Pete Buttigieg Returns to D.C. From Playing House, and Is About as Useful as When He Wasn’t Here – RedState

Since August, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg was on leave for family reasons. No one from the Biden administration seems to have noticed. According to White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain, the meltdown at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are problems caused by the previous administration, and they are “tackling” it.

Oder something.

We are working to fix the supply chain problem, just like many others we inherit. https://t.co/VB49q59B5l

— Ronald Klain (@WHCOS) October 13, 2021

POLITICO

While U.S. ports faced anchor-to-anchor traffic and Congress nearly melted down over the president’s infrastructure bill in recent weeks, the usually omnipresent Transportation secretary was lying low.

One of the White House’s go-to communicators didn’t appear on TV. His presence on Capitol Hill was not unusual given his previous involvement in selling the bill to Congressmen. Conservative critics tried (unsuccessfully) to get #WheresPete to trend and Fox News ran a story on October 4 with the headline: “Buttigieg quiet on growing port congestion as shipping concerns build ahead of holidays.”

They didn’t previously announce it, but Buttigieg’s office told West Wing Playbook that the secretary has actually been on paid leave since mid-August to spend time with his husband, Chasten, and their two newborn babies.

“For the first four weeks, he was mostly offline except for major agency decisions and matters that could not be delegated,” said a spokesperson for the Department of Transportation. “He has been ramping up activities since then.” As he does that, Buttigieg will “continue to take some time over the coming weeks to support his husband and take care of his new children,” the spokesperson added.

It would be interesting to know the opinions of the peanut galleries if Buttigieg were female Secretary of Transportation and also part of an Republican administration.

I’ll wait….

When the nation’s transportation chief should be providing insight and working to find solutions in the face of a transportation infrastructure crisis that is real, Howdy Doody Yettigieg talks about everything. ButSupply-chain issues

Buttigieg made sure he tweeted about “Indigenous People’s Day” and Climate resilience.

We are tackling the climate crisis, which is challenging the safety, effectiveness, equity & sustainability of our infrastructure & the people that use it. Here’s how @USDOTIt will lead the way. https://t.co/ywt8x5pSA9

— Secretary Pete Buttigieg (@SecretaryPete) October 7, 2021

It took a minute after his return from maternity leave for this feckless cabinet member to actually begin talking about the crisis the people of our nation are actually concerned about, and wouldn’t you know it? Buttigieg failed spectacularly in each of his appearances. It was especially embarrassing that Buttigieg appeared on CNN along with Brianna Kilar. He made an ill-timed joke about late Christmas shoppers, which was poorly planned and timed.

Pete Buttigieg, America’s Transportation Secretary responds to questions about America’s broken supply chains with jokes mocking Christmas shoppers.

This administration stinks. pic.twitter.com/wb7d0X5sgD

— ForAmerica (@ForAmerica) October 14, 2021

Since Oct. 7, Buttigieg has appeared on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” “MSNBC with Geoff Bennett,” CNN’s “New Day,” CNBC’s “Morning Bell,” Bloomberg TV’s “Balance of Power,” and the NPR Politics Podcast. He also participated in virtual events in support of the Infrastructure Bill with the Commercial Club of Chicago, and Citizen Budget Commission of New York. A high-profile meeting was also held with President Barack Obama. JOE BIDDEN Wednesday on supply chain bottlenecks.

So basically, Buttigieg is as useful as he was when we didn’t know he was on maternity leave.

This is all staged. Part of the Biden administration’s “Build Back Better” agenda is enhanced family leave, and not just for those OtherBirthing people. Suspected are the timing of Chasten Buttigieg’s marriage and that of the infrastructure bill, which Biden so desperately needs to pass, as well as the fact that Buttigieg is pregnant.

POLITICO’s article must conclude with an invitation to this new way of being.

Buttigieg’s time away to help care for his children is the latest example of paid leave for new parents becoming more common in the United States, even at the highest levels of government.

Also suspect is the fanfare over Buttigieg’s return to Washington, D.C. As if coming back to do your job is supposed to get you a parade. Buttigieg flew through O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, and just happened to run into IL Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-Milker)

Spotted @fly2ohare✈️Please! Mayor @PeteButtigiegAnd @TammyDuckworth_You are the best! A DC celebrity spotting is a joy! pic.twitter.com/KNupiddirV

— Sasha Michelle (@SashaMichelleA) October 13, 2021

“Spotted.” Right….

This administration seems to have a reputation for displaying sloppy gestures and excessively shiny optics. As Mr. Mom could be his role. Handling the nation’s transportation infrastructure certainly is not.