Saturday, February 01, 2020

Joe is not electable

Fredreka Schouten (CNN) reports:

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden churned through his campaign donations during the last three months of 2019, leaving the former vice president with a little less than $9 million to spend ahead of the first nominating contests of the 2020 race, new filings late Friday show.
That puts him in a potentially precarious financial position.
Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, one of Biden's leading rivals for the Democratic nomination, entered January with double the cash available: $18.2 million, according to reports Sanders' campaigns filed Friday night with the Federal Election Commission.
Another contender, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, had $13.7 million remaining in her campaign account at the start of the new year, and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg had $14.5 million banked.


Drop out, Joe, no one really wants you.  So the gossip is that Michelle Obama had lunch this week with Hunter Biden's ex-wife.  That's a pretty clear message.  Joe has written off his former daughter-in-law, he can't stand her.  She's filed court paperwork noting that Hunter spent all their money on strippers, hookers and drugs.  Joe can't stand her.

And Michelle had lunch with her.

I think it's rather obvious that Barack is not pulling for Joe to get the nomination.

Few are pulling for Joe.  THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER notes the enthusiasm behind Bernie and the large number of volunteers he has in Iowa and then this:




Sanders, though, holds an advantage with a large number of volunteers. As of this summer, his campaign estimated that roughly 25,000 Iowans signed up to help knock doors and place phone calls.
There are no public estimates for how many Biden supporters have volunteered for his campaign, but the rhetoric from his campaign in the last few weeks indicate they are desperate.
In the days before the Iowa caucuses, Biden trotted out representatives pleading for audience members to sign up for volunteer efforts. Rival campaigns believe he has few “caucus captains” set to convince caucusgoers to support him. On Thursday, during a campaign stop in Ottumwa, Biden field organizers urged an older crowd of supporters to help get out the vote on Monday, starting from 6 a.m. He later reiterated the message. This week, Biden was still posting job listings for field organizer positions in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina.
New Hampshire reveals a much weaker Biden effort compared to his competitors with less than two weeks until the first-in-the-nation primary. Biden has 55 staff members in the state, roughly half the number as Sanders, Warren, or Buttigieg.
Those numbers are a consequence of his campaign strategy of not wasting limited resources — he raised $11.8 million less than Sanders in the last three months of 2019 — in a state where Sanders and Warren have a New England home-field advantage. Instead, Biden hopes to win big in states such as Nevada and South Carolina where he maintains appeal with minority voters.


Joe's a loser.  If he loses Iowa, his support will droop even more.  If he then loses New Hampshire (and remember that Ava, C.I., Kat and Wally have banked out there for the entire month of January to campaign against Joe and they plan to remain there through the New Hampshire primary), he will droop even futher.

He stands for nothing but so-called 'electability.'  If he's unable to win a caucus or a primary, there goes his argument that he's electable.

"Iraq snapshot" (THE COMMON ILLS):
Saturday, February 1, 2020.  Iraq has a new prime minister-designate, protesters are not pleased with the choice, Joe Biden stumbles on the campaign trail as he admits he doesn't know what he was supposed to say and as people stay away from his campaign events.


Mid-day, there was speculation that a new prime minister-designate might be appointed in Iraq. A few hours later came the official announcement President Barham Salih had named Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi prime minister-designate.


 11 hours ago
Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi introduced as new Iraqi PM
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Who?  From WIKIPEDIA:

