How Biden froze Capitol Hill -- for now

Source: Politico

By ADAM CANCRYN and ELENA SCHNEIDER, 07/09/2024 09:16 PM EDT

After enduring days of blowback from Hill Democrats privately panicked about his debate flop, President Joe Biden decided to give his doubters an ultimatum: Speak up or shut up.

At least for now, the vast majority of Democratic lawmakers are shutting up.

Biden’s emphatic insistence that he’s staying in the race — a newly aggressive posture in the last two days and grounded in an underdog mentality — has succeeded in at least temporarily freezing Democratic leaders in their tracks, even as many in his party still harbor grave concerns about his health and ability to win reelection.

Since Congress returned to Washington on Monday evening, just one new Democrat has publicly called for Biden to step aside. Some who privately supported replacing him just days ago have since recanted. And far from being the dam-breaking moment on the Hill that many anticipated, most Democrats instead acknowledged there’s simply no easy way to push a defiant president off the ticket.

“He has the delegates. I keep telling them that,” said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.). “He got 14 million votes. Nobody else has any.”

Read more: https://www.politico.com/news/2024/07/09/how-biden-froze-capitol-hill-for-now-00167221

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No doubt this zombie non-story will continue to stagger along under its own evil power until November 2024 puts a stake in its heart, at which time, having no heart, it will arise and keep staggering . . .