"Yes, he and his aides must account for why...they seemingly chose not to have him screened for prostate cancer while he was in office." Pretty sure that would *not* have been up to his staff and aides, it would have been up to his doctors who likely followed the recommendations which clearly state, "Men aged 70 years and older: Routine PSA screening is not recommended."
I couldn't get past the idea that Biden's staff may have steered him away from being screened for prostate cancer. This is a man whose oldest son, as you point out, died of cancer. Biden has been instrumental in the search for a cure for cancer at least ever since he was Vice President. And now you suggest that he was steered away from being screened? That is hard to believe . I would also point out that prostate cancer screening can show no malignancy and the same patient can present only months later with Stage 4 Metastatic Prostate Cancer that seemingly came out of the blue. I wonder about our current president and his glowing post check-up report. This from a man who, along with his circle of toadies and sycophants, produces lie after lie after lie. Who's to know whether his physician was truthful about the results of the patient's annual physical? Joe Biden is a good and decent, if imperfect as we all are, human being. He may have made mistakes during his term as president but he gave our country so much, so much that is now being rapidly ripped away from us. I'll leave it at that. Please leave Joe Biden alone.
I've been a Bulwark+ member since the early days, not because I always agree with you, but because you are willing to report unflinchingly on the political and cultural landscape. I'm thrilled at your growth over the years, but it seems to have brought with it a bunch of subscribers who recoil at your style. Many of the comments here are reminiscent of comments from the BlueMAGA crowd on Threads. More intelligently stated (for the most part), but still expressing outrage at any suggestion of wrongdoing or wrong thinking by Biden. I'm a Democrat who voted for Biden, but I've never put him on a pedestal. The cancer diagnosis makes it more fraught, but the actions of Biden and his camp are historically important, and I am eager for as much information as I can get. Now, not decades from now.
I am also committed to the defeat of Trump and Trumpism, as the Bulwark team has been since its inception. We can handle both. Bulwark does handle both. I don't understand not wanting to.
Donald Trump’s ravings about Springsteen and Beyoncé performing for Harris/Walz really get to the deep heart of this sad, empty man. No amount of money or power will make up for the fact that the cool kids reject him still. With all his wealth, he still reeks of aspirational wealth. He knows he presides over a deeply uncool movement of rejects full of grievance.
Why don’t you concentrate on the idiot in the WH, instead of criticizing a great and beloved man. Shame on you again. You just can’t leave him be, can you?!!!
Joe Biden was a great president. That is his legacy. There is way too much to list in a comment but just to name a few. Got us through pandemic. Ended Afghan war. Lowered inflation from pandemic spike of 9% to 2.1% without recession or high unemployment. State of the art chip factory in Ohio turning the rust belt into the silicon heartland. Settling strikes for unions with better pay. Roads, bridges, lead free drinking water for children. The list goes on and on. And not least handing over to the equally great Kamala Harris. Americans voted for Donald Trump because he has strong support, just drive down the road in any swing state and that will be very apparent. So, stop trying to blame Trump's win on Biden or Harris. We had an election, that is on all of us.
For a less dreamy take on Biden, I suggest listening not to Bill Kristol but to his son-in-law, Matthew Continetti, on this morning's (May 19) Commentary Magazine podcast (no subscription required). It is comforting but not healthy to exist exclusively in a political ghetto, where the only feedback in the Comments is to congratulate each other on their views (and accuse any dissenter of being a troll.) Here's a link:
For whatever reason, Biden may have ignored his cancer risk for too long. He definitely ignored the American cancer for too long, gambling it would cure itself without aggressive intervention. He lost both gambles.
No one gets to know how history will treat them. You were close in speaking of cycles of interpretation. Look at Jefferson: a hero in my youth, then reviled in my middle age, now making something of a comeback. The interpretation of past events changes and reflects the society in which we live. There is no way to predict the future, much less what society will think then. The only thing that will be fairly certain, people do not evolve very quickly and will be as foolish and dangerous then as they are now.
"Yes, he and his aides must account for why...they seemingly chose not to have him screened for prostate cancer while he was in office." Pretty sure that would *not* have been up to his staff and aides, it would have been up to his doctors who likely followed the recommendations which clearly state, "Men aged 70 years and older: Routine PSA screening is not recommended."
Two beautiful pieces of writing from Eggar and Kristol both!
