Beltway Insider: Biden Campaign, Israel, Iran Fires on U.S/IDF Forces, GOP Debate, Ukraine, Norman Lear

Details: Category: Beltway Insider; Published on Sunday, 10 December 2023 11:20; Written by Janet Walker

President Biden began his whistlestop fundraising campaign in Las Vegas, Nevada where he announced the $8.2 billion high-speed rail project that will reduce travel between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, two tourist destination cities, to two hours.

The President's job approval rating, according to the website fivethirtyeight.com, for the period ending December 10, 2023 decreased by 0.5% to 37.7% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness decreased by 1.0% to 55.8% of those polled who disapprove of his effectiveness. A slight 3% of the population polled have no opinion. Ratings are calculated weekly.

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Iranian Backed Houthi's Fire on U.S. Warships

Iranian backed Houthi militants have fired drone strikes at two U.S. Navy ships in the Red Sea, and while they caused no damage to the vessels, and the lack of retaliatory response has been linked to the Biden's Administration desire to not destabilize the region any further.

"The Houthis have fired missiles at vessels in the Red Sea, launched drones and missiles targeting Israel and sent drones in the direction of Navy ships. And Houthi missiles landed near another U.S. warship after it assisted a vessel linked to Israel that had briefly been seized by gunmen," the APnews.com reported.

The U.S. Navy has continued to take evasive actions and limited aggressive responses, which include shooting down incoming drone missiles and other efforts but has shown restraint in a launching a full-scale response. The U.S. has launched 77 strikes in the region against Iranian backed militias in Syria and Iran, it has not yet launched a counterattack for Red Sea attacks.

Israel/Palestinian Conflict

The once occupied Gaza Strip is confronting the harsh realities of its October 7, attack on Israel as the Israeli Defense Forces con continue to bombard Gaza and reports of northern Gaza now under Israeli control.

"Meanwhile, the IDF said it had carried out a "widespread" wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon in response to repeated border attacks, hitting targets including rocket launch sites, military compounds, and other infrastructure belonging to the terror group," The Times of Israel reported.

The website is also running a series of text messages via video of the massacre at the Nir Oz Kibbutz which was the first collective attacked on October 7. The attack, the first messages of "problems" began early at 7:00am by 1:00pm nearly half of the residents were killed.

As Gazans are continuing to surrender, the end of the war will be for Israel to decide, and while nations, and allies are continuing to provide "advisement" of post-war expectations, the likelihood of a returning to an unrestricted and demilitarized Gaza Strip is unlikely. The probability of an Israeli occupied Gaza, with a constant IDF presence is more likely.

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Ukraine/Russia War

As Ukraine continues to fight against Russia, its dependency on military aid from foreign nations also remains an urgent need. The U.S. government which has given Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to more than $75 billion "which includes humanitarian, financial, and military support, according to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a German research institute," The Council on Foreign Relations reported.

Many believe the cost of supporting two allies in war is strapping the United States, as the Republicans are building a coalition to attempt to block funding, which is politics. As the GOP is traditionally huge supporters of Defense spending the idea that they would balk at sending last year's munitions to the Ukraine, thus resulting in the need to replace with bigger, better, more costlier defense weaponry, seems to go against their own policies.

Additional aid for the war-torn nation, is now confronting serious resistance in both the House and Senate, as Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) explained, "If funding for Ukraine fails, the failure will solely be on the Republican Party," Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) said, blasting the GOP for demanding border security changes to support Ukraine funding," reported The Washington Post.

GOP Debate

The Republican candidates hoping to become the GOP candidate for the 2024 Presidential campaign, took another swing at each other on the last debate of the pre-primary season, and while there were four candidates, there are only three contenders.

Former U.N. Ambassador and former South Carolina Governor, Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy also remained in the mix, with ideas extremely reminiscent of an extremist president.

Nikki Haley, who has become the favorite recipient of political donors, is seen as someone who may be able to draw in votes along gender lines, essentially a third-party spoiler. The possibility that her messaging could appear illusionary, the carrot of hope, to many who hope that America will finally elect a female president, and after the election produce the stick to beat back any gender-based advancements, is very real.

