September 20, 2021--Beau

I had been wondering how much longer it would be before Republicans begin to attack Joe Biden's on-going, very public mourning for his son, Beau, who died of a brain tumor in 2015.

Wonder no more, it's happening right now in real time.

The president recently has been going through a rough patch. Even his staunchest supporters have been criticizing him for the botched bug out in Afghanistan. 

No one, Democrats as well as Trumpers, has a good word for his bumbling efforts to craft a realistic plan to at least chip away at our border and immigrant crises. 

Hardly anyone gives him good marks for the way in which he has handled the rollout of COVID 19 vaccinations. It seems like every day there are new guidelines that contradict yesterday's CDC recommendations. 

And just last week Biden made a mess of our deal to sell nuclear submarines to the Australians, ignoring France who had been our historic partners with deals of this kind. So enraged by this blunder France is recalling its diplomats.

And now Republicans are going there--criticizing Joe Biden for continuing to grieve for Beau.

It seems unfair to call Biden out for doing what he is exceptional at--expressing empathy--but he should know more than almost anyone else  that politics is an ugly business especially when there is blood in the water.

Then Biden didn't help his cause when he stepped in it at Dover Air Force Base where he went to meet the plane transporting the bodies of eight soldiers who were killed during the surrender of Afghanistan.

It was reliably reported by family members that Biden said very little about those killed in action but spent almost all his time talking about Beau.

Friends of Biden are beginning to talk about this, at the minimum, as inappropriate behavior for a Commander in Chief who needs to display toughness with compassion.

Those saying this are not necessarily insensitive. But they may be offering good political advice. Like it or not, we will never elect or reelect a wimpy president. Biden needs to understand that and do better.