Beltway Insider: Biden/Gaza Aid, Super Tuesday, No Labels/Voter Apathy, Sweden, Trump/Biden Rematch, Menendez

Details: Category: Beltway Insider; Published on Sunday, 10 March 2024 12:17; Written by Janet Walker

President Biden, after a commanding vote of confidence during Super Tuesday primaries, delivered the annual State of the Union and presented his plan to help all Americans and finish the job entrusted to him four years ago.

The President's job approval rating, according to the website fivethirtyeight.com, for the period ending March 10, 2024 decreased by 0.06% to 38.1% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness increased by 0.05% to 56.0% of those polled who disapprove of his effectiveness. A slight 3% of the population polled have no opinion. Ratings are calculated weekly.

Beltway Insider: Biden/Gaza, Humanitarian Aid Air Drops, Navalny Funeral, McConnell, Trump Legal Troubles, SCOTUS, Super Tuesday

Biden Address Gaza Humanitarian Crisis

President Biden, who has been working with regional partners in the Middle East, to address the unfathomable humanitarian aid crisis in Gaza, has announced the United States will build floating piers on the Mediterranean Sea.

"The United States announced an emergency mission led by the U.S. military to establish a temporary pier in Gaza, in coordination with humanitarian partners and other countries, to enable the delivery of significant quantities of assistance by sea. These efforts will be closely coordinated with the Government of Israel," a White House Senior Official said in a press statement.

After the Michigan democratic primary, the undecided votes reached double digits, and while many believe the United States has the power to intervene with the policies of foreign nations, or leverage nations to change their course of action through withholding aid or other assistance, in this case, Israel cannot be deterred, and in this war, as in every war, it is the innocent who suffer.

To help alleviate the suffering in Palestine, a coalition of nations, including the European Commission, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, the Republic of Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, will address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, and assuage the fears and anxiety of the Palestinians worldwide, in the United States and in other nations.

Sweden Joins NATO

From the beginning of Russian President Vladimir Putin's aggression against Ukraine, the nations of the European could see the possibility of a tyrannical march and moved to insulate themselves in protective forces. Joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, became a viable solution and this week notoriously neutral nation, Sweden, became the newest member.

"At a meeting in Washington, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson deposited the final paperwork with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, the last step needed for the former militarily nonaligned nation to become NATO's 32nd member. Sweden's neighbor, Finland, joined last year," The Washington Post reported.

Biden, Trump Rematch

President Biden made his position of strength, authority, and determination clear during the State of The Union. As a politician with more than half a century of political experience, the office of the president was not a hostile takeover fueled by boredom and the opportunity to resurrect the Reaganomics days of deep and uncontrolled spending with monies flowing from every source into every politician's pocket and none to the people.

The democratic affiliated voters also went to the polls on Super Tuesday, and overwhelmingly showed confidence in the current administration.

While GOP pundits are sounding the trumpet heralding the second coming of former President Trump, with his Super Tuesday count setting records in the GOP, he still trails President Biden, who is 102 delegates shy of securing his party's nomination.

World News: The Republic’s View of the 2024 Presidential Election

Voter Apathy, Third Parties, Equal Catastrophic Results

The alternative political party, No Labels, promised over the past year to introduce to America voters, dissuaded by the current political climate to introduce a candidate free from political entanglements or party affiliation. During their Super Tuesday news broadcasts, No Labels leader,

"No Labels said Friday it's moving forward with efforts to recruit a cross-party "unity ticket" to challenge Joe Biden and Donald Trump for the presidency after this week's Super Tuesday primaries cemented a rematch of the 2020 election," Bloomberg reported.

The Unity Ticket, to stop the current wave of political apathy that has gripped both parties, especially as the general climate is one of degenerative politics, with a total breakdown of political decorum, aggressive hate rhetoric, mud-slinging, and violent aggression, and a clear inability to accept political results without unconscionable violence against the very democracy they desire to lead, will need to draft a super candidate.

The current political campaign, which has crystallized into a Biden/Trump rematch, and is driven by those who support the republican candidate are fueled by political spite, which is dangerous, as we have seen from January 6, 2021, a second loss could result in civil unrest.

A No Labels unity ticket may have a future, although it is doubtful that future is in the 2024 election. The stakes are too high for a third party to pull away votes from the undecided. The third-party effort has derailed many potential presidencies, including Hillary Clinton's, and given way to leadership that the nation is still struggling to leave that history in the footnotes of American History books.

