Yesterday, both the House and Senate Democratic caucuses met to discuss the concerns around Joe Biden’s presidential candidacy. Reportedly, no cell phones were allowed, and as Members of Congress exited those meetings, few were willing to say what was discussed, except that the meeting was “constructive.” All CNN could report was that Senate Democrats had “deep concerns” about the President, and the meeting went “much longer than expected.” But tensions are running high. Yesterday’s White House briefing was described as a “shouting match,” as Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was questioned at length about whether neurologist Dr. Kevin Cannard had tested the President for Parkinson’s or other neurological diseases, and why he had visited the White House so frequently over the past year, if he had only tested Biden during his annual physical exams.
A Financial Times article July 9, headlined, “Donors and Democrats Despair as Push To Sideline Joe Biden Fizzles,” gives a sense of the situation, with a kicker reading, “Resignation sets in as party insiders rage against `mad king’ who refuses to exit stage.” Biden’s insistence that he’s staying in the race, as he told Congressional Democrats in a July 8 letter, is “instilling a swirl of confusion, despair and anger in the party,” FT reported. It quoted a former senior Democratic National Committee member who described Biden’s behavior as that of “a mad king,” and described an environment of gloom surrounding the situation. The Senate and House caucus meetings yesterday were described as “somber” and “funereal.”