Yves right here. Biden, whether or not or not he and his claque are keen to withstand it, is within the blood-in-the-water part of a struggle for survival. There isn’t a approach to come out of this alive, within the political sense. The press and pundits are maintaining the drumbeat of calls for that Biden should not run in 2024. The criticism, expressed as concern, has hit the extent of a legitimacy disaster.
A giant factor of the marketing campaign to stay the knife in and twist is making it irrefutable that Biden didn’t merely have a nasty evening, however has been deteriorating for a while. Tom Neuburger offers some examples from the traditionally Biden-friendly CNN and influential Politico
To that we will add much more pointed warnings, from the spooks, who had been able to have shut tabs on Biden. CIA whisperer Sy Hersh wrote earlier this week (emphasis mine):
The true shame is just not solely Biden’s, however these of the women and men round him who’ve saved him an increasing number of underneath wraps. He’s a captive, and as he quickly diminished over the previous six months. I’ve been listening to for months in regards to the rising isolation of the president, from his one-time friends within the Senate, who discover that he’s unable to return their calls. One other outdated household good friend, whose assist has been sought by Biden on key points since his days as vp, instructed me of a plaintive name from the president many months in the past. Biden mentioned the White Home was in chaos and he wanted his good friend’s assist. The good friend mentioned he begged off after which instructed me, with fun: “I might fairly have a root canal process each day than go to work there.” A protracted retired Senate colleague was invited by Biden to hitch him on a international journey, and the 2 performed playing cards and shared a drink or two on the Air Power One flight going out. The senator was barred by Biden’s employees from becoming a member of the return flight dwelling.
And one other knowledge level. Tucker’s giddiness when discussing Biden’s decline is unseemly. However don’t let noise crowd out his sign. Readers in feedback and through e-mail have mentioned that the press in Europe and China have been unsparing about Biden’s situation, and thus his debate efficiency was not as a lot of a shock overseas as at dwelling:
MUST SEE: Tucker Carlson discusses the Democrats’ purported shock following the talk, regardless of widespread assertions in 2019 that Joe Biden was experiencing dementia, but no motion was taken. #tuckercarlson #biden pic.twitter.com/aWKmSjix3p
— Prince Carlton 🇺🇸 (@_PrinceCarlton_) June 30, 2024
And whereas on the subject of the international press being much less circumspect, even permitting for Sky Information being a part of the Murdoch empire, this contemporary clip is fairly pointed:
Now to the primary occasion.
By Thomas Neuburger. Initially printed at God’s Spies
This can be pretty brief for the vacation weekend. I’m staying with one of many week’s two huge tales, the press explosion of concern over Biden’s situation after years lockstep denial.
The week’s different huge story — what’s happening within the Courtroom and the way that pertains to the Venture 2025 plan — that we’ll reserve for extra considerate protection. We touched on it briefly right here, however the subject is huge.
Trace: I’m going to veer away from most individuals’s evaluation — in that I’ll be far more particular. This nation is not a republic in the mean time. However what are we?
Coupling Venture 2025 with selections from Dobbs by means of Trump offers a strikingly clear image of the place we’re headed, even absent a change of Occupant.
After actually years of shut research, I believe I lastly see how all of the Proper Wing items match collectively. It’s totally different, although simply as dangerous, as what you’ve been listening to. And we’ve been on this path for longer than most of you’ve been alive.
However that’s for later. Keep tuned.
Hyperlinks
These hyperlinks are all of a bit. They add to this earlier piece.
• Carl Bernstein: Sources say considerations about Biden have been rising for a yr(CNN)
This issues because it speaks to the White Home cover-up. He doesn’t clarify who knew and who didn’t, precisely, however consciousness of Biden’s diminished situation went past a educated few.
Properly, these are folks, a number of of them, who’re very near President Biden, who love him, have supported and been amongst … amongst them are some individuals who have raised some huge cash for him.
And they’re adamant that what we noticed the opposite evening, the Joe Biden we noticed, is just not a one off, that there have been 15, 20 events within the final yr and a half when the president has appeared considerably as he did in that horror present that we witnessed.
And what’s so vital is the folks that that is coming from, and likewise how many individuals across the president, are conscious of such incidents, together with some reporters, by the way, who who’ve witnessed a few of them.
However right here we see tonight [when the president gave prepared remarks], as these folks say, President Biden at his very best.
And but these individuals who have supported him, liked him, campaigned for him, see him usually, say that within the final six months notably there was a marked incidence of cognitive decline and bodily infirmity.
There’s extra to the interview than this. It’s value a watch for those who haven’t seen it already. Word “together with some reporters.” This confirms lies.
File underneath “Gods, what a large number.”
