Comment WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — President Biden on Tuesday pushed for an assault weapons ban while sharply criticizing Republicans defending the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, continuing his recent pattern of blaming GOP leaders ahead of the midterm elections. Two days before he was scheduled to deliver a major speech on the fight for democracy, Biden attacked “MAGA Republicans” in Congress who refused to condemn the uprising. He took aim at a Republican senator who recently predicted an outbreak of violence if former President Donald Trump is indicted and condemned recent threats and violence against the FBI as the agency reviews documents seized from Trump’s residence. “Let me say this to my MAGA Republican friends in Congress,” Biden said. “Don’t tell me you support law enforcement if you don’t condemn what happened on January 6th. I can not do it. For God’s sake, whose side are you on?’ The president also criticized a recent comment by Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (RS.C.) that there would be “riots in the street” if federal prosecutors charge Trump with taking classified government documents to his home after leaving office. “I don’t expect politics to be cake. …,” said Biden. “But the idea of turning on a TV and seeing senior senators and members of Congress saying, ‘If this happens, there’s going to be blood in the street’?” Where the hell are we?’ There will be “riots in the street” if Trump is impeached, Graham says Biden’s comments came days after an event in Rockville, MD, where he charged that much of the Republican Party is veering toward “semi-fascism.” Along with Tuesday’s remarks and his upcoming speech, Biden’s shift in rhetoric makes it clear he hopes to send an interim message that the GOP is increasingly embracing authoritarian tendencies. Republican leaders counter that Biden is making reckless accusations in an effort to shift voters’ attention away from stubborn inflation and the Democrats’ liberal policies. “Biden’s Democratic agenda has left Pennsylvania communities less safe, and that’s why Pennsylvanians will vote for a new direction in November,” said Republican National Committee Chairwoman Rona McDaniel. On Tuesday, Biden also criticized Republican calls to “defund the FBI” in light of the bureau’s investigation into Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, saying he opposed “defunding the FBI” and defunding of the police. “It’s sickening to see the new attacks on the FBI, which threaten the lives of law enforcement agents and their families for simply enforcing the law and doing their jobs,” he said. The fiery speech was the first of three visits by Biden next week to Pennsylvania, where Democrats face crucial races for governor and the U.S. Senate. Biden plans to hold his speech in Philadelphia on Thursday and visit Pittsburgh on Monday to celebrate Labor Day. In his speech on Thursday, Biden is expected to argue that US democracy is facing a dangerous moment and that civil liberties are under attack. That address has been in the works for weeks, according to a person familiar with the plans who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. White House officials framed the speech as part of Biden’s broader argument ahead of the midterm elections. But he will take a different tack Thursday than he did in his fiery speech in Maryland last week. While that event was a campaign rally, Thursday’s speech will be closer to a grand presidential address. The tone is expected to be similar to the speech Biden delivered at the US Capitol on the first anniversary of the Jan. 6 uprising, the person said. In that speech, Biden accused the “former president” of undermining American democracy and spreading “a web of lies about the 2020 election.” Biden’s advisers have concluded that his words resonate more widely when he is clearer in his criticism of Trump. Biden is expected to call Trump directly on Thursday, but aides say he is unlikely to name specific Republican congressional candidates who have repeated the former president’s false talk about the 2020 election. Advisers cautioned that the speech is still being finalized and could change, but said the goal is a sober, blunt assessment of threats to electoral integrity and the rule of law. Democrats see the once unthinkable: A narrow path to retaining the House Political disputes over election integrity are likely to come to a head this fall ahead of the midterm elections, where congressional control is possible. Democrats are eyeing Pennsylvania in particular, where Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D) is running for a U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Republican Patrick J. Toomey, and where Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano embraced lies about the 2020 election. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro (D), who is running against Mastriano, appeared alongside Biden on Tuesday to tout his work as the state’s top law enforcement official. Lamenting a national police shortage, Shapiro called on Pennsylvania officials to fund at least 2,000 new law enforcement positions across the swing state. “We know that policing is a noble profession and we know that we have to stand with law enforcement,” he said. Biden urged the crowd to support Shapiro, whom he called a “champion for the rule of law” and Fetterman, who he said is “a powerful voice for working people.” Throughout his speech, Biden stressed his support for additional funding for law enforcement, part of an effort to respond to Democratic criticism of some activists’ calls to “defund the police.” Biden’s “Safer America Plan” to fight crime includes hiring 100,000 new officers across the country. Public trust in the police has eroded, Biden said, a breach that threatens people’s safety. “Without it, victims don’t call for help,” he said. “The witnesses do not step forward. The crimes remain unsolved.” In a moment that drew a standing ovation, Biden called for a national ban on assault weapons. He referred to the 1994 assault weapons ban he pushed through the Senate and which Congress allowed to expire in 2004. Mass shootings declined while the law was in place, Biden said. Biden said he owns two shotguns and is not opposed to gun ownership, but added that there is no good reason for citizens to have assault weapons. “My dad used to hunt in the Poconos when we lived in Scranton,” Biden said. “How many deer wear Kevlar vests, huh?” He also recalled visiting Uvalde, Texas, after a gunman massacred 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school there in May. He said some parents had to give their DNA to identify their children because the Daniel Defense DDM4 rifle used by the shooter had shredded some of the bodies without identifying them. “DNA to say, ‘This is my baby,’” Biden said, raising his voice. “What the hell is wrong with us?”