Menendez, Wife, Indicted Again

New Jersey Senator Robert Menendez and his wife, Nadine, have been hit with additional charges, after a co-defendant, Jose Uribe, who pled guilty last week and agreed to testify against the Senator in a plea deal.

"Uribe said he bought the car because Sen. Menendez had used his political influence to stop criminal investigations into two of his associates. But after Uribe got a federal subpoena demanding documents, he assured Nadine Menendez he would tell investigators the auto payments had been a loan," the Associated Press reported.

The allegation against Menendez, include accepting bribes, in the form of cash, cars, gold bars in exchange for using his powerful senate influence as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to secure lucrative investments and real estate deals, for Qatari businessman, and contracts for the Egyptian government. He has since stepped down from the position.

Menendez, 70, who began his political career as a U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 13 Congressional district, has fought a criminal indictment in the past. He has said, "these charges are a flagrant abuse of power" and intends to fight them.

World News: European Elections the Many Shades of Populism

Coronavirus Totals

According to the World Health Organization the increase in cases resulting from the variant JN.1 have migrated in a similar pattern as the original Covid-19 virus. The CDC has recommended every person from age six months, including senior citizens, should receive at least one shot of an updated covid vaccine. Vaccines and boosters are still considered the most effective agents against contracting the Coronavirus.

For the 14-day period ending March 10, 2024, the total of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide reached 774,771,942 confirmed cases, an increase over the past 14 days of 140,498 cases worldwide. The total worldwide death toll increased by 4,121 to 7,035,337 deaths. The United States has stopped providing Covid data to the World Health Organization. (Data updated February 25, 2024, 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 March 10, 2024, new Covid hospitalizations in the U.S. increased by 15,044 to 6,866,673. The coronavirus has claimed 1,183,143 total U.S. deaths, adding 1,536 deaths, over the past 7 days. (Data updated March 2, 2024, posted March 8, 2024, from the CDC).

Road to the White House 2024 - Trump Wins Big on Super Tuesday; Legal Troubles Endure

Judge Orders Trump to Pay Hefty Defamation Penalty

Donald Trump, the assumptive Republican presidential candidate remains under indictment facing 91 counts resulting from various crimes. He is appealing the jury award of $83.3M in defamation trial, brought by rape survivor E. Jean Carroll against the former president, who did not face criminal charges in the sexual assault but denied he raped her and attempted to destroy her career, by stalking, and spreading malicious lies, and egregious defamations. He was required to post a $91M bond while the case is under appeal.

New York State judicial authorities have held the legal line against the former president in his repeated attempts to skirt the liabilities associated with his criminal actions. A second judgment, the president faces is the $450M penalty for inflating his net worth to secure low interest loans.

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"A New York appeals court judge last week denied Trump's request to stay enforcement of the judgment, requiring Trump to post a bond or risk having his assets seized. That judge also denied a request by Trump's lawyers to reduce the amount he'd need to post to $100 million. A bond for that amount had been secured by Trump heading into those arguments," The Washington Post reported.

A third trial begin March 25, 2024, in New York State, which will expose the former president salacious actions which required repeated hush money payments.

Super Tuesday Paves Way for Trump Ticket

Republican voter overwhelmingly supported the former president, who continued a primary winning streak and secured wins in 14 of the 15 states holding primaries on Super Tuesday. Former GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley won the state of Vermont, and even while she fared better than most expected, the voters remained tethered, in some undiscernible and intangible bond, to the former president and made their devotion known.

McConnel Endorses Trump Even After Insurrectionist Statements

In a speech after that vote, McConnell said "there is no question that President Trump is practically and morally responsible for provoking the events of that day," and that "a mob was assaulting the Capitol in his name. These criminals were carrying his banners, hanging his flags, and screaming their loyalty to him," PBS reported.

Haley Drops Out

Former South Carolina Governor and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley announced she would no longer be seeking the Republican party nomination for president. She has not endorsed the former president.

Hollywood Week: Glam, Glitz, Glitter - It’s the Oscars

Rust Armorer Found Guilty

Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the armorer on the set of the film Rust, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter after a two-week jury trial. She was immediately reprimanded into custody and faces 18 months in prison.

The actor Alec Baldwin is facing similar charges and the testimony gathered in the Ms. Gutierrez-Reed case will be used as the state seeks to convict Baldwin.

"A grand jury indicted Mr. Baldwin in January on a charge of involuntary manslaughter, which carries up to 18 months in prison. He pleaded not guilty; his trial is set for July," The New York Times reported.

For more information on President Joe Biden w ww.whitehouse.gov.