Ramaswamy who appears to be his own worst enemy and uses the campaign debates for Vivek Ramaswamy comedy hour interjected his usual conspiracy theory, "Why am I the only person, on this stage at least, who can say that January 6 now does look like it was an inside job?" Ramaswamy asked. (Back here on planet Earth, what happened on January 6 was that Donald Trump's months-long plot to steal the election from Joe Biden exploded into violence as his supporters stormed the US Capitol.)," Vox reported.

Former Governor Chris Christie, who is a strong political contender, and if he continues to build a base and hold out until Super Tuesday, which is the dividing line in the campaign, may be a strong VP choice, and as a former New Jersey governor has strong appeal in the region, which both DeSantis and Haley lack.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, in the majority of the polls remains slightly ahead of Haley, although Trump, continues to have strong appeal across all polls.

"DeSantis needed to engineer a dramatic shift in his trajectory on Wednesday night to reverse the precipitous slide of his candidacy from his once lofty position as the strongest and best-funded challenger facing Trump. He delivered a crisp and even performance, making no notable mistakes and repeatedly putting Haley on defense on issues such as her encouragement of investment from China when she was governor of South Carolina," The Washington Post reported.

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Rep. Kevin McCarthy Set to Retire

Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has announced his retirement effective at the end of 2023. McCarthy was recently ousted from the Speaker position after a resolution led by Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL) after McCarthy attempted to work with democrats to avert an economic collapse and shutdown of government. McCarthy has served the people of California's central valley for 17 years. A special election will be held to fill the remainder of his term.

Wisconsin Ends Stolen Election Campaign

Remnants of elections past continue to dot the landscape, as those hard charging republicans determined to stand behind their candidate purported a stop the steal campaign, even to the degree of knowingly signing documentation allegedly that Trump, had in fact won the electoral votes.

"Wednesday's civil settlement marks the first-time pro-Trump electors have agreed to revoke their false filings and not repeat their actions in the next presidential election. Republicans in two other states face criminal charges for falsely claiming to be presidential electors, and investigations are underway in three additional states," The Washington Post reported.

Department of Justice Special Counsel Jack Smith is investigating election fraud in several states, including Arizona, Nevada, and New Mexico, as Republican officials continue to overthrow the 2020 election results.

Gun Manufacturer Sued

Smith & Wesson, the makers of the Ar-15, most popular choice of weapon used in mass shootings, has been sued over the way they make and market, the automatic rifle.

"The legal action by the nuns, who aren't major shareholders and collectively own about 1,000 shares of the company, comes amid a flurry of lawsuits against gun companies that were spurred by a $73 million settlement between the families of those killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre and Remington in a suit over its marketing practices," reported The Wall Street Journal.

There have been more than 627 mass shootings in America in 2023, the dates of the shootings may fail in our collective memory but the locations and for many the toll is punctuated as a permanent marker in the psyche and the fabric of failed policy in America.

It's time to reevaluate common sense gun laws in America before we have another Sandy Hook, Lewiston, Virginia Tech, Uvalde, Columbine, Parkland, San Bernadino, Las Vegas (2), Aurora (2), Boulder, Buffalo, Nashville, El Paso, Sutherland Springs, Dayton, Santa Fe, or Orlando.

Coronavirus Totals

The CDC has recommended every person from age six months, including senior citizens, should receive at least one shot of an updated covid vaccine.

Mandates have been altered or lifted in most urban areas with limited exceptions, and the population is encouraged to maintain personal protective practices. Masks are optional and tolerated. Vaccines and boosters are still considered the most effective agents against contracting the Coronavirus.

For the 7-day period ending December 10, 2023, the total of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide reached 772,138,818 confirmed cases, an increase over the past 7 days of 1,086,066 cases worldwide. The total worldwide death toll increased by 686 to 6,985,964 deaths. The United States has stopped providing Covid data to the World Health Organization. (Data updated December 6, 2023, from The World Health Organization).

COVID U.S. Totals

As hospitalizations and infection rates continue to rise in the United States, some jurisdictions are suggesting new mask mandates. For the 7-day period ending December 10, 2023, new Covid hospitalizations in the U.S. increased by 22,458 to 6,544,614. The coronavirus has claimed 1,158,185 total U.S. deaths, adding 1,701 deaths, over the past week. (Data updated December 2, 2023, posted December 8, 2023, from the CDC).