 Mohammed Tawfik Allawi (Arabic: محمد توفيق علاوي‎) is an Iraqi politician who has been serving as the current Iraqi Prime Minister since February 2020.[1] He was the Minister of Communications in the Iraqi Government and was also Minister of Communications in the Al Maliki government from May 2006 until August 2007, and from 2010 to 2012. Both times he resigned from his position in protest against al-Maliki's sectarian agenda and political interference.
Al-Jazeera claims he is cousin of Ayad Allawi
Allawi studied Architectural Engineering at Baghdad University, when he left mid-way through his studies as he was wanted by the government of Saddam Hussein. He went into exile and moved to Lebanon, where he completed his education and obtained a degree in Architecture from the American University of Beirut. He then moved to the United Kingdom.
While in higher education he co-founded the Tawfiq Allawi Cable & Electric Wire Factory which manufactured various raw materials including marble, concrete and PVC. His factories were confiscated by the Iraqi government in 1997. Allawi went on to found a cereal bar factory and a software company in England and to work in property development in Lebanon, Morocco and the real estate market in the UK.[2]
Allawi joined Interfaith International, a Swiss based NGO that supported the human rights of Muslim minorities during the Yugoslav Wars.[2]
Allawi participated in the Salah Al-Din Conference of opposition parties in 1992 and the London Conference in 2002. He was elected to the Council of Representatives of Iraq in the Iraqi parliamentary election of January 2005.[2] He is the cousin of Ayad Allawi who founded the opposition Iraqi National Accord and went on to be the interim Prime Minister of Iraq from 2004 to 2005.
In May 2006 Allawi was appointed Minister of Communications in the Al Maliki government. After fifteen months he withdrew from the government, citing the Prime Minister's practice of making appointments on a sectarian basis.[3] He rejoined parliament and remained in opposition for the remainder of the government's term.[2] He returned as Minister of Communications in the newly formed government in 2010, but also resigning after citing the interference of prime ministerNouri al-Maliki in his ministry.
He has since remained as a public commentator on Iraqi political affairs, with a series of articles published in Iraqi media outlets and on his blog. 
Allawi was twice minister of communications, from May 2006 until August 2007, and from 2010 to 2012. Both times he resigned from his position in protest against al-Maliki's sectarian agenda and political interference.[citation needed]
One of Allawi's key policies was rooting out corruption. As communications minister, he implemented a policy that imposed strict anti-bribery terms on every company contracting with the ministry. These terms included that if the company was discovered to have paid a bribe to anyone in the ministry, a fine worth 30% of the contract would be imposed on the contracting company and the company would be blacklisted (preventing it from contracting with any government entity for three years).[4]
Allawi was appointed prime minister of Iraq on 1 February 2020 in the context of the Iraqi protests of 2019–20, replacing Adil Abdul-Mahdi, who had remained as caretaker prime minister for two months after resigning in response to the protests.[1]

Leave it to Crapapedia to get it wrong.  He has not been appointed prime minister.

Christen McCurdy (UPI) gets it right, "Protests broke out in the streets of Iraq Saturday after Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi was named Iraq's minister-designate.  Allawi has a month to form a new government, which he will lead until early elections."

Will he form a new government?

The Iraqi Constitution gives a prime minister-designate one month to form a cabinet.  That's all they have to do to move from designate to prime minister.  But the Constitution has not been followed.  Nouri al-Maliki was named designate two times and both times he failed to produce a full Cabinet.  Hayder al-Abadi came next and he failed as well.  Adel Abdul Mahdi, ahead of being named designate, insisted that the 30 day clause should be followed and a full cabinet formed.  But, once named, he quickly changed his view.

Why does it matter?

Iraq's government is filled with various factions and sects. To preside over the government as prime minister, you need to demonstrate that you can lead and build consensus.  If you can't form a Cabinet, you're not going to be able to accomplish anything.

And that's what we've seen over and over with every prime minister since the 2005 Constitution.

The test is in place to demonstrate that the person is capable of governing.  When they get to bypass that measure, it's no surprise that Iraq ends up with a non-functioning government over and over and over.

We should also take a moment to note the CIA.  That would be the Central Intelligence Agency in the United States.  "Intelligence" is laying it on a little thick.  Since the spring of 2006, they have advocated for Adel Abdul Mahdi.  He is the one, they insisted repeatedly.

The one?  The worst one.  He didn't even serve a full term because he was such a disaster.

Let's drop back to the October 25, 2018 snapshot:



Iraq has named a prime minister.  We word that carefully because we should not say "new."  All hopes that this time would be different have slipped away.



Ahmed Rasheed and Ahmed Aboulenein (REUTERS) report that Adel Abdul al-Mahdi was sworn in yesterday as Prime Minister despite not putting together a full Cabinet.  That's the only thing you're supposed to do and you're supposed to do it for a reason.

