Yesterday, Joe Biden did a press conference in which Fox News’ Peter Doocy was the only member of the major networks to not receive a question (see Joe Biden Shows He’s a Massive Coward at Today’s Press Conference). This follows a pattern going back to the campaign, with the now-president icing out the only reporter who might dare ask him something challenging.
Doocy did get a question at the regular press briefing with Jen Psaki today, though. He made the most of his opportunity. With Biden now signaling support for abolishing the filibuster, Doocy read the verbatim words of the president from 2005, in which he lauded the filibuster and opposed any tampering with it.
That left Psaki stammering, desperately trying to spin the hypocrisy. She did not succeed.
Here's the transcript of Doocy's first questionđŸ‘‡ pic.twitter.com/elVOG3ckMT
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) March 26, 2021
Psaki’s rebuttal was that the filibuster has somehow been abused only in the last few years, with there being 5 times as many filibusters on average now than during the 1970s. That’s misleading on its face. There were likely fewer bills being proposed in the 1970s. Regardless, it doesn’t change the fact that Biden was stumping for the filibuster in the not too distant past as a senator — clearly because he felt it benefited him and his party at the time.
Even more laughably, Psaki tried to claim that the last year’s frequent use of the filibuster is proof that it needs to go. Yet, she failed to mention that it was the Democrats who carried out every single one of those filibusters.
Biden should have been asked this directly. Also love how Psaki points to how often the filibuster was used last year as evidence it is being abused but somehow ignored that it was exclusively Democrats using it last year. https://t.co/CsIVkut91r
— AG (@AGHamilton29) March 26, 2021
The virtue-signaling appeal to “being part of the solution” is simply code for “do what Democrats want.” That’s not how the game is played, nor should it be. Democrats obstructed everything Trump and the GOP tried to do for four years. They could have blown up the filibuster but they didn’t. Democrats now want to have it both ways, destroying a vestige of the Senate, while attempting to paint those opposed as somehow morally inferior — while at the same time defending their own support for the filibuster when it was convenient.
Regardless, if anyone was wondering exactly why Doocy didn’t get to ask Joe Biden a question, despite being the reporter for the largest cable news network, this is the reason. Biden’s mind would have turned to absolute mush, trying to explain how he’s not a massive hypocrite for changing his position. That’s why his handlers protect him, and it’s why Doocy is – by far- the most legitimate reporter in the White House press corps.
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