Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) appeared on television last night to give the radical version of the State of the Union address. We’ve got to hand it to Rep. Tlaib and the other progressive Democrats who have been disappointed with Joe Biden’s presidency so far; they certainly are ambitious.
The Biden administration has spent north of $6 trillion on pandemic relief, infrastructure, and other items on the radical wish list of goodies, but according to Tlaib, the president has fallen short. And the reasons are those white meanies in the GOP and “corporate Democrats” like Senator Joe Manchin.
“With the majority of the Build Back Better agenda stalled, Mr. President, our work is unfinished,” the Michigan Democrat said, speaking on behalf of the Working Families Party. “We are ready to jumpstart our work again.”
Tlaib’s speech detailed a progressive political vision for the future, from lowering prescription drug costs to making major investments in tackling climate change and enshrining abortion access.
Tlaib said Biden could use his executive powers “now” to cancel student loan debt and regulate carbon emissions.
Biden could certainly try to use his kingly powers to erase student loan debt —a tactic the radical left that claims to be “fighting for democracy” wants to see used for just about every item on their agenda — but it would be a waste of time. Before the ink was dry on the executive order forgiving student loan debt, there would be a dozen lawsuits blocking it.
Biden wouldn’t mind forgiving student loan debt as long as Congress did the forgiving. And that’s a long way from happening.
She praised Biden for taking action to get “shots in arms” and delivering “emergency relief” after taking office, saying he “stopped what could have been an economic freefall.”
“No one fought harder for President Biden’s agenda than progressives,” she said, adding that “two forces” stood in the way of passing Build Back Better, Biden’s major climate and social spending package.
“A Republican Party that serves only the rich and powerful, and just enough corporate-backed Democratic obstructionists to help them succeed,” she listed.
“Just enough” in this case is one: Sen. Manchin (D-W.Va.), the one-man Democratic Party wrecking crew.
Related: That Wasn’t a State of the Union Address, That Was a Stump Speech
Rep. Tlaib isn’t the only Democrat who wanted to get her two cents in. Congressional Black Caucus member Rep. Colin Allred (D-Texas) also took to the airwaves to push for voting rights reform. And moderate Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.) — who called Tlaib’s speech “like keying your own car” — gave a response of his own, a “why can’t we all get along” address that pleased no one and was watched by even fewer people.
Then there was the GOP response by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds.
“Instead of moving America forward, it feels like President Biden and his party have sent us back in time to the late ‘70s and early ‘80s when runaway inflation was hammering families, a violent crime wave was crashing on our cities, and the Soviet army was trying to redraw the world map,” she said.
Reynolds spoke in front of the Iowa State Capitol, its golden domes glittering behind her. She wore both an American flag and a Ukrainian flag pinned to her lapel.
The speech may have failed as statecraft, but it was a smash as a theatrical review.
For those who are counting, that’s five State of the Union speeches — one for almost every faction in America. There was no response from the Antifa Caucus or the White Nationalists, but the networks had to draw the line somewhere.
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