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It was the Best of TIME (Biden), It was the Worst of TIME (Trump) Interviews

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From the Biden-Harris reelection campaign:

It was the Best of TIME (Biden), It was the Worst of TIME (Trump) Interviews

Joe Biden: Defender and Protector vs. Donald Trump: Chaos and Destruction

Two TIME interviews, two very different visions for our country and the world.

On the cover of the magazine, Trump, sitting alone surrounded by his own dark, demented retribution.

In his interview, Trump:

  • Bragged about raising costs for millions of Americans
  • Endorsed every single extreme abortion ban, tracking of women’s pregnancies, and refused to say he wouldn’t ban contraception
  • Celebrated his followers wanting him to be a dictator
  • Outlined violence if he loses and retribution if he wins
  • Said the 2020 election was stolen
  • Promised to consider pardons for violent rioters who attacked law enforcement
  • Outlined his plans to turn the military and law enforcement against Americans and rip families apart
  • Shredded the world order and empowered dictators
  • Would not support a two-state solution in Israel-Palestine

On the cover of the magazine, Joe Biden, standing at the resolute desk, the only person standing between Donald Trump and his destruction of America and democracy around the world.

In his interview, Joe Biden defended democracy, our rights, and the world’s future.

  • Stood up for American leadership, “We are the world power.”
  • Discussed strengthening our alliances around the world
  • Outlined his strong record on the economy
  • Proudly highlighted his record of accomplishment
  • On January 6: “It made me realize just how fundamentally what he allowed to happen sitting in this room, looking at that television for three hours and didn’t do a damn thing, said about America, and how much confidence people lost in America.”
  • On democracy in the world: “My democracy and their democracy is at stake. My democracy is at stake.”
  • On dictators supporting Trump: “Everybody, all the bad guys are rooting for Trump, man. Not a joke. Think about it. Think about it.”

Biden-Harris 2024 Spokesperson James Singer issued the following statement:

“Today’s TIME interview makes clear the only person standing between Donald Trump’s dark, extreme, and chaotic version of America is Joe Biden. In one interview, readers see Joe Biden –   the protector and defender of what George Washington declared was a ‘sacred cause’ – the idea of America, its freedom, liberty, and democracy. In the other interview, readers see a failed and dishonest convicted felon, so consumed by his own revenge and retribution and unhinged that he’d do anything just to get power. That’s the choice for voters this November.”  

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Paid for by Biden for President

Wednesday News: “Indian Voters Have Finally Woken Up”; “Trump Floats Jailing Political Opponents”; “Biden calls Trump ‘reckless and dangerous’ over claims trial was rigged”; “Racial resentment’ a factor in violence of 6 January 2021, study says”

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by Lowell (note: I’ve been in the hospital for several days with a serious bacterial infection that appears to have impacted by heart; am out now and being treated with IV antibiotics for 6 weeks…hopefully it works! Meanwhile, back to fighting for our democracy and against those who would destroy it.)

34 Lowlights from Convicted Felon Donald Trump’s Press Conference Speech

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From the Biden-Harris campaign:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 31, 2024

34 Lowlights from Convicted Felon Donald Trump’s Press Conference Speech

Hopefully you were busy and did not watch.

But earlier today, convicted felon Donald Trump held a press conference speech for around 35 minutes. It was incoherent. It was bizarre. It was unhinged. He took no questions.

After watching that – does anyone think this man has the capacity to lead our country?

Here are 34 highlights lowlights from Trump’s performance:

