CNN's Don Lemon asks Rep. Jamaal Bowman if Democrats are "blowing it" with regard to getting anything passed as they negotiate the size and scope of President Biden's "Build Back Better" agenda.

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• CNN's Don Lemon asks Rep. Jamaal Bowman if Democrats are "blowing it" with regard to getting anything passed as they negotiate the size and scope of President Biden's "Build Back Better" agenda.
• Jen Psaki reiterates Pres. Biden’s belief in a woman’s right to choose ahead of his meeting with Pope Francis
• Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki , October 26, 2021

CNN's Don Lemon asks Rep. Jamaal Bowman if Democrats are "blowing it" with regard to getting anything passed as they negotiate the size and scope of President Biden's "Build Back Better" agenda. Posted: 28 Oct 2021 09:19 AM PDT  CNN's left-wing host Don Lemon asked if Democrats are "blowing it" while expressing concern on Wednesday that party infighting will impact voters in upcoming elections and the 2022 midterms. The... Thank you for spending some time at my site : www.tranganhnam.xyz and in my blog : http://hocdethi.blogspot.com/. I hope you come to visit again soon!

Jen Psaki reiterates Pres. Biden’s belief in a woman’s right to choose ahead of his meeting with Pope Francis Posted: 28 Oct 2021 04:30 AM PDT Jen Psaki got irritated when a Catholic reporter from EWTN asked about Biden's abortion stance regarding his upcoming meeting with the Pope: <!-- Main Wrapper --> <!-- Global Variables... Thank you for spending some time at my site : www.tranganhnam.xyz and in my blog : http://hocdethi.blogspot.com/. I hope you come to visit again soon!

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki , October 26, 2021 Posted: 28 Oct 2021 12:42 AM PDT  MS. PSAKI:  Hi, everyone.  Okay.  Today, joining us — needs hardly an introduction — our National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, who will be previewing the President's trip — second foreign trip —... Thank you for spending some time at my site : www.tranganhnam.xyz and in my blog : http://hocdethi.blogspot.com/. I hope you come to visit again soon!

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Don Lemon Bluntly Asks Democratic Rep. ‘Are You Concerned That It Looks Like Your Party Is Blowing It?’

CNN's Don Lemon asked Congressman Jamaal Bowman (D- NY) Wednesday night if Democrats are "blowing it."

See Also: CNN's Don Lemon asks if Democrats are 'blowing it,' says party infighting could hurt upcoming elections

Bowman spoke with Lemon about Thursday's House Democratic caucus meeting, which President Joe Biden is set to attend, after yet another policy he pushed for — paid family leave — is being dropped from the spending bill because of Joe Manchin.

See Also: "I don't think Glenn Youngkin believes any of this but it shows where the party is," says Republican strategist Stuart Stevens, as the school cultural wars take center stage in Virginia's tight gubernatorial race.

"Are you concerned," the CNN host asked, "that it looks like your party is blowing it and that Democrats can't govern? And, you know, that has huge ramifications, it has a ripple effect. Look at what's happening in Virginia and other places where elections are coming up."

See Also: Dr. Anthony Fauci tells Dana Bash  that US Covid-19 cases are headed in the "right direction," but the US should be careful not to prematurely declare victory.

"If you guys can't come to an agreement on this…"

See Also:  Press Secretary Psaki tells  Mary Alice Parks  about Pres. Biden's trip to Capitol Hill today

"Governing is about negotiation, right? And negotiating," Bowman responded. "It takes time."

See Also: Rachel Maddow reviews the series of Donald Trump's embarrassing failures at creating his own internet properties in the wake of his excommunication from social media, and reports on the latest venture, replete with typical Trumpian gaffes but also set up as a vehicle for his supporters to give him money.

"I'm not taking about negotiating," Lemon said. "Governing is also gaining control of the narrative, being able to indicate to voters and to convince them to come aboard. Tell them what you're doing. And also to negotiate and to agree."

 See Also: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki - Live Update

Bowman said the people of his district is "excited that someone is finally fighting for them."

