Tonight after Rachel Maddow announced that Pres. Biden was traveling...

[brush]

to Israel she mentioned that on these type of high-profile trips a deal has already been worked out for the IDF to delay deployment of troops to Gaza, and in addition humanitarian aid has been arranged for Palestinian civilians (during SoS Blinken's 7-hour meeting with Netanyahu and others).

Rachel then asked her guest if Pres. Biden was going over to take credit for the above arrangements?

I thought that was totally out of line. What was she thinking? The President is taking a substantial risk to fly into Israel during a war with rockets still being fired into Israel, and what we've seen from Presldent Biden over the years we know him to be a man of great empathy and concern for the welfare of others, not one to grandstand and take credit for the diplomacy that is required from the President of the United States during this huge international crisis.

I was surprised and disappoint that she would think and ask that.

[MLAA]

1. Agree, that doesn't sound like her.

[brush]

13. The Post 7 poster also saw it.

[MLAA]

24. Sorry, I wasn't questioning whether you saw it, just commenting it was out of character.

[Ocelot II]

2. I was watching that segment and I don't remember her saying something like that.

I could have missed it or misunderstood, but it certainly doesn't sound like something she would say.

[brush]

4. You missed it. It was very uncharacteristic of her.

[Hekate]

3. The POTUS speaks on behalf of the United States, not for himself, so it's a valid question

Of course, we’re talking about Joe Biden at this moment. Trump (shudder) always, always spoke only of himself.

[brush]

5. A valid question to ask a guest if President Biden...

was traveling to Israel to take credit for the diplomacy the is being done?

Or is it a valid question that I thought it was ungracious of her, knowing what we know of President Biden's empathy and concern for the welfare of others, and also of the duty of the President of the United States to step forward and add his stature to the diplomacy taking place to solve such a huge international crisis...certainly not to grandstand and take credit?

[Hekate]

12. Is it your opinion that Joe Biden habitually grandstands and takes credit not due to himself?

I think you misunderstood my first response, so let me be pellucidly clear: in my long experience of the public man, he does not behave in the fashion you depict. He is a man of stature and grace. He makes us proud.

[brush]

15. Huh? Reread my post. What you describe Joe Biden to be...

is what I said about him, which is why I found it disturbing that Rachel Maddow of all people would ask if the was going over to grandstand and take credit.

[Cha]

14. If that's the way it was stated..

it's snide and rude, imo.

And, yes, Pres Biden takes credit for what he dose.. and that's a lot. Nobody else's. RUDE.

[Recycle_Guru]

6. Him going there was probably major bargaining chip

BTW Rachel__Blinken has been working in service of Biden's foreign policy agenda long before the White House. Blinken is to be admired but all the work was in service of BIDEN'S FP

[brush]

8. Yes, but what about Rachel askig if he was going to take credit?

[Recycle_Guru]

10. was implied in my post nut not a good look for her

[yorkster]

7. I've never heard her take a cheap shot.

But, that's how this came across to me. At the very least it was a diminishment of what is a historic and gutsy move., President Biden will also meet with King Abdullah of Jordan, President Al Sisi of Egypt and Mahmoud Abbas, head of the PLO. So. an important trip. No smarm needed.

I'll admit to a bit of nervousness about this trip, but it gives some hope to all concerned, I think.

[brush]

9. Agreed. I'm nervous too as rockets are still being fired...

into Israel. Blinken himself had to be taken to a shelter today.

[Recycle_Guru]

11. it will be tightly scripted--maybe on the ground in Israel an hour or less

[DallasNE]

22. So Where Will Biden Meet

The head of Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and the PLO? Will there be a final photo OP of the 5 leaders shaking hands? I look for the landscape to be significantly altered coming out of this meeting, perhaps a binding agreement on principals for Temple Mount and a 2-state solution. The fact that Jordan is involved is very key.

This is a big f______ deal, as Joe Biden once said.

[Bucky]

16. She's a journalist, not a Democratic spokesperson

I expect journalists to ask tough and provocative questions. I don't want Rachel Maddow taking it easy on anyone, not even someone I support

[brush]

17. Ok, but it was something I'd expect on FOX, or CNN of late.

MSNBC hosts from Nicole Wallace on are pretty well know for their progressive stances.

[ShazzieB]

18. She didn't say it in a way that was critical of Biden.

Last edited Tue Oct 17, 2023, 05:57 PM - Edit history (1)

If anything, I thought she was excited, because it sounds like a LOT has even going on behind the scenes we don't know about, and she was happy about that and looking forward to him getting some credit for once.

Did she let her excitement run away with her a little bit? Maybe, but I was pretty excited myself watching it. I thought, wow, it sounds like something big is about to happen, and he's going over there to drive home America's support for Israel as well as our country's concern about the humanitarian issues. If I'm right, I hope he DOES get a crap ton of credit. He hasn't gotten nearly as much credit as he should for everything else he's accomplished, and it's high damned time he got the credit he deserves for something.

[brush]

21. It was an unfortunate choice of words...

best left unsaid IMO as that's contrary to what we know about Pres. Biden.

[onecaliberal]

19. It is important for him to go. The last thing we need is for things to explode even more there.

He wouldn’t be going if it weren’t vital.

[Bayard]

20. I must have missed that part,

I don't remember her asking that. I agree--it doesn't sound like her.

I definitely remember her hyping her new book.

It still makes me nervous about him going over there. I'd like it better if he kept the visit under wraps, then announced where he's been after he was back.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

23. Perhaps it was in jest, considering the former occupant's braggadocio.