V26, N21 Thursday, Jan.21, 2021 President Biden appeals for unity He faces a confluence of crises stemming from pandemic, insurrection & race By BRIAN A. HOWEY INDIANAPOLIS – In what remains a crime scene from the insurrection on Jan. 6, President Joe Biden took the oath of office at the U.S. Capitol Wednesday, appealing to all Americans for “unity” and the survival of the planet’s oldest democ- racy. “We’ve learned again that democracy is precious,” when he declared in strongman fashion, “I alone can fix Biden said shortly before noon Wednesday after taking the it.” oath of office from Chief Justice John Roberts. “Democ- When Trump fitfully turned the reins over to Biden racy is fragile. And at this hour, my friends, democracy has without ever acknowledging the latter’s victory, it came prevailed.” after the Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6 that Senate Minor- His words of assurance came four years to the day ity Leader Mitch McConnell said he had “provoked,” leading since President Trump delivered his dystopian “American to an unprecedented second impeachment. It came with carnage” address, coming on the heels of his Republican National Convention speech in Cleveland in July 2016 Continued on page 3 Biden’s critical challenge By BRIAN A. HOWEY INDIANAPOLIS – Here is the most critical chal- lenge facing President Biden: Vaccinate as many of the 320 million Americans as soon as possible. While the Trump administration’s Operation Warp “Hoosiers have risen to meet Speed helped develop the CO- VID-19 vaccine in record time, these unprecedented challenges. most of the manufactured doses haven’t been injected into the The state of our state is resilient arms of Americans. And until and growing. Our foundation has that happens, the staggered U.S. economy won’t shake off this held strong.” pandemic and return to anything - Gov. Eric Holcomb in his resembling normal. According to the CDC, as virtual fifth State of the State of Tuesday, 3.3% of the Indi- address Tuesday. ana population had received one dose, 0.6% had received Page 2 two doses. There have been 642,425 that he actually won the election in a doses received, 260,310 doses “landslide.” injected, or 41% of the total. Nation- He didn’t, and the last two ally, 3.2% of the population have months of what was supposed to be received one dose, 0.5% two doses, a transition became lost time and with 31,161,075 doses distributed, lives. Howey Politics Indiana 12,279,180 given and 39% of doses Last week, the Trump admin- WWWHowey Media, LLC used. istration said it would release more c/o Business Office The urgency is that the vi- doses to the states. Health & Human PO Box 6553 rus is mutating into a more infectious Services Sec. Alex Azar explained, mode. As former FDA Commissioner “We’ve had so much success with Kokomo, IN, 46904 Scott Gottlieb said on CBS “Face The quality and predictable manufactur- www.howeypolitics.com Nation” last Sunday, the new variant is ing and almost flawless distribution roughly 0.5% of all infections nation- of the vaccine. We had been holding Brian A. Howey, Publisher wide but said that likely will double back second doses as a safety stock. Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington each week. “That’s the experience We now believe that our manufactur- from other countries and Mary Lou Howey, Editor that’s the experience we’ve Susan E. Howey, Editor seen so far in the United States,” he said. “So it’s Subscriptions 1% now. It’ll be 2%, then 4%, then 8%, then 16%, HPI, HPI Daily Wire $599 then 32%. So in about HPI Weekly, $350 five weeks, this is going to Lisa Hounchell, Account Manager start to take over.” (765) 452-3936 telephone Six days ago, Pres- (765) 452-3973 fax ident-elect Biden unveiled [email protected] his strategy. “Our plan is as clear as it is bold: Get Contact HPI more people vaccinated for [email protected] free. Create more places Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 for them to get vaccinated. Mobilize ing is predictable enough that we can more medical teams to get the shots ensure second doses are available for Washington: 202.256.5822 in people’s arms. Increase supply and people from ongoing production, so Business Office: 765.452.3936 get it out the door as soon as pos- everything is now available.” sible,” Biden said at his pandemic plan But two days later, the © 2021, Howey Politics rollout in Wilmington, Delaware. He Washington Post reported that the Indiana. All rights reserved. characterized Operation Warp Speed shelf was bare; there were no surplus as a “dismal