Biden not the only loser revealed by shocking Hur audio
By: Jonathan Turley
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
"For posterity's sake."
Those words from President Joe Biden sum up the crushing impact of the leaked audiotapes from the interview between him and Special Counsel Robert Hur. Not only did they remove any doubt over Biden committing federal crimes, but they also constituted what is akin to a political racketeering indictment against much of the Washington establishment, from the White House staff to Democratic politicians to the media.
The interview, conducted from Oct. 8-9, 2023, has long been sought by Congress, but was kept under wraps by Biden's Justice Department even as Biden campaigned for a second term.
Many of us balked at the conclusion of Hur that no charges were appropriate despite the fact that the president had removed classified documents for decades, stored them in grossly negligent ways, and moved them around to unsecure locations, including his garage in Delaware.
Given President Donald Trump's indictment for the same offenses, it was hard to imagine how the special counsel could not recommend the same criminal charges (presumably after he left office).
Instead, Hur declared it would have been hard to get a jury to convict Biden because he was "a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor
It appears that Trump, on the other hand, was presumptively not sympathetic or well-meaning and possessed a good enough memory to face prosecution.
The contrast was glaring and only reinforced the view of many citizens that there are two tracks for justice in Washington.
Soon after the report's release, Biden gave an irate press conference at which he lied about the findings of his culpability and lashed out at any suggestion that he had gapped or stumbled in the interview.
For example, when reporters raised Hur's assertion that Biden had forgotten when his son Beau died, Biden angrily responded, "How in the hell dare he raise that?" Frankly, when I was asked the question, I thought to myself it wasn't any of their damn business."
However, it was not Hur but Biden himself who raised the death of his son, and he forgot a wide array of dates, including when he served in office.
The interview shows that in 2023 it was clear that Biden was mentally diminished despite claims from many allies and former aides that there was a sudden loss of capacity just before the disastrous debate in 2024. It is now undeniable that the White House staff actively hid the president's incompetence from the American public. That includes the White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki (who left her post in May 2022) and her successor, Karine Jean-Pierre, who insisted that Biden was sharp and "running circles" around the staff.
Of course, the media is now covering the story after the public saw the truth in the debate. Figures like CNN's Jake Tapper have even written books that belatedly pursue the question despite previously insisting that there was no evidence of a diminishment in Biden's mental state.
Tapper repeatedly dismissed the claim and even excoriated Lara Trump for raising it. In one interview, he pushed a White House talking point that such suggestions were mocking Biden for a childhood stutter.
"It's so amazing to me- a 'cognitive decline,'" he told the president's daughter-in-law. "I think you were mocking his stutter. Yeah. I think you were mocking his stutter and I think you have absolutely no standing to diagnose somebody's cognitive decline. I would think somebody in the Trump family would be more sensitive to people who do not have medical licenses diagnosing politicians from afar."
When Lara Trump insisted that this was clearly evidence of a "very concerning" cognitive decline, Tapper dismissed her statement by saying, "Thank you, Lara. I'm sure it's from a place of concern. We all believe that."
Keep in mind that others beyond Lara Trump were raising this issue and there were tapes showing obvious physical and mental decline. The media simply refused to seriously pursue the story until the cover-up no longer mattered after the debate.
Over on MSNBC, Joe Scarborough was equally apoplectic at those raising the issue and stated
"Start your tape right now because I'm about to tell you the truth. And eff you if you can't handle the truth. This version of Biden intellectually, analytically, is the best Biden ever. Not a close second. And I have known him for years…If it weren't the truth, I wouldn't say it
This media effort continued all the way up the debate itself. On CNN.com, Oliver Darcy wrote "Right-wing media figures are desperately pushing conspiracy theories about Biden ahead of the debate."
Once the public found out, the media was ready to tell the story when it became impossible, and no longer politically beneficial, to deny it. Articles began to appear with the same realization of, "Oh you meant THAT mental decline. Well sure."
It was the same belated acknowledgment that came, after the election, with Hunter Biden's laptop. The media just moved on with a shrug and a collective "our bad" concession.
As for the then-president himself, the one moment of clarity in the interview may have been his most incriminating line. When asked why he removed classified material on Afghanistan, Biden admitted "I guess I wanted to hang on to it for posterity's sake."
