Last night, President Joe Biden gave his farewell address to the American people. It's a historic speech that will live on and often be cited. When President Dwight D. Eisenhower gave a similar speech, it registered to a degree but it was the years that followed -- and the missed opportunities to heed Eisenhower's warnings -- that made it so historic. Hopefully, we'll heed this president's warnings.
President Joe Biden: My fellow Americans, I’m speaking to you tonight from the Oval Office. Before I begin, let me speak to important news from earlier today. After eight months of nonstop negotiation, my administration -- by my administration -- a cease-fire and a hostage deal has been reached by Israel and Hamas, the elements of which I laid out in great detail in May of this year.
This plan was developed and negotiated by my team, and it will be largely implemented by the incoming administration. That’s why I told my team to keep the incoming administration fully informed. Because that’s how it should be: Working together as Americans. This will be my final address to you, the American people, from the Oval Office, from this desk, as president. And I’ve been thinking a lot about who we are and, maybe more importantly, who we should be.
Long ago, in New York Harbor, an ironworker installed beam after beam, day after day. He was joined by steel workers, stonemasons, engineers. They built not just a single structure, but a beacon of freedom. The very idea of America was so big, we felt the entire world needed to see the Statue of Liberty, a gift from France after our Civil War. Like the very idea of America, it was built not by one person but by many people, from every background, and from around the world.
Like America, the Statue of Liberty is not standing still. Her foot literally steps forward atop a broken chain of human bondage. She’s on the march. And she literally moves. She was built to sway back and forth to withstand the fury of stormy weather, to stand the test of time because storms are always coming. She sways a few inches, but she never falls into the current below. An engineering marvel.
The Statue of Liberty is also an enduring symbol of the soul of our nation, a soul shaped by forces that bring us together and by forces that pull us apart. And yet, through good times and tough times, we have withstood it all. A nation of pioneers and explorers, of dreamers and doers, of ancestors native to this land, of ancestors who came by force. A nation of immigrants who came to build a better life. A nation holding the torch of the most powerful idea ever in the history of the world: that all of us, all of us are created equal. That all of us deserve to be treated with dignity, justice and fairness. That democracy must defend, and be defined, and be imposed, moved in every way possible: Our rights, our freedoms, our dreams. But we know the idea of America, our institution, our people, our values that uphold it, are constantly being tested.
Ongoing debates about power and the exercise of power. About whether we lead by the example of our power or the power of our example. Whether we show the courage to stand up to the abuse of power, or we yield to it. After 50 years at the center of all of this, I know that believing in the idea of America means respecting the institutions that govern a free society -- the presidency, the Congress, the courts, a free and independent press. Institutions that are rooted -- not just reflect the timeless words, but they -- they echo the words of the Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident.” Rooted in the timeless words of the Constitution: "We the People." Our system of separation of powers, checks and balances -- it may not be perfect, but it's maintained our democracy for nearly 250 years, longer than any other nation in history that's ever tried such a bold experiment.
In the past four years, our democracy has held strong. And every day, I’ve kept my commitment to be president for all Americans, through one of the toughest periods in our nation’s history. I’ve had a great partner in Vice President Kamala Harris. It’s been the honor of my life to see the resilience of essential workers getting us through a once-in-a-century pandemic, the heroism of service members and first responders keeping us safe, the determination of advocates standing up for our rights and our freedoms.
Instead of losing their jobs to an economic crisis that we inherited, millions of Americans now have the dignity of work. Millions of entrepreneurs and companies, creating new businesses and industries, hiring American workers, using American products. And together, we have launched a new era of American possibilities: one of the greatest modernizations of infrastructure in our entire history, from new roads, bridges, clean water, affordable high-speed internet for every American.
We invented the semiconductor, smaller than the tip of my little finger, and now is bringing those chip factories and those jobs back to America where they belong, creating thousands of jobs. Finally giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices for millions of seniors. And finally doing something to protect our children and our families by passing the most significant gun safety law in 30 years. And bringing violent crime to a 50-year low. Meeting our sacred obligation to over one million veterans so far who were exposed to toxic materials, and to their families, providing medical care and education benefits and more for their families.