Norman Lear, King of Television, Dead at 101

Norman Lear, once consider the king of television, writer, and producer, died this at his Los Angeles home. He was 101.

Lear, who at the peak of his career had seven hit sitcoms running simultaneously. Not one to shy away from controversy, Lear brought the hidden secrets spoken, at that time, privately to television audiences and they loved him for it. The boundaries of modern television were transformed by Lear.

"Racial prejudice, divorce, rape, Black inner-city struggle, upward social mobility — themes almost nonexistent on commercial television — were suddenly brought to compelling life through Mr. Lear's juggernaut of hits, including "All in the Family," "Sanford and Son," "Maude," "Good Times," "The Jeffersons" and "One Day at a Time," The Washington Post reported.

Creator of "All in the Family," he challenged audiences with the racist remarks of Archie, played by Carroll O'Connor, his submissive wife, Edith, played by Jean Stapleton, his 1960 revolutionized daughter, Gloria, played by Sally Struthers, and her husband, Michael, "Meathead," Stivic, played by Rob Reiner. The episodes drove CBS to the top of the ratings and introduced topics critical to the times.

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Using words that would now result in ostracizing, or worse, Lear would radiate the pulse of a convulsing America, topics seen as taboo were suddenly conversational.

More than simply creating a hit sitcom, Lear's work of writing current topics and issues into his characters dialogue became a masterclass for future situation comedies and even pushing the boundaries of other contemporary television.

Lear took on the taboo of Abortion in a spin off, "Maude," as main character Maude Finley, played by Bea Arthur, decides to have an abortion before the 1973 landmarked Roe v Wade ruling that gave women the right to autonomy over their reproductive medical decisions.

"Maude at first decides to have the baby because she thinks it is what her husband, Walter (Bill Macy), desires. When he finally tells her he wanted her to go through with the pregnancy only because he thought that's what she wanted, they hug and she resolves to have the abortion," The New York Times reports.

Abortion was so controversial at the time, that every sponsor, including Pepsi, and General Mills, pulled their advertising. Lear, to his credit, didn't back down, and the episode ran. Controversial even in reruns, when the episode aired for a second time, 39 of 159 then CBS affiliates refused to air the episode.

He also brought a trio of black sitcoms, including "Sandford and Son," with Redd Foxx, and Desmond Wilson, "The Jeffersons," with George Jefferson, played by Sherman Hemsley, his wife, Louise, played by Isabelle Sanford, and their housekeeper Florence, played by Marla Gibbs, and "Good Times," with Jimmie Walker in the lead.

Lear built a hierarchy of upward mobility into his African American characters, beginning with what many looked at as the junk man, Fred Sanford, essentially a black Archie Bunker, with the residue of racism and the harsh realities of the civil right fight barely in the rearview, Fred Sanford, was a bigoted black man, who laughed all the way to the bank with his scrap yard of the white man's junk, next was moving up to the east side of Manhattan, "The Jefferson's," led by George, with a successful business and even a black housekeeper, living in a high rise building in New York City, that house the intellectuals, the enlightened thinkers, which allowed Lear to introduce liberal thought into middle America's living room.

"'The Jefferson's" introduced the first bi-racial couple, and "the show's actors lobbied Lear for a more rounded depiction of the Willises, portrayed by Roxie Roker and Franklin Cover as television's first interracial marriage between Black and white partners. As a result, the pair exchanged a kiss in a landmark 1974 episode," The New York Times reported.

With "Sanford and Son" and "The Jefferson's", Lear needed middle class, a family that represented the middle ground between the two, and developed "Good Times," starring Jimmie Walker, as J.J. Evans, an aspiring artist growing up in a Chicago housing project.

Controversary, of course, was generated from this show as well. One of the head writers, Eric Monte, alleged that Lear stole his idea for "The Jeffersons," and received a million-dollar settlement.

Lear continued to make great television, and from all account was pitching ideas a week before his death. A convulsing America proved to be solid ground for the one-time skit writer, who was able to weave the controversary, his own activism, and beliefs, the pulse of the people, and create characters that continue to inspire some even fifty years later.

Norman Lear, 1922-2023, television wouldn't be the same without you.

Mr. Lear's Obituary is reprinted from Haute-Lifestyle.com Hollywood Week and can be seen here.

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