withdrew the US from Afghanistan before the Ukraine war began. The 20 year Afghanistan war ran from October 7, 2001 to August 30, 2021. We would really have been stretched thin if we were involved in both conflicts. I am hoping this current Ukraine war does not slog on that long. I know the US and Europe are not technically at war with Russia, but it feels like World War 2.5 has already begun.

President Biden complete remarks at 2022 White House Correspondents' Dinner (C-SPAN)


Posting this in case you want to enjoy Biden's speech again and for those who missed it.

What Redistricting Looks Like In Every State
An updating tracker of proposed congressional maps — and whether they might benefit Democrats or Republicans in the 2022 midterms and beyond.
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/redistricting-2022-maps/

By Dean Obeidallah, MSNBC Opinion Columnist

"Plus, history tells us that there have been two times in the modern era that a president’s party gained seats during midterm elections —and the circumstances that led to those victories apply to 2022 in varying degrees. In 1998, with Bill Clinton in the White House, Democrats gained five House seats. How did Democrats buck history? GOP arrogance and overreach. The House GOP, led by then-Speaker Newt Gingrich, impeached Clinton for lying about his affair with an intern, Monica Lewinsky. But as midterm exit polls found, two thirds of voters didn’t think Clinton — who was leading a strong economy — should have been impeached, and they cast their votes accordingly."

"Today’s GOP is even more arrogant and heavy-handed than Gingrich’s GOP was. Consider the Texas law that bans abortion after six weeks and forces a woman who is raped to carry her rapist’s fetus to term. That abomination of a law is being copied by numerous Republican-controlled states despite the fact that 65 percent of Americans believe the Supreme Court should uphold its landmark Roe v. Wade decision and only 29 percent support the Supreme Court striking down the constitutional right to abortion access. The Republicans don’t care what a majority of Americans think; they only care about imposing their extreme religious beliefs upon the rest of us.

In 1998 with Bill Clinton in the White House, Democrats gained five House seats. How did Democrats buck history? GOP arrogance and overreach.

Ditto for the party’s overreach by banning books and what they wrongly call critical race theory (CRT). Americans are becoming increasingly aware that so-called CRT bans are racist laws designed to prevent teachers from sharing the history of Black achievement and Black suffering at the hands of white bigots. Look at Virginia where Republican Glenn Youngkin won the governor’s race in 2021 based in part on his attacks on CRT. A recent poll found that 57 percent of Virginians oppose banning CRT and only 37 percent support it. That finding helps explain why Youngkin, who won in November with 51 percent of the vote, is already underwater with a 41 percent approval rating.

With only a few exceptions, these extreme abortion bans, bans on books and CRT, and voter suppression efforts in 19 states are embraced by Republicans nationwide. To animate their own voters, Democrats can and should use the GOP’s tyranny against them in 2022."
https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/democrats-chances-2022-midterm-elections-are-better-doomsayers-predict-n1290695

https://twitter.com/BetteMidler/status/1517856704871948288?s=20&t=wGN6qx877TrfQdgU6R1aCQ

https://twitter.com/pattonoswalt/status/1517610386555514880?s=20&t=IpE1CpPYfQ2sgJFxzwMp4g

https://twitter.com/Strandjunker/status/1517907525043167234?s=20&t=IpE1CpPYfQ2sgJFxzwMp4g

Retweet here:
https://twitter.com/joncoopertweets/status/1516506453774852101?s=20&t=m2q7gNytwRdspNZe_sm_iA

Here's a great introductory memoir from Dr Glenn Hurst, who is one of the three people running to unseat Senator Chuck Grassley in Iowa. From the dustjacket "Sink into the experience of this early leader in the Indivisible movement. The lessons this rural physician and healthcare advocate shares are the ones that shaped the progressive movement in the Midwest. Join on his journey from disenfranchised voter to local activist and on to political leader as he spoke out on healthcare policy, labor rights, and justice reform. Dr. Hurst actively shaped the Midwest's contribution to the Indivisible revolution from his home in rural Iowa. He has become a frequent voice on national television, radio, and print including CNN, NPR, Yahoo Finance, and other international outlets, and helped shape and share the messages of leaders such as Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Cory Booker, and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

Dr Hurst's memoir can be purchased on Kindle and Amazon.
https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B08Z7DWYV6&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_9YDD0FV24A0NYF3PEVR4

Hopefully this link does not violate anti-SPAM rules on DU. I will delete the link if it does.
While I do support Dr Hurst, I do not work for his campaign and I have no financial interest in this book. I will support the winning candidate in the General election.