* Unspoken presidential truth: “Neither the fanatics nor the faint-hearted are needed. And our duty as a Party is not to our Party alone, but to the nation, and, indeed, to all mankind. Our duty is not merely the preservation of political power but the preservation of peace and freedom. So, let us not be petty when our cause is so great. Let us not quarrel among ourselves when our nation’s future is at stake.” This is the end of the speech that President John F. Kennedy was scheduled to give at a Dallas Democratic fundraiser on Nov. 22, 1963. How sobering, prescient and tragic that Kennedy’s undelivered–but not unacknowledged–message remains unheeded 58 years later.
* “Nothing about them without them.”–That’s a guiding principle whenever President Joe Biden talks security issues with Russian President Vladimir Putin. In short, it underscores that the U.S. is in sync and cooperating with its allies and partners when it talks bilaterally to Russia.
* Lest we forget, President Biden has seen the confirmation of 40 federal judges—the highest number in a first presidential year since Ronald Reagan.
* “On voting rights, the time has come for Joe Manchin to put away his fetish for the filibuster and do what is necessary to ensure that Republicans do not overthrow the will of the voters and create chaos after every election.”–Jennifer Rubin, Washington Post.
*Realpolitik.“If, through a retooled Build Back Better Act, Mr. Biden can achieve significant and durable progress on some major priorities that will benefit children and families for generations, Democrats would be wise to celebrate and tout those gains instead of complaining about what wasn’t possible.”–Former Obama senior adviser David Axelrod.