  1. “If they can do this to me they can do this to anyone.” (other people typically don’t allegedly pay hush money to a pornstar they had an affair with)
  2. They want to stop you from having cars.” (uh, no)
  3. “I’m under a gag order, which nobody’s ever been under.” (other people have also been under gag orders while on trial)
  4. “Think of it, I’m the leading candidate. I’m leading Biden by a lot, and I’m leading the Republicans to the point where that’s over.” (the primary has been over for over two months)
  5. “This is done by Washington.” (the trial was in New York)
  6. “It was very unfair.” (it was not)
  7. “I wanted to testify… to this day I would have liked to have testified.” (He could have testified. He chose not to)
  8. “I’m out there and I don’t mind being out there.” (He very much does mind being out there.)
  9. “It was a rigged trial.” (It was not.)
  10. “As far as the trial itself, It was very unfair.” (It was not.)
  11. “Let me give you the good news.” (There was no good news.)
  12. “He wouldn’t allow us to have witnesses.” (Trump team’s had witnesses.)
  13. “The unselect committee of thugs.” (tbh fantastic fantasy football team name.)
  14. “By the way, and nothing ever happened. There was no anything.” (Do you understand this because we don’t.)
  15. “I don’t feel 77.” (He looks older)
  16. “So it’s not hush money, it’s a non disclosure agreement totally legal. Totally common. Everyone has it.” (So he admits it)
  17. “It should have been a non case and everybody said it was a non case.” (???)
  18. “You saw what happened to some of the witnesses that were on our side, they were literally crucified by this man who looks like an angel, but he’s really a devil. He looks so nice and soft.” (Woahhh)
  19. “Our elections are corrupt.” (No they aren’t.)
  20. “Languages… we haven’t even heard of.” (We have heard of these languages.)
  21. “Nobody knows where they get it [money].” (FEC reports)
  22. “I could go through the books of any business person in the city and I could find things that in theory I guess let’s indict him.” (No he couldn’t.)
  23. “Jonathan Turley, Andy McCarthy, Gregg Jarrett, you look at all of these people, Mark Levin, all very talented people.” (These are not talented people.)
  24. “I’m honored to be involved in it because somebody has to do it.” (you do not, under any circumstances, “gotta hand it to them”)
  25. “There was nothing wrong. These were standard. This was standard stuff, all standard stuff, everything involved with standard, there was no crime here.” (A jury of his peers unanimously disagrees)
  26. “Everybody says there’s no crime here.” (A jury of his peers unanimously disagrees)
  27. “I don’t want to have it backfire. I don’t know, I want to win this thing legitimately not because they were stupid and did things that they shouldn’t be doing.” (huh?)
  28. “We have people coming from corners of the globe. And many of them are not good people.” (On this corner of the globe, we do not understand this.)
  29. “Our kids can’t have a Little League game anymore.” (kids are having Little League games, we promise)
  30. “Crime is rampant in New York.” (Crime is down in NYC)
  31. “Like, it was a beautiful, sunny day and it was actually raining out.” (many days during Trump’s trial had nice weather.)
  32. “I’m supposed to go to jail for 187 years.” (actually not true at all)
  33. “Joe Biden, the worst president in the history of our country. He’s the worst president in the history of our country.” (This is, in fact, you.)
  34. “They have beautiful tents, they have propane stoves.” (Bass Pro Shop?)

 

The following is a statement from Biden-Harris 2024 Spokesperson James Singer:

“Anyone who bothered to watch a diminished, incoherent, and deranged Donald Trump would come away with one conclusion: This man cannot be President of the United States.”

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Paid for by Biden for President

Saturday News: “Biden says it’s ‘time for this war to end’”; “Republicans join Trump’s attacks on justice system and campaign of vengeance after guilty verdict”; “Why the Trump verdict matters”; “Trump campaign tells…[Rep. Bob] Good to stop implying Trump has endorsed him”

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by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Saturday, June 1.

Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-VA02) Effectively Says She Supports Crime, Opposes Rule of Law

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From the House Majority PAC:

“I Support Crime” – Jen Kiggans

New York, NY – As news of Trump’s verdict hit, vulnerable Republican Jen Kiggans wasted no time aligning herself with a convicted criminal – Donald Trump. Kiggans hopped on the extremist train, releasing a deranged statement calling it “revenge” and a “rigged” conviction.

It’s no surprise that Jen Kiggans is pro-crime – after all, Kiggans voted for legislation that defunded law enforcement. Kiggans voted to cut funding for local police departments across the country as well as millions from federal law enforcement.

Nothing says “I support crime” more than defaming America’s entire criminal justice system to stand by a convicted felon.