You know, it will take time to feel the full impact of all we’ve done together. But the seeds are planted, and they’ll grow, and they’ll bloom for decades to come. At home, we have created nearly 17 million new jobs, more than any other single administration in a single term. More people have health care than ever before. And overseas, we have strengthened NATO. Ukraine is still free. And we’ve pulled ahead in our competition with China. And so much more. I’m so proud of how much we’ve accomplished together for the American people, and I wish the incoming administration success. Because I want America to succeed.
That’s why I’ve upheld my duty to ensure a peaceful and orderly transition of power to ensure we lead by the power of our example. I have no doubt that America is in a position to continue to succeed.
That’s why my farewell address tonight, I want to warn the country of some things that give me great concern. And this is a dangerous — and that’s the dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a very few ultrawealthy people, and the dangerous consequences if their abuse of power is left unchecked. Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead. We see the consequences all across America. And we’ve seen it before.
More than a century ago, the American people stood up to the robber barons back then and busted the trusts. They didn’t punish the wealthy. They just made the wealthy play by the rules everybody else had. Workers want rights to earn their fair share. You know, they were dealt into the deal, and it helped put us on the path to building the largest middle class, the most prosperous century any nation the world has ever seen. We’ve got to do that again.
The last four years, that is exactly what we have done. People should be able to make as much as they can, but pay — play by the same rules, pay their fair share in taxes. So much is at stake. Right now, the existential threat of climate change has never been clearer. Just look across the country, from California to North Carolina. That’s why I signed the most significant climate and clean energy law ever, ever in the history of the world.
And the rest of the world is trying to model it now. It’s working, creating jobs and industries of the future. Now we have proven we don’t have to choose between protecting the environment and growing the economy. We’re doing both. But powerful forces want to wield their unchecked influence to eliminate the steps we’ve taken to tackle the climate crisis, to serve their own interests for power and profit. We must not be bullied into sacrificing the future, the future of our children and our grandchildren. We must keep pushing forward, and push faster. There is no time to waste. It is also clear that American leadership in technology is unparalleled, an unparalleled source of innovation that can transform lives. We see the same dangers in the concentration of technology, power and wealth.
You know, in his farewell address, President Eisenhower spoke of the dangers of the military-industrial complex. He warned us that about, and I quote, “The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power.” Six days — six decades later, I’m equally concerned about the potential rise of a tech-industrial complex that could pose real dangers for our country as well.
Americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation enabling the abuse of power. The free press is crumbling. Editors are disappearing. Social media is giving up on fact-checking. The truth is smothered by lies told for power and for profit. We must hold the social platforms accountable to protect our children, our families and our very democracy from the abuse of power. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence is the most consequential technology of our time, perhaps of all time.
Nothing offers more profound possibilities and risks for our economy, and our security, our society. For humanity. Artificial intelligence even has the potential to help us answer my call to end cancer as we know it. But unless safeguards are in place, A.I. could spawn new threats to our rights, our way of life, to our privacy, how we work, and how we protect our nation. We must make sure A.I. is safe and trustworthy and good for all humankind.
In the age of A.I., it’s more important than ever that the people must govern. And as the Land of Liberty, America — not China — must lead the world in the development of A.I.
You know, in the years ahead, it’s going to be up to the president, the presidency, the Congress, the courts, the free press, and the American people to confront these powerful forces. We must reform the tax code. Not by giving the biggest tax cuts to billionaires, but by making them begin to pay their fair share.
We need to get dark money — that’s that hidden funding behind too many campaign contributions — we need to get it out of our politics. We need to enact an 18-year time limit, term limit, time and term, for the strongest ethics — and the strongest ethics reforms for our Supreme Court. We need to ban members of Congress from trading stock while they are in the Congress. We need to amend the Constitution to make clear that no president, no president is immune from crimes that he or she commits while in office. The president’s power is not limit — it is not absolute. And it shouldn’t be.
