly tone deaf. I was right on that part.

BTW, anecdotally a lot of people believed Biden about the $2000 (not $1400) checks he promised. A lot of them are Democrats and are not as thrilled with the bill as they once were.

RoseAnne said...

I recall Joe Biden talking about promoting the already passed bill to "the country". Then I saw a comment on a post saying that the tour of "the country" wouldn't take them west of the Mississippi. I laughed because that would be an incredibly tone deaf decision on the part of the Biden administration.

Well, I was wrong - that it was the decision, not that it is incredibly tone deaf. I was right on that part.

BTW, anecdotally a lot of people believed Biden about the $2000 (not $1400) checks he promised. A lot of them are Democrats and are not as thrilled with the bill as they once were.

Tim said...

Biden is an asshole. Also, water is wet. Both of these have been known for a long time.

n.n said...

of life of our children, grandchildren and any who MAY follow

He subscribes to the Pro-Choice quasi-religion spread by the Progressive Church. "our Posterity" was denied standing through passage of the Twilight Amendment, then deprecated through normalization of diversity (e.g. racism), selective-child ("wicked solution"), and Planned Parenthood (e.g. clinical cannibalism).

n.n said...

Biden is an asshole

A back... black hole... whore h/t NAACP. He's technical an ass, a jackass.

Nonapod said...

I guess literally buying votes is what amounts to smart campaigning these days. Just vote (D) and we'll print you more funny money.

It makes me wonder at what point it would be that voters would suddenly perhaps not think it's such a hot idea. Would people become skeptical if they passed a $50,000 per person plan? Maybe $100,000 per person? Would that be too much?

n.n said...

Biden and his midget minions substantially increase the burden on and decrease the quality of life of our children, grandchildren and any who MAY follow

The Progressive Church/Agency/Office/Clinic/Chamber reduce the "burden": children, grandchildren, babies... "our Posterity".

Iman said...

“You will notice that establishment media errors, omissions, mistakes, and outright lies always slant one way—against me and against Republicans. Meanwhile, stories that hurt Democrats or undermine their narratives are buried, ignored, or delayed until they can do the least harm—for example, after an election is over.”

—- Donald Trump

bleh said...

BTW, anecdotally a lot of people believed Biden about the $2000 (not $1400) checks he promised. A lot of them are Democrats and are not as thrilled with the bill as they once were.

The overt "elect us and we'll give you money" pitch was disgraceful. They should be embarrassed by it, but they aren't. I realize politicians always make promises of financial benefits in exchange for votes; but it's usually characterized as "investing" in this or that program or bringing money to the district. To straight up offer cash for votes is just too on the nose.

320Busdriver said...


Blogger narciso said...
Thats why they want hr 1 and then take your guns.

Did you see Mitch’s soliloquy about the filibuster?

You can bet this s storm is coming, and Katy bar the door.

Stolen elections have consequences, just sayin.

narciso said...

Chaser

https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/2021/03/16/alexander-vindman-proposes-suing-conservative-media-to-deradicalize-it/

Skeptical Voter said...

Living in Califonrnia--since before Little Kamala was born--I've seen all I want of her. But the fabulous opportunity to see the unknown lawyer who is now the "Second Husband" and part of the "Second Family" will excite some. Meh--I saw all the lawyers I ever wanted to see in my professional life.

Now I thought that the important political calculus in the Biden Pelosi "Covid Relief" bill was to shovel money to the blue states. Say Joe--send the dough--and you can stay home. Visits by Dr. Jill and the Second Husband will not send a thrill up anyone's leg.

Sebastian said...

"Seems as though they think they are praising him"

Huh? Of course they are.

The question is if Americans now want to be bribed with other people's money. I think they do.

Sebastian said...

By the way, Althouse, was the Covid "relief bill" boring enough for you?

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

The Washington Post just admitted to publishing fabricated quotes that suggested Trump was attempting a coup.

This would be enough to tank the entire paper if there was any semblance of journalistic integrity left.

Michael K said...

Blogger Roy Lofquist said...
Yeah, they dropped the ball in 2010. If they hadn't been remiss in selling the fiscal stimulus and Obamacare they might have avoided having a mackerel shoved up their ass - sideways. Republican Senators +6. Republican Representatives +63.


If that repeats next year, we will know they have not perfected stealing elections. 535 elections to steal is a challenge.

Anonymous said...

wait till they get to the $6k cost of the bill for each person and child in the country

Howard said...

It's so unfair that Dems game the system. Why isn't the msm deifying Trump for being the creator of the miraculous wu flu vaccines that are right now literally saving the planet.

