Biden Survives Excessive-Stakes Press Convention: How It Occurred

The Capitol Hill constructing the place Democratic senators heard from high Biden aides Mike Donilon, Steve Richetti, and Jen O’Malley Dillon had two exits, one on a aspect road with a pleasant view of the Supreme Courtroom and the opposite emptying out onto 4 lanes of visitors on Structure Avenue with no shade from the July solar. Most senators invariably used the second, as a result of it was the one the place they wouldn’t be interrogated by reporters.

The few who trickled out of the primary exit have been reluctant to reply any questions in any respect concerning the assembly the place they sought reassurance from the president’s crew that there was a approach he may win reelection. They didn’t even reply questions on what was for lunch.

Connecticut’s Richard Blumenthal provided the cryptic reply that “a few of my issues are allayed, some others have been deepened” after the assembly — which Politico reported didn’t appear to have modified anybody’s minds. Nonetheless, Blumenthal insisted forward of Biden’s press convention that he has to “go to American folks, not simply in a single assembly, in a single press convention, or in a single speech however constantly and continuously.”

“Tonight shall be vital,” he mentioned. “The press convention shall be doubtlessly a turning level, however there must be a couple of.”

Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire provided a panglossian spin, uncommon amongst Democrats who’ve been more and more stone-faced in current days. “One of the best ways to defeat Donald Trump is to reelect President Biden,” she mentioned. “I assumed the presentation we had was a very wonderful one.”

The home windows of the constructing, which was headquarters of the Democratic Senatorial Marketing campaign Committee, have been plastered with stickers encouraging passersby to search for www.goponabortion.com — a marketing campaign web site the place they criticized Republicans for his or her opposition to Roe v. Wade. Nobody outdoors was pulling up the web site although. They have been too busy studying the assertion from the most recent Home member to demand that Biden drop out.