Latest news with #Beltway
Wall Street Journal
a day ago
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
Whose Pork Do You Mean, Elon?
Elon Musk's work at the Department of Government Efficiency made him persona non grata in the Beltway, and most criticism was nasty and unfair. That's what Washington does to outsiders who want to shrink its power. But that makes it all the more unfortunate that Mr. Musk is now joining the Beltway crowd in trying to kill the House tax bill. 'This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination,' the Tesla CEO tweeted Tuesday, as the Senate begins considering its version of budget reconciliation. 'Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.'
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Opinion - Fake news: No, Joe Biden was not in decline
I have worked in the arena. As a White House intern in the Office of Presidential Correspondence, an elected delegate to the Democratic National Convention, and a veteran of campaigns at every level, I have had the chance to see how government really works — behind the speeches and the soundbites. I have seen former President Joe Biden — not resembling the caricature in these new political tell-alls that people keep publishing, but as a man committed to serving others, listening when it's hardest and leading when others duck responsibility. That's why it is disheartening to see the growing shelf of books peddling the idea of a president in decline. Each new volume seems less concerned with truth and more invested in narrative — a cheaply packaged tale of malarkey for the cable news set and the Beltway cocktail circuit. These books offer little that is new, but much that is convenient for those looking to profit from pessimism. They rely on anonymous sources, innuendo, and a tired playbook. They question the man's faculties, reframe routine deliberation as dysfunction, and ignore inconvenient facts that contradict the thesis. There is clearly a market for these portrayals — just not among those who actually take the time to govern. The audience is a self-satisfied chorus of the 'permanent, professional chattering class,' as Naomi Biden rightly put it. They rarely step into the arena but make a living from narrating its battles. And they seem far more comfortable speculating about the president's gait than engaging with the gravity of his work. There is a deeper cynicism at work here — one that goes beyond politics. These books reflect a broader contempt for the idea that decency can still exist in public life. To the authors and pundits profiting off these narratives, it's unthinkable that someone would choose service over self-promotion, empathy over ego, or duty over drama. So they invent a version of Biden that makes more sense to them: a man propped up by aides, out of touch, fading. It is an easier story to sell, even if it is not true. I have seen people moved to tears by a letter from the president — a letter sent not as a press stunt but in the quiet aftermath of grief, of hardship or of triumph. I have worked alongside staff who saw firsthand the care Biden gives to decisions most will never hear about, the hours spent preparing for moments the public will only ever see for thirty seconds. That is not decline. That is the burden of leadership. There are legitimate policy debates to be had, and we should have them. But we should reject the idea that personality assassination, wrapped in the language of reportage, is public service. What these books trade in is not journalism — it's performance. It absolves the powerful of real analysis and distracts from urgent problems with recycled gossip. If you must focus on one halting debate performance, talk also about the electric midnight rally that came afterward. History sorts signal from noise. The books that matter will not be the ones written to chase a news cycle—they will be written to explain a presidency that helped guide a battered nation through recovery, war, and democratic peril. When they include the metrics we can see even now, that see indicators for everything from manufacturing investment to institutional strength skyrocket with President Biden, the truth will be unavoidable. Joe Biden is not perfect. But he is a good man. And sometimes that alone is what people cannot abide—the idea that integrity might actually persist in someone they've decided to mock. That decency might be real. I didn't come to that conclusion because I was told to. I came to it because I saw it. And no amount of anonymous sourcing will convince me to unsee it now. Charles Horowitz is a former White House intern and delegate to the Democratic National Convention. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Fake news: No, Joe Biden was not in decline
