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So is Biden too senile or too effective?

For months, Republicans said Biden was too senile to get anything done. Now, they say he's a policy mastermind who is steamrolling Republicans with his radical agenda. So which is it?

John Aravosis

Mar 12

What’s the old saying about how liars have to remember every lie they’ve ever told, lest they contradict themselves, while honest people just have to remember to tell the truth? Yeah, it’s hard to be Republican.

This week, President Biden signed a historic $1.9 trillion Covid/Stimulus bill that will provide unemployment benefits, stimulus checks, an increased child tax credit, aid to state and local governments, billions for Coronavirus testing and vaccine distribution, housing assistance, support for schools and pension plans and food shelters, and expanded COBRA health insurance.

And Republicans are hopping mad. Joe Biden is ramming his agenda through Congress, they claim — and a wildly radical “socialist” agenda at that!

Which is a surprising feat, since, after all, for the past year we’ve been told that Joe Biden was too senile to even know he was President, let alone get anything done in Washington.

The slurs started during the campaign:

It then continued after Biden was sworn in:

Then there was this, just yesterday:

So, which is it: Is Joe Biden a senile old mess who doesn’t even know his name, or is he a policy mastermind who is steamrolling Republicans (perish the unity!) while enacting the most radical agenda seen in Washington in decades?

It’s neither, of course.

Biden is clearly doing a fine job as President. And, while historic, the Covid/Stimulus bill he just signed into law is hardly radical. For example, Biden got a $1,400 per person stimulus check passed by Congress — Trump wanted $2,000. And in fact, 75% of Americans support the legislation, including 71% of Independents, and even 59% of Republicans.

Josh Dorner @JoshDorner

NEW POLL - Overwhelming bipartisan support for the American Rescue Plan. Support: 75% Oppose: 18% Dem: 90% Support, 5% Oppose GOP: 59% Support, 35% Oppose IND: 71% Support, 20% Oppose

Clearly the Republicans will continue to lie about Biden and the Democrats, and we just have to prepared for it. And Biden seems up to the task. The President is planning a nationwide tour to promote the benefits of the bill he just signed into law. Compare that to President Obama, who I still adore, but who didn’t spend much time promoting either his stimulus or Obamacare after each became law, while Republicans spent years attacking (lying about) both, to great effect (Obamacare didn’t become popular until a good eight years later, and many people still think the stimulus was a waste).

Biden doesn’t plan on letting Republicans repeat their earlier success. Good for him.

Other Interesting Stuff

Only a Trump appointee (and he is one) would want more money to work even less. And, seriously, DeJoy thinks the mail isn’t slow enough already?