Howard said...

Guess what? When you have fiat currency, you have fiat debt.

Nonapod said...

It will be interesting to see how voters react if we get hit with some pretty serious inflation. For example, if gasoline hits $7 a gallon and a pound of ground beef gets to $20, will voters demand an additional even larger stimulous? Will the Fed actually raise interest rates at that point? I guess we'll find out whether we want to or not.

MountainMan said...

From Francis Menton: Could This Be the Very Worst Piece of Legislation Ever?. It's pretty bad, but I would submit that The PRO Act and the For the People Act, if both pass the Senate, will be even worse.

Iman said...

Oh, those chubby, short sausage fingers of Howard...

Real American said...

there was no debate over this bill. there was no real markup process. just another one of Nancy's pass the bill to find out what's in it. The more people learn about what's in it, the more they'll hate it. This wasn't about COVID at all. Democrats weren't helping America. They were helping themselves to our nation's wealth.

I'm Not Sure said...

"It will be interesting to see how voters react if we get hit with some pretty serious inflation. For example, if gasoline hits $7 a gallon...

This morning, gas at the corner station is 10 cents/gallon more than it was yesterday and is now over 50% higher than it was when Biden was installed two months ago.

Ignorance is Bliss said...

The early itinerary reflects a clear political calculation, with the first and second families visiting four states — Georgia, Nevada, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania

Good to know Covid is no longer a concern

Jamie said...

The overt "elect us and we'll give you money" pitch was disgraceful.

To be fair, "unseemliness" was most of what bothered some Republican NeverTrumpers and, presumably, some relatively apolitical others about Trump. To say that this tactic is "disgraceful" and Dems should follow the time-honored tradition of calling pay-to-play an "investment" in a "program" is to make a civility argument, not a substantive one.

Me, I want to live in the beautiful dreamworld in which politicians attempt to convince voters that their proposed policies are the most beneficial for the nation, on balance. Sigh...

tommyesq said...

touring around trying to explain away his Covid Relief Bill that spends trillions, with less than 10% going toward covid relief

90% to the Big Guy.

rehajm said...

It makes me wonder why they feel the need to campaign. After HR 1, is it still too hard to fix elections in those places? Have they written themselves more money than they have ways to spend it?

Something's amiss...

rehajm said...

Today the networks are shopping the new tax plan and the trillions in 'infrastructure' lefties plan to pass with reconciliation, as overheard using the moldy oldie, West Wing candid-comment-on-a-hot-mic trick.

(Education to those who still haven't wised up: it's a trick. They wanted you to hear it but it would be too bold or too uncouth to say it loud and proud)

tim maguire said...

People don't "support the stimulus package." They would like the checks they've been promised and they are told that they will get those checks from the stimulus package once it's passed.

It makes no sense for Biden and Harris to go on a barnstorming campaign to advertise the actual stimulus for the same reasons it made no sense for Obama to advertise the actual Obamacare. Because the more people know abut what's in it, the less they will like it. The less said, the better.

Obama understood that. So much the better for Republicans if Biden's handlers don't.

MadisonMan said...

It's only illegal to buy votes with your own money. It's not illegal to buy votes with Government money.

Mary Beth said...

That turned out to be utter fiction. Serious people need to stop quoting WaPo. It's not much different than quoting National Enquirer.

The National Enquirer is an entertainment paper. Even though they did give us the John Edwards story when all the other news media was ignoring it, they are still primarily for gossip and celebrity stories. They don't pretend to be anything else. The problem with the WaPo is that they pretend to have unbiased news reporting even though it is obvious that they are a propaganda machine.

Serious people need to stop quoting WaPo. It's not much different than quoting Pravda. (FIFY)

rehajm said...

Serious people need to stop quoting WaPo

The grace period for serious people ended long ago. People quoting WaPo are not serious people.

Michelle Dulak Thomson said...

RoseAnne, I, too, am a bit confused about why Biden feels the need to tour the country (er . . . half of the country) to promote a bill that was already passed and signed. This is going a step beyond "We have to the pass the bill so you can see what's in it"; this is "We've passed it; now you may have a peek." Bleh.

narciso said...

https://dailycaller.com/2021/03/15/dick-durbin-filibuster-become-the-death-grip-of-democracy/

boatbuilder said...

This monstrosity is going to go a long way toward paying off the massive debts of the free-spending deep blue states--including my own state, CT.

Does anyone believe for a minute that the Democrat Party leadership of any of those states will seek to do the responsible thing and say "let's not let this happen again; let's get our spending under control going forward."?

Not a chance. Happy Days Are Here Again!!!