See Also:  Obama: 'I understand' why Americans want to know when COVID-19 mandates will end

"Your district is not the country," Lemon retorted. "When you look at polling across the country, the American people don't know what Democrats are doing."

See Also:  Pelosi on filibuster carveout: Voting rights is 'fundamental'

Bowman agreed that Democrats "need to do a better job of communicating" and engaging with people about how the legislation will benefit them.

See Also:  Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen tells CNN's Jake Tapper that former Clinton and Obama economic official Larry Summers is wrong on his warnings about rising inflation.

He predicted that Biden's poll numbers will go up after Democrats pass the spending bill, the infrastructure package, and voting rights reform.

See Also:  CNN's Brian Stelter wants the media to ditch and remains of objectivity and just portray all conservatives as threats America itself.

You can watch above, via CNN.

Rep. Jamaal Bowman Slams Manchin’s ‘Completely Unacceptable’ Opposition to Paid Family Leave: ‘He’s Regurgitating Talking Points From the 1980s’

Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) reacted strongly to the news that Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) has succeeded in getting paid family leave removed from President Joe Biden's dwindling Build Back Better bill.

See Also: CNN's Don Lemon asks if Democrats are 'blowing it,' says party infighting could hurt upcoming elections

Manchin, who had months to take a hard line against the policy, waited mere days before a scheduled House vote to put his foot down and demand the provision de dropped from the bill. A last-ditch effort to convince Manchin to support the measure failed on Wednesday.

See Also: "I don't think Glenn Youngkin believes any of this but it shows where the party is," says Republican strategist Stuart Stevens, as the school cultural wars take center stage in Virginia's tight gubernatorial race.

With the Senate tied 50-50, Democrats need all their members to vote for the bill to pass through budget reconciliation, plus Vice President Kamala Harris to cast the deciding vote, as no Republicans are expected to vote for the bill.

See Also:  Sam Stein warns Democrats aren't engaged in Virginia gubernatorial race: 'A real indicator of trouble'

On the House side, progressives have become increasingly irked at the measures being stripped from the bill in order to appease Manchin. Some have said they won't vote for a Senate-passed $1.5 trillion bipartisan infrastructure deal until text is finalized on the reconciliation bill.

See Also:  'It's clear the campaign believes they landed on a message they think is working.' CNN's Eva McKend reports on why an award-winning novel about slavery is now an issue in the Virginia governor's race

Noting the removal of paid family leave, CNN's Don Lemon asked Bowman on Wednesday night, "If that's out, are you in?"

See Also:  CNN anchor defends calling Rand Paul an 'a--' for grilling Fauci on Wuhan lab funding following NIH admission

"That remains to be determined," said Bowman. "We're the only developed country in the world that does not have paid family leave. We were supposed to be at 12 weeks. It went down to four weeks and now it's out even though the majority of the country supports paid family leave. It's archaic. It's inhumane to ask a mom or new parents to leave their child in child care while they have to go back to work to try to earn a living and keep a roof over their heads."

See Also:  Here's the Story with Kyrsten Sinema

Bowman then turned to Manchin.

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"It's unfortunate that we have a minority senator, one person who opposes this where the majority of the country supports it. So for me, it's unacceptable."

See Also:  CNN's Brian Stelter wants the media to ditch and remains of objectivity and just portray all conservatives as threats America itself.

Lemon asked Bowman if he had heard from Manchin or understood his reasons for opposing paid leave.

See Also:  Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen tells CNN's Jake Tapper that former Clinton and Obama economic official Larry Summers is wrong on his warnings about rising inflation.

"I personally have not heard from him," responded Bowman. "The [Congressional Progressive Caucus] has not heard from him. And I don't quite understand why he doesn't support it. He seems to be, and he has portrayed himself to be someone pro-family. And if you're pro-family, you're pro-children. If you're pro-children, we should have paid family leave as a developed nation, as the wealthiest nation on Earth."

