January 28, 2019--Joe: "I Like Republicans"

Writing these as I frequently do in real time, sometimes my words tumble out faster than my brain operates and I wind up embarrassing myself. 

Friday was such an occasion and so I want to apologize and set my version of the record straight.

I wrote a snarky piece about Joe Biden speaking in October to a "Republican-leaning" group in Michigan for which he received a $200,000 fee.

I can make myself live with the fee. Ex-president Ronald Regan raked in an astrological $2.0 million in 1989 dollars for addressing some Japanese group and Michelle and Barack Obama are in the process of becoming wealthy with money flooding to them from Netflix and various book publishers.

In addition to playing golf, with the exception of Jimmy Carter, it's what former presidents do after leaving office.

But what I couldn't abide was Joe Biden's shout out at the event shortly before Election Day to Fred Upton, a Republican congressman who was in a tight reelection battle. With the outcome too close to call, helping Upton win could have upset the Democrat's move to retake control of the House. As it turned out Upton won as did the Dems. But still . . .

In my piece I more than implied that Joe pocketed the 200 grand with the, wink-wink, understanding that he would help Upton, who is a big supporter of cancer research, a subject understandably close to Biden's heart.

I get it, but Biden did overlook the fact that Upton is also a leading and ongoing opponent of the Affordable Care Act, Obamacare, legislation for which Biden helped work through the system by twisting congressional arms. Then, after it passed, at the signing ceremony a hot mic picked up Biden whispering to Obama, "This is a fucking big deal."

But confronted by the Times front-page story, rather than backing down, claiming as politicians almost always do, that he was quoted "out of context," Biden doubled down and wth a light spirit said he has no inclination to "blunt his instinct toward bipartisanship and compromise."

"I like Republicans!" he said, staking out a moderate position as he thinks about running for president in a field already full of very progressive candidates.

He joked, "O.K., well bless me father, for I have sinned."

Upton said that the praise for him was unexpected and that "it was an immense honor."

Since politically I care only about weakening Trump and defeating him in 2020, if this helps Biden win the nomination and then the election, we can deal with other policy issues subsequently.

In the meantime, I apologize for speaking too soon.

January 25, 2019--Joe, Say It Isn't So!

Just as I was about to throw my support (such as it is) behind the still non-candidate, Joe Biden, feeling desperate, though it is still almost two years before the next presidential election, to find someone who can win (forget fall in love with), just as I was about to ignore or rationalize his limitations and faults, including the fact that he'll be 78 in two years, there was a front-page story in Thursday's New York Times which revealed that Joe gave a speech at the Economic Club of Southwestern Michigan, to a "Republican-leaning audience" for which he received $200,000 and, at his insistence, was flown in and out on a private jet (forget carbon footprint issues), now confused and totally depressed I don't think I any longer have a candidate who can win and who doesn't make me nauseous when thinking about her or him in the Oval Office.

Two hundred thousand is an obscene amount of money for any speech other than the Gettysburg Address (you had to be there to really appreciate it), and though I hate it, the corruption and hypocrisy it reveals is not what has me bent out of shape (more or less straight-shooter Biden who grew up poor in Scranton now cashing in and flying around in private planes after a lifetime of public service is not my major problem), it's why Joe was addressing a Republican-leaning audience.

It appears he was there to, wink-wink, endorse for reelection, GOP Representative Fred Upton. Upton is not a troglodyte member of the House--there are much worse: think white supremacist Steve King of Kansas--but the recent midterm election is one in which Democrats put aside differences to regain control of the House and thereby reduce Trump's stranglehold on the nation's government. In other words every vote counted more than usual and there was pay-for-play Biden weighing in on Upton's side.

And it likely helped--Upton won in a squeaker by only four and a half percentage points. Luckily the Dems flipped enough other seats to take control of the House so perhaps Biden can claim he did no ultimate harm. After all, Biden said at the talk, Upton is an alleged "champion" in the fight against cancer and is thus "one of the finest guys I've ever worked with." I know fighting cancer is what Biden is largely about but it feels as if Joe was motivated to endorse him as much for the 200 grand he pocketed as for the cancer fighting. 

Closer to the scene, Eric Lester, who chaired the Democratic Party in Berrien County during the midterms, said he considered Biden's "supportive remarks" about Upton "a betrayal."

Sounds right to me.