Soul food potlucks. Pride trivia nights. Kamala coffee hours. And of course, a VP pick showcase. Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign is planning a weekend blitz as the likely Democratic nominee officially kicks off her 2024 bid for the presidency. With only 100 days from Sunday until the election, Harris' campaign says it will host thousands of events that are aimed at reaching voters in battleground states, some with Democratic Party leaders whose names have been floated as potential running mates. read more
Ever since a spring 2021 White House meeting when Biden announced he was asking Harris to take the lead on a major immigration initiative, the vice president has been the face of the administration's response to migration at the Southern border. But if you actually watch that video, you'll notice something: Biden never called Harris a "border czar," or even implied she'll be taking the lead for administration policy. read more
Steve Benen: With extraordinary speed, a party that appeared fractured is suddenly united. A party that saw its fundraising efforts screeching to a halt is suddenly reporting record-breaking hauls. A party that cringed in response to every new poll is celebrating the latest national survey data. This seamless handoff from Biden to Harris wasn't inevitable, but it has been executed with striking skill. read more
On Sunday, President Joe Biden officially ended his 2024 presidential campaign and threw his unbridled support behind his vice president, Kamala Harris, to become the Democratic nominee for president of the United States. But regardless of how inevitable Biden's decision to withdraw from the November election appeared to be, his choice to pass the proverbial torch was his and his alone, solidifying the 81-year-old as one of the most selfless politicians in recent memory. read more
Steve Benen: Everything was on track (for the GOP) -- until the race changed. A Harris-vs-Trump contest offers contrasts that Democrats like. In a year in which many voters are concerned about crime, Republicans are running a man who's committed dozens of felonies against a former prosecutor who's brought criminals to justice. In a year in which some voters might care about experience, Republicans are running the least experienced presidential ticket in generations against a Democrat who's spent the last 20 years serving the public well. read more
The idea to send VP Harris to the border to explore the "root causes" was novel and encouraging. I don't recall hearing much about the results of that initiative. Now might be a good time to bring that to the forefront.
Post 93: www.whitehouse.gov
Excerpt:
Desired End StateFor expert analysis on the programs actual effects so far, go to the thread's article for more information.
A democratic, prosperous, and safe Central America, where people advance economically, live, work, and learn in safety and dignity, contribute to and benefit from the democratic process, have confidence in public institutions, and enjoy opportunities to create futures for themselves and their families at home.
Pillar II: Combating corruption, strengthening democratic governance, and advancing the rule of law
Strategic Objectives:
1. Strengthen Democratic Institutions to Improve Governance and Rule of Law: Governments enact and implement legislative reforms towards transparent and participatory policy making and electoral processes, including broad civic engagement. Oversight is instituted at all levels of government.
2. Combat Corruption: Governments are freed from entrenched networks of corruption and impunity. They develop and strengthen independent and transparent systems to eliminate conflicts of interest, including in selection of judges and other government personnel.
3. Improve Government Service Delivery: Governments improve capacity to raise and manage public resources, initiate reforms to improve fiscal and operational transparency, and provide services to all citizens.
Pillar IV: Countering and preventing violence, extortion, and other crimes perpetrated by criminal gangs, trafficking
networks, and other organized criminal organizations (way more at link above)
Harris failed the entire scope of border problems, so regardless of what Biden tasked her with, nothing within the realm of root causes of border security was realized. So she failed. Plain and simple.
So much lying. I guess they can't help it.
The Vice President and the Administration have already taken action - notable accomplishments include:As I've stated repeatedly, the efforts that Harris led were long term policy changes that would take years to manifest. They were never intended to immediately stem the ongoing crisis - however, parts of the project (like opening offices in foreign countries where locals wanting to immigrate could apply legally for entrance into the US without leaving their nation's borders) would have immediate effect, but never in numbers to alter the contemporary flow dramatically. That does not define a failure.
*Addressing immediate humanitarian needs including vaccines. On April 26, Vice President Harris announced $310 million in urgent relief to help address the acute factors of migration, including from hurricanes, the pandemic, and drought caused by climate change. To date, we have allocated over $250 million of the total funds, reaching over two million people. We also provided over 10 million COVID vaccine doses to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras.
*Countering corruption and democratic backsliding. Vice President Harris has been direct and unwavering in highlighting the problems of corruption, the need for reforms, and the vital importance of demonstrating commitment to the rule of law, judicial independence, human rights, and a strong civil society - including during her bilateral meeting in Guatemala.
*Working with the Department of Justice, the Vice President launched an Anticorruption Task Force that will include U.S. prosecutors and law enforcement experts to investigate and prosecute corruption cases with a nexus in the United States and the region.
*Addressing security concerns of mutual interest. Vice President Harris launched Anti-Migrant Smuggling Task Forces in both Mexico and Guatemala and secured commitments to increase border enforcement. She reached an agreement with the Mexican government to restart the high-level dialogue focused on the trafficking of weapons and drugs.
*Internationalizing our efforts. The Vice President has said, "The United States cannot do this work alone." She has reached out to international partners to highlight the need for increased support for Central America and secured commitments from a number of countries. She successfully encouraged the United Nations to develop a regional Humanitarian Response Plan to mobilize international donor support for the region.
*Working with the private sector. On May 27, Vice President Harris launched a Call to Action for the private sector to make new commitments in El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to expand economic opportunities. The initial group of 12 companies and organizations committed to helping over 13 million people, offered to provide $750 million in resources, and established a non-profit organization to support economic development efforts in the region " The Partnership for Central America. These initial commitments will provide financial services to small business owners, internet access and digital banking to rural communities, housing for low-income families, and reduced barriers to higher education. Since the launch, over 150 companies and organizations have expressed interest in joining the Call to Action.
Full report here: www.whitehouse.gov
As she gears up to secure the Democratic presidential nomination in Chicago this August, we examine some of Harris' most significant accomplishments and policy initiatives.
Just for esses and gees, can anyone hear recall any "significant accomplishments or policy initiatives" from former VPs Pence, Biden, or Quayle? (I left out Gore and Cheney because the answers for them are obvious: Gore - climate change; Cheney: War in Iraq, Global War on Terror)
In most cases, our VPs are like appendixes: Attached to the President, but almost always unused and unneeded outside of a crisis. Every VP has basically two standing orders: Golden Rule: Don't ever upstage the President; and Know Your Role - Universally support the President 24/7/365, but do it in a much more dignified manner than the over-the-top, butt-barnicle Mike Pence.