Yves right here. Biden, whether or not or not he and his claque are prepared to resist it, is within the blood-in-the-water section of a battle for survival. There is no such thing as a strategy 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.
An enormous component 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 supplies some examples from the traditionally Biden-friendly CNN and influential Politico
To that we will add much more pointed warnings, from the spooks, who have been able to have shut tabs on Biden. CIA whisperer Sy Hersh wrote earlier this week (emphasis mine):
The actual shame isn’t solely Biden’s, however these of the women and men round him who’ve stored him increasingly more below wraps. He’s a captive, and as he quickly diminished over the previous six months. I’ve been listening to for months concerning 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 previous household good friend, whose assist has been sought by Biden on key points since his days as vp, advised me of a plaintive name from the president many months in the past. Biden stated the White Home was in chaos and he wanted his good friend’s assist. The good friend stated he begged off after which advised me, with fun: “I might quite have a root canal process day-after-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 Drive One flight going out. The senator was barred by Biden’s workers from becoming a member of the return flight residence.
And one other information 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 stated 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 residence:
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 revealed at God’s Spies
This might be pretty quick 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 Court docket and the way that pertains to the Undertaking 2025 plan — that we’ll reserve for extra considerate protection. We touched on it briefly right here, however the matter is very large.
Trace: I’m going to veer away from most individuals’s evaluation — in that I’ll be far more particular. This nation isn’t a republic in the mean time. However what are we?
Coupling Undertaking 2025 with choices from Dobbs by way 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 completely 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 got been alive.
However that’s for later. Keep tuned.
Hyperlinks
These hyperlinks are all of a chunk. They add to this earlier piece.
• Carl Bernstein: Sources say issues 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.
Effectively, these are individuals, 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, isn’t 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 important is the those 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 individuals say, President Biden at his best possible.
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 if you happen to haven’t seen it already. Observe “together with some reporters.” This confirms lies.
File below “Gods, what a large number.”
• ‘We’ve all enabled the scenario’: Dems activate Biden’s interior sanctum submit debate (Politico)
For individuals who surprise who’s performing as gate-keepers — colloquially, “who’s working 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 way 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 outdoors recommendation — an effort to handle public perceptions of the oldest individual to ever maintain the workplace and tightly management his political operation.
However contained in the White Home, Biden’s rising limitations have been changing 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 scary a adverse response.
“It’s like, ‘You’ll be able to’t embrace that, that can set him off,’ or ‘Put that in, he likes that,’” stated one senior administration official. “It’s a Rorschach check, not a briefing. As a result of he isn’t a pleasing individual 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 best way, to touch upon Biden’s mood.
As to who is likely to be working interference and, maybe, performing as occasional Biden regents, Politico spreads the reply by way of the second half of the piece (emphasis mine):
Nobody has achieved extra to maintain the president remoted — and shielded from robust conversations — than his spouse, first girl Jill Biden, and sister, Valerie Biden Owens.
[…]
A Democratic operative in frequent communication with the White Home and the marketing campaign stated ideas may be shortly 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 try this. No likelihood.’ It shuts off choices, sure, however it additionally [lets] you progress extra shortly as a result of they know him so properly.”
[…]
From the earliest months of his time period, Biden was rigorously managed by senior adviser to the primary girl Anthony Bernal, deputy chief of workers Annie Tomasini, [Ron] Klain and others. After a marketing campaign spent largely inside his Delaware residence, the president remained in a protecting bubble on the behest of senior workers and household, who believed it was one of the simplest ways to handle the president’s well being given the continuing Covid-19 threat and his reelection possibilities, in response to 5 individuals acquainted however not approved to publicly focus on inside choices.
Bernal and Tomasini, specifically, have grown notably near the president and first girl. […]
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 excellent many others knew what was happening.
File below “The general public also needs to be advised. 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 occurred over time, a number of generations, beginning with the Gracchi reforms and murders within the late second century BC, by way of Marius, Sulla and Caesar. Over time, the establishments themselves have been modified, each by the individuals and leaders in lethal rivalry.
We’ve walked greater than half of that path already ourselves. We have been a republic. We’re now in transition from that. Bush v Gore isn’t the unique Unique Sin, however it’s considered one of 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 in the present day? Keep tuned.
Those that have entry to the Nice Programs “Historical past of Historic Rome” by the wonderful Garrett Fagan ought to hearken 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 struggle with Sparta was easy: You’ll be able to’t be have an empire overseas and democracy at residence. Simply can’t be achieved. Plato despaired of democracy, having witnessed its fall, one motive 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 below Darius Milhaud. It exhibits on this piece.
Click on the picture to play, or use the hyperlink above. Get pleasure from.