failure.” vaccines available. Those already Photocopying, Internet forward- “If you were to ask most peo- in state hands were languishing in ing, faxing or reproducing in any ple today, they couldn’t tell you who freezer boxes. form, whole or part, is a violation exactly is getting vaccinated,” Biden Biden’s Chief of Staff Ron of federal law without permission said. “What they do know is there are Klain said on CNN’s “State of the from the publisher. tens of millions of doses of vaccine Union” last Sunday, “We’re inheriting sitting unused in freezers around the a huge mess here, Jake, but we have country, while people who want and a plan to fix it, the president-elect Jack E. Howey need the vaccine can’t get it.” put out that plan on Friday. We think editor emeritus Operation Warp Speed had there are things we can do to speed 1926-2019 projected 20 million Americans to be up the delivery of that vaccine, and vaccinated by the end of 2020. That make that vaccine supply go farther. stood at just over 9 million on Jan. 1. For example, one thing the president- Last week, the Trump administration elect mentioned yesterday was using finally said the Biden transition team the Defense Production Act to ramp would have full access to the vaccina- up the production of a particular tion process. Why that didn’t happen type of syringes that allow us to get shortly after the Nov. 3 election is a six doses of the vaccine out of a vial casualty in President Trump’s “big lie” instead of five.” Page 3 The day after Biden announced the plan and a day mon sense, asset management and not rocket science. And before Klain’s description of the “huge mess,” Biden’s vac- it’s another indication that Trump and Pence, who chaired cination point man, Jeff Zients, described the plan in four the White House coronavirus task force, were in far over elements: Loosen restrictions on who can get vaccinated their heads when it came to logistics and consistent mes- and when, set up more vaccination sites, mobilize rapid saging. delivery, and invoke the Defense Production Act to produce By Biden’s inauguration on Wednesday, the death more doses quickly. tolls crossed stunning thresholds: 400,000 in the U.S. (pro- Biden and Zients plan to use FEMA and Na- jected by reach half a million next month) and 9,000 in In- tional Guard troops to build the network of vaccination diana, projected to hit 12,400 by March 1. The good news sites across the nation that will include big box stores as on the Hoosier front is that the University of Washington’s well as CVS and Walgreens. “We’re going to throw the full Health Metrics & Evaluation website projects 12,922 deaths resources and weight of the federal government behind by May 1. this emergency,” Zients promised. Gov. Eric Holcomb suggested in last week’s HPI Therein lies the flaw of the Trump administra- Interview that there will be widespread access to most tion: It sought to rely on the 50 states to provide logistics, Hoosiers by March and April. Or as he put it, “It’s a matter distribute and publicize the process to a frightened and of weeks, not months. I do believe that March Madness will partially leery public. It helped produce the vaccine in less be a happier time than it was last year.” than a year, but relegated the next critical step – to actu- During his State of the State address Tuesday ally vaccinate Americans – to states, many which are cash- night, Holcomb added, “When you’re eligible for your vacci- strapped due to the economic fallout of the pandemic. nation appointment, it’s as easy as calling 2-1-1 or logging While Vice President Pence, Azar and Dr. Tony Fau- on to ourshot.IN.gov, just like more than 600,000 of your ci took doses as cameras rolled, President Trump did not, neighbors already have.” focusing his attention on overturning the election. Now Had the Trump administration been fully engaged we face a scenario where 60% of all COVID-19 infections in logistics and messaging, fewer Americans would be dead have occurred since Election Day. The commander-in-chief and the economy would have recovered sooner. The key was Missing In Action. question today is whether the Biden administration will be The Biden plan seemed like an exercise in com- more competent. v “My whole soul is in it,” Biden continued. “Today, Biden, from page 1 on this January day, my whole soul is in this: Bringing 400,000 deaths from the coronavirus pandemic, thousands America together, uniting our people, uniting our nation. of schools shut down, local and state governments facing And I ask every American to join me in this cause.