By Ray Cardello for January 21, 2021 Season 8 / Post 23

This line may be the summation of the Biden press conference. Most people hoped that Joe Biden would use today as a pivot point in his four-year term. People were looking for him to admit that his policy agenda was going nowhere and needed to be rebuilt. They got a President who blamed the shortcomings of his first year on Republicans who want nothing but to see him fail and a public that does not understand what he is doing. He also claimed that no other President in history got done as much as he did in their first year. Please, Mr. President, prove that claim.

Joe Biden opened the press conference with a ten-minute opening statement filled with statistics that can never be confirmed. It reminds me of the line, Statistics don’t lie, and liars use statistics. My favorite is the claim that he has created 6 million new jobs. They are not new, and they do not indicate growth. The economy lost 10 million jobs, and the 6 million are people returning to their pre-COVID jobs. He also continues to claim he will reduce prescription costs. Unless there is a government takeover of the Pharmaceutical industry, he has no control over pricing.

He still contends that his Build Back Better bill is the panacea for inflation, energy costs and will reduce living costs for all Americans. He did respond to USAToday that he will have to break up the bill to get any of its components passed. He blamed inflation on the supply chain issue, refusing to acknowledge the influx of trillions of dollars into the economy. He stated multiple times that 17 Nobel-winning economists say that Build Back Better is a sound bill but won’t admit that there are as many that say it will negatively impact the country.

He claimed he would get a passing grade on all when pressed if the midterms will be a report card on the Biden economy, inflation, the Border, and Russia. Obviously, he is grading on a considerable curve. He immediately reverted to Republican obstructionism because he did not have tremendous success.

He boasted about his handling of Putin and the possibility of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But when pressed on the level of attack and response, he hedged. He says we need to keep NATO unified, which indicates he is not taking the lead on any response. He is blaming the questions about the Russian / Ukraine issue on Putin’s erratic behavior. If things are not Republican’s fault, it is Putin’s. Nothing is his fault.

Biden has spent nearly 30% of his time in his residences in Delaware, where he does not have to account for activity or visitors. He says he has spent too much time in D.C. and not enough time out with the people. Who’s fault is that? The Republicans. He claimed Mitch McConnell had attacked him but that he had not attacked anyone. He has attacked Republicans and anyone who supports them as impediments to progress.

He defended his evacuation of Afghanistan. There was no good way to do what he did, and he blamed Trump for his inability to do a better job with the pull-out. The ineffective roll-out of 5G cell service was a problem with the cell companies not cooperating with the airline industry. Where was his secretary of transportation to push the airlines? Paternity Leave? For just one situation, take responsibility. That is the mark of a solid leader. Biden is not a solid leader. He is not even a mediocre leader. That deficiency cannot be blamed on Trump or Putin. The people who voted for this man are to blame.

This article was first published on The Liberty Loft thelibertyloft.com