Hammond X. Gritzkofe said...

Headline should read: "BIDEN BLATANT USE OF PUBLIC MONEY FOR POLITICAL PURPOSE / White House Picks Winners and Losers With Your Tax Dollars"

Every day at least one such deceptive headline in our local rag.

Earnest Prole said...

Politicians buying votes. In other news, water is wet and the sun rises in the east yet another day.

Remind me again of your question?

Gospace said...

I'm Not Sure said...
"It will be interesting to see how voters react if we get hit with some pretty serious inflation. For example, if gasoline hits $7 a gallon...


IIRC, energy prices are no longer included in CPI calculations. The secondary effects are.

SO while we "feel" that inflation is out of control the official numbers will lag behind and we'll be told it isn't happening.

Gospace said...

And, darn it, I paid off my mortgage last year in non-inflated dollars.

The Vault Dweller said...

I heard a similar story on NPR. They also drew the comparison to President Obama in 2009. And said that President Biden felt that it was a mistake for President Obama to not take a victory lap when a stimulus plan was passed in 2009. As far as tone of the story. I don't know if it is intended to praise Biden for his political acumen, but perhaps more justify and provide cover to his actions. It will look nakedly political to some, because it is. And I think this story is giving a message saying, "Look, this is the way the game has to be played and it would be a mistake to not do this. This was a mistake that President Obama even made because he was too decent to want to take a victory lap. President Biden is making the right call to do this. Even if it seems somewhat gauche."

Mr. Enns said...

"Rachel Maddow is the left's Q-anon
WaPO - is democrat party Pravda"
Q-anon is the left's Q-anon.

The Vault Dweller said...

Blogger Gospace said...
IIRC, energy prices are no longer included in CPI calculations.


When I checked the BLS's website they still appeared have energy included. There has, I think, been two main measures of CPI though. One that included everything, and one that excluded food and energy because those are two very volatile categories. I think there is a similar reasoning for why when information on Capital Good orders exclude aircraft because those are very expensive and volatile.

I'm Not Sure said...

"and one that excluded food and energy because those are two very volatile categories."

Food and energy are two categories that the government is heavily invested in managing.

Coincidence?

Howard said...

You people are way too Fucking serious. It's a tell that you are highly insecure and afraid of being dominated by libtards soy boys and they're woke ya ya sisterhood of the traveling pants

n.n said...

Q-anon is the left's Q-anon.

Exactly. Q-who is modeled on the left-right nexus that is leftist. Neither the libertarian right nor the conservative center.

Lurker21 said...

The early itinerary reflects a clear political calculation, with the first and second families visiting four states

I get why Jill has to go wherever Joe goes, and maybe they need to keep a close eye on Hunter, but is Kamala really dragging Doug Emhoff around with her? Does she need a minder too?

I'm Not Sure said...

"but is Kamala really dragging Doug Emhoff around with her? Does she need a minder too?"

You never know where her mouth is going to end up.

Bruce Hayden said...

“If that repeats next year, we will know they have not perfected stealing elections. 535 elections to steal is a challenge.”

As for Congressional seats, they probably will be able to mostly steal seats that they already control, and have for a long time. It takes a decent Dem machine to steal votes like it was done in 2020. With the exception of Maricopa County here in AZ, the well known fraud, where Republican poll watchers were thrown out, ballots were being shipped in from elsewhere, and in some cases counted several times, they had to have complacent city employees, judges, and probably law enforcement. We are talking Philadelphia, Detroit, and Atlanta, in particular. There just aren’t that many swing districts that are that vulnerable to those sorts of machinations.

Sure, the Dems may be able to tweak the redistributing a little in their favor under HR-1, but mostly just to mitigate, a little, the effects of Republican control at the state level. Normal judicial rules still have to apply - compact districts, some continuity, etc. And the Dems might lose a district or two, when the roles are reversed, and they have state level control.

rehajm said...

shot and chaser

If you still believe WaPo is a news organization, cut it out. Now.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

buying votes is the new black.

gbarto said...

Our governor, Gavin Newsom, keeps saying we need to stay locked down a little longer. He also keeps traveling all over the state trying to make news and fend off the recall.

If these administration officials were ordinary Americans, would the CDC suggest this kind of travel is warranted? Or would they recommend staying home a little longer, till everyone's comfortable.

Misinforminimalism said...

My guess is they think this is actually neutral. I heard an equivalent NPR story last night (maybe it was PBS News Hour?) where they pointed out that the Dems are pushing the "relief" bill not only as a political winner, but "also" as a means of gaining advantage in the upcoming 2022 elections. Hmm.