title: “Biden In Pennsylvania Touts Gun Control Hits Republicans Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-24” author: “Etta Buckner”
Comment WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — President Biden on Tuesday pushed for an assault weapons ban while sharply criticizing Republicans defending the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, continuing his recent pattern of blaming GOP leaders ahead of the midterm elections. Two days before he was scheduled to deliver a major speech on the fight for democracy, Biden attacked “MAGA Republicans” in Congress who refused to condemn the uprising. He took aim at a Republican senator who recently predicted an outbreak of violence if former President Donald Trump is indicted and condemned recent threats and violence against the FBI as the agency reviews documents seized from Trump’s residence. “Let me say this to my MAGA Republican friends in Congress,” Biden said. “Don’t tell me you support law enforcement if you don’t condemn what happened on January 6th. I can not do it. For God’s sake, whose side are you on?’ The president also criticized a recent comment by Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (RS.C.) that there would be “riots in the street” if federal prosecutors charge Trump with taking classified government documents to his home after leaving office. “I don’t expect politics to be cake. …,” said Biden. “But the idea of turning on a TV and seeing senior senators and members of Congress saying, ‘If this happens, there’s going to be blood in the street’?” Where the hell are we?’ There will be “riots in the street” if Trump is impeached, Graham says Biden’s comments came days after an event in Rockville, MD, where he charged that much of the Republican Party is veering toward “semi-fascism.” Along with Tuesday’s remarks and his upcoming speech, Biden’s shift in rhetoric makes it clear he hopes to send an interim message that the GOP is increasingly embracing authoritarian tendencies. Republican leaders counter that Biden is making reckless accusations in an effort to shift voters’ attention away from stubborn inflation and the Democrats’ liberal policies. “Biden’s Democratic agenda has left Pennsylvania communities less safe, and that’s why Pennsylvanians will vote for a new direction in November,” said Republican National Committee Chairwoman Rona McDaniel. On Tuesday, Biden also criticized Republican calls to “defund the FBI” in light of the bureau’s investigation into Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, saying he opposed “defunding the FBI” and defunding of the police. “It’s sickening to see the new attacks on the FBI, which threaten the lives of law enforcement agents and their families for simply enforcing the law and doing their jobs,” he said. The fiery speech was the first of three visits by Biden next week to Pennsylvania, where Democrats face crucial races for governor and the U.S. Senate. Biden plans to hold his speech in Philadelphia on Thursday and visit Pittsburgh on Monday to celebrate Labor Day. In his speech on Thursday, Biden is expected to argue that US democracy is facing a dangerous moment and that civil liberties are under attack. That address has been in the works for weeks, according to a person familiar with the plans who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. White House officials framed the speech as part of Biden’s broader argument ahead of the midterm elections. But he will take a different tack Thursday than he did in his fiery speech in Maryland last week. While that event was a campaign rally, Thursday’s speech will be closer to a grand presidential address. The tone is expected to be similar to the speech Biden delivered at the US Capitol on the first anniversary of the Jan. 6 uprising, the person said. In that speech, Biden accused the “former president” of undermining American democracy and spreading “a web of lies about the 2020 election.” Biden’s advisers have concluded that his words resonate more widely when he is clearer in his criticism of Trump. Biden is expected to call Trump directly on Thursday, but aides say he is unlikely to name specific Republican congressional candidates who have repeated the former president’s false talk about the 2020 election. Advisers cautioned that the speech is still being finalized and could change, but said the goal is a sober, blunt assessment of threats to electoral integrity and the rule of law. Democrats see the once unthinkable: A narrow path to retaining the House Political disputes over election integrity are likely to come to a head this fall ahead of the midterm elections, where congressional control is possible. Democrats are eyeing Pennsylvania in particular, where Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D) is running for a U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Republican Patrick J. Toomey, and where Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano embraced lies about the 2020 election. