NEWS AND OPINION:
Some are concerned about repeat calls for President Biden to be a greater presence in the news media and on the public stage. It could have an unwanted by-product.
“For national security reasons, let’s keep Biden in the basement and off TV. Maybe it’s not great for us if foreign adversaries see him too much in his weakened state. Save him for when he is alert and able to handle the pressures of public speaking,” advises Mollie Hemingway, senior editor at The Federalist.
She notes that among other things, Mr. Biden recently forgot the name of his defense secretary and the words of the Declaration of Independence. She cites the president’s “decline in verbal acuity” and has witnessed Mr. Biden’s media team steering him away from press questions and big speeches — though the president is set to make a prime time speech Thursday to mark the first anniversary of the COVID-19 shutdown. Inquiring minds want to know: Will it be live, or prerecorded?
“We can count on the media to cover for Biden and downplay the flubs, the forgetfulness, the stumbles. They’ll explain his absence from regular direct questioning,” Mrs. Hemingway writes.
“It’s not good for the American people that the president isn’t hosting press conferences It’s not good that we can’t count on the White House press corps to press Biden on his administration’s radicalism, his culture war onslaught, or his struggles with handling the rigors of the presidency,” she continues.
’Still, maybe it’s best if we all just encourage him to stay off camera if for no other reason than our national security,” Mrs. Hemingway says.
RedState.com agrees: “Biden’s incoherence just hit critical mass, this is scary awful.”
BRING ON THE PRESS GAGGLE
On the other hand, some urge President Biden to take the stage,
“It’s long past time for Biden to answer questions from the White House press corps in a sustained solo news conference. Why? Well, consider what has transpired in the first six weeks of the Biden administration,” writes CNN editor-at-large Chris Cillizza.
“Biden has signed more than 50 executive actions — on everything from immigration to a return to the Paris climate accord. He could well sign a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus bill by the end of the week, a massive bit of federal spending,” he continues
“While Biden has largely avoided the press over these first six weeks, he and his administration have done a number of huge things — using his executive power and the Democratic majorities in Congress. The Point: These are decisions that will affect not just Biden’s presidency but the country for years to come. And he should understand the need to explain his thinking to reporters and the country,” Mr. Cillizza concluded.
NOW THERE’S A THOUGHT
The nation is still being inundated with news coverage and analysis of Prince Harry and Meghan and the familial woes of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. According to Nielsen Media Research ratings numbers, 17.1 million viewers tuned in to see Oprah Winfrey’s interview with the royal — whoops, the ex-royal pair.
A Georgia Republican, however, sums things up in just 17 words, however.
“Our American media is obsessed with the royals. I thought we were over the royals in 1776,” tweets Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.
$3 PER GALLON
“For the ninth consecutive week, the national average price of gasoline has moved higher, rising 5 cents per gallon over the last week to $2.79 today according to GasBuddy data compiled from more than 11 million individual price reports covering over 150,000 gas stations across the country,” reports GasBuddy.com, which has tracked prices and provided money-saving tips since 2000.
“The national average now stands up 31 cents from a month ago, largely due to refinery shutdowns in Texas in mid-February and rising global demand as the COVID-19 pandemic slows. The national average price of diesel has risen 6.5 cents in the last week and stands at $3.00 per gallon,” GasBuddy.com continues.
The organization also noted that gas prices were about $1.82 for a gallon of regular gas just about a year ago.
FLORIDA PUSHES BACK
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is taking legal action to immediately halt new federal immigration policies set in place by President Biden in his first days in office.
Ms. Moody has filed a complaint and a motion for a preliminary injunction against the Biden administration over directives to suspend the arrests and deportations of certain criminals in the country illegally, including those convicted of drug trafficking and some violent crimes.
“My job is to protect Floridians. Every day I work tirelessly to make Florida stronger and safer. Whether it is fighting the opioid epidemic, combating human trafficking or helping domestic violence victims, we are confronted with these real-life problems,” she advised in a statement released Tuesday.
“The Biden administration’s reckless policy of refusing to do their jobs and deport criminals, places all those gains and Floridians’ public safety at risk. Until President Biden’s inauguration, presidents of both parties detained and deported criminals. This is a radical shift that places Floridians and our law enforcement officers in greater danger, and that is why I filed suit,” Ms. Moody said.
Her motion of preliminary injunction includes a recent Florida Department of Corrections report that cited Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel after they “refused to take custody of serious criminals upon release from state custody.”
A number of the convicts already had been released, are in the country illegally and served prison sentences for burglary, cocaine and heroin trafficking and other crimes, the motion said.
POLL DU JOUR
• 63% of U.S. adults say the nation’s economy is “poor”; 65% of Republicans, 70% of independents and 59% of Democrats agree.
• 51% overall say the nation is “headed in the wrong direction”; 78% of Republicans, 58% of independents and 25% of Democrats agree.
• 43% overall expect things to “get better”; 15% of Republicans, 30% of independents and 73% of Democrats agree.
• 23% overall expect things to “stay the same”; 20% of Republicans, 35% of independents and 20% of Democrats agree.
• 34% overall expect things to “get worse”; 65% of Republicans, 32% of independents and 7% of Democrats agree.
Source: An AP-NORC poll of 1,434 U.S. adults conducted Feb. 25-March 1 and released March 5.
• Follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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