And in a democracy, there is another danger — that the concentration of power and wealth. It erodes a sense of unity and common purpose. It causes distrust and division. Participating in our democracy becomes exhausting and even disillusioning, and people don’t feel like they have a fair shot. We have to stay engaged in the process. I know it’s frustrating. A fair shot is what makes America America. Everyone is entitled to a fair shot, not a guarantee, just a fair shot, an even playing field. Going as far as your hard work and talent can take you.
We can never lose that essential truth to remain who we are. I’ve always believed, and I told other world leaders, America will be defined by one word: possibilities. Only in America do we believe anything is possible. Like a kid with a stutter from modest beginnings in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and Claymont, Delaware, sitting behind this desk in the Oval Office as president of the United States.
That is the magic of America. It’s all around us. Upstairs in the residence of the White House, I’ve walked by a painting of a Statue of Liberty I don’t how many times. In the painting there are several workers climbing on the outstretched arm of the statue that holds the torch. It reminds me every day I pass it of the story and soul of our nation, and the power of the American people.
There is a story of a veteran — a veteran, a son of an immigrant, whose job was to climb that torch and polish the amber panes so rays of light could reach out as far as possible. He was known as the keeper of the flame. He once said of the Statue of Liberty, “Speaks a silent, universal language, one of hope that anyone who seeks and speaks freedom can understand.”
Yes, we sway back and forth to withstand the fury of the storm, to stand the test of time, a constant struggle, constant struggle. A short distance between peril and possibility. But what I believe is the America of our dreams is always closer than we think. And it’s up to us to make our dreams come true.
Let me close by stating my gratitude to so many people. To the members of my administration, as well as public service and first responders across the country and around the world, thank you for stepping up to serve. To our service members and their families, it has been the highest honor of my life to lead you as commander in chief.
And of course, to Kamala and her incredible partner. A historic vice president. She and Doug have become like family. And to me, family is everything.
My deepest appreciation to our amazing first lady who is with me in the Oval today. For our entire family. You are the love of my life and the life of my love.
My eternal thanks to you, the American people. After 50 years of public service, I give you my word, I still believe in the idea for which this nation stands — a nation where the strength of our institutions and the character of our people matter and must endure. Now it’s your turn to stand guard. May you all be the keeper of the flame. May you keep the faith. I love America. You love it, too.
God bless you all, and may God protect our troops. Thank you for this great honor.
Following the speech last night, MSNBC's Rachel Maddow, Chris Hayes, Joy Reid, Jen Psaki, and Alex Wagner offered their takes on the speech.
I'm really not interested in other so-called 'analysis.'
Whose life actually matters? One idiot said. Well, Joe was president of the United States. So the American people are who matter. That's your first priority. I'm not interested in your bulls**t.
That includes flake Mike who's about to be cut off here. I'm just not interested in garbage. The cease-fire? It's not. And it never was. This is not a new development. We called out the press for over a year on that. If anything takes place now, it's nothing but a pause.
Now let's deal with some more reality.
I defended the Palestinian people here. My arguments were about them. I called out collective punishment and, as someone who has studied "just war" theory, I made the case that way.
I did not defend Hamas. I did note that there was a blur due to the civilian element of Hamas -- which is in charge of the government in Gaza -- and a lot of people didn't get that.
Is there a political justification to be made for the October 7th attack? Sure, there is. And some may go along and some may not. But if you recognize that there is a political justification for the attack, you also need to recognize that there was never a justification to hold people hostage -- and to do for months and months. That is terrorism by any definition.
Too many commentators on YOUTUBE, at COMMON DREAMS, THE NATION, DEMOCRACY NOW! and elsewhere did not draw a line. What they did was make a case for terrorism.
And all that did was embolden the Gaza Freaks (Americans who are idiots and would rather scream and yell then actually work towards helping anyone -- the CODESTINKERS who show up at hearings and disrupt to get media attention for themselves as opposed to building any serious resistance to a poor nominee for Secretary of Defense). And then the Gaza Freaks attempted to hold the Democratic Party hostage.
