* President Joe Biden’s overall approval rating, according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll, was 63 percent. On handling the pandemic: 71 percent.
* For obvious reasons it’s imperative that the Dems—approaching a historically dicey mid-term election—stay together and rally not just around Joe Biden, but the concept that neither Trump nor an opportunistic Trump parasite regain the Oval Office. Vulnerable America can’t, arguably, handle another democratic devolution. What certainly can’t happen is anything like the 2016 hissy fit of too many Bernie Sanders’ followers. Because they couldn’t countenance the nomination of Hillary Clinton, who was the favorite of the DNC and not nearly progressive enough, they sat out the election and morphed into ironic Trump enablers.
This time there’s turmoil in the ranks over America’s relationship with Israel—and with the Palestinians. The Biden Administration has underscored America’s historic support of Israel, an ally, while supporting a ceasefire and trying to be fair and humane about the tragic loss of life on both sides. It’s too equivocal for the far left that sees the Palestinians as victims of a right-wing, nationalist state, one that U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York has labeled an undemocratic “apartheid state.” Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar has called Israel’s response to Hamas’ rockets “terrorism.” Massachusetts Sen. Bernie Sanders has called for revisiting and potentially cutting aid to Israel, and he and others have urged the U.S. to stop being an apologist for Israel. “If the Biden Administration can’t stand up to an ally, who can it stand up to?” asked AOC.
Meanwhile, Trump—who moved the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to JerUSAlem and is popular with Jared Kushner, minions of the late Sheldon Adelson, Orthodox Jews and Israelis—is likely gearing up to pin any anti-Israeli rhetoric on the Biden Administration.
* So far, there’s no clear national plan to ensure that the detained ICE immigrant population–more than 16,000—gets vaccinated.