The Biden Agenda

* “Afghans are going to have to decide their future.” Those who believe in self-determination surely agree with President Joe Biden. The president also promised Afghanistan’s top leaders a “sustained” partnership with the U.S.–as America winds down from its longest war. You don’t have to be a Republican, however, to perceive the administration’s challenge in threading this rhetorical, foreign-policy needle.

* It’s official, the UN General Assembly has again voted overwhelmingly in support of a resolution calling for the U.S. to lift its Cuban embargo. The final, familiar tally: 184 in favor of lifting the embargo and two “no” votes, courtesy of the U.S. and Israel. There were also three abstentions: Colombia, Ukraine and the United Arab Emirates. Bottom line: if “America is back” and truly in sync with our allies and what is geopolitically and morally right, we would have sided with 184 other countries.

* President Biden is pushing an anti-crime strategy in the wake of a spike in homicides across the country—notably cracking down on gun stores that don’t follow federal rules. A related, lower-profile priority is Biden’s goal to reduce recidivism by opening opportunities to those leaving prison—including hiring more of them in federal jobs. Biden also wants to offer additional federal housing vouchers for former prisoners. It’s not just the right thing to do; it’s in the enlightened self-interest of society. Re-integrating former felons impacts all of us.

* “I do trust the president.”–Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah.

* According to the Democratic data firm Catalist, Donald Trump made bigger gains with nonwhite voters in 2020 than he did among white voters without a college degree. That has to be addressed to build on the Biden election and to counter the Trump base that isn’t, alas, going away.

It’s no secret that the progressive and liberal-moderate wings of the Democratic Party need to wax pragmatic as well as idealistic. Progressives, in particular, have to ratchet up their appeal to black and brown voters, which isn’t always a given. “The median black voter is not A.O.C.,” underscored Stanford University political scientist Hakeem Jefferson.

* “I think when it comes to preserving democracy, I would suspend the filibuster because I think it’s essential.”–Former President Bill Clinton.

* Previous Biden Administration COVID goal: at least one vaccine dose to 70 percent of adults by July 4. New goal: ensuring that 70 percent of Americans age 27 and up receive at least one shot by July 4.

* The vaccination pace has slowed notably since mid-April, when more than 3 million shots per day were being given. Approximately 1 million shots a day were administered in the last week.

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