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Strong Trump impersonation game here:
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On the sidelines of a climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, Biden exchanged pleasantries with Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who asked him how he was doing. “So far, so good,” Biden replied. He added: “There’s this old joke. A guy jumps off [a] 100-story building. As he passes the 50th floor they asked him how he’s doing. And he says, ‘So far so good.’ ”
-- From an essential reading Washington Post story filled with eyebrow-raising, unsourced leaks.
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It is not the case, although some think it is, that the health of the entire universe can be precisely measured by looking at President Biden’s job approval rating.
But, of course, most of the universe can be measured that way.
Will the events of the last 96 hours give the POTUS the digital bump up he wants and needs?
Only time will tell.*
But as a snapshot of this moment, there’s the “and,” the “and/but,” and the “but.”
Note in the crevices here some crazy, crazy leaking of what’s going on behind the scenes, normal in a normal administration, de rigueur in the Trump administration, but not even next-to-normal in the Biden administration.
Why is there such leaking in a news cycle of maximum celebration for Team Biden-Harris-Klain-Pelosi-Schumer-Rice?
I have my theories.
But only time will tell.*
Stay tuned for a future episode of “Wide World of News,” where all will be revealed, with drama and flourishes.
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AND
A lot of Biden Democrats are bundling up the positive developments and great achievements of the last few days and are seeing the promise of a new day.
The best distillation of this theory is found at the top of that key Washington Post story, which is a White House comms director’s dream come true for page turning the narrative:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was furious with the White House over President Biden’s remarks in a meeting with House Democrats. Biden’s party was walloped on Election Day. His legislative agenda was in jeopardy. His languishing approval ratings had plunged to a new low.
But then late Friday, Biden helped clinch passage of a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill — stepping up his pressure on House Democrats after months of standing back from the debate. Spurred in part by the humbling electoral losses, Biden made personal edits to a written statement aimed at forging compromise and publicly and privately urged members to vote for the measure — all amid a flurry of phone calls with Pelosi (D-Calif.).
The long-sought legislative win came hours after a positive jobs report and encouraging news about an experimental drug to treat covid-19, capping the most topsy-turvy week of Biden’s presidency. On Saturday — after months of absorbing a series of blows that many Democrats felt were largely self-inflicted — Biden at last had something to celebrate.
One other piece of major good news for the White House:
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AND/BUT
Back to that Washington Post story, and please NB the last paragraph below, confirming my accurate-but-questioned reporting from many weeks ago:
Despite the celebratory mood in the White House, it’s far from clear that the bill’s passage and the developments in the economy and the pandemic will solve the problems that have plagued Biden since the late summer. Dismal approval ratings, Democratic worries that he is too insular, struggles promoting his accomplishments, and foreign and domestic upheaval clashing with his campaign promises of calm and competence loomed over Biden’s momentary victory lap.
So did lingering distrust among Democrats, as well as uncertainty about the path forward on a massive social spending bill Biden will try to push to the finish line next in the face of several pitfalls. Some in the party have long felt Biden’s challenges cannot be overcome with the stroke of a pen and have more to do with how he has approached his job….
Aides said the president has grown increasingly short-tempered. Over his three decades in politics, Biden has been known to scream at staff on occasion, but Biden aides said since he has become president, the yelling has become more frequent and directed at a wider audience of staff.
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BUT
Maureen Dowd steps up to assume spokesperson duties for the entire Gang of 500.
Many who were sick of Trump chaos and ineptitude are now sick of Biden chaos and ineptitude….
There is a feeling, many Democrats say, that things are a little out of control — the Afghanistan departure, supply chains, crime, violence, Biden not being able to pass what he wants to pass or even pressing for the votes when he went to the Hill before he left for Europe.
The administration lost control of the virus story; it didn’t seem to have it together on mask or no mask, school or no school, vaccine mandates or no.
Friday’s strong jobs report and a rollout for the children’s vaccine gives Democrats a breather, but many are still wondering if Biden is up to the job. He will need to become a much better salesman than Biff Loman’s dad.
You can hear MoDo expound on these themes at Lauriol Plaza at 10:30am this morning at the weekly Gang brunch. Note the earlier-than-usual start time.
*
Illegal immigration is not solved yet:
President Biden flared in anger Saturday as he spoke in favor of his administration’s plan to award $450,000 payments to migrants separated from their families after illegally crossing the US border — three days after he called a report on the payouts “garbage.”
Blaming “the outrageous behavior of the last administration,” Biden raised his voice and jabbed his finger at Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy, who asked about the administration’s mixed messaging on the payout policy.
“Whether [the border crossing] was legal or illegal, and you lost your child,” Biden thundered. “You lost your child, it’s gone — you deserve some kind of compensation, no matter what the circumstance.
“What that will be,” he added, “I have no idea.” (New York Post)
*
Vaccine mandates are not solved yet:
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal appeals court on Saturday temporarily halted the Biden administration’s vaccine requirement for businesses with 100 or more workers.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted an emergency stay of the requirement by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration that those workers be vaccinated by Jan. 4 or face mask requirements and weekly tests.
*
The mask hypocrisy matter is not solved yet:
*
The ominous signs for Democrats from last week’s elections are not solved yet:
The New York Times and Dan Balz point out the rural troubles are still troubles:
Democrats have seen this movie before. An election takes place, they examine the results and suddenly lament their poor showing with rural voters. It has happened time and again and yet the party has neither a solution to the problem nor, it seems, a commitment to solving it.
As we say in Schuyler, Virginia (population: 298), when you get your clocked clean around here by the CEO of the Carlyle Group, Hos, you got a problem.
Oh, and the Associated Press writes that a lot of Democratic officials worry about the size of a potential Red Wave in 2022.
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Essential reading: The New York Times on the 2024 cattle call for Jewish conservatives in Vegas. Please check out the words of The Two Chrises: Christie and Sununu – lonely voices or harbingers of the future? Or both?
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For all the latest news all the time, check out the 24/7 website the Walking Duck.
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* That’s a joke, Hos.