By Ray Cardello for March 14, 2023 Season 16 / Post 48

Joe Biden has not enjoyed favorable approval ratings, nor has his Vice President, Kamala Harris. The Real Clear Politics average has Joe at 44% and Kamala at 38.2%. Joe Biden has been as low as 37%. His low was immediately following the botched withdrawal in Afghanistan when we lost 13 young military members in a Taliban bomb attack. He picked up some momentum after the Mid-terms when Democrats outperformed expectations. He is poised for another dip.

There are two decisions before Biden, and indications are that one is sure to upset the Right, and the other will alienate him from his own party. Let’s look at both.

COVID Origination

Congress passed a bill with unanimous consent of members of each Chamber. A Congressional pay raise would probably not pass the Senate and House unanimously, but this COVID info bill managed to do the impossible.

The bill, which already passed the Senate, would require Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines to declassify any information about links between the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Wuhan Institute of Virology, the controversial viral research laboratory in the city where the SARS-CoV-2 virus first emerged. The vote in the House was 419 to 0. 

You would think it would be a formality for a President to ink his signature on a bill that reaches his desk and does not have a single NAY vote attached from Congress. You would be right about a traditional Presidency, but we do not have normalcy at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Chinese President Xi has made it known that he wants this information to stay classified and away from American eyes. So we have an apparent conundrum for Joe Biden. He can align with the wish of Congress and sign the bill, or assuage Xi and refuse to sign or VETO the legislation. His action will define his allegiance, and should he side with Xi, it will add more fodder to the belief that Biden is compromised and beholden to the Chinese.

The Willow Project

The other issue is the Willow Project in Alaska, where ConocoPhillips will be given permission to construct three drilling sites and a connecting pipeline on 16 Million acres of land in Northern Alaska above the Arctic Circle. This project will add thousands of high-paying jobs in Alaska, producing an estimated 180,000 barrels of oil daily. Biden was expected to sign this agreement on Monday. His signature will please the Right that has been urging Biden to ease restrictions and let America regain energy independence. The Left, especially the Green faction, will be apoplectic and fuel the argument that Biden has abandoned them for a more central position.

The Left already feels betrayed by two Biden decisions last week. Biden reversed course on the Washington, D.C. Crime Bill and refused to sign the controversial plan that would make D.C. a more dangerous place for citizens by being softer on crime. The 173 Democrats who voted NAY for the bill feel Biden double-crossed them. Biden has also said he would agree to hold illegal family units trying to enter the United States in Mexico.

These actions indicate a new erratic Biden that has cast confusion over his intentions. The Left cannot bank on his unfettered support, and the Right sees some room for compromise in Biden 2.0. This will make the next two years very exciting and cloud the President’s intention to run in 2024. Buckle up and stay tuned.