The Gaza Freaks attacked Black womon on Tik-Tok -- as Tabitha at TABITHA SPEAKS documented repeatedly in the lead up to the election.
Last night, Joe Biden addressed the American people.
And you can see the Gaza Freaks out in full force.
The United States is in for a tough for years.
But by all means, focus on the first two paragraphs of Joe's speech. By all means, make that your entire overly long YOUTUBE video.
This is why Americans no longer care to the degree that they did this time last year.
Gaza is the priority of Gaza. Grasp that.
It's not the priority of the United States.
Again, I defended the Palestinian people who were the victims of collective punishment. I never defended the violent actions of Hamas.
The Gaza Freaks turn off the American people and they have turned them off. I see on campus after campus.
Joe spoke to the American people about issues having to do with the United States because he is the US president.
I don't need your garbage about Gaza or 'this isn't a cease-fire!' -- no, it's probably not. I haven't looked over the details because I honestly don't care. It's most likely a pause which is all anyone was ever fighting for or hoped for. It will most likely take some attention off the issues -- although most Americans have already tuned it out. When the heat is off, Netanyahu will again attack the Palestinian people.
A cease-fire was never the answer. A cease-fire was a step, a true cease-fire, but it was never going to be the answer.
Gaza Freaks embarrassed themselves and have angered the American people with their bulls**t that helped elect Donald Trump. Gaza Freaks are racists who proudly posted racist attacks on Black women online.
And there was never any calling out from THE NATION or DEMOCRACY NOW! or any of the other dirt poor jerks that turn around and beg you for money because the reality is that their work isn't good enough for them to live off of. It's a Circle Jerk that they plan behind the scenes. DSA claims credit online and to the press for Tim Walz getting on the ticket as the vice presidential candidate and the same useless outlets attacking Kamala (from the 'left') run articles praising Tim.
It's not journalism, it's Socialist propaganda.
You exposed yourself then and you're exposing yourself now. We may be dropping someone soon. I've noted before that there is a fiery speaker we'd been highlighting for some time. And I noted that we might be dropping them because I'd just discovered they were good friends with Lie Face.
Lie Face went around lying in 2008. She got banned from PBS as a result. Ava and I presented the evidence of her lies -- and her attacks on her students -- to the college administration she was at and she was let go as a result. Amy Goodman was part of the cabal who hid who Lie Face was when she brought Lie Face on her show.
Lie Face went all over the media lying that she was just a political analyst, a professor, had no skin in the game. She did this throughout 2008. Despite the fact that she joined Barack's campaign in 2007.
I don't like liars, tricksters or whores.
Lie Face's friend did a video. And I posted it. It's the only time I've ever deleted something.
If that's what we're going to be seeing from Lie Face's friend, we won't be seeing her videos up here anymore.
We have an American nightmare that's about to last a minimum for four years. If we're lucky. And the inability of the American 'left' to fight for the American people in 2024 is disgusting. I'm not in the mood for you or your nonsense.
Gaza is not a US state. It is not part of North America.
The tricksters have turned off Americans to this issue and I'm not going to help this issue. I will not stand with the likes of racist Susan ('Medea') Benjamin. And on that trash, please see Mike's "Idiot of the Week Susan ('Medea') Benjamin and CODESTINK" -- read that and grasp that those of us who rightly call out fundamentalists creeps for screaming when a natural disaster hits that it's God's punishment -- no difference between that and Susan and CODESTINK trying to say that the plight of the people of Gaza are the reason for the wildfires in California.
As some point, we all ready have to say, "That's enough. That's more than enough."
I hope we get to the hearings but we may not because I need to address a few things. I noted that we'd be changing from "Iraq snapshot" to "The snapshot" and we do today and I'll get to that.
An e-mail to the public account insists that Nancy Pelosi and Jill Biden are in "a catfight." And that I refuse to comment.
