Dem
51
GOP
49
In the past, we have probably mentioned the story of the time that Washington Post music critic Paul Hume gave a very negative review of a concert by First Daughter Margaret Truman, and received a sharply worded letter from Margaret's dad:
Dec. 6, 1950
Mr. Hume:
I've just read your lousy review of Margaret's concert. I've come to the conclusion that you are an "eight ulcer man on four ulcer pay."
It seems to me that you are a frustrated old man who wishes he could have been successful. When you write such poppy-cock as was in the back section of the paper you work for it shows conclusively that you're off the beam and at least four of your ulcers are at work.
Some day I hope to meet you. When that happens you'll need a new nose, a lot of beefsteak for black eyes, and perhaps a supporter below!
Pegler, a gutter snipe, is a gentleman alongside you. I hope you'll accept that statement as a worse insult than a reflection on your ancestry.
H.S.T.
For those not fluent in 1950s-speak, the third paragraph, which is the juiciest one, is saying: "I would really like to punch you in the face and kick you in the balls."
Nearly every president is known to have had a bit of a potty mouth, but other than Truman, Ronald Reagan once or twice, and Donald Trump, they've been very good about keeping it under wraps. That includes Joe Biden, at least until yesterday.
As Biden has ramped up his campaigning, he's been quite willing to light into Trump. And once the President is rolling, he sometimes gets very close to letting something slip. For example, about a month ago, Biden was at a campaign event and said of Trump: "At his rally, he jokes about an intruder, whipped up by the Big Trump Lie, taking a hammer to Paul Pelosi's skull. And he thinks that's funny. He laughed about it. What a sick..."
Biden did not actually finish the sentence, nor has he let anything actually slip in public... at least not yet. In private, however, several sources who talked to Politico say that all bets are off. It would seem that the rest of that unfinished sentence is "sick fu**." Biden has also said: "What a fu**ing a**hole the guy is."
We kinda suspect that these "leaks" were authorized. Biden can't exactly utter such vulgarities in public, but if they come through an intermediary's mouth, then supporters know exactly where the President stands, and might well be invigorated. Indeed, it's entirely possible that Biden is aware that the Truman letter was generally well-received by the voting public, who found Harry S.'s honesty refreshing.
Meanwhile, even if he's not willing to swear publicly, Biden is nonetheless taking the wood to Trump in various ways. Once again, the Biden campaign has posted an anti-Trump video to Trump's very own social media platform. This one uses footage of Trump tripping over his tongue in order to suggest to viewers that the former president is no longer playing with a full set of marbles.
Sometimes, it is written (or said) that Biden has to choose between highlighting his record and his platform, or going after Trump. It would seem that the President has decided that's a false choice, and that he can do both. It is particularly clear that Team Biden has decided that the best way to defuse the "too old/loss of mental sharpness" line of attack is to turn it around on Trump. How well that works could very possibly determine who takes the oath of office on Jan. 20, 2025. (Z)