President Joe Biden crowned himself homecoming king on behalf of the Democratic House leadership during the party’s annual legislative retreat in Baltimore. Clearly, the man was feeling his oats as he touted the victories achieved alongside the 117th Congress and urged for more of the same with the new crew. It was a legendary two years – if only in his own mind. The venue was nearly full of friends and colleagues, with a few older guards missing to participate in a Joni Mitchell tribute concert. Priorities.
The overall tone was celebratory on this campaign stop in front of a friendly crowd. There would be no disrespect since Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) was not on the unity invite list. But it was clear what Biden was all about: I did this. Will you love me enough to help get me re-elected?
He beamed while addressing the crowd of followers and said: “It’s been one of the most successful, united caucuses we have ever seen. And you all stick together. Thank God, look what’s already happened.” He then went on his victory lap with a 30-minute speech that failed to mention soaring interest rates, record-breaking high food and gas prices, and lack of interest in crises on American soil.
The Charm City Offensive
Early in the brief address, the president reminded his caucus members that their tenure under his administration would live on in near-fabled fashion. “I promised to partner with you and coordinate with you to make sure the implementation of these laws is done efficiently and effectively, and let the American people know who did it. As they feel the benefits of the investment, you did it,” Biden said.
Biden wound his way around the stump speech in an ungainly order that would have his speechwriter cringing. But he did muddle his way through the message. He boasted Russia would soon fold, Trump is still the boogeyman, and America is strong. But, in his words, which many will vociferously refute, Biden said: “You know, when we came in, the economy was in — in ruins. We were — we had so many lost jobs. And it went beyond the pandemic; it started before that.”
“Our economy is growing at a solid clip. But it’s not an accident. It’s because we’ve all worked together, and we have worked together. We’ve worked tightly together,” Biden said as his scribe searched the Swamp want ads.
Joe Biden (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
“But all kidding aside — look, we replaced the refl — the Inflation Reduction Act, we passed it, taking on powerful special interests, cutting the costs for working families, and tackling the climate crisis.” And no stump speech would be complete without invoking the sage words of his father, sometimes his mother, and oftentimes his grandparents, advising: “Folks need a little breathing room.”
Ticking off every campaign point, littered with incorrect numbers for which audience members shouted a correction here and there, Biden finally left the stage to take private questions from a few legislators.
Biden’s Utopian America
For those reading or watching the president deliver the same stump speech at every calendar stop, little of it makes sense. Salaries are not up, but the cost of living has skyrocketed. As a personal presidential visit to deliver billions to Eastern Europe is more important than a toxic chemical train derailment just minutes away by Marine One, only a few assembled House Democrats can see Biden’s Utopian America. But the good folks breathing the air, who want to relocate but can’t sell their homes in East Palestine, OH, see a much different America than the president believes he has achieved.
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