See Also:  Pelosi on filibuster carveout: Voting rights is 'fundamental'

Bowman said that "it's completely unacceptable" that the U.S. isn't providing for paid family leave.

See Also:  Obama: 'I understand' why Americans want to know when COVID-19 mandates will end

"The only sort of rationale that I've heard from Manchin is 'entitlement mentality,'" he said. "You know, he seems to be regurgitating talking points from the 1980s when we are existing in a 21st century multiracial democracy that's going through a climate crisis trying to recover from Covid. Building back better is building back better for all people including poor people, people of color, and those who trying to start families."

 See Also: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki - Live Update

Lemon again asked Bowman if he would vote for the bill.

"Again," said the congressman, "It remains to be seen."

Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin plans to build a 'business park' in space

Space: the final frontier! An inspiring locale in which to realize the purest expression of human ingenuity or, what's that, Jeff Bezos? A "business park"? Oh, ok. Sure.

See Also: Dr. Anthony Fauci tells Dana Bash  that US Covid-19 cases are headed in the "right direction," but the US should be careful not to prematurely declare victory.

Jeff Bezos' space exploration company, Blue Origin, announced with Sierra Space and several other partners that it plans to build the first "commercial space station" in low Earth orbit. That means it won't be a government-run station, but will theoretically be open to visitors and tenants to, as the company says, get an address in space.

See Also:  Press Secretary Psaki tells  Mary Alice Parks  about Pres. Biden's trip to Capitol Hill today

The companies are calling the station Orbital Reef. And while the name sounds exciting, and the press release describes the station as a new "ecosystem," all starry eyed notions of what a civilization in space could look like evaporate when they describe Orbital Reef as a "business park."

See Also: Rachel Maddow reviews the series of Donald Trump's embarrassing failures at creating his own internet properties in the wake of his excommunication from social media, and reports on the latest venture, replete with typical Trumpian gaffes but also set up as a vehicle for his supporters to give him money.

A business park is a collection of office buildings, with some grass or hey even a water feature or two in between structures, if you're lucky. Like a park! But for grownups, who spend the majority of their waking hours in a cubicle under fluorescent light. And that, apparently, is Jeff Bezos' vision for the future of humanity in space.

See Also: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki - Live Update    

Orbital Reef will "provide the essential infrastructure needed to scale economic activity and open new markets in space," the announcement reads. Ah yes, a new economic market. Just what every young child dreams of when they look up at the cosmos. Excuse us while we go cry.

See Also:  Obama: 'I understand' why Americans want to know when COVID-19 mandates will end

Beyond stating that Orbital Reef will be the hot new home for capitalists everywhere, the announcement is otherwise light on details. Visitors will get access to round trip travel and crew members, but there's no mention of cost. The companies say it will begin operating in the "second half" of the decade. What a bright future we have to look forward to, indeed.

Jan. 6 Panel Temporarily Pauses Request For Some Trump WH Docs

The House Jan. 6 select committee has delayed its request to President Joe Biden's team for about 50 pages worth of Trump-era White House documents that the National Archivist has already approved for the panel to obtain.

See Also: "I don't think Glenn Youngkin believes any of this but it shows where the party is," says Republican strategist Stuart Stevens, as the school cultural wars take center stage in Virginia's tight gubernatorial race.

The committee told Politico that it wants to avoid wasting time on potentially having to negotiate over documents that could actually be protected by executive privilege, as ex-president Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed.

See Also:  Sam Stein warns Democrats aren't engaged in Virginia gubernatorial race: 'A real indicator of trouble'

One of the members of the panel, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA), told Politico that "we're in a hurry."

See Also:  'It's clear the campaign believes they landed on a message they think is working.' CNN's Eva McKend reports on why an award-winning novel about slavery is now an issue in the Virginia governor's race

"We don't want to get hung up," she said.

See Also:  CNN anchor defends calling Rand Paul an 'a--' for grilling Fauci on Wuhan lab funding following NIH admission

Fellow committee member Rep. Jamie Raskin (R-MD) told Politico that the temporary pause was merely "a process of give and take" in the panel's discussions with Biden's team on releasing the documents.

