Biden’s border woes expose White House divisions as centrists assert more control
By Nick Miroff and Sean Sullivan
November 8, 2021
Illegal border crossings and coronavirus cases were both rising this summer when a group of Biden administration officials developed a plan to vaccinate migrants in U.S. custody, viewing the shots as a sensible public health measure.
But just before the plan was rolled out, it was opposed by one of President Biden’s top aides, Susan Rice, and other senior officials who worried that it would invite more illegal crossings. Some aides responded that migrants would not pay smugglers and take a dangerous journey just for a vaccine — but they were overruled, according to four people with knowledge of the reversal.
The episode reflects the fractures spreading in the White House over Biden’s immigration policies and his dismal ratings on U.S.-Mexico border issues. Several top aides want tougher enforcement measures and the president’s team is gripped with fear that any misstep could trigger a new crisis, according to seven current and former Biden officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the internal tensions.
A fourth reason Republicans would go along with the Briar Patch scheme is because they too actually love mass illegal immigration. Particularly its wage suppressing effects.
“Toughening the “credible fear” standard has been tried, for example, to little effect.”
This is because of the people actually responsible for the interviewing and adjudicating of the claims. We’d have to go full Brecht “dissolve the people” and have an entirely new asylum corps to make headway on this specific facet of this issue. It induces madness to deal with those folks LOL.
Sorry Mickey... none of this fevered drug hallucination you outline will happen; The Dems want the open borders too much to give it up. Lots of reasons, and most of them cynical and self-(America) hating.
Mickey, you are usually pretty logical on this stuff but not here. Americans are way beyond "deals" that do anything short of absolute total shutdown and DEPORTATIONS.
And here's the problem for Biden (the Rutabaga): he can't fix it. He has the immigration/illegal criminal lobby that wants MORE people in, and he has the inner cities that are starting to revolt and look at President Trump as the only political figure in two decades who has stood firmly against illegal immigration. I call this the Democats' Civil War. And they have a second Civil War, which is the pro-Hamas/Palestinian side v. Jewish/Israel side. They can't win that one either, and all President Trump has to do is stay quiet on that and call for "peace" (a la Ulysses S. Grant). Mark my words, these two civil wars will utterly sink the Dems this cycle, big.
The view of Biden that he is secretly tanking his own agenda is interesting with respect to Ukraine. If he believes that a battlefield victory is impossible, then his next best political outcome is to be able to blame republicans. Thus, Biden shouldn't really be pressing to get that money to Ukraine. (Of course, this is inconsistent with the Biden makes money from Ukraine through some money laundering scheme. If he's making money, he's not shutting off the spigot.)
I apologize for taking so long to reply. You make good points. I am baffled at the absence of probing reporting on the internal disputes. I've wondered if Klain or someone else read the riot act after that initial story and succeeded in muzzling the malcontents. I've also wonder if Doctor Jill is influencing the prez on this. Is that implausible? Biden's seeming detachment from political reality is baffling, as is the failure of the White House press to develop the story. I am in Arizona now, visiting old friends and escaping the Eastern winter. I doubt Biden will win here next year.,
This shows great insight into the Biden administration, which would have been even better had it taken into account the schisms on immigration within the White House. Biden's failure to manage the mess within his administration and on the border is unforgivable. It is also a gift to Trump.
It seems to me that Ol' Joe is trying to tear a page from LBJ's memoir. You know, the page that follows the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the birth of The Great Society welfare state, wherein LBJ famously confides, "We'll have those "folks" voting for us (Dems) for the next 100 years." Joe thinks that by admitting and registering 20-30 million aliens who will be beholdin' to the Dems he can go down in history next to one of the most corrupt and craven pols in American history while adding a few decades to LBJ's prediction..
So the Briar Patch strategy is cynical but it's cynical against his left flank? As one to to left of Biden and wanting order at the border, I'm willing to sit back with my popcorn and watch what happens. I like immigration, but I want it to be non-sneaky.
Here's the top of a WAPO story from 2021
Biden’s border woes expose White House divisions as centrists assert more control
By Nick Miroff and Sean Sullivan
November 8, 2021
Illegal border crossings and coronavirus cases were both rising this summer when a group of Biden administration officials developed a plan to vaccinate migrants in U.S. custody, viewing the shots as a sensible public health measure.
