Who Ran the Executive Branch

As we and everyone else have pointed out, journalists who have belatedly tumbled to the obvious fact that Joe Biden was disabled throughout his presidency (or, at a minimum, most of it) are asking all the questions except the most important one: who ran the executive branch on the Democrats’ behalf, and how did that work?

European journalists are perhaps a little less reticent. The London Times headlines: “Meet the Biden ‘politburo’ accused of running the country in secret.”

The blame game is moving to a cabal of advisers, dubbed the “politburo” by colleagues in a nod to the highest decision-making body of the Soviet Union, a group said to have enjoyed unprecedented power.

“Five people were running the country, and Joe Biden was at best a senior member of the board,” one cabinet member claims. “I’ve never seen a situation like this before, with so few people having so much power. They would make huge economic decisions without calling [Treasury] secretary Yellen.”

So, who makes up this supposed cabal — and which two family members were regarded as closest to power?

The Times goes on to list the members of the Politburo:

The $4m-a-campaign adviser: Mike Donilon
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He served as chief strategist for Biden’s successful 2020 presidential campaign. He planned to do the same last year — for the right price. The authors report that “to leave the White House and advise the 2024 campaign, Donilon wanted approximately $4 million” and “wouldn’t budge”. The president told the campaign: “Pay Mike what he wants.”

This was a huge conflict of interest, given that Donilon must have known better than anyone that Biden was in no shape to make another presidential run, or, probably, even to understand the money that Donilon was being paid.

The story-killer: Steve Ricchetti
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Ricchetti, who effectively controlled legislative affairs, attempted to limit damage as doubts over Biden’s mental acuity grew. When a reporter from a national news outlet tried to run a story that behind the scenes “the president was having serious and disturbing moments, forgetting names and facts, sometimes seeming seriously confused at meetings”, Ricchetti called her off the record and said: “Everything the others were saying was false.” The story was dropped.
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Next, a familiar name:

The ex-chief of staff: Ron Klain
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When Axelrod told a New York Times reporter that Biden’s age could be a “major issue” if he ran for a second term, Klain, then chief of staff, called him and admonished him: “Who else is going to do this, Axe? Who’s going to beat Trump?”

That is what it was all about. Beating Trump was the only thing that mattered. Turmoil at the top of the Democratic ticket would be a potentially fatal weakness; never mind that the result could be a mentally incompetent president.

He was noticeably shocked when he arrived at Camp David to help with Biden’s debate preparation only to find Biden taking long naps, wandering off to the swimming pool and struggling to follow basic back and forth between his campaign and Trump’s.

More:

The Spielberg debate prepper: Bruce Reed
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The Bidens’ eyes and ears: Anthony Bernal

Bernal was the only staffer who called the first lady “Jill”, and his privileged position led to some resentment among White House staff.

He was seen as a protective figure serving as “the Bidens’ eyes and ears” with a particular focus on “casting out potential heretics”. One long-time Biden aide said: “He would not be welcome at my funeral.”

And, of course, the Biden family:

The powerful first lady: Jill Biden
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In the White House, the phrase “Jill isn’t going to like this” would be a way to kill a conversation or idea. She was adamant her husband would run for a second term, and told colleagues of her fitness routine in preparation for the campaign.

In my opinion, Lady Macbeth had nothing on Jill Biden. Finally:

The troubled son: Hunter Biden
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After the disastrous debate, Hunter continued to argue that his father was best placed to beat Trump, taking the view that it was the family against the world. Biden’s decision to pardon his son has further soured relations between the Biden family and the wider Democratic Party. “It’s toxic,” one Democrat said.

Joe Biden liked to say that Hunter was the smartest man he knew. The frightening reality is that, given Joe’s immersion in Democratic Party politics, his claim might have been true.

We will never know what disasters may have been averted by Biden’s visible collapse in his debate with Donald Trump. The Democratic Party has much to answer for, but don’t hold your breath waiting for any meaningful accountability.