Per the Iraqi Constitution, the president names a prime minister-designate.  How do you move from prime minister-designate to prime minister?  You have 30 days to name a Cabinet.

Why is that important?  That is your test, your proof that you are up for the job.  In 30 days, you are able to put together a Cabinet -- through wise choices, through horse trading, whatever.  Putting together a Cabinet that you get Parliament approval indicates that you are up to the job  and will be able to govern.

No one has followed the Constitution.

al-Mahdi gave the impression he was going to.  But that ship sailed yesterday.  Not only is he another Nouri and another Hayder in that he shows disdain for the law before being named prime minister, he's also them in that he's demonstrated he can't govern.

Gridlock?  Four years of that will be most likely what takes place because he can't even work with the Parliament right now.  Imagine six months from now, when both sides have hurled their public insults.  

Not that public insults haven't already been hurled.  

 53 minutes ago
Iraq PM Adel Abdul Mahdi sworn in amid bickering over cabinet


Parliament's session was 'lively' with some decrying the nominees and/or their credentials.  



  1.  11 minutes ago
Iraqi Prime Minister swore in 14 ministers to his new government last night. All were male.
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"None of the [14] appointments were known to have come from the online application portal opened by Abdul-Mahdi to bring new faces into government. His office received over 15,000 applications in the span of less than a week, earlier this month."

5:12 AM - 25 Oct 2018
 
 

He did not nominate two women but Parliament refused to vote on those two.


 4 hours ago
The new Prime Minister of Iraq Abdul Mahdi and his 14 ministers were sworn yesterday. We see No Woman for ministry.
 
 





  1.  34 minutes ago
Press Release: SRSG Ján Kubiš welcomes confirmation of Prime Minister Adel Abdul Mahdi, urges early confirmation of the full Council of Ministers, and expresses concern at the lack of female representation among ministers
1 retweet2 likes
 

Mahdi didn't even last two years in office (he'd have had to hold on until October 25, 2020 to accomplish that).

We keep noting the need to follow the Constitution.  There's a reason that 30 days step is in there.  If you can't form a full Cabinet, you can't govern.  Either follow the Constitution or scrap it and write a new one.  But as the government is set up -- by the Iraqi Constitution -- it can't function without a consensus builder as the lead.

Were Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi to follow the Constitution and actually put together a full Cabinet, it might silence some of the criticism of him that's already building.




Search results
  1.  46 minutes ago
& , shame on you for welcoming a convicted felon like Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi as a PM. You too are apart of this criminal organisation, which is killing the .
 
 
 54 minutes ago
Replying to 
Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi resigned as a Minister of Communication after a corruption scandal. & he was convicted and sentenced with 7 years in prison, which later on was suspended! , shame on you for welcoming such a criminal!
1 like
 
 
 59 minutes ago
Allow me translate: Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi resigned as a Minister of Communication after a corruption scandal. & he was convicted and sentenced with 7 years in prison, which later on was suspended! , shame on you for welcoming such a criminal!
استقال من منصب وزير الاتصالات بعد مطالبات بالتحقيق معه…
1 like
 
 
 1 hour ago
Replying to 
Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi wasn’t the Iraqis choice. Iranian proxies forced him on us. Please don’t support the Iranian choice against Iraqis.
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Amy Held and Jane Arraf (NPR) report:

 They [the protesters] have rejected Allawi's candidacy, saying anyone who previously held a Cabinet post is tainted. Allawi served as a Cabinet minister in two previous governments.
But Allawi comes to power with the essential support of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose political bloc is one of the biggest in parliament.
Sadr followers moved back into Tahrir Square on Saturday in an apparent push to limit anti-Allawi protests.
Allawi's nomination is opposed by another leading Shiite politician, former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki.
Allawi resigned from Maliki's government in 2007 over what he called Maliki's sectarian policies. Maliki, a Shiite, is widely blamed for fueling sectarian strife between Iraq's Shia and Sunni populations while he was in power between 2006 and 2014. His opposition to Allawi, who is also Shiite, could complicate the prime minister's efforts to compile a Cabinet based on individual qualifications rather than their loyalties to parties — also a key demand of anti-government protesters.
In the popular unrest that has swept the country, demonstrators are calling for jobs, an end to corruption and what they see as Iran's meddling in Iraq's internal affairs.

