TALK ABOUT THE PASSION

TALK ABOUT THE PASSION

BY SCOTT JOHNSON IN BIDEN FOREIGN POLICY, HAMAS, IRS, ISRAEL, JOE BIDEN

President Biden paid tribute to “the passion” of pro-Hamas protesters in his campaign event at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston yesterday. The White House denominated the speech a “political event” in the transcript of Biden’s remarks. C-SPAN has posted video of the event here. Biden is introduced by his political savior, Rep. James Clyburn, and begins speaking at about 8:00.

I didn’t think the IRS blessed political events in churches. See the IRS note here. Perhaps I misunderstand, or perhaps the church is availing itself of the Hunter Biden exception to enforcement of the Internal Revenue Code.

After the pro-Hamas protesters shouted him down, this is what Biden had to say:

Look, folks, I understand their — I understand their passion. And I’ve been quietly working — I’ve been quietly working with the Israeli government to get them to reduce and significantly get out of Gaza. I’ve been using all that I can to do that. (Applause.)

But I understand the passion.

What a cretin.

That was only part of the detestable farce Biden staged in Charleston, but it caught my attention. As REM put it, “Empty prayer, empty mouths talk about the passion.”

Around the same time yesterday a passionate dad fought through pro-Hamas protesters blocking the Williamsburg Bridge. The Daily Mail has a good account here. The New York Post covers it here. The Post editors dub him “Angry Mr. Brooklyn” and toast him as “the new hero of New York.” You won’t be hearing much about the dad’s passion from Biden, but this dad won the day.

Biden was also fabulating again in his remarks yesterday:

I was talking downstairs. I — I’ve spent more time in the Bethel AME Church in Wilmington, Delaware, than I have — than most people I know, Black or white, have spent in that church. (Laughter.) Because that’s where I started — no, I’m serious. It started with the Civil Rights Movement. I used to go to 7:30 mass, then I’d go to 10 o’clock cl- — 10 o’clock service with the reverend who was then running the church, who’s now the bishop. She’s the bishop. And I’m told your bishop had been there before, in South Africa, because that’s where he is right now.

Can we call for a fact-check, or is this too incoherent for analysis? The editors of the New York Post give it their best shot.

https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2024/01/talk-about-the-passion.php