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro (D), who is running against Mastriano, appeared alongside Biden on Tuesday to tout his work as the state’s top law enforcement official. Lamenting a national police shortage, Shapiro called on Pennsylvania officials to fund at least 2,000 new law enforcement positions across the swing state. “We know that policing is a noble profession and we know that we have to stand with law enforcement,” he said. Biden urged the crowd to support Shapiro, whom he called a “champion for the rule of law” and Fetterman, who he said is “a powerful voice for working people.” Throughout his speech, Biden stressed his support for additional funding for law enforcement, part of an effort to respond to Democratic criticism of some activists’ calls to “defund the police.” Biden’s “Safer America Plan” to fight crime includes hiring 100,000 new officers across the country. Public trust in the police has eroded, Biden said, a breach that threatens people’s safety. “Without it, victims don’t call for help,” he said. “The witnesses do not step forward. The crimes remain unsolved.” In a moment that drew a standing ovation, Biden called for a national ban on assault weapons. He referred to the 1994 assault weapons ban he pushed through the Senate and which Congress allowed to expire in 2004. Mass shootings declined while the law was in place, Biden said. Biden said he owns two shotguns and is not opposed to gun ownership, but added that there is no good reason for citizens to have assault weapons. “My dad used to hunt in the Poconos when we lived in Scranton,” Biden said. “How many deer wear Kevlar vests, huh?” He also recalled visiting Uvalde, Texas, after a gunman massacred 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school there in May. He said some parents had to give their DNA to identify their children because the Daniel Defense DDM4 rifle used by the shooter had shredded some of the bodies without identifying them. “DNA to say, ‘This is my baby,’” Biden said, raising his voice. “What the hell is wrong with us?”
title: “Biden In Pennsylvania Touts Gun Control Hits Republicans Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-12-03” author: “Gaynell Mcdonald”
Comment WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — President Biden on Tuesday pushed for an assault weapons ban while sharply criticizing Republicans defending the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, continuing his recent pattern of blaming GOP leaders ahead of the midterm elections. Two days before he was scheduled to deliver a major speech on the fight for democracy, Biden attacked “MAGA Republicans” in Congress who refused to condemn the uprising. He took aim at a Republican senator who recently predicted an outbreak of violence if former President Donald Trump is indicted and condemned recent threats and violence against the FBI as the agency reviews documents seized from Trump’s residence. “Let me say this to my MAGA Republican friends in Congress,” Biden said. “Don’t tell me you support law enforcement if you don’t condemn what happened on January 6th. I can not do it. For God’s sake, whose side are you on?’ The president also criticized a recent comment by Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (RS.C.) that there would be “riots in the street” if federal prosecutors charge Trump with taking classified government documents to his home after leaving office. “I don’t expect politics to be cake. …,” said Biden. “But the idea of turning on a TV and seeing senior senators and members of Congress saying, ‘If this happens, there’s going to be blood in the street’?” Where the hell are we?’ There will be “riots in the street” if Trump is impeached, Graham says Biden’s comments came days after an event in Rockville, MD, where he charged that much of the Republican Party is veering toward “semi-fascism.” Along with Tuesday’s remarks and his upcoming speech, Biden’s shift in rhetoric makes it clear he hopes to send an interim message that the GOP is increasingly embracing authoritarian tendencies. Republican leaders counter that Biden is making reckless accusations in an effort to shift voters’ attention away from stubborn inflation and the Democrats’ liberal policies. “Biden’s Democratic agenda has left Pennsylvania communities less safe, and that’s why Pennsylvanians will vote for a new direction in November,” said Republican National Committee