Staff Reports
House Speaker Mike Johnson revealed a spending bill aimed at keeping the government funded, but it was met with a swift backlash from conservatives who weren’t having any of it. The proposal was quickly derailed in favor of a cleaned-up continuing resolution that throws in disaster relief aid, extends the farm bill, and tacks on a two-year debt ceiling increase. Unsurprisingly, conservatives found themselves less than thrilled, and in a stunning twist, Democrats took to social media to lambaste the bill as a product of unchecked MAGA extremism before launching into unhinged tirades aimed primarily at Elon Musk. A group of 38 Republicans joined forces with Democrats to sink the bill, with the clock ticking down to a potential government shutdown come Saturday morning. With Congress stumbling through the twilight hours of negotiation, observers are bracing for the inevitable blame game that is sure to follow.
In the midst of this chaos, the glaring absence of Joe Biden raises eyebrows. Where’s the commander-in-chief who should be using his position to whip the party into shape? It’s puzzling, as the ousted president seems increasingly out of his depth. Just a few months after being lambasted by Nancy Pelosi—who isn’t even running the show anymore—Biden now finds himself sidelined and irrelevant in the Democratic Party. The man has been content to let others take the lead as chaos reigns among his party, exposing that while he may sit in the Oval Office, his grip on Washington is as loose as a well-worn pair of socks.
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‘Joe Biden is Dead;’ National Security Council Advisor Inside the White House Details Biden "Can't Say a Sentence." pic.twitter.com/ZWY4R2GRwg
— dustin mills (@dustinemills24) December 17, 2024
As Congress attempts to salvage a funding deal, a growing chorus of Democratic lawmakers has expressed frustration over Biden’s silence. These Democrats are grappling with a slew of issues, yet it seems the president hasn’t found the time to address the rapidly escalating situation. The message is clear: even members of his own party are musing about the strange turn of events that sees Elon Musk emerging as the influential figure in this saga.
Republicans are now scrambling to sell a last-minute bill before time runs out, and any hope of Biden making a significant contribution to the discussion has all but vanished. Not only does the absence of a solution threaten Biden’s administration, but it also takes away any significant wins the White House hoped to celebrate as the year wraps up. The political clock is ticking, and while everyone looks for direction, the lame-duck president remains notably mute, effectively watching his administration unravel before his very eyes.
Biden’s aides are spinning his silence as a “strategic decision,” a misguided attempt to deflect the impending blame onto Trump. But let’s be honest here: labeling this as strategy is giving them too much credit. Rather than being a master tactician, Biden’s failure to engage the situation is a reflection of his inability to navigate the challenges of leadership. Unlike Obama, who could wield the presidential power to rally support even during contentious times, Biden’s frailty leaves many doubting whether he can pull any strings at all. Meanwhile, Democrats are left scrambling to justify a government shutdown over disaster relief, farm bill extensions, and a two-year delay on the debt ceiling—a tough sell to an increasingly skeptical public. Borrows from Trump derangement syndrome are clearly the best they’ve got in this losing argument, leaving many to wonder if Biden’s strategic retreat is merely a sign of surrender.