I have worked in the arena. As a White House intern in the Office of Presidential Correspondence, an elected delegate to the Democratic National Convention, and a veteran of campaigns at every level, I have had the chance to see how government really works — behind the speeches and the soundbites. I have seen former President Joe Biden — not resembling the caricature in these new political tell-alls that people keep publishing, but as a man committed to serving others, listening when it's hardest and leading when others duck responsibility. That's why it is disheartening to see the growing shelf of books peddling the idea of a president in decline. Each new volume seems less concerned with truth and more invested in narrative — a cheaply packaged tale of malarkey for the cable news set and the Beltway cocktail circuit. These books offer little that is new, but much that is convenient for those looking to profit from pessimism. They rely on anonymous sources, innuendo, and a tired playbook. They question the man's faculties, reframe routine deliberation as dysfunction, and ignore inconvenient facts that contradict the thesis. There is clearly a market for these portrayals — just not among those who actually take the time to govern. The audience is a self-satisfied chorus of the 'permanent, professional chattering class,' as Naomi Biden rightly put it. They rarely step into the arena but make a living from narrating its battles. And they seem far more comfortable speculating about the president's gait than engaging with the gravity of his work. There is a deeper cynicism at work here — one that goes beyond politics. These books reflect a broader contempt for the idea that decency can still exist in public life. To the authors and pundits profiting off these narratives, it's unthinkable that someone would choose service over self-promotion, empathy over ego, or duty over drama. So they invent a version of Biden that makes more sense to them: a man propped up by aides, out of touch, fading. It is an easier story to sell, even if it is not true. I have seen people moved to tears by a letter from the president — a letter sent not as a press stunt but in the quiet aftermath of grief, of hardship or of triumph. I have worked alongside staff who saw firsthand the care Biden gives to decisions most will never hear about, the hours spent preparing for moments the public will only ever see for thirty seconds. That is not decline. That is the burden of leadership. There are legitimate policy debates to be had, and we should have them. But we should reject the idea that personality assassination, wrapped in the language of reportage, is public service. What these books trade in is not journalism — it's performance. It absolves the powerful of real analysis and distracts from urgent problems with recycled gossip. If you must focus on one halting debate performance, talk also about the electric midnight rally that came afterward. History sorts signal from noise. The books that matter will not be the ones written to chase a news cycle—they will be written to explain a presidency that helped guide a battered nation through recovery, war, and democratic peril. When they include the metrics we can see even now, that see indicators for everything from manufacturing investment to institutional strength skyrocket with President Biden, the truth will be unavoidable. Joe Biden is not perfect. But he is a good man. And sometimes that alone is what people cannot abide—the idea that integrity might actually persist in someone they've decided to mock. That decency might be real. I didn't come to that conclusion because I was told to. I came to it because I saw it. And no amount of anonymous sourcing will convince me to unsee it now. Charles Horowitz is a former White House intern and delegate to the Democratic National Convention.
Washington Post
7 days ago
- Climate
- Washington Post
CWG Live updates: Warmer today with a chance of showers; storms possible Friday
Welcome to updated around-the-clock by Capital Weather Gang meteorologists. Happening now: Mostly cloudy this morning, but some sun should gradually break through by afternoon. Temperatures warm into the 70s with a small chance of showers. What's next? Another weather system reaches the area Friday with numerous showers and storms, some of which could be heavy. Showers probably pop up again Saturday before drier conditions return into next week. Today's daily digit — 7/10: After yesterday's chill, today's warmth is a thrill. But shower chances aren't quite nil. | 🤚 Your call? The digit is a somewhat subjective rating of the day's weather, on a 0-to-10 scale. Forecast in detail Today (Thursday): Clouds rule this morning with light winds and areas of fog early. By afternoon, the sun should break through at times, allowing highs to reach the mid- to upper 70s. A few showers are possible, especially south and east of the Beltway. Confidence: Medium-High Tonight: A stray shower or two is possible but, for most, just lots of clouds. Winds are calm and lows slip into the upper 50s and lower 60s. Confidence: Medium Tomorrow (Friday): Variably cloudy in the morning with a passing shower or two possible. The sun should emerge at times, setting the stage for a round of significant rain and thunderstorms later in the afternoon. Some storms could be intense with heavy rain and strong winds. Confidence: Medium Tomorrow night: Thunderstorms should die out in the evening, but occasional downpours may linger through the night and some areas of flooding cannot be ruled out. Much of the area could end up with another inch of rain or more. Lows reach the mid- to upper 50s. Confidence: Medium A look ahead Yet another area of disturbed weather passes over the area on Saturday, setting off one more round of showers. Cooler air spills into the area, holding highs to the upper 60s to