See Also:  Here's the Story with Kyrsten Sinema

The committee is "not acknowledging privilege in any of these cases," especially because Biden has not asserted executive privilege, Raskin said.

See Also:  DeSantis reveals how Florida is trying to recruit cops from other states whose jobs are threatened by vaccine mandates

He added: "We don't think that trying to overthrow the U.S. government is something that triggers executive privilege. It's hard to see that as part of the official duties of a president."

See Also:  CNN's Brian Stelter wants the media to ditch and remains of objectivity and just portray all conservatives as threats America itself.

It's unclear if the Biden White House had recommended the pause or if the committee made the decision alone.

See Also:  Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen tells CNN's Jake Tapper that former Clinton and Obama economic official Larry Summers is wrong on his warnings about rising inflation.

The President has shot down Trump's requests to invoke executive privilege over records in the panel's investigation several times already, leading the former president to file a lawsuit against the committee and the National Archives.

Eastman Spins Wild Tales Of Jan. 6 As A Trap Sprung By Media And FBI

John Eastman is sure having trouble keeping his story straight.

See Also: Dr. Anthony Fauci tells Dana Bash  that US Covid-19 cases are headed in the "right direction," but the US should be careful not to prematurely declare victory.

A week ago, the ex-Trump legal adviser, whose legal memo laid out a path for Mike Pence to thwart the 2020 Electoral College certification, went to great lengths to downplay and minimize his memo.

See Also:  Press Secretary Psaki tells  Mary Alice Parks  about Pres. Biden's trip to Capitol Hill today

But Eastman takes a whole different tack in a secretly filmed discussion with undercover left-wing activists at a gala.

See Also: Rachel Maddow reviews the series of Donald Trump's embarrassing failures at creating his own internet properties in the wake of his excommunication from social media, and reports on the latest venture, replete with typical Trumpian gaffes but also set up as a vehicle for his supporters to give him money.

In video released last night, Eastman bemoaned that Pence was too much of an establishment Republican to follow through on rejecting the Electoral College certification.

See Also: President Biden's agenda

In new video released Wednesday, Eastman took on a more conspiratorial cast, wildly claiming that the Jan. 6 insurrection was a "setup."

 See Also: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki - Live Update

Who was behind the setup? Eastman claims it's the FBI and big media.

See Also:  Obama: 'I understand' why Americans want to know when COVID-19 mandates will end

In the latest video, Eastman cited a debunked right-wing conspiracy theory that an "antifa guy" had been paid thousands of dollars by CNN to break into the Capitol for footage of the siege. In reality, the FBI Director Chris Wray has said there is no evidence that antifa (a broad term for anti-fascism that isn't identified as a solid group) was involved in the Capitol attack, nor is there evidence that CNN or any other outlet paid anyone to ransack the Capitol.

See Also:  Pelosi on filibuster carveout: Voting rights is 'fundamental'

Eastman also baselessly claimed that the feds had infiltrated the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys, two right-wing extremist groups with members who've been arrested in connection to the attack, to spark the violence that day and lay a "trap."

See Also:  Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen tells CNN's Jake Tapper that former Clinton and Obama economic official Larry Summers is wrong on his warnings about rising inflation.

"The Oath Keepers and the Proud Boys had not just wallflowers sitting on the side of the organization, but people instigating within the association, FBI plants," Eastman told the activists. "It was a setup. And unfortunately our guys walked into the trap."

See Also:  CNN's Brian Stelter wants the media to ditch and remains of objectivity and just portray all conservatives as threats America itself.

Eastman had joined Rudy Giuliani onstage at the pro-Trump rally in D.C. that preceded the storming of the Capitol.

See Also:  DeSantis reveals how Florida is trying to recruit cops from other states whose jobs are threatened by vaccine mandates

During his speech, Eastman peddled lies about the 2020 election being tainted by "fraud" before he directly called out Pence and demanded that the then-vice president have GOP-controlled state legislatures "look into" the election results (a key component of Eastman's plot detailed in his infamous memo to Trump).

