THE SHOW NOTES: The Biden Disaster Polling, The Culture War Turns Right, & Is the GOP Primary Over?

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Debt Drama: Dem vs Dem

As the nation inches closer to a funding default, Biden and McCarthy have made substantial progress in reaching a funding compromise that both sides could tolerate in Washington and sell to constituents back home. House Democrats say, “Not so fast.”

In a curt phone call that Punchbowl News deemed “direct”, top House Democrats told White House officials they were not pleased with the direction of debt ceiling negotiations with Republicans.

Punchbowl: “The leadership trio warned the White House that it can’t just assume 80 to 100 Democrats will back any Biden-McCarthy deal. Tougher work requirements for social-welfare programs is the most sensitive issue for many Democrats, with McCarthy continuing to press the White House to give in on this front.”

Where things stand now: Republicans have relented on defense spending cuts while Democrats have (for now) suggested cutting $10 billion of the $80 billion planned for the IRS.

What still needs work: COVID clawbacks, work requirements, and permitting reform. While there appears to be a bipartisan path forward for unspent COVID funds and permitting reform, McCarthy’s demand for additional work requirements for social programs appears to be the primary hangup and is the main source of tension between Biden and House Democrats.

Why this debt deal is different: A CNN poll we covered yesterday shows that more Americans will blame Biden than Republicans if the nation hits its funding limit. This is a stark aberration from previous years where Republicans shouldered the majority of the blame.

Biden Polling

A new CNN poll says only 33% of Americans believe Biden’s reelection would be a step forward for the country. Only 60% of Democrats plan to back Biden while 20% support Robert F Kennedy. Only 58% of Democrats say they would definitely support Biden while 42% say they may change their mind.

This is bad: While the poll suggests Biden will most likely be the Democrats’ nominee, it shows that Biden and the Democratic Party are continuing to struggle to retain white, non-college-educated voters.

Seattle Firefighters Taught More About Woke Than Fires

Of all the jobs in a standard fire department, a lieutenant’s is among the most difficult. When a fire truck approaches a blaze, the lieutenant decides how to tackle it—what windows to breach, which floors to prioritize, and how best to deploy the truck’s three or four firefighters against a shifting, inanimate enemy.

To see if they’re up to snuff, most departments administer a written test, typically multiple-choice, to prospective lieutenants. Candidates must score above a cut-off to be considered for the job, with higher scores increasing the odds of promotion. The exam, which covers a litany of topics from building construction to medical techniques, is designed to ensure that the people making life-and-death decisions know the bare minimum to make them well.

So firefighters in Seattle, Washington, were surprised when their department’s lieutenant exam focused almost as much on social justice as on firefighting.

Full story at the Washington Free Beacon.

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