LEVER WEEKLY: Biden’s Austerity Rhetoric Returns From The Memory Hole

President Joe Biden speaks on the debt limit at an event in Valhalla, N.Y. on May 10, 2023. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

This is Lever Weekly, a recap of our work from the past week. If you only read one email from us all week, this should be it.

Along with a breakdown of our reporting, podcasts, and live events for all subscribers, we are providing paid subscribers with an original column. In this week’s piece, David Sirota writes about how President Joe Biden’s pro-austerity rhetoric in the debt ceiling fight could lead to more brutal budget slashing.

👇 Following is an excerpt of our subscriber-only column, and below that is a recap of all of our other work from the week.

Biden’s Austerity Rhetoric Returns From The Memory Hole

By David Sirota

When President Joe Biden last week gave credence to Republicans’ argument that America needs government spending cuts, he channeled the real-but-forgotten Joe Biden — the one that was memory-holed during the 2020 presidential campaign.

During a speech in New York last Wednesday, Biden laudably slammed GOP leaders for demanding draconian spending cuts in exchange for passage of routine legislation to prevent the government from defaulting on its outstanding debts. But then he also declared that such austerity must be a long-term priority.

“We should be cutting spending and lowering the deficit,” said Biden, less than two years after the government cut millions of Americans off pandemic aid.

Though Biden has rightly pressured Republicans to stop using the debt ceiling as leverage in budget talks, this brief but significant line raises the possibility of…

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Stuff The Lever Reported This Week:

• Big Oil Tries To Buy Its Own Courts — Texas oil and gas companies could soon have their business cases heard by judges handpicked by a close ally: Gov. Greg Abbott.

• Clarence Thomas Reversed Position After Gifts And Family Payments — The Supreme Court justice switched sides on a landmark legal doctrine, satisfying his benefactors’ conservative advocacy machine.

• Here’s The Real Goal Of Supreme Court Corruption — The prospect of luxury gifts and outside cash is designed to halt the historical trend of GOP appointees becoming more liberal.

• Big Tech Is Big Tobacco — When it comes to the dangers of AI, the Peter Isherwells are using cigarette-makers’ old strategy.

• YOU LOVE TO SEE IT: New York’s Green New Deal — Also, rail companies and airlines could face tougher regulations, workers are challenging Amazon, a new production company takes on Big Oil, and more.

Stuff To Listen To:

• LEVER TIME: This Right-Wing “University” Is Coming For Your Kids — David unpacks the dangerous influence of PragerU with the hosts of The Audit podcast.

• MOVIES VS. CAPITALISM: V for Vendetta (w/ Evan from LOTP) — Rivka and Frank discuss 2005’s subversive action-thriller V for Vendetta.

• THE AUDIT: George Washington Was Tall and Brave — The team explores PragerU’s treatment of the founding fathers.

• LEVER TIME PREMIUM: The Race To Artificial Super Intelligence — David Sirota continues his conversation with one of the world’s leading experts in artificial intelligence on the growing debate around AI.

• LEVER LIVE: Should We Worry About The Debt Ceiling? — David Sirota and Andrew Perez are joined by The American Prospect’s David Dayen to discuss the perennial fight over the debt ceiling.

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LEVER WEEKLY: Biden’s Austerity Rhetoric Returns From The Memory Hole

Biden’s Austerity Rhetoric Returns From The Memory Hole

Stuff The Lever Reported This Week:

Stuff To Listen To:

Thank You To Our Newest Lever Leader:

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YOU LOVE TO SEE IT: New York’s Green New Deal

Live Event At 4pm ET: Should We Worry About The Debt Ceiling?

🎧 LEVER TIME: This Right-Wing “University” Is Coming For Your Kids

How much did it cost to flip Clarence Thomas?

Big Oil Tries To Buy Its Own Courts

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