New Furor in Hunter Biden Case; Minnesota Congressman Weighs Running against Joe Biden
Author: Greg Valliere
July 31, 2023
CONSERVATIVES ARE IN AN UPROAR, led by the New York Post, over a move by the Justice Department to speed up jail time for Devon Archer, the former Hunter Biden business associate, who was convicted in an unrelated case, two felony charges for his role in a conspiracy to defraud a Native American tribe. Archer has been appealing the conviction.
THE THREAT TO SPEED UP ARCHER’S IMPRISONMENT has intensified charges that the Justice Department is taking an active role in protecting Joe Biden, who has changed his story in recent days. A White House spokeswoman now says Biden was never “in business” with his son, instead of asserting that they never “discussed business.”
HOUSE SPEAKER KEVIN McCARTHY, EAGER TO APPEASE House conservatives, has stated that the Biden business dealings may warrant the beginnings of an impeachment inquiry. Moderate Republicans are opposed; they believe this could backfire on the GOP, costing them the House in the 2024 elections.
SO IT’S A JUICY MIX as the hearing begins this morning; while it will be in private, this sort of thing gets leaked within hours. While much is unclear, we feel confident in predicting that the Hunter Biden saga is far from over — Were IRS whistleblowers muzzled? Are there tape recordings of the meetings where both Bidens spoke? Has Attorney General Merrick Garland been truthful?
THIS DEEPENING SCANDAL certainly won’t help Biden’s re-election effort, just as Donald Trump faces his own legal crisis. Strong evidence that Trump ordered the destruction of tapes prompted a brutally critical editorial, criticizing Trump’s likely coverup, in this weekend’s Wall Street Journal.
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THERE’S A GROWING DESIRE among Democratic voters around the country for a credible challenger to Joe Biden — not Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or Manyanne Williamson — and sure enough, a well-regarded moderate Congressman is weighing a run.
THE POTENTIAL CANDIDATE is Minnesota congressman Dean Phillips, who will be in New York this week, meeting with potential donors. Phillips isn’t subtle about his major issue — too many leading politicians, he says, are elderly and should be replaced by the next generation. Phillips has publicly opposed a second term for Biden, citing his age.
THE AGE AND HEALTH OF SOME LEADING POLITICIANS has become an issue in grass roots America, with a focus on Biden, 80, and Donald Trump, 77. The issue has gained even more traction as Mitch McConnell, 81, seems to be increasingly frail, and Diane Feinstein, 90, is quite clearly in failing health. Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, 53, seemingly has not fully recovered from a serious stroke last year.
SO PHILLIPS SEES AN OPENING: He’s a long shot, to be sure, but at age 54 he projects a different image. He’s the wealthy CEO of his family’s liquor business, and is considered one of the most bipartisan members of Congress. He’s from a district to the west of Minneapolis; we were in the Twin Cities this past weekend and heard nothing but good things about him.
A STALKING HORSE? If Phillips gains a little traction, could that tempt other Democrats to jump in? Gavin Newsom, the charismatic liberal governor of crime-ravaged California, surely will be watching Phillips.
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