• ‘We’ve all enabled the scenario’: Dems activate Biden’s inside sanctum submit debate (Politico)
For many who surprise who’s performing as gate-keepers — colloquially, “who’s operating the present” — when Biden is indisposed, this Politico piece names a number of key names. It walks on eggshells to get there, however do learn it by means of.
Over the course of his presidency, Joe Biden’s small clutch of advisers have constructed an more and more protecting circle round him, limiting his publicity to the media and out of doors recommendation — an effort to handle public perceptions of the oldest particular person to ever maintain the workplace and tightly management his political operation.
However contained in the White Home, Biden’s rising limitations had been turning into obvious lengthy earlier than his meltdown in final week’s debate, with the senior staff’s administration of the president rising extra strictly managed as his time period has gone on. Throughout conferences with aides who’re placing collectively formal briefings they’ll ship to Biden, some senior officers have at occasions gone to nice lengths to curate the knowledge being introduced in an effort to keep away from upsetting a destructive response.
“It’s like, ‘You may’t embrace that, that may set him off,’ or ‘Put that in, he likes that,’” mentioned one senior administration official. “It’s a Rorschach take a look at, not a briefing. As a result of he isn’t a nice particular person to be round when he’s being briefed. It’s very tough, and individuals are scared shitless of him.”
That’s the opening. Discover the swap within the second paragraph, from the give attention to the “senior staff’s administration of the president” to, inexplicable, the president’s mood: “individuals are scared shitless of him.”
Clearly, Politico needed to drop this second concept into the opening paragraphs, and do it with out saying why. They’re not the primary, by the way in which, to touch upon Biden’s mood.
As to who could be operating interference and, maybe, performing as occasional Biden regents, Politico spreads the reply by means of the second half of the piece (emphasis mine):
Nobody has achieved extra to maintain the president remoted — and shielded from powerful conversations — than his spouse, first woman Jill Biden, and sister, Valerie Biden Owens.
[…]
A Democratic operative in frequent communication with the White Home and the marketing campaign mentioned recommendations will be rapidly dismissed. “If I’m speaking to Anita [Dunn], and I say, ‘what about X?’ She’s fast to say, ‘The president’s not going to do this. No probability.’ It shuts off choices, sure, but it surely additionally [lets] you progress extra rapidly as a result of they know him so nicely.”
[…]
From the earliest months of his time period, Biden was fastidiously managed by senior adviser to the primary woman Anthony Bernal, deputy chief of employees Annie Tomasini, [Ron] Klain and others. After a marketing campaign spent largely inside his Delaware dwelling, the president remained in a protecting bubble on the behest of senior employees and household, who believed it was the easiest way to handle the president’s well being given the continuing Covid-19 threat and his reelection probabilities, in response to 5 folks acquainted however not licensed to publicly focus on inner selections.
Bernal and Tomasini, particularly, have grown notably near the president and first woman. […]
In my analysis, the names that come up probably the most because the curating crew are Jill Biden, Anthony Bernal and Annie Tomasini. However as Politico and Bernstein level out, an important many others knew what was happening.
File underneath “The general public must also be instructed. Proper? Proper?”
The Fall of Athens and Rome
Two factors earlier than we conclude:
• When the Roman Republic fell, it wasn’t a one-day job. It passed off over time, a number of generations, beginning with the Gracchi reforms and murders within the late second century BC, by means of Marius, Sulla and Caesar. Over time, the establishments themselves had been modified, each by the folks and leaders in lethal rivalry.
We’ve walked greater than half of that path already ourselves. We had been a republic. We’re now in transition from that. Bush v Gore is just not the unique Unique Sin, but it surely’s one among them, and that has been embraced. Bush, you recall, was the creator of our trendy Surveillance State, which was by no means rolled again.
We’re not a republic, although many are denying that reality. What are we as we speak? Keep tuned.
Those that have entry to the Nice Programs “Historical past of Historic Rome” by the superb Garrett Fagan ought to take heed to the story of the transformation. Begin with Lesson 20. You’ll see what I imply about altering establishments from with no path to return.
• The lesson the Athenian Empire discovered in its (actually) ill-advised warfare with Sparta was easy: You may’t be have an empire overseas and democracy at dwelling. Simply can’t be achieved. Plato despaired of democracy, having witnessed its fall, one purpose he wrote the Republic.
Music
Some soothing Dave Brubeck. This piece grows from a delight tune he wrote known as “Brandenburg Gate.” (YouTube can serve up just a few dwell variations of that.)
This model is “Brandenburg Gate Revisited”, performed by quartet with full orchestration. Do you know Brubeck was classically educated? He studied underneath Darius Milhaud. It reveals on this piece.
Click on the picture to play, or use the hyperlink above. Get pleasure from.