That is precisely what critics on CNN and MSNBC accused Trump of doing: removing material as types of keepsakes or trophies.
One president was indicted for that and one was sent along his way to pursue a second term in office.
The real indictment that comes out of these tapes is a type of political racketeering enterprise by the Washington establishment. It took a total team effort from Democratic politicians to the White House staff to the media to hide the fact that the president of the United States was mentally diminished. If there were a political RICO crime, half of Washington would be frog marched to the nearest federal courthouse.
Of course, none of this complicity in the cover-up is an actual crime. It is part of the Washington racket.
After all, this is Washington where such duplicity results not in plea deals but book deals.
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The Babylon Bee provided its readers with more accurate information that CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBS, NYT etc
Not to be off topic, but whoever did this did a great job...
The second I hit play I heard little poofs in the distance.
Well, there you have it. . . it seems we now have experience with the 'aged' in the office of the presidency. We can all learn the lesson that we ought not put the burden of "all of us" onto any mature elderly individual. . . including the mature elderly man (self) serving in the office right now. .. for another four years term.
What do we have?...
That the press can't be trusted to do their jobs?
That the administrations can't be trusted to do their jobs?
That there should be age limits on elected officials?.....
We have a 'series' of aged presidents. And voters can decide (use collective judgement) if they want mature elderly (80-ish) politicians and citizens to continue on in public service.
So, no answer to any of the questions?.....
I understand, it is embarrassing that Donald Trump has higher approval ratings than the entire Democratic Party.
I don't have anything to say. . . because I have not read the book that claims to tell the story of Biden's aging 'woes.' (it has not come out yet).
As for Trump's approval ratings. . . I could care less. Flies swarm cow-paddies in the field too. Moreover, when Trump was on television, I could only get down the first season before the multiple season show became old 'hat' to me. I have never been much of a groupie.
Finally, I do not know what is wrong with Biden and his past presidency. I was not there personally or locally (meaning to get a feel on the ground) to see or learn what happens in the immediate vicinity. Indeed, during the entirety of the Biden administration, as it is with the Trump administration, I only know what I read and hear about both men. Thus, if the media accounts and the experts 'accounts' about the former president/man/myth are of two natures that contrast, . . . I am at a loss to decide which side is right and which side is simply stirring up bull.
It is a predicament that many of us on social media suffer from having to live, we simply can't comment on 'everything' that comes out of the mouths or pens of others.
You have no personal observations from the Biden administration or before it?
Do you have any personal observations from the past Trump administration or this present one that you would like to come clean about at this time? Please proceed.
I have explained myself all I intend to do. To benefit this subject matter one last time: Greg, I do not have to play word games, or worse, lie to you or anybody else here. Biden won't be whipping my ass anytime soon nor will anybody in the democratic party. I am not beholden to anybody in the democratic party. They do not pay me and I am not an employee of any party.
I hope this is clear going forward.
I do not come here to support any group's agenda. I come here to share what my honest opinion is on the issues of the day. Granted, I read a lot of different points of views and following after: I judge which side of the issues make the most rational and practical sense to me. Unfortunately for MAGAites, their position is largely abhorrent to me (and mine).
That said, I can find some points of agreement with conservatives, but. . . we never get to speak on those. . . because the lies, obstructions, talking points, and obfuscations crowd out any mention of points of agreement.
What truer discussion? Go deeper than the shallow 'crust' of these interactions between us.
Finally, as for Joe Biden, I find it a little hard to phantom what goes through the mind of a politician his age, who manages to rise so high and get so old serving, that he lets his ego goes to his head. Now then, is that what happened do him? I don't know. I have never met the man in person. But no, I would not like to have a mature elderly man or woman (who stays at the proverbial "dance" too long and over time his/her lapel flow wilts) continue to seek higher (longer) office, period! My perspective on Biden is that he is a good man. A kind man. An open man. And can be a friend to the friendless-if given the chance. So no, I do not see him doing anything to hurt this country or its people intentionally. I simply do not.
As for Trump, well yes, I see him differently. More like a selfish person who could care less that he hurts people in general if it gets him where he wants to be.