“Jen ‘pro-crime’ Kiggans fell in line with convicted criminal Donald Trump long ago and has now gone a step further by flagrantly defaming America’s entire criminal justice system,” HMP Press Secretary Alisha Heng said. “Trump was convicted by a jury of his peers, and voters will not forget how Jen Kiggans denigrated everyday Americans to stand by a felon in November.”

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Biden Campaign Response to Trump’s Unhinged Speech

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Trump is dangerously unhinged.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 31, 2024

Biden Campaign Response to Trump’s Unhinged Speech

The following is a statement from Biden-Harris 2024 Communications Director Michael Tyler:

“America just witnessed a confused, desperate, and defeated Donald Trump ramble about his own personal grievances and lie about the American justice system, leaving anyone watching with one obvious conclusion: This man cannot be president of the United States. Unhinged by his 2020 election loss and spiraling from his criminal convictions, Trump is consumed by his own thirst for revenge and retribution. He thinks this election is about him. But it’s not. It’s about the American people: lowering their costs, protecting their freedoms, defending their democracy.

“That’s what Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are fighting for. Donald Trump is sowing chaos, attacking the rule of law, and fighting for the only thing in the world he gives a damn about: Donald Trump.”

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Paid for by Biden for President

Friday News: “Ukraine can use U.S. weapons for limited strikes in Russia”; “At long last, ‘Teflon Don’ Trump couldn’t unstick himself from the legal system”; “Donald Trump, Felon”; Rs (Including Youngkin, Kiggans, Miyares, etc.) “busy attacking the legitimacy of the American legal and political system”

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by Lowell

Here are a few international, national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, May 31.

VIDEO: VA House Dems Caucus Chair Kathy Tran, Senate Health Committee Chair Ghazala Hashmi, Join Protect Our Care Virginia to Highlight New Health Care Benefits for Older Virginians and the AAPI Community

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From Protect Our Care:

VIDEO: Virginia House Democratic Caucus Chair Kathy Tran and Senate Health Committee Chair Ghazala Hashmi Join Protect Our Care Virginia to Highlight New Health Care Benefits for Older Virginians and the AAPI Community

*Watch the event HERE*

May is both Older Americans Month and Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia House Democratic Caucus Chair Kathy Tran, Senate Education and Health Committee Chair Ghazala Hashmi, advocates and storytellers today joined Protect Our Care Virginia to highlight the steps President Biden and Democrats in Congress and the General Assembly have taken to protect and expand access to health care for older Virginians and the commonwealth’s Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community.

May is both Older Americans Month and Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month. Caucus Chair Tran, the first Vietnamese-American elected to the Virginia General Assembly, and Senator Hashmi, the first Indian-American elected to the General Assembly, discussed recent legislative victories that include:

  • Savings from the Inflation Reduction Act:

o Capping insulin costs to $35 per month, lowering costs for nearly 36,500 Virginians on Medicare Part D and Part B

o  Making vaccines free for nearly 71,100 Virginians on Medicare Part D

o  Reducing health care plans purchased through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace for over 250,000 Virginians. Around 48,000 AAPI Virginians enrolled in a health care plan last year. 

o Currently capping out-of-pocket prescription drug costs to about $3,300 this year for Medicare Part D recipients and $2,000 beginning in 2025.

  • State legislative victories:

o  Pay raises for home health workers

o  $2 million for improved language access services

o  $40 million in support funding for nursing homes

“House Democrats fought and won to keep important health care investments such as for Federally Qualified Health Care Centers and free clinics, which are crucial resources for New Americans,” said Virginia House Democratic Caucus Chair Kathy Tran. “You can compare that with Governor Youngkin’s budget. He didn’t prioritize these facilities at all in his original budget proposal. He was too focused on restructuring the tax code to benefit the ultra-wealthy.”

“I have one clear message to all of our friends and families in Virginia. As long as I serve as chair of the Senate Education and Health Committee, we are not going to go back on our progress. I’m going to continue to be a part of the brick wall and block any efforts that would undermine access to health care, especially health care for older Virginians and AAPI Virginians,” said Senate Education and Health Committee Chair Ghazala Hashmi.

