One of the dangers of political movements is invisible bifurcations. This is an important moment that no one recognized at the time.
One such moment came for Democrats on April 19 through a letter to Congress regarding the federal investigation into Joe Biden's son Hunter.
Team Biden could be forgiven for ignoring this message.
Hunter's legal team had been quietly negotiating with U.S. Attorney David Weiss to end the investigation without charges.
Crappy laptops aside, the Biden camp had every reason to believe that the drama would soon end and that Americans would be denied (again) the details of the Biden family's business.
Instead, the letter introduced the state to one of two Internal Revenue Service officials who were removed from the Hunter investigation after making accusations of wrongdoing.
Their whistleblower testimony revealed ugly details of Hunter's overseas business escapades.
Follow-up interviews suggested Joe's tacit assistance.
The Justice Department came under fire. Hunter's plea deal fell apart. Mr. Weiss obtained an indictment against him.
Upcoming: Hunter's court proceedings, Hunter's possible contempt of Congress, and Joe Biden's possible impeachment.
In retrospect, that April day was a moment for the Biden team, and the broader Democratic Party, to reconsider the wisdom of their re-election campaign.
The president was already beginning to decline, with polls showing widespread dissatisfaction with his job performance and age.
Since then, Hunter has become a major hindrance to the president's hopes for a second term.
negatively
So far, the Biden campaign and the media have been in full denial, saying that unless House Republicans can prove that Joe “benefited” from Hunter's mega-deeds, the story won't get a political start. claims.
It misses the Burisma committee of political trees.
Hunter's damage stems from the stench of the family's growing influence, its intersection with Biden's office, and the potential for continued damage.
In 2020, Biden cast himself as the “light” to repair the “darkness” of Donald Trump.
Hunter blurs such distinctions.
Americans generally don't like investigations by the Internal Revenue Service, but they make exceptions for tax fraud by the wealthy, making Hunter an unsympathetic defendant.
He is accused of evading taxes of $1.4 million on his $7 million income.
The amount of tax avoidance alone is more than most Americans can only dream of. (Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty.
His attorney, Abby Rowell, said Weiss had paid all his taxes and accused him of “causing to Republican pressure” in seeking prosecution. )
The problem with the president is that he encourages this behavior and influence peddling, whether for profit or not, by getting on speakerphone when his son is with customers or stopping by his son's business meals. The evidence suggests that it made it possible.
The move also undermines the campaign's hopes that voters will sympathize with families struggling with drug addiction.
Many Americans are deeply aware of the terrible problem, but few probably think the solution is to ride Air Force Two to sell the Biden brand.
Joe Biden defeated Trump in 2020, in no small part on the argument that his opponent was not morally fit for a second term, and he is hoping for a repeat of that.
But Hunter's drama hits directly at Joe's own supposed suitability, as it presents a storyline within the extended Biden family that has been at odds with Joe Biden's public standing for years. are doing. Both sides sink into the mud.
The Justice Department's initial infantilizing treatment of Hunter backfired spectacularly, throwing the presidential campaign into disarray.
Hunter's legal team is no doubt considering delaying the trial until 2024 or later. But it's unclear whether Weiss has finished pushing for an indictment, and in any case, his failed investigation has already provided House Republicans with enough leads to keep them in the headlines well into November.
And that doesn't take into account the growing possibility of impeachment hearings. This hearing will dominate the news cycle for weeks.
'Please stop talking'
Hunter's new “aggressive” legal strategy will inevitably make headlines. Check out his stunt a few weeks ago when he ignored a Congressional subpoena in favor of a press conference outside the Capitol.
That could subject him to further charges of contempt. Will the Justice Department press charges? Probably not, but that in itself would add to the scandal — Biden officials refusing to hold the president's son accountable for flouting a legitimate subpoena.
The president's former press secretary, Jen Psaki, recently acknowledged that the White House team definitely wants Hunter to “stop speaking publicly.”
However, it might also help if his father stopped inviting him to state dinners.
All of this explains the poll that shows Hunter's millstone.
An October poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 68% believe Joe Biden has acted illegally or unethically regarding his son's business dealings.
This includes 74% of independents. It's hard to think of any excuses for Biden that would suddenly improve these numbers.
Joe Biden escaped Hunter coverage in 2020 thanks to a cabal of obligatory news outlets, social media, and former intelligence officials who scrutinized laptop stories in the lead-up to the election.
They're acting as if new hunter dramas can disappear as well. It's too late for that, so Democrats may consider what that means in 2024.
from wall street journal.