lower 70s. Confidence: Low-Medium Cool air is fully settled into the area Sunday morning, resulting in lows in the mid-40s to near 50. Still, the sun is finally dominant, and highs rebound into the low to mid-70s. Confidence: Medium Monday and Tuesday see plenty of sun and gradually rising temperatures. Winds are light as highs climb through the 70s. Morning lows are mainly in the 50s. Confidence: Medium Today's daily digit — 7/10: After yesterday's chill, today's warmth is a thrill. But shower chances aren't quite nil. | 🤚 Your call? The digit is a somewhat subjective rating of the day's weather, on a 0-to-10 scale. Forecast in detail Today (Thursday): Clouds rule this morning with light winds and areas of fog early. By afternoon, the sun should break through at times, allowing highs to reach the mid- to upper 70s. A few showers are possible, especially south and east of the Beltway. Confidence: Medium-High Tonight: A stray shower or two is possible but, for most, just lots of clouds. Winds are calm and lows slip into the upper 50s and lower 60s. Confidence: Medium Tomorrow (Friday): Variably cloudy in the morning with a passing shower or two possible. The sun should emerge at times, setting the stage for a round of significant rain and thunderstorms later in the afternoon. Some storms could be intense with heavy rain and strong winds. Confidence: Medium Tomorrow night: Thunderstorms should die out in the evening, but occasional downpours may linger through the night and some areas of flooding cannot be ruled out. Much of the area could end up with another inch of rain or more. Lows reach the mid- to upper 50s. Confidence: Medium A look ahead Yet another area of disturbed weather passes over the area on Saturday, setting off one more round of showers. Cooler air spills into the area, holding highs to the upper 60s to lower 70s. Confidence: Low-Medium Cool air is fully settled into the area Sunday morning, resulting in lows in the mid-40s to near 50. Still, the sun is finally dominant, and highs rebound into the low to mid-70s. Confidence: Medium Monday and Tuesday see plenty of sun and gradually rising temperatures. Winds are light as highs climb through the 70s. Morning lows are mainly in the 50s. Confidence: Medium
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion - Imitating MAGA populism is a losing strategy for Democrats
In their quest to win back working-class voters and compete in battleground states, many Democrats have convinced themselves that the best way to beat Trumpism is to copy it — at least on economics. The new playbook is built around economic populism: tariffs, industrial policy, big government checks, and a willingness to bash corporations, billionaires, and free markets in the same breath. But while this might make for good focus group fodder, it's a long-term loser — for the Democratic Party, and for American democracy. MAGA populism isn't just about economic pain; it's about channeling that pain into resentment, isolation and authoritarian politics. When Democrats try to meet that energy with their own brand of populism — whether from the progressive left or the blue-collar center — they validate the frame that all of America's problems are caused by 'them' — elites, foreigners, corporations or coastal urbanites. This style of politics undermines democratic institutions, reduces trust in pluralistic compromise and feeds a dangerous cycle of permanent grievance. Instead of competing with President Trump on who can rage louder against the machine, Democrats should offer an alternative vision rooted in civic renewal, economic dignity and democratic accountability. That means rejecting both laissez-faire complacency and populist demagoguery. There is a third way — and it's not centrism for its own sake. It's pluralism: the idea that the best way to rebuild trust in American democracy is not by consolidating power, but by decentralizing it; not by punishing 'bad guys,' but by empowering citizens; not by demonizing markets, but by making them work better for everyone. A pluralist economic agenda would emphasize regional development over Beltway industrial policy deals. It would strengthen local entrepreneurship and cooperative ownership instead of doubling down on megaproject subsidies. It would treat tax reform as a civic obligation, not a populist weapon. And it would champion economic inclusion — especially for those left behind — without scapegoating those who succeed. Most importantly, a pluralist agenda doesn't treat voters as angry mobs to be mobilized but as civic equals to be empowered. That means rebuilding the institutions of public life — from unions to local media, from public schools to town halls — that allow Americans to govern together across difference. Democrats shouldn't try to out-populist Trump. They should remind voters that there is another American tradition: one that believes in liberty and equality, markets and justice, freedom and responsibility. That tradition is not anti-populist — but it is anti-authoritarian. And in 2026 and 2028, that distinction might be the difference between a resilient democracy and a post-liberal collapse. Mike Michener is founder of the American Pluralist Alliance and a former senior official at USAID and USDA. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
