But after seeing the president further misguided the situation in Biden’s interview with George Stephanopoulos on Friday, EJ says “the friendly pundits and politicians who have been soft on the situation out of respect for Biden can no longer do so.”
Biden is defiant. Dana Milbank Dana writes that there’s a certain amount of admiration for that determination — Biden’s record is so impressive that it’s natural to feel frustrated that the race hinges on Biden’s intelligence — but he also writes that it’s hard not to be frustrated by the president’s “refusal to acknowledge the obvious fact that we’ve taken a step backwards in the past three and a half years.”
If he was so keen to refute that conclusion, Biden should jump at the chance to publicly get cognitive testing – and he refuses to even do that! His lame excuses for not getting tested (or providing other medical information) tell us a lot in themselves. Ruth Marcus writing.
In fact, Biden has said that only God Almighty can knock him out of the election. Daniel Allen It’s a plea to the great man himself: “Lord, please tell our president that it’s time to rest.”
Unfortunately, Democrats cannot afford to wait for divine intervention. This week will be a crucial one, and they need to act now.
There’s still a lot of discussion swirling around the possibility of Harris being promoted to VP and all that would entail. Karen Tumulty Cullen wrote that Ms. Harris has held her own through the storm, and the public would be unwise to underestimate her again. If she were to run, Cullen wrote, “she will be harder to lampoon and less easy to demonize than Republicans think.”
But before that Jen Rubin She has a six-point plan for Democrats to act immediately, about half of which boils down to what Jen calls “unwavering candor.”
Is there any room for optimism for Democrats (or Republicans who aren’t Trump supporters)?
Many Americans saw the results of this weekend’s French election as evidence that the left and center can defeat the fascist far right, even under difficult circumstances. If France can win, the conventional wisdom was, so can the United States.
But that optimism Lee Hochsteder Regarding France’s surprising result, he writes, “If the so-called victory appears to be a Pyrrhic one, it is precisely this.” He goes on to explain why:
Chaser: Erik Wemple We saw the New York Times be roundly criticized for its long-running “indulgence” in reporting on Biden’s age, then lumped together with an accusation of the media’s overall failure on the issue. How can both be true?
from Mark Thiessen’s A game plan for how President Trump will give NATO a “MAGA makeover” in response to new global threats.
During Biden’s term, NATO allies have begun spending an additional $380 billion or so on top of the initial increases from 2016 to 2020. Trump has famously threatened to withdraw from NATO altogether. Mark explains the reason for the increase: This is what countries have pledged to President Trump. (The Ukraine war may also be related.)
Yet Mark has secured this new funding, and is mapping out a strategy for squeezing more out of it. He envisions moving US troops eastward from Germany to Poland and the Baltics, arming Ukraine, and globalizing NATO to include Pacific allies (Hawaii isn’t even covered by Article 5 at this point — yippee!).
Is the latter element really MAGA? Mark thinks so, and if you need further proof, re-read his essay arguing that the movement’s reputation for isolationism is largely a myth.
Chaser: While Trump is pushing a vague, bland Republican agenda, his actual policy, so-called “Project 2025,” is a dangerous and extreme vision. Editorial Committee Warning!
“If you’re not living to your limits, you’re taking up too much space.”
I was fascinated by this phrase. David Boniol’s Favorite expression. The 79-year-old’s latest To make ends meet, you’ll need to update your resume a bit. “Former House Democratic Whip, Current piano students.”
Bonior talks about the challenges and satisfactions of learning new skills later in life, and even shares a video of him performing “Ol’ Man River.” It may be slow and contemplative, but at this stage in life, that’s what’s important: step away from politics, let the music take over, and take a moment to relax.
- Postmaster General Louis DeJoy He presents evidence that he is turning around the country’s postal service, which is slowly emerging from the red.
- In her review, Ruth Marcus writes that this Supreme Court term has strengthened the president and hurt regulators, but with little prudence.
- Professor: Medicare’s crazy payment system creates medical monopoly Marty McCully writing.
It’s goodbye. It’s a haiku. It’s… “goodbye.”
Work to the end —
Have a newsworthy haiku of your own? Please send by e-mailIf you have any questions, comments or concerns, please feel free to contact us. See you tomorrow!