Chairwoman Rona McDaniel. On Tuesday, Biden also criticized Republican calls to “defund the FBI” in light of the bureau’s investigation into Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, saying he opposed “defunding the FBI” and defunding of the police. “It’s sickening to see the new attacks on the FBI, which threaten the lives of law enforcement agents and their families for simply enforcing the law and doing their jobs,” he said. The fiery speech was the first of three visits by Biden next week to Pennsylvania, where Democrats face crucial races for governor and the U.S. Senate. Biden plans to hold his speech in Philadelphia on Thursday and visit Pittsburgh on Monday to celebrate Labor Day. In his speech on Thursday, Biden is expected to argue that US democracy is facing a dangerous moment and that civil liberties are under attack. That address has been in the works for weeks, according to a person familiar with the plans who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. White House officials framed the speech as part of Biden’s broader argument ahead of the midterm elections. But he will take a different tack Thursday than he did in his fiery speech in Maryland last week. While that event was a campaign rally, Thursday’s speech will be closer to a grand presidential address. The tone is expected to be similar to the speech Biden delivered at the US Capitol on the first anniversary of the Jan. 6 uprising, the person said. In that speech, Biden accused the “former president” of undermining American democracy and spreading “a web of lies about the 2020 election.” Biden’s advisers have concluded that his words resonate more widely when he is clearer in his criticism of Trump. Biden is expected to call Trump directly on Thursday, but aides say he is unlikely to name specific Republican congressional candidates who have repeated the former president’s false talk about the 2020 election. Advisers cautioned that the speech is still being finalized and could change, but said the goal is a sober, blunt assessment of threats to electoral integrity and the rule of law. Democrats see the once unthinkable: A narrow path to retaining the House Political disputes over election integrity are likely to come to a head this fall ahead of the midterm elections, where congressional control is possible. Democrats are eyeing Pennsylvania in particular, where Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D) is running for a U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Republican Patrick J. Toomey, and where Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano embraced lies about the 2020 election. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro (D), who is running against Mastriano, appeared alongside Biden on Tuesday to tout his work as the state’s top law enforcement official. Lamenting a national police shortage, Shapiro called on Pennsylvania officials to fund at least 2,000 new law enforcement positions across the swing state. “We know that policing is a noble profession and we know that we have to stand with law enforcement,” he said. Biden urged the crowd to support Shapiro, whom he called a “champion for the rule of law” and Fetterman, who he said is “a powerful voice for working people.” Throughout his speech, Biden stressed his support for additional funding for law enforcement, part of an effort to respond to Democratic criticism of some activists’ calls to “defund the police.” Biden’s “Safer America Plan” to fight crime includes hiring 100,000 new officers across the country. Public trust in the police has eroded, Biden said, a breach that threatens people’s safety. “Without it, victims don’t call for help,” he said. “The witnesses do not step forward. The crimes remain unsolved.” In a moment that drew a standing ovation, Biden called for a national ban on assault weapons. He referred to the 1994 assault weapons ban he pushed through the Senate and which Congress allowed to expire in 2004. Mass shootings declined while the law was in place, Biden said. Biden said he owns two shotguns and is not opposed to gun ownership, but added that there is no good reason for citizens to have assault weapons. “My dad used to hunt in the Poconos when we lived in Scranton,” Biden said. “How many deer wear Kevlar vests, huh?” He also recalled visiting Uvalde, Texas, after a gunman massacred 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school there in May. He said some parents had to give their DNA to identify their children because the Daniel Defense DDM4 rifle used by the shooter had shredded some of the bodies without identifying them. “DNA to say, ‘This is my baby,’” Biden said, raising his voice. “What the hell is wrong with us?”
