Do The Right Thing

With apologies to Sir Walter Scott for bastardizing his immortal poem,

Breathes there the man with soul so dead

That never to himself hath said, 

"This is my own, my native land.

“And we are f***ed.”

I couldn’t get to sleep the night after the presidential debate. I was too upset and not because I support Biden over Trump or vice versa. I was upset because, first and foremost, I love my country, despite its flaws.

Since Biden’s stunningly incoherent performance, the MSM and social media have been atwitter about what needs to be done. Should Biden resign from the ticket? If so, who should replace him? What would either scenario mean in terms of preventing the Bad Orange Man from winning? 

Those questions shouldn’t be anyone’s main concerns at this point. The number one problem is that we have a President who appears incapable of doing his job. I wouldn’t trust Biden to walk my Jack Russell terrier, much less run the country.

The 25th amendment provides two options in the event a President can’t do his or her job:

Option A: The President can tell Congress he is incapable of fulfilling his duties. In that case, the Vice President becomes Acting President until and if he recovers. But Biden isn’t going to recover. There’s no cure for what ails him.

Option B: If the President can't or won't tell Congress he's not up to the job, the VP and majority of the Cabinet can notify Congress that he needs to be removed, and, if Congress agrees, the VP becomes Acting President. 

Biden and his family claim he’s fine. He had a bad night. He had a cold. He was tired from his trip to the G-7 summit. Party leaders —Harris, Newsom, Pelosi, Obama and both Clintons —initially claimed he is perfectly capable of doing his job but some are now walking back those claims. Some White House staff members say he’s perfectly fine ... between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Others say he isn’t at any time. He’s abusive, mean, indignant and unreasonable. 

Assuming Biden won’t step aside, or that his advisors -- which the press is reporting are now led by his wife and son -- won't allow him to, the onus is on Vice President Harris. She needs to make sure Congress removes him as provided by the Constitution.  

It's the biggest decision any American politician has had to make since Truman authorized dropping the atomic bomb and, unfortunately for her, Harris is deeply unpopular. She comes across as a lightweight and doesn’t express herself well, but at least she appears sentient and would hopefully surround herself with advisors who care more about the country now than who wins the election four months from now. America can't govern itself until November. 

A Harris presidency or acting presidency would be distasteful to many. But it’s the right thing for the country at this critical moment in its history.

The president isn't capable of doing his job but Kamala Harris needs to do hers, no matter how difficult, and she needs to do it today, not tomorrow.