Speak Your Piece: Now Clinton weighs in on Biden

A few days ago I was talking on WBCB’s Speak Your Piece about journalists — and how many of them dropped the ball on former President Joe Biden’s declining health, failing to alert the nation of an apparent White House crisis.  

Thanks to the tell-all books written by leading journalists, we know they did see something awry in the aging president’s public appearances and reported nothing. And these reporters are so sorry they didn’t “do better.” 

I repeat myself: The big Biden story will be about governance. Who was running the country, making decisions, signing documents? Who kept Joe Biden’s problems under wraps? That’s the “nut” of a potential story bigger than Watergate. Was family members, White House aides, or Democratic bigwigs? 

Consider what Bill Clinton said. He excused himself with day-old comments noting that when they got together – and it wasn’t that often – his old friend Joe was engaged, knew what was happening on the world stage, and seemed just fine. Nope, nothing unusual about Joe. 

And that’s why this story has legs. Every new mea culpa, or denial, narrows the field on who knew what was going on with Joe Biden. Clinton is the first of former presidents we assume had a place within the circle of advisors who helped cover up the declining health of a president and instead chose him to carry the Democratic banner against Donald Trump and seek another four years in office.   

Because most Americans know they were kept in the dark by the news reporters, every Democratic governor with his or her eye on the White House is in dire political straits, I believe. They were virtually all on board with another Biden run. And when he was forced out, they quickly transitioned to the most unqualified replacement candidate, Kamala Harris. And her running mate, silly Tim Walz. 

In my opinion — and I’m not alone — journalists must do the job they aspired to and trained for, which is bridging the gap between the public and the people they elect. The press slipped up with the still-open Biden story, but should not let former presidents like  Clinton and Barack Obama, nor former First Lady Jill Biden, slip into history without uncovering or reporting who was calling the shots in the Biden White House.

Pat Wandling hosts Speak Your Piece, from which this commentary is adapted, weekdays at noon on WBCB 1490.