title: “Biden In Pennsylvania Touts Gun Control Hits Republicans Klmat” ShowToc: true date: “2022-10-26” author: “Mildred Aronow”
Comment WILKES-BARRE, Pa. — President Biden on Tuesday pushed for an assault weapons ban while sharply criticizing Republicans defending the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, continuing his recent pattern of blaming GOP leaders ahead of the midterm elections. Two days before he was scheduled to deliver a major speech on the fight for democracy, Biden attacked “MAGA Republicans” in Congress who refused to condemn the uprising. He took aim at a Republican senator who recently predicted an outbreak of violence if former President Donald Trump is indicted and condemned recent threats and violence against the FBI as the agency reviews documents seized from Trump’s residence. “Let me say this to my MAGA Republican friends in Congress,” Biden said. “Don’t tell me you support law enforcement if you don’t condemn what happened on January 6th. I can not do it. For God’s sake, whose side are you on?’ The president also criticized a recent comment by Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (RS.C.) that there would be “riots in the street” if federal prosecutors charge Trump with taking classified government documents to his home after leaving office. “I don’t expect politics to be cake. …,” said Biden. “But the idea of turning on a TV and seeing senior senators and members of Congress saying, ‘If this happens, there’s going to be blood in the street’?” Where the hell are we?’ There will be “riots in the street” if Trump is impeached, Graham says Biden’s comments came days after an event in Rockville, MD, where he charged that much of the Republican Party is veering toward “semi-fascism.” Along with Tuesday’s remarks and his upcoming speech, Biden’s shift in rhetoric makes it clear he hopes to send an interim message that the GOP is increasingly embracing authoritarian tendencies. Republican leaders counter that Biden is making reckless accusations in an effort to shift voters’ attention away from stubborn inflation and the Democrats’ liberal policies. “Biden’s Democratic agenda has left Pennsylvania communities less safe, and that’s why Pennsylvanians will vote for a new direction in November,” said Republican National Committee Chairwoman Rona McDaniel. On Tuesday, Biden also criticized Republican calls to “defund the FBI” in light of the bureau’s investigation into Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, saying he opposed “defunding the FBI” and defunding of the police. “It’s sickening to see the new attacks on the FBI, which threaten the lives of law enforcement agents and their families for simply enforcing the law and doing their jobs,” he said. The fiery speech was the first of three visits by Biden next week to Pennsylvania, where Democrats face crucial races for governor and the U.S. Senate. Biden plans to hold his speech in Philadelphia on Thursday and visit Pittsburgh on Monday to celebrate Labor Day. In his speech on Thursday, Biden is expected to argue that US democracy is facing a dangerous moment and that civil liberties are under attack. That address has been in the works for weeks, according to a person familiar with the plans who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private conversations. White House officials framed the speech as part of Biden’s broader argument ahead of the midterm elections. But he will take a different tack Thursday than he did in his fiery speech in Maryland last week. While that event was a campaign rally, Thursday’s speech will be closer to a grand presidential address. The tone is expected to be similar to the speech Biden delivered at the US Capitol on the first anniversary of the Jan. 6 uprising, the person said. In that speech, Biden accused the “former president” of undermining American democracy and spreading “a web of lies about the 2020 election.” Biden’s advisers have concluded that his words resonate more widely when he is clearer in his criticism of Trump. Biden is expected to call Trump directly on Thursday, but aides say he is unlikely to name specific Republican congressional candidates who have repeated the former president’s false talk about the 2020 election. Advisers cautioned that the speech is still being finalized and could change, but said the goal is a sober, blunt assessment of threats to electoral integrity and the rule of law. Democrats see the once unthinkable: A narrow path to retaining the House Political disputes over election integrity are likely to come to a head this fall ahead of the midterm elections, where congressional control is possible. Democrats are eyeing Pennsylvania in particular, where Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D) is running for a U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Republican Patrick J. Toomey, and where Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano embraced lies about the 2020 election. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro (D), who is running against Mastriano, appeared alongside Biden on Tuesday to tout his work as the state’s top law enforcement official. Lamenting a national police shortage, Shapiro called on Pennsylvania officials to fund at least 2,000 new law enforcement positions across the swing state. “We know that policing is a noble profession and we know that we have to stand with law enforcement,” he said. Biden urged the crowd to support Shapiro, whom he called a “champion for the rule of law” and Fetterman, who he said is “a powerful voice for working people.” Throughout his speech, Biden stressed his support for additional funding for law enforcement, part of an effort to respond to Democratic criticism of some activists’ calls to “defund the police.” Biden’s “Safer America Plan” to fight crime includes hiring 100,000 new officers across the country. Public trust in the police has eroded, Biden said, a breach that threatens people’s safety. “Without it, victims don’t call for help,” he said. “The witnesses do not step forward. The crimes remain unsolved.” In a moment that drew a standing ovation, Biden called for a national ban on assault weapons. He referred to the 1994 assault weapons ban he pushed through the Senate and which Congress allowed to expire in 2004. Mass shootings declined while the law was in place, Biden said. Biden said he owns two shotguns and is not opposed to gun ownership, but added that there is no good reason for citizens to have assault weapons. “My dad used to hunt in the Poconos when we lived in Scranton,” Biden said. “How many deer wear Kevlar vests, huh?” He also recalled visiting Uvalde, Texas, after a gunman massacred 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school there in May. He said some parents had to give their DNA to identify their children because the Daniel Defense DDM4 rifle used by the shooter had shredded some of the bodies without identifying them. “DNA to say, ‘This is my baby,’” Biden said, raising his voice. “What the hell is wrong with us?”
