Biden mental acuity scandal broadens

I recently penned a commentary suggesting that the stories of the conspiratorial cover-up of President Biden’s mental decline would be put on temporary hold in view of his grim cancer diagnosis.  I was operating on the belief that one does not speak ill of the dead — or the morbidly ill.  Boy, was I wrong.  I seem to have underestimated the scope of the scandal and the apparent anger over the cover-up.

The media coverage has not only not abated but seems to have exploded – and a lot of it coming from Democrats and the left-wing establishment.  Biden is getting more news coverage these days than he has since he dropped out of the presidential race — and even as President.  And none of it is good.

It is not only the growing awareness of the seriousness of Biden’s mental decline that has been getting the story into the news every day, but also the participation of so many in the cover-up – including politicians, White House staffers and the media.  The media, that once participated in the cover-up, is now hemorrhaging reports of both Biden’s deteriorating condition AND the extent of the conspiracy to deceive the voters.

Prior to the announcement of his aggressive prostate cancer, Biden had come out of seclusion for a BBC interview and an appearance – with wife, Jill – on ABC’s “The View”.  Those appearances were carefully crafted to put the former President in the best possible light.  The questions were not softballs.  They were wiffle balls.  The intent seemed to be yet another effort to convince the public that Biden still has his faculties.

The fawning press obliged.  On “The View,” Dr. Jill was still pushing back on the contention that old Joe was losing it.  She said that he worked long hours every day –even into the night.  She pushed that narrative despite the fact that many close to the Bidens were already talking about Joe’s seriously compromised physical and mental condition – and there were already several books on the subject.  Of course, the First Lady was lying just as she and a tight circle of advisors had been lying for years – to the press, to party leaders, to Cabinet members and to we the people.  Without notable exception, “The View’s” panel went along – critical of those reporting on Biden’s long decline.

If there is anything newsworthy in the more recent coverage, it is that Biden was a lot more non compos mentis than folks imagined — and the cover-up was a far darker conspiracy than previously reported.  (Incidentally, non compos mentis literally translates to “not be master of one’s mind.”  Seems spot on.)  CNN’s Jake Tapper cast it as potentially worse than Watergate scandal that brought down President Nixon.

A lot of the media attention being given to the Biden story has been fueled by Tapper’s new book, “Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again” – along with co-author Axios’ Alex Thompson.  An admittedly one-time participant in the cover-up, Tapper has decided to cover his butt with a tell-all book – and there was a lot to tell.  He concedes that he could have done a better job in covering the Biden health story in the past.  Ya think?

According to unnamed sources, the cover-up conspiracy kept Cabinet members and senior White House staff away from Biden — and vice versa.  There was even talk of his need for a wheelchair should Biden have won the 2024 election.

The book revealed an incident in which Biden did not recognize actor George Clooney – a very famous face and a long-time Biden friend, who was hosting the fundraiser at which Biden lost his memory of Clooney.  A Biden aide had to remind Biden who Clooney was and his prominence at the event.  Clooney said he felt “a knot in his stomach” at seeing Biden’s condition at the fundraiser – and later expressed his observations and concerns in a newspaper editorial supposedly approved by President Obama.  That editorial was among the factors that forced Biden’s withdrawal from the race.

“Original Sin” reveals a lot of other information carefully withheld from the public.  It told of Biden’s need for teleprompters when speaking to small groups.   The staff once assembled a phony town hall meeting to create clips for political ads. Biden’s performance was so bad that they could not use any of the footage. And the list goes on.

Recognizing the President’s diminished capacity, former White House Chief-of-Staff Ron Klain shortened briefing meetings at which Biden would occasionally nod off.

“Original Sin” co-author Alex Thompson said that he was surprised that one particular revelation did not get a lot more media attention – a revelation he believed was most indicative of Biden’s condition.  It was the fact that in the past year, there was a major change in Biden’s daily schedule.   Contrary to Jill Biden’s claim, the President spent less and less time in the office. He would arrive late and leave for the family quarters early. Tie that to the unprecedented use of the autopen to sign official documents, it is fair to question who was running the show.

In another book, “Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History”, Chris Whipple describes Biden as “fatigued, befuddled, and disengaged.”

Biden avoided an indictment for illegal possession of top secret government documents because the prosecutor, Robert Hur, reported that he was unfit to stand trial – too old and too forgetful.  Hur was excoriated by Team Biden, the press and most harshly by Vice President Harris.  The audio tape of that deposition was recently released.  It gave more evidence of Biden’s compromised condition long before he stepped aside – and confirmed Hur’s assessment.

Another book, “Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House” by Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes, recounts how they placed fluorescent tape on the floor to guide Biden’s steps at various events.  The press had previously reported on Biden’s use of “cheat sheets” that gave him instruction that seemed child-like – greet the guests, sit in your chair, etc.

Based on the newly revealed evidence and testimony of those in contact with Biden, his decline was starting and observable as early as the 2020 campaign – and throughout his four years in the White House.  Mental decline starts out slowly, but it is degenerative over time.  It now appears that is exactly what was happening to Biden for a prolonged period of time.  By the time he withdrew from the race, his symptoms suggested that he was beyond the early stages of dementia and incapable of fulfilling his duties as President.  He was in such bad condition that he could not carry on with the campaign.

While the issue of Biden’s mental acuity is in the past, the anger persists because of the lack of accountability for those who engineered and carried out the cover-up.  We now have every reason to believe that Biden was not in charge in the Oval Office.  Others were performing the duties of the presidency … making decisions … directing policy … and even using the autopen machine to sign Executive Orders and official policy documents.

The current cover-up can be compared to President Wilson following his stroke and President Franklin Roosevelt, who insiders knew was terminally ill during his last campaign.  It is not a comparison that is going to do anything but diminish what little legacy Biden has left.

So, there ‘tis.