I'll comment because Jill's leaving the White House in a few days. I do know Jill. When Joe was vice president, we didn't note her hear. I said before Joe was sworn in as vice president, that I wouldn't be commenting on Jill because if the media tried to blow something up, I wanted to stay neutral here.
There is no catfight between Jill and Nancy. I'm sorry to disappoint your sexist desires but there's not one.
Jill is disappointed with Nancy. She feels let down and betrayed.
I think Ava and I dealt with it in July -- the push by the public to start demanding that Jill tell Joe to step down. I know it's at THIRD, it may be in a snapshot as well. But the argument we made was that people needed to back off. Jill is Joe's wife of many decades. It is not her job to tell Joe to step down. Her marriage is her business. She certainly doesn't owe it to Joe to tell him to step down if she doesn't think he needs to.
She is upset that Nancy called for it privately.
That's her right to be upset.
Nancy Pelosi did not call publicly -- a lie the press went with in real time. Had she done what they said and August featured a contested convention nominee, Nancy couldn't have voted. There are rules and sadly the US press never learns a damn thing about what they write about. General studies majors passed off as informed on everything.
Nancy did press Joe privately to step down.
Nancy was right to do that. Her focus was on the country. That's more than fine, Joe's her spouse.
This is not a case where one of the two women is right and the other is wrong. This is where two women had different roles and did what they did to fulfill those roles.
Jill and Nancy were not friends. They were never as close as Jill thinks they were. Jill's a warm person who makes friends very easily. Nancy's guarded and, yes, cold.
There is no "catfight." They'll both go on with their lives.
Joe Biden is leaving the White House. US troops are still in Iraq.
He should have pulled them.
He should have. He didn't. He couldn't after Afghanistan. The backlash there, as we noted in real time, was garbage and lies.
How many decades did those trashing Joe want US troops on the ground in Afghanistan?
And for what reason?
They needed to be brought home. Joe was the grown up in the room who did that -- not Bully Boy Bush, not Barack Obama, not Donald Trump -- who went into his first term insisting he was opposed to the Iraq War.
US troops remain on the ground in Iraq.
Did I miss Barbie Lee on that?
Brave Barbie Lee?
Barbara Lee was the biggest fake ass in Congress. As someone who knew her before she got into Congress, I'm well aware of how she lies non-stop about her own life and how she's repeatedly changed and altered her life history -- even details about her birth.
And that wouldn't matter so much if she'd been honest politically.
But this is one of the chair's of the Out of Iraq caucus.
And she's finally out of Congress.
And US troops remain in Iraq.
Did I miss her big exit speech where she tackled that issue?
No.
She ignored it and the press let her get away with it.
She's infamous for voting against the authorization for the war on Afghanistan. The only member of Congress who did.
And she got repeatedly praised for that over the years.
So what"
She voted once before it started and then did nothing other than offering empty words year after year.
The empty words stopped once Barack was elected president.
At that time, she said she wasn't going to press him on the issue in 2009, he was feeling his way. Then she offered another excuse for why she wasn't going to press him on the issue in 2010. And then . . .
She never pressed him.
Barbara Lee made a lot of big statements against both wars but, in the end, that's all they were: Words.
Empty words at that.
We kept attention on Iraq here. Barbara -- a co-chair of the Out of Iraq Caucus in the House -- lost interest in 2008. And she never made her way back. But she had a bad book to sell, remember?
She's a fake ass. And that and being 78 years old is why we opposed her run for the Senate last year.
She accomplished nothing but she sure did get a lot of attention from left and 'left' sites. A lot of praise that she never earned. And a reputation she never lived up to.
I was hoping to do some hearing coverage but we don't have room, this is already too long.
But quickly, Donald Chump's various nominees. Janna Brancolini (THE DAILY BEAST) notes:
Ultimately, no Republican senators have said they would oppose her nomination, though Sen. John Curtis of Utah and Sen. Susan Collins of Maine claim they’re still making up their minds.
And if any do ultimately vote against her, Trump megadonor, adviser and “First Buddy” Elon Musk has indicated his support for primary challenges against Republican senators who don’t fall in line on Trump’s Cabinet nominees.
