Beltway Insider: Biden/Ukraine, Trump Cabinet Surprises, Gaetz Out, Israel/Gaza, Newsom/Menendez

Details: Category: Beltway Insider; Published on Sunday, 24 November 2024 08:43; Written by Janet Walker

President Biden, who has opposed Ukraine's use of long-range missiles in the war against Russia, shifted his policy stance this week and allowed Ukraine President Zelensky to initiate deeper strikes within Russian territory.

The President's job approval rating, according to the website fivethirtyeight.com for the period ending November 24, 2024, decreased by 0.9% to 38.1% of those polled who approve of his effectiveness as President and those who disapprove of his effectiveness decreased by 0.4% at 56.1% of those polled. A slight 3% of the population polled have no opinion. Ratings are calculated weekly.

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Biden's Shift on Ukraine Policy

President Biden, this week, gave his permission to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to use U.S. long-range weapons to strike deeper into Russian territory in the nearly three-year war against Russia.

Russian leader Vladimir Putin has presented to the world stage his alliance with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and has posited NK troops along the Ukraine's northern border.

"The decision allowing Kyiv to use the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMs, for attacks farther inside Russia comes as President Vladimir Putin positions North Korean troops along Ukraine's northern border to try to reclaim hundreds of miles of territory seized by Ukrainian forces," APNews.com reported.

The nearly three-year battle has been the largest European Continent aggression since World War II, and unless, Putin is willing to commit to a cease fire, and end of the aggression, which he would only do if Ukraine relinquished the annexed lands, and realigned its borders to fit Putin's plans to recaptured the strength and land mass held by Russia before the fall of communism, in December 1991, resulting in break-away nations, who are now independent.

The civilian casualty, especially in the beginning of the aggression when Putin repeatedly fired missiles on Mariupol bombing maternity hospitals, intentionally striking known civilian enclaves, burdening the people with unimaginable grief, ostracized the aging leader leaving him with only three global allies.

Biden made his decision after Putin again began to use cluster munitions, to bomb apartment buildings which means that it is not a single bomb, but the one missile releases many smaller bombs. As Biden has authorized the same type of weaponry, the long range availability of the cluster munitions is 180 miles, which means that Ukraine troops will be once again able to regain and penetrate deeper into Russian terrority.

More than 1million citizens of both Ukraine and Russian have died, including civilians and military since the beginning of the war in February 2022.

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Trump Cabinet Choice: The Good, The Bad and The Bizarre

As President-elect Donald Trump continues to announce his cabinet picks, an alarming quid pro quo trend is crystallizing. While many of his recent announcements can be viewed as vanity placements, rewards for those who were loyal to his rhetoric, others have resulted in deep concern as Trump, empowered by a trifecta, has total control over revamping the government as he sees fit.

With a three-vote senate majority, Republicans can unify and steamroll many of those choices through the confirmation, however, there is the possibility that a few of Mr. Trump's cabinet picks will not survive the confirmation hearings.

The mid-terms, scheduled for November 2026, are already weighing heavily on the positioning of the 20 Republican senators up for re-election in 2026. If Trump does not deliver, in these next two years, or if he moves to far to the left disenfranchising groups with his conservative agenda, the possibility that the states constituents many of whom, after the Supreme Court decision in June 2022 on Roe v. Wade, built effective grass roots campaigns to deny these states to effectively enshrined in their Constitutions a permanent ban on Abortion, will elect senators that best represent the new direction they want for their state.

Obviously, Trump loyalist former Representative Matt Gaetz would have had problems in the confirmation process, and he has since withdrawn his nomination.

Brooke Rollins

Nominated for Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, a former Trump term one, policy advisor, needs Senate Confirmation and all 20 Republicans in the Central Plain states are up for reelection in the mid-terms. If she aligns herself with Mr. Trump's plan for wide sweeping changes to SNAP, and other supplemental benefits, including free lunches for 22 million of the 30 million students in school, as well as tariffs which have been announced by the Trump campaign which will greatly affect American farmers, the democrats could secure the three votes needed to stop this choice.

Trump's plan for tariff, according to the National Association of Corn Growers, will exponentially hurt the American farmer, who is already struggling. "The study, commissioned by the American Soybean Association and the National Corn Growers Association and conducted by the World Agricultural Economic and Environmental Services, shows a new trade war would result in an immediate drop in corn and soy exports to the tune of hundreds of millions of tons. As a result, Brazil and Argentina would claim the lost market share, which would be extremely difficult for American growers to reclaim in the future."

Dr. Mehmet Oz

Television Personality Dr. Mehmet Oz has been nominated for Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services the agency responsible for providing health insurance for more then 160 million Americans. The announcement of Dr. Oz's underscores the validity of Trump's quid pro quo appointments to his strongest supporters, and especially to those with major audience share. Oz's appointment was immediately set upon by Democrats as unqualified. It is expected that the Senate confirmation hearings with be contentious, grueling, and frustrating. Republicans, even those who voiced dissent two years ago, are praising Trump for his outside the beltway choices, "Republicans praised Oz, pointing to the cardiothoracic surgeon's credentials, and noted that he had nearly been elected to the Senate before losing to Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania) two years ago," reported The Washington Post.

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Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has been nominated for the cabinet position of Secretary of Health and Human Services. Mr. Kennedy, who has a deep political history in American politics, will not have trouble in confirmation hearings, although he will be grilled on his recent statements regarding Covid-19 vaccines, and other extreme statements that resulted in him aligning himself with Trump, and that position secured a life goal of larger political activism. The office oversees the Affordable Care Act, and should Kennedy align himself with the expected announcement of ending ACA subsidies, and transferring the subsides back to the states, he could run into a snag in what otherwise looks like an easy confirmation. He has enough respect, from both sides of the aisle, to withstand any possible challenges.