But just before the plan was rolled out, it was opposed by one of President Biden’s top aides, Susan Rice, and other senior officials who worried that it would invite more illegal crossings. Some aides responded that migrants would not pay smugglers and take a dangerous journey just for a vaccine — but they were overruled, according to four people with knowledge of the reversal.
The episode reflects the fractures spreading in the White House over Biden’s immigration policies and his dismal ratings on U.S.-Mexico border issues. Several top aides want tougher enforcement measures and the president’s team is gripped with fear that any misstep could trigger a new crisis, according to seven current and former Biden officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the internal tensions.
A fourth reason Republicans would go along with the Briar Patch scheme is because they too actually love mass illegal immigration. Particularly its wage suppressing effects.
Well, one must ask why would an American President do this to the country? Spoiler alert: it isn't to benefit the country.
“Toughening the “credible fear” standard has been tried, for example, to little effect.”
This is because of the people actually responsible for the interviewing and adjudicating of the claims. We’d have to go full Brecht “dissolve the people” and have an entirely new asylum corps to make headway on this specific facet of this issue. It induces madness to deal with those folks LOL.
Very nice write up. Thank You!
Sorry Mickey... none of this fevered drug hallucination you outline will happen; The Dems want the open borders too much to give it up. Lots of reasons, and most of them cynical and self-(America) hating.
Mickey, you are usually pretty logical on this stuff but not here. Americans are way beyond "deals" that do anything short of absolute total shutdown and DEPORTATIONS.
And here's the problem for Biden (the Rutabaga): he can't fix it. He has the immigration/illegal criminal lobby that wants MORE people in, and he has the inner cities that are starting to revolt and look at President Trump as the only political figure in two decades who has stood firmly against illegal immigration. I call this the Democats' Civil War. And they have a second Civil War, which is the pro-Hamas/Palestinian side v. Jewish/Israel side. They can't win that one either, and all President Trump has to do is stay quiet on that and call for "peace" (a la Ulysses S. Grant). Mark my words, these two civil wars will utterly sink the Dems this cycle, big.
The view of Biden that he is secretly tanking his own agenda is interesting with respect to Ukraine. If he believes that a battlefield victory is impossible, then his next best political outcome is to be able to blame republicans. Thus, Biden shouldn't really be pressing to get that money to Ukraine. (Of course, this is inconsistent with the Biden makes money from Ukraine through some money laundering scheme. If he's making money, he's not shutting off the spigot.)
I don't share any of Mickey's priors on immigration, but I have to admit he's figured out the Machiavellian calculations here.
I apologize for taking so long to reply. You make good points. I am baffled at the absence of probing reporting on the internal disputes. I've wondered if Klain or someone else read the riot act after that initial story and succeeded in muzzling the malcontents. I've also wonder if Doctor Jill is influencing the prez on this. Is that implausible? Biden's seeming detachment from political reality is baffling, as is the failure of the White House press to develop the story. I am in Arizona now, visiting old friends and escaping the Eastern winter. I doubt Biden will win here next year.,
Mickey so glad to have you back, I worry when I don't hear from you.
Excellent analysis.
This shows great insight into the Biden administration, which would have been even better had it taken into account the schisms on immigration within the White House. Biden's failure to manage the mess within his administration and on the border is unforgivable. It is also a gift to Trump.
It seems to me that Ol' Joe is trying to tear a page from LBJ's memoir. You know, the page that follows the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the birth of The Great Society welfare state, wherein LBJ famously confides, "We'll have those "folks" voting for us (Dems) for the next 100 years." Joe thinks that by admitting and registering 20-30 million aliens who will be beholdin' to the Dems he can go down in history next to one of the most corrupt and craven pols in American history while adding a few decades to LBJ's prediction..
I was hoping Mickey would write more about cars
The strategy, if there is one, is wacky. Anyone who believes Biden is its originator is too naive for words.
Meanwhile, innocent persons are suffering on both sides of the border.
So the Briar Patch strategy is cynical but it's cynical against his left flank? As one to to left of Biden and wanting order at the border, I'm willing to sit back with my popcorn and watch what happens. I like immigration, but I want it to be non-sneaky.