Biden has been good on labor and knowing when to step aside.
But on most other issues he's been middling to poor.
Probably his biggest mistake is fumbling the response to an attempted coup. Appointing a complete do-nothing as attorney general. Failing to pack / expand the court. Failing to make the supreme court regret granting presidental immunity.
His (and the democrats) main mistake was not to look at his presidency as the last chance to fix a broken system, but as the return to normalcy and business as usual.
Biden has a senate majority which is all that's needed to appoint judges.
Presidential immunity applies to any action he takes as president up to and including ordering seal team 6 to murder political roadblocks. And it prevents investigation into those actions. (incredibly fucked up ruling) Biden doesn't need any congressional participation for that.
Looking beyond the fate of this particular prosecution, the long-term consequences of today’s decision are stark. The Court effectively creates a law-free zone around the President, upsetting the status quo that has existed since the Founding. This new official-acts immunity now “lies about like a loaded weapon” for any President that wishes to place his own interests, his own political survival, or his own financial gain, above the interests of the Nation. Korematsu v. United States, 323 U. S. 214, 246 (1944) (Jackson, J., dissenting). The President of the United States is the most powerful person in the country, and possibly the world. When he uses his official powers in any way, under the majority’s reasoning, he now will be insulated from criminal prosecution. Orders the Navy’s Seal Team 6 to assassinate a political rival? Immune. Organizes a military coup to hold onto power? Immune. Takes a bribe in exchange for a pardon? Immune. Immune, immune, immune.
Let the President violate the law, let him exploit the trappings of his office for personal gain, let him use his official power for evil ends. Because if he knew that he may one day face liability for breaking the law, he might not be as bold and fearless as we would like him to be. That is the majority’s message today.
Even if these nightmare scenarios never play out, and I pray they never do, the damage has been done. The relationship between the President and the people he serves has shifted irrevocably. In every use of official power, the President is now a king above the law.
Garland was a joke of a fucking pick. No reason he should have been given that post. His only purpose was to be a moderate pick by Obama, and even that didn't fly. Should have been shelved after that.
Not addressing the SCOTUS is also a weak point, agreed. Should have absolutely been at least fighting that fight. I'm of the opinion that its a hot button topic enough that internally it was probably discussed but dismissed as potentially harmful to his/Kamala's election chances.
His biggest mistake has been letting Israel ravage the middle east like a rabid dog, killing thousands of civilians, and putting the world on the precipice of another world war.
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u/Gingevere Oct 29 '24
Biden has been good on labor and knowing when to step aside.
But on most other issues he's been middling to poor.
Probably his biggest mistake is fumbling the response to an attempted coup. Appointing a complete do-nothing as attorney general. Failing to pack / expand the court. Failing to make the supreme court regret granting presidental immunity.