“Until the Democrats passed the Affordable Care Act, it could be very hard for the self-employed and small business owners to be able to access health insurance,” said Shyamali Hauth, Mid-Atlantic and Southeast Regional Director for South Asians for America. “The ACA was a game changer for business owners in our community. Protecting the Affordable Care Act means we’re protecting Asian-owned businesses.”

“I and all of my fellow Medicare recipients are so grateful for the leadership of President Biden to recognize that solutions had to be found to reduce the enormous potential costs of high end prescription drugs. Retired seniors such as I rely on a limited income from Social Security, along with retirement savings. Thanks to the leadership of the President, I can save thousands of dollars each year. What can I do with this money? Perhaps I can pass it on to my grandchildren. They have many needs and their parents have many needs,” said Irvin Varkonyi, a 73-year old Medicare enrollee and resident of Fairfax County who is already seeing significant cost savings on his prescriptions.

“As we celebrate the work Democrats are doing to make health care more accessible and affordable in these communities, you can’t ignore the clear contrast here when it comes to our values,” said Protect Our Care Virginia State Director Katie Baker. “Not a single Republican voted to lower the cost of prescription drugs through the Inflation Reduction Act, and Donald Trump has said that he would terminate the Affordable Care Act.”

You can watch the full event HERE, and learn more about new health care benefits for older Americans across the country HERE. You can learn about how the Inflation Reduction Act benefits the AAPI community HERE.

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Protect Our Care is dedicated to making high-quality, affordable and equitable health care a right, and not a privilege, for everyone in America. We educate the public, influence policy, support health care champions and hold politicians accountable. We fight to expand access to affordable, high-quality health insurance, lower the cost of health care for individuals and families, and reduce inequities in health care based on gender, income, race, ethnicity, geography, or sexual preference.

With Trump GUILTY Verdict on ALL Counts, Remember – Glenn Youngkin, Jason Miyares, Jen Kiggans, etc, etc. Endorsed This Scumbag

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With the Trump GUILTY verdict, just a reminder that Glenn Youngkin, Jen Kiggans, Jason Miyares, etc, etc. have endorsed this scumbag for president. And remember, this case was probably (by far?) the LEAST important of all the cases against Trump, including of course Trump attempting to steal the 2020 election, trying to overthrow our democracy, inciting a violent insurrection, etc, etc.

 

Videos: At Two VA10 Democratic Forums Last Night, Candidates Mostly Agree on the Issues, Although Three Candidates Say They Wouldn’t Have Voted for the Israel Aid Package

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Trying to figure out who to vote for in the VA10 Democratic primary? Well, last night, there were not one but TWO forums with most of the candidates, so here’s your chance to hear what they have to say, side by side.

First, here’s video of the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA) forum, with VA10 Democratic candidates Jennifer Boysko, Eileen Filler-Corn, Dan Helmer, Krystle Kaul, David Reid, and Suhas Subramanyam participating. Overwhelmingly, the candidates agreed on the issues – all supporting reproductive freedom, all supporting gun violence prevention measures, all supporting our democracy against assaults on it by Trump and his supporters, etc. Of course, each candidate has different emphases, different backgrounds working on the issues, etc. So check it out and see what you think.

Second, here’s video of a forum last night at the Beth Chaverim Reform Congregation in Loudoun County, with candidates Mark Leighton, David Reid, Michelle Maldonado, Travis Nembhard, Dan Helmer, Jennifer Boysko, Adrian Pokharel, Marion Devoe and Krystle Kaul participating. Again, the candidates largely agreed on the issues, although there were some differences on Israel/Gaza, for instance with Mark Leighton and Jennifer Boysko saying they would NOT have supported the aid package for Israel, and with Michelle Maldonado saying there would need to be conditions on the aid (note: all the candidates said they WOULD have supported the aid packages for Ukraine and Taiwan; also note that Rep. Jennifer Wexton voted for all the aid packages). Anyway, check it out, and of course if you live in VA10, make sure you vote on June 18th!