Were Joe Biden to dump Kamala Harris —as some Democrats are quietly hoping– he would discover a excellent substitute in Gina Raimondo, 51, his secretary of commerce. She is wise, articulate and a fighter.
This to not say that Biden will change Harris as his 2024 vice presidential working mate, or that Raimondo, the previous governor of Rhode Island, is searching for the job.
It is barely to level out that ought to an anti-Harris faction amongst Democrats persuade Biden to make a change, he might bolster his prospects for re-election by working with Raimondo.
That would make room for Biden to call outgoing Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who’s searching for a job, as Raimondo’s substitute. Under Biden’s management, Lightfoot might do for the nation what she did for Chicago.
Do not snicker. After all, here’s a president who appointed whole incompetents Alejandro Mayorkas, Pete Buttigieg and Merrick Garland to their cupboard positions. In addition, he named John Kerry, the Dr. Anthony Fauci of the apocalypse, as his local weather czar.
Biden’s cupboard will not be precisely a set of the very best and the brightest. And as issues stand now Biden might use some assist.
While the position of the vp is to bolster the president, Harris has been a drag on Biden. She even runs decrease than him within the polls. The solely factor they appear to have in widespread is their shared skill to fracture the English language.
A leaked recorded dialog between the 2 could be priceless.
In this context—and perhaps even with out it—Raimondo has emerged a star, notably as she launched the Biden’s administration’s $53 billion CHIPS Act to compete with China over the manufacturing of semiconductor chips.
She stated this system, which might subsidize U.S. chip producers, was “a national security issue.”
Currently the U.S. buys 90% of its superior chips from Taiwan which Raimondo stated was “a national security vulnerability that is untenable.” The chips are utilized in every part from sensible telephones to fighter jets.
“It is no secret that we are in a very heated global competition with China. And technology is the crux of that competition. Right now, we are much too reliant upon Taiwan for leading edge chips. So, a big part of our strategy around being a global leader is investing in America: in our people, in our capacity to out innovate China and the rest of the world.”
Sounding extra presidential than Biden, or extra vice presidential than Harris, Raimondo, on beginning this system final week, stated, “For decades we have taken our eye off the ball with manufacturing, which means the worker supply of people with the skills to do super technical manufacturing has withered. And so, we need to be honest about that, but also embrace it as an opportunity to come with creative solutions.”
While this system will little doubt present a wanted increase within the U..S manufacturing of chips, firms that apply efficiently for billions in federal subsidizes should adjust to a bunch of rules, a few of that are straight out of the progressive woke handbook.
For occasion, firms in search of over $150 million in funding should give you plans for recruiting and coaching a various work drive, together with ladies, in addition to working with native excessive faculties and neighborhood schools.
It may even require the businesses to offer childcare for the employees as properly a “paid leave and caregiving support.” It is estimated s that some 140,000 new building jobs will probably be created. All could be union jobs.
It is an enormous program, however Raimondo seems as much as the job of working it. Born and raised in working class Rhode Island, Raimondo turned a profitable enterprise capitalist earlier than she entered politics.
A average Democrat, Raimondo was elected treasurer in 2010 and reformed and saved the state’s public worker pension system that was on the verge of going bust..
She was elected governor in 2014 and re-elected 4 years later. In 2020 she supported billionaire Mike Bloomberg for president over Biden. But Biden appointed her anyway.
Biden ought to have put her in control of the border.
Peter Lucas is a veteran Massachusetts political reporter and columnist.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”