I want to start with that because do people believe it?
I don't doubt that weirdo Elon Musk will try to buy revenge. He's a coward and can only come at people with money.
But
my point here is does Susan Collins believe she's vulnerable. She may
be. But not due to Elon. She's 72. Age might be an issue for her --
if so, that's with or without Elon. But Elon attacking her and funding
an opponent?
That's a
winning strategy for a smart candidate. AIPAC took out Cori Bush, for
example, and that's in part because she didn't make a big deal about it.
"Us,"
that's how you bond with the voter. It's you and the voter fighting
off the bad people. So Susan and the voter fighting off this
tri-national freak Elon Musk. That's a fundraiser all be itself and a
get-out-the-vote.
Maine -- true of any state -- doesn't want some foreign blowhard interfering in their elections and trying to buy votes.
"This
South African man thinks he's going to dictate to us? We're going to
stand together and show him that Maine isn't for sale!"
Again,
if you've got brains a threat like that from Musk is your re-election
tool. I have no idea why Cori did not play that card. Voters do not
want outsiders coming in and trying to tell them what to do.
So
I'm just wondering is there anyone in the Senate foolish enough to
believe that Elon has the power to get them ejected in an election? And
if he tried it on multiple senators it would be even better because it
would demonstrate that he truly does not have that kind of power. A
voter in Maine might hate Congress -- both houses -- but that same voter
is generally predisposed to like their own representatives. That's
part of the power of incumbency.
Staying with the topic of Chump's nominees, Joe Sommerlad (INDEPENDENT) reports,
"South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the
Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has had her Senate confirmation
hearing abruptly postponed by two days. Governor Noem had been due to be
grilled by senators from the chamber’s Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs Committee on Wednesday about her suitability for
the role." And then there's Pam Bondi. Who? Chump's nominee for
Attorney General. Excuse me. Chump's second nominee for Attorney
General. Remember, he's still not been sworn in but Trump's first
nominee for Attorney General is already a distant memory. Matt Gaetz
killed by the Congressional report that found drug use, sex with an
underage girl -- which is also known as rape -- and much, much more.
Bondi had her confirmation hearing yesterday. Liam Archacki (DAILY BEAST) notes:
Pam
Bondi fell silent, refusing to answer, when a senator pressed her on
whether Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election. The confirmation
hearing for Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general was dominated by
questions about Bondi’s independence from the president-elect. But
perhaps none of her responses was more telling than one she offered to
Marie Hirono, a Democrat from Hawaii.
“I want to ask you a factual question,” Hirono began. “Who won the 2020 presidential election?”
“Joe
Biden is the president of the United States,” responded Bondi, refusing
to contradict the false claim maintained by Trump that the election was
rigged against him.
“I can say that Donald
Trump won the 2024 election. I may not like it, but I can say it. You
cannot say who won the 2020 election,” Hirono fired back.
Bondi, looking at the senator, pursed her lips and said nothing.
“It’s disturbing that you can’t give voice to that fact,” Hirono said.
The
link we're using goes to BING. I don't know if THE DAILY BEAST made
the mistake or BING did but there's no Senator Marie Hirono. The name
is Mazie Hirono. Morgan Music (LATIN TIMES) adds,
"During Wednesday's tense Senate confirmation hearing for Attorney
General nominee Pam Bondi, Bondi repeatedly declined to say if she would
investigate Special Counsel Jack Smith and former Congresswoman Liz
Cheney." She refused to answer. At one point, she refused by insisting
that it was a hypothetical.
Senator
Marco Rubio had his confirmation hearing yesterday. Chump's nominated
him for Secretary of State. We're not going to spend any time on that
hearing. It's wasted time. That's not a judgment for or against Marco.
It's acknowledging that the Senate confirms their own. It's not new,
it's not novel, it's just the way it is. So we're not going to spend
any time on it. Others can if they like, but it's a done deal.
Let's wind down with Lawrence O'Donnell's take on Joe's farewell address.
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