Normally how things work is Joe Biden says something dumb or wrong and a day later the White House “clarifies” his remark. Today, Biden said the wrong thing and after some correction from his handlers came right back and said what he was instructed to say. This played out in real time and it was marvel to behold.
Following his embarrassing speech on the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, Joe walked the floor, schmoozing with his peeps, when an unexpected question was hurled his way:
President Biden: “I think he is a war criminal.” pic.twitter.com/R5547PUXKr
— CSPAN (@cspan) March 16, 2022
“Mr. president, after everything we’ve seen, are you ready to call Putin a war criminal?” asked someone, presumably a reporter.
“No,” siad Biden bluntly.
Biden then walked away to rub elbows with more liberal D-bags. You can see a couple of guys on either side of Biden who maybe whispered something to him. Moments later he came back to that maybe-reporter and pretended like he hadn’t heard the question. When the question was posed to him again, he responded:
“Oh, I think he is a war criminal.”
The thing is, when Biden was first asked, he didn’t act like he had a hard time hearing or understanding it. He gave a very frank “no” meaning he heard and understood everything. Clearly one of Biden’s handlers explained to him what he had just said and made him go back to correct things.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki was asked about this in daily briefing:
“Back on this question of labeling Putin a war criminal. This war has now been going on three weeks, so far. The president has declined to use this label, as you note. There is an ongoing sort of formal process before you can use this term. So, something must have changed for the president to feel like he could take this additional step today, what?” asked a reporter.
“The president was answering a direct question that was asked. And responding to what he has seen on television,” said Psaki.
Really? That’s the answer she’s going with? Biden wouldn’t call Putin a war criminal until today because of something he saw on TV? I guess that means there was something on TV last night because there have been daily atrocities broadcast since the outbreak of the war and Biden refused to characterize Putin as a war criminal.
Psaki’s answer also doesn’t explain how Biden said Putin was not a war criminal and then came back 30 seconds later to say that he is.
And the obvious explanation is that Biden doesn’t know what the hell he thinks and is clearly not in charge. We saw it in real time. Biden said the wrong thing and whoever is pulling his strings marionetted him back to give the correct answer.
Also, this was not the correct answer. It’s one thing for the media or even members of Congress to label Putin a war criminal but another more serious thing for the President of the United States, as illegitimate as he is, to do it. This erases all chances for a peaceful resolution to the war in Ukraine. There can be no negotiations now that Biden has branded Putin a war criminal so, at this point he has nothing to lose by continuing his assault.