Iraqi security forces and the Iran-backed militias affiliated with them have unleashed a brutal response, killing at least 600 protesters in the four months since demonstrations have unfolded.



Search results
  1.  10 hours ago
"We must protect you instead of suppressing you. The weapons of the state should be used against those who attack you." Iraq's new PM Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi tells protesters
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Linah Alsaafin (ALJAZEERA) adds:

Moments after his appointment was announced, Allawi shared a pre-recorded video on his Twitter page, where he addressed the protesters directly.
"My power is derived from you," he began. "If it were not for your courage and sacrifices then there would have been no changes in the country."
"You protested for your homeland, and if I am not able to fulfill your demands that I am unworthy of this position," he added.
However, protesters in the capital reacted with dismay, saying that he represented the old ruling elite.
One protester, 25-year-old Yousef Abd, said there is "no doubt we reject Allawi in the position of prime minister".
"If the government insists on forcing him on us we will definitely escalate things," he told Al Jazeera via telephone from Tahrir Square.
Mohammed Aqeel, another protester agreed.
"The general feeling from most protest sites is that they view Allawi as being cut from the same cloth as the politicians in power," he told Al Jazeera. "He belongs to the same system we don't want."
According to Aqeel, large student demonstrations were expected to take place on Sunday against Allawi’s appointment, which he hoped would unite the protest movement in Tahrir.

Earlier on Saturday, skirmishes had taken place between Sadrist supporters and politically independent protesters, after the former took over the strategic Turkish restaurant building and drove out the other protesters from there.


John Davison and Aziz El Yaakoubi (REUTERS) note, "Allawi has one month to form a government and will lead it until early elections are held, for which there is no date set. The former communications minister will likely get stuck between parties vying for cabinet posts, prolonging the political deadlock. "  AFP notes that Allawi has publicly declared, "If the (political) blocs try to impose their candidates on me, I’ll come out and talk to you and leave this nomination."  NRT quotes him stating, "I'm an employee [at your service] carrying your trust, so do not go back until you get what you want, whether from me or someone else. If the political blocs try to impose their candidates [for ministers] on me, then I will resign."  We'll see if he holds to that promise.  RUDAW observes, "Iraqi security analyst Husham al-Hashimi tweeted on Saturday following the appointment of Allawi that the agreement between the Shiite al-Fatih coalition and Allawi will provoke unrest in the streets. The coalition, which placed second in Iraq's 2018 parliamentary elections, is comprised of several political arms of the PMF, the Iran-backed Hashd al-Shaabi militias at the heart of recent tensions between the US and Iran on Iraqi soil."
He is not supposed to serve a full term.  He is supposed to be in charge until early elections take place.  It'll be interesting to see whether early elections are called.
 11 hours ago
Iraqi President announces that Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi will be interim Prime Minister. The priority needs to be fair elections so a leader that actually represents the people is chosen. IDP’s must be able to vote from current location for this to be legitimate.
: Iraqi president announces replacement for caretaker PM Adil Abdul Mahdi. Updates to follow.
7 retweets8 likes
 
 
Again, the news was not welcomed with an eruption of applause from the protesters.
 7 hours ago
Today marks a major defeat to the revolution: the government forcefully appoints former minister Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi to head the transitional government against the protesters’ demands and militia warlord Al-Sadr occupies downtown Baghdad, and attack protesters.
2 retweets1 like
 
 
  


 12 hours ago
Online and offline, Iraqis are displaying no fears in voicing their rejection of premier-designate Mohammed Tawfiq . The chant "we reject MT Allawi" rings out in
0:32
بغداد .. من ساحة التحرير المتظاهرون يرفضون تنصيب محمد علاوي رئيسًا للوزراء .. …
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 9 hours ago
BREAKING: - Protesters block the airport road in refusal to install Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi as prime minister.
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0:25
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  1.  6 hours ago
Strong rejection across Baghdad and southern cities of President Barham Salih’s appointment of Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi as prime minister-designate. Video shows protesters in southern city of Nasiriya burning ties and blocking roads to decry appointment.
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0:06
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  1.  8 hours ago
Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi is Iraq's designated PM following another Muqtada maneuvering of events. The streets are still angry and vow to continue their rejection of any nominee blessed by the ruling parties and militias.
9 replies49 retweets144 likes
 