See Also:  Here's the Story with Kyrsten Sinema

A mob of Trump's supporters later went on to storm the Capitol, some of them shouting "Hang Mike Pence!"

See Also:  CNN anchor defends calling Rand Paul an 'a--' for grilling Fauci on Wuhan lab funding following NIH admission

The undercover activists Eastman spoke to came from The Undercurrent. They had also filmed the lawyer bragging about the memo at the same event despite him publicly insisting that he thought the legal reasoning in the document was bunk.

The Sausage Making: Manchin Appears To Be The Problem On Nearly Every Remaining Issue

Democrats have been saying for days (weeks!) that they're close to a deal on reconciliation — with just a handful of outstanding issues. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) has the distinction of being the problem lawmaker blocking progress on just about all of them.

See Also: "I don't think Glenn Youngkin believes any of this but it shows where the party is," says Republican strategist Stuart Stevens, as the school cultural wars take center stage in Virginia's tight gubernatorial race.

His recalcitrance likely forced a big proposal out of the package Wednesday evening, according to multiple reports. 

See Also:  Sam Stein warns Democrats aren't engaged in Virginia gubernatorial race: 'A real indicator of trouble'

Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Patty Murray (D-WA) are vowing not to give up, though. "We are not going to allow one or two men to tell women, millions of them in this country, that they can't have paid leave," Murray told reporters. 

See Also:  'It's clear the campaign believes they landed on a message they think is working.' CNN's Eva McKend reports on why an award-winning novel about slavery is now an issue in the Virginia governor's race

The two cornered Manchin on the floor of the Senate, and Gillibrand came out saying he promised to "remain open-minded" to their ideas. Manchin, though, suggested right afterwards that the reconciliation bill "is not the place to do it," indicating that he may let Republicans kill the provision for him later. 

Outstanding Issues

• Prescription drug negotiations: Right now, negotiation is swirling around which small group of drugs to include. This is a major priority for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) told a group of us yesterday that he would not accept some "fig leaf" masquerading as a strong proposal. But some Democrats, like Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), are cool to it.
• Expanding Medicaid: Many Democrats, including the senators from Georgia, want to expand coverage in Republican-led states that did not do so willingly under the Affordable Care Act. Manchin is the problem here.
• Medicare benefits: The fight here has been focused on how to deal with dental benefits (the most expensive among the vision, hearing and dental coverage that is under consideration). Manchin again is not keen on this; Sanders wants it badly.
• Climate: We know a topline — around $500 billion, maybe a bit more. That's a high enough number to satisfy some in the climate hawk space. It's not yet clear what that'll consist of, though. The methane fee seems to be teetering somewhere between life and death thanks to (you guessed it!) Manchin.
• Immigration reform: Democrats are still trying to woo the parliamentarian with a Plan C, but we're not seeing movement so far.
• Payfors: Democrats seem to have nailed down the corporate minimum tax, no mean feat. But the billionaires tax is not enjoying such a warm reception, and now Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA) (in addition to Manchin) has aired doubts about the IRS bank reporting proposal.

The Blown Fake Deadline

• Yesterday, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) told me that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) wanted a deal by the end of today. That's not going to happen. Sanders confirmed as much on his way out of a meeting with President Joe Biden Wednesday evening.
• This only means crashing up against fake deadlines, but they'll still make life harder for the Democrats. On October 31, the highway funding bill will expire, setting up a redux of the fight we covered a few weeks ago: House and Senate moderates will want to vote on the bipartisan infrastructure bill alone; progressives will not. 
• A potential wrinkle is emerging that Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) wants a back-to-back vote on both completed bills; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) says it should be enough to just have a framework of the reconciliation package (generally understood to be a topline number and the main programmatic elements). 
• A sense of urgency also came from Biden's coming European trip. He leaves tomorrow, and Democrats really wanted to send him with some stuff to brag about, including some climate advancements to tout as he attends the United Nations Climate Change Conference.