CONLEY COMMENTARY (WSAU) – Tick. Tick. Tick.
The CBS News magazine 60 Minutes launched its 54th season earlier this month with a one-on-one interview with Joe Biden.
The President did not appear tired or disjointed. But it was a strange interview nonetheless.
He was asked about the FBI raid at Mara-lago. He said Donald Trump was “irresponsible,” while insisting that he’s had no conversations with Attorney General Merrick Garland about the investigation. Of course he hasn’t, Garland doesn’t need a memo or a phone call to carry out his mission. He will indict a former president, will will try to pin a felony on his boss’ leading political rival. He knows Joe Biden will need plausible deniability, and he surely will have it.
Joe Biden was also asked about whether he was running again. He gave this hedged answer. “My intention is to run again,” he said. “But it’s just an intention. But is it a firm decision that I run again? That remains to be seen.” Friends, he’s not running again. After Democrats lose one, or both, houses of Congress, Joe Biden will announce that inflation and Ukraine demands full-time attention, and that he won’t be a candidate in 2024.
And lastly, Joe Biden declared that the COVID pandemic is over. That’s wonderful news, Mr. President. Congratulations! Now that we can declare victory over COVID-19, can we please stop spending COVID cash? There’s $61-billion thats been allocated by Congress, but hasn’t been spent yet. Can we reclaim that cash? There’s another $19-billion in administrative programs that also hasn’t been spent.
Admittedly, this is small potatoes. The federal government spent $7 trillion to fight the pandemic. And that doesn’t include the $2.4-trillion in the Build Back Better bill, nor the $3.3-trillion in the contrarian-named Inflation Reduction Act.
So, Mr. Biden, now that the pandemic is over, can we tell Wisconsin’s Tony Evers that the days of running around the state with a cardboard check for new downtown store facades are over? Can we tell Wausau’s Katie Rosenberg that LED streetlights have nothing to do with COVID? Or, is it possible that one of the good things about COVID is that it’s easier to push our tax dollars out the door?
Chris Conley
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