I couldn't get past the idea that Biden's staff may have steered him away from being screened for prostate cancer. This is a man whose oldest son, as you point out, died of cancer. Biden has been instrumental in the search for a cure for cancer at least ever since he was Vice President. And now you suggest that he was steered away from being screened? That is hard to believe . I would also point out that prostate cancer screening can show no malignancy and the same patient can present only months later with Stage 4 Metastatic Prostate Cancer that seemingly came out of the blue. I wonder about our current president and his glowing post check-up report. This from a man who, along with his circle of toadies and sycophants, produces lie after lie after lie. Who's to know whether his physician was truthful about the results of the patient's annual physical? Joe Biden is a good and decent, if imperfect as we all are, human being. He may have made mistakes during his term as president but he gave our country so much, so much that is now being rapidly ripped away from us. I'll leave it at that. Please leave Joe Biden alone.
I've been a Bulwark+ member since the early days, not because I always agree with you, but because you are willing to report unflinchingly on the political and cultural landscape. I'm thrilled at your growth over the years, but it seems to have brought with it a bunch of subscribers who recoil at your style. Many of the comments here are reminiscent of comments from the BlueMAGA crowd on Threads. More intelligently stated (for the most part), but still expressing outrage at any suggestion of wrongdoing or wrong thinking by Biden. I'm a Democrat who voted for Biden, but I've never put him on a pedestal. The cancer diagnosis makes it more fraught, but the actions of Biden and his camp are historically important, and I am eager for as much information as I can get. Now, not decades from now.
I am also committed to the defeat of Trump and Trumpism, as the Bulwark team has been since its inception. We can handle both. Bulwark does handle both. I don't understand not wanting to.
Donald Trump’s ravings about Springsteen and Beyoncé performing for Harris/Walz really get to the deep heart of this sad, empty man. No amount of money or power will make up for the fact that the cool kids reject him still. With all his wealth, he still reeks of aspirational wealth. He knows he presides over a deeply uncool movement of rejects full of grievance.
Why don’t you concentrate on the idiot in the WH, instead of criticizing a great and beloved man. Shame on you again. You just can’t leave him be, can you?!!!
Joe Biden was a great president. That is his legacy. There is way too much to list in a comment but just to name a few. Got us through pandemic. Ended Afghan war. Lowered inflation from pandemic spike of 9% to 2.1% without recession or high unemployment. State of the art chip factory in Ohio turning the rust belt into the silicon heartland. Settling strikes for unions with better pay. Roads, bridges, lead free drinking water for children. The list goes on and on. And not least handing over to the equally great Kamala Harris. Americans voted for Donald Trump because he has strong support, just drive down the road in any swing state and that will be very apparent. So, stop trying to blame Trump's win on Biden or Harris. We had an election, that is on all of us.
It sounded like you were complaining about the coverage. I was just pointing out that it was a major news story. That’s all.
Thank you for those two quotes, Bill K! Nice framing for the moment we are in.
It’s a false dichotomy to believe love, respect and accountability cannot - should not - coexist.
The timing is awful.
But we can love & respect Joe Biden while simultaneously examining the cataclysmic series of choices that contributed to Trumps reelection.
We can and we should do both.
For a less dreamy take on Biden, I suggest listening not to Bill Kristol but to his son-in-law, Matthew Continetti, on this morning's (May 19) Commentary Magazine podcast (no subscription required). It is comforting but not healthy to exist exclusively in a political ghetto, where the only feedback in the Comments is to congratulate each other on their views (and accuse any dissenter of being a troll.) Here's a link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVFu2WZqoXA&t=2811s
I guess the Bukwark couldn’t help but take some last jabs at President Biden. Couldn’t leave that tasty morsel for Fox?
FYI: The American Cancer Society recommends STOPPING prostate screenings at age 70!
For whatever reason, Biden may have ignored his cancer risk for too long. He definitely ignored the American cancer for too long, gambling it would cure itself without aggressive intervention. He lost both gambles.
Bill, you could not have said it better.
No one gets to know how history will treat them. You were close in speaking of cycles of interpretation. Look at Jefferson: a hero in my youth, then reviled in my middle age, now making something of a comeback. The interpretation of past events changes and reflects the society in which we live. There is no way to predict the future, much less what society will think then. The only thing that will be fairly certain, people do not evolve very quickly and will be as foolish and dangerous then as they are now.
At 1:34 in the morning Trump is so hopped up on speed that he is seeing Gila monsters crawling across his desk.