 
  • Show this thread
  •  11 hours ago
    • Protesters in Nasiriyah city, southern Iraq, voice their rejection of newly appointed PM Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi. video via Telegram
    />
    0:09
    14 retweets23 likes
     
     


    1.  6 hours ago
    Statement out of Hobbobi Sq in ’s southern city of Nasiriyah where protesters have gathered for months. They say Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi, who’s been appointed as prime minister, represents the political elite they want overhauled.
    3 retweets4 likes
     
     
     6 hours ago
    protesters in , chanting against .
    />
    0:16
    1 retweet6 likes
     
     
     4 hours ago
    WSJ - Iraq Names New Prime Minister, Faces Protests - The move drew a backlash from protesters who see Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi as little different from his predecessor via
    1 retweet4 likes
     
     


    1.  9 hours ago
    Thousands of Iraqi people tweet against (Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi) nomination as prime minister of Iraq. As Iraqis, we call on the international community not to recognize it, which is against the demands of the Iraqi people
     
     
     9 hours ago
    Demonstrators block Sadir Hospital road in , due selected 's former communications minister as the country's new PM.
     
    2 retweets6 likes
     
     

     12 hours ago
    Al Nasiriyah refuse Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi.
    />
    0:33
    2 retweets2 likes
     
     




    Meanwhile in the United States, the race for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination continues and War Hawk Joe Biden continues to stumble and fumble.

     5 hours ago
    Joe Biden: “I’ve forgotten what the hell I was going to say”
    />
    0:12
    107 replies350 retweets740 likes
     
     


    Iowa votes (via caucus) on Monday and Joe's falling apart on the campaign trail.


    1.  5 hours ago
    Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden thinks the Charlottesville incident was in 2019 ... it was *3 years ago* Biden falsely claims Trump said "there were very fine people on both sides" in reference to neo-Nazis/KKK members that attended Even CNN debunked Biden's lie (1/2)
    />
    1:09
    68 replies311 retweets711 likes
     
     
    1. Show this thread



    As Joe continues to lose it, Bernie Sanders remains on the rise.

     2 hours ago
    With less than 48 hours until the , Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden both held rallies in Cedar Rapids. 3500 turned out for Bernie's rally v. 350 for Joe Biden. Which campaign has the enthusiasm and energy to beat Trump?
    13 replies120 retweets274 likes
     
     


    1.  2 hours ago
    All the major candidates held events in Cedar Rapids today. filled a stadium while the , and focused on trying to fill school gyms or meeting rooms.
     
    6 replies61 retweets111 likes
     
     



    Bernie has enthusiasm and Joe has . . .

     3 hours ago
    I don't know who needs to hear this, but Donald Trump and Joe Biden are essentially the same person.
    10 replies36 retweets144 likes
     
     

     57 seconds ago
    He always disses the ppl he talks to that come to his rallies his old age is really bringing out his true colors
    0:22
    Biden to Voter in Iowa: “I’m beginning to see why your wife left you” …
     
     


    1.  3 hours ago
    🚫 once again is poking a concerned citizen for asking him what he'll do about phasing out fossil fuels 🚫Now I get that the climate Bullsh*t is exactly that, Bullsh*t 🚫But Joe,stop poking, touching, &degrading your voters you idiot ➡️Bloomberg is getting the nomination
    />
    0:11
    152 replies629 retweets605 likes
     
     


     16 minutes ago
    Replying to 
    Why you being a bully
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    Joe's fading.  Bernie's rising.


    1.  2 hours ago
    People want to know what ' final pitch before Iowa is. This. This is our pitch. And it isn't final. We're making it every day. . Join us:
    />
    1:17
    Cornel West on Bernie Sanders' consistency
    14 replies164 retweets438 likes
     
     


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