Linda McMahon

Former WWE executive Linda McMahon nominated for Secretary of Education, an office that Mr. Trump has repeatedly talked about dissolving. Although it is doubtful that the office, in its entirety would be dissolved, the office administers the $1.6 trillion dollar student loan program, among other K-12 related issues. Cutting any education issues, could potentially create a backlash to Trump quid pro quo appointments. McMahon also served during Trump's first and has no other experience that would create the appearance of qualifications. The position requires senate confirmation and oversees the nation's education system. Mr. Trump's comments on the current state of Student Loans, and the many legal challenges that republicans have mounted to stop any widespread forgiveness for loans could possibly create a more contentious hearing.

Matt Gaetz Out as AG Nominee; DeSantis to Name Rubio Successor

Former Congressman Matt Gaetz, a Trump loyalty and former pick for U.S. Attorney General, withdrew his name for consideration after a judiciary report revealed he had paid women for sex, including a 17-year-old.

As Florida Senator Marco Rubio has been tapped for Secretary of State, and his confirmation is likely, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will name his successor as the Governor has the power, according to the Constitution, to fill vacancies in the Senate. DeSantis has ruled Gaetz out as a possible replacement. DeSantis has also set a special election to fill former Congressman Gaetz's seat.

Trump has chosen long-time loyalist Pam Bondi to fill the vacated U.S. Attorney General. She served on his defense team during his first impeachment trial. She has repeatedly advocated for Mr. Trump, stood by him, in the face of overwhelming odds, and played the political card in his defense.

"The prosecutors will be prosecuted, the bad ones," Bondi declared on Fox News in 2023, soon after Trump's fourth set of criminal charges. "The investigators will be investigated," reported The Washington Post. If her agenda follows Mr. Trump's, and she is confirmed, there will be a bloodbath as the pair work to terminate any prosecutor and officials in any of the Department of Justice field offices.

ICC Issues Warrants for Netanyahu

For a second time in one-year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been indicted by the ICC, the International Criminal Court over alleged war crimes, and equated him with the terror organization Hama. The warrants issued this week included Netanyahu former defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

President Biden issued the following statement, "The ICC issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is outrageous. Let me be clear once again: whatever the ICC might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security,"

President-elect Trump's choice for National Security Advisor, Mike Waltz, agrees and has stated, "the arrest warrants have no legitimacy."

Coronavirus Total

The CDC has recommended every person from age six months, including senior citizens should receive at least one shot of an updated COVID-19 vaccine, annually. The death toll from Covid-19 has dramatically decreased, as has transmission of the virus. Even as confirmed new cases continue each week, fewer are dying from the newer variants.

For the seven days ending November 24, 2024, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases reported by The World Health Organization increased by 42,391 confirmed cases totaling 776,841,264. The total worldwide death toll increased by 1,068 to 7,075,468 deaths. The United States has stopped providing Covid data to the World Health Organization. (Data updated November 10, 2024, from The World Health Organization).

California Governor Pauses on Menendez Clemency

California Governor Gavin Newsom announced he would wait on the decision of the newly elected Los Angeles County prosecutor, Nathan Hochman, before he makes any decision on the clemency petition for the Menendez brothers who murdered their parents in 1989, while they were watching television in their Beverly Hills home.

The announced decision by former LA County prosecutor George Gascon, who also wrote a letter supporting resentencing, may have been the determining factor in his loss, as his opponent, Nathan Hochman campaigned on tougher crime penalty.

"The governor respects the role of the district attorney in ensuring justice is served and recognizes that voters have entrusted District Attorney-elect Hochman to carry out this responsibility," Mr. Newsom's office said in a statement on Monday. "The governor will defer to the D.A.-elect's review and analysis of the Menendez case prior to making any clemency decisions," reported The New York Times.

Former President Donald J. Trump Found Guilty on All Counts

Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg Presents Sentencing Freeze on Trump Conviction

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has requested to presiding judge, Juan M. Merchan to freeze the sentencing of Donald Trump, who was convicted in May, until 2028.

The wrangling between Trump attorney's who are seeking a complete dismissal of the conviction, based on the Supreme Court decision that renders crimes committed as President cannot be prosecuted, even as Trump was only a candidate at the time the crimes were committed, and the Manhattan District attorney's office who has advocated for the "integrity of the judicial system."

"In a letter to the judge overseeing the case, prosecutors from the Manhattan district attorney's office emphasized that a jury had already convicted Mr. Trump of falsifying records to cover up a sex scandal. Prosecutors and judges are often loath to unravel a jury's verdict," reported The New York Times.

The decision, which is expected before the end of the year, carries more implications than simply allowing a person of notoriety, with means and resource, to be excluded from the penalty of crime. The message becomes clear that some are above the law, and if that is the case who decides?

For more information on President Joe Biden: Whitehouse.gov.

Janet Walker is the publisher, founder, and sole owner of Haute-Lifestyle.com. A graduate of New York University, she has been covering international news through the Beltway Insider, a weekly review of the nation's top stories, for more than a decade. A general beat writer/reporter and entertainment/film critic, she is also an accomplished news/investigative news/crime reporter and submitted for Pulitzer Prize consideration "Cops Conspire to Deep Six Sex Assaults" in the Breaking News Category and was persuaded to withdraw the submission. Ms. Walker has completed five screenplays, "The Six Sides of Truth," "The Assassins of Fifth Avenue," "The Wednesday Killer," "The Manhattan Project," and the sci-fi thriller "Project 13: The Last Day." She is a member of the Los Angeles Press Club, the National Writers Union, and the International Federation of Journalists.