Happy Monday!

Let’s start the week off with some morning funnies. By that, I mean, some of the strange things people have been saying and doing the past few days.

Biden Bails on Ukraine Peace Conference to Party With George Clooney

A Ukraine peace summit took place over the weekend in Switzerland. No one from Russia was there, so it was more an exercise in drumming up international support for Ukraine and enjoying the Swiss Alps. How important is peace in Ukraine to Joe Biden? He was right next door in Italy for the G7 last week, but rather than stick around, he flew to California to party with George Clooney and Jimmy Kimmel, and sent Kamala Harris to the summit instead.

But don’t worry. He did put another $1.5 billion in American taxpayer-funded aid in Harris’s purse to give Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Meanwhile, the  glitzy Hollywood fundraiser with Barack Obama raised a Democratic Party record of $28 million, even as hundreds of anti-Israel protesters surrounded the venue.

Biden’s party with the Hollywood elite came right after his dazzling impression at the G7. You’ve likely already seen the viral video of him wandering away from the other G7 leaders, only to be embarrassingly retrieved by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

WHAT IS BIDEN DOING? pic.twitter.com/iY33K2srII

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) June 13, 2024

The White House spent the weekend insisting everyone’s eyes are wrong about the video above and this wasn’t another mental lapse on Biden’s part. They call it “right-wing propaganda” and say he was merely walking over to give a thumb’s up to other paratroopers not in the camera’s view. While that might be plausible, it doesn’t explain anything about why Meloni was so quick to rush over and usher him back to the other G7 leaders. As we mentioned on Friday’s Brew, the White House may well be right. The important thing to note here is the other leaders assumed Biden was having another senior moment.

And with good reason. Diplomatic sources tell The Sun that while Biden did have moments of clarity and sharpness at the G7, other times he appeared to be “losing focus” and concentration. Another told the newspaper, “It’s the worst he has ever been.”

That didn’t stop MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough from doing his part to gaslight his audience, claiming, “Even critics were saying that [Biden] did a strong job, very good job representing the United States.”

Meanwhile, Biden met with Pope Francis while at the G7 summit. Who had the U.S. President head-butting the Pope on their 2024 dance card?

President Biden greets Pope Francis with intimate forehead-to-forehead hug at G7 summit in Italy. pic.twitter.com/p0bHZ2RiEc

— YabaLeftOnline (@yabaleftonline) June 15, 2024

Secret Service Emails: Biden Didn’t Mind His Dog Biting Agents

At least the pontiff and G7 leaders didn’t getting mauled by Biden’s dogs while the president watched. Judicial Watch has gotten hold of Secret Service reports and emails that not only did Biden’s German shepherd, Commander, chomp on agents and staffers at least 22 times between October 2022 and June 2023, but that Biden was present for three of those attacks and yet still kept the dog around. According to the reports, Commander was such a danger that Secret Service agents at the White House would tell each other to “have a safe shift.”

Here’s the description of one such incident contained in those emails and reports. Wouldn’t you like to know what Biden said? It’s all been redacted.

POTUS took Commander (on a leash) to the Kennedy Garden this evening for a walk. While POTUS and Commander were in the Kennedy Garden I was standing half way from the Book-Sellers and the Family Theater. POTUS opened the Book-Seller door and said [redacted]. As I started to walk toward him to see if he needed help, Commander ran through his legs and bit my left arm through the front of my jacket. I pulled my arm away and yelled no. POTUS also yelled [redacted] to Commander. POTUS then [redacted]. I obliged and Commander let me pet him. When turning to close the door, Commander jumped again and bit my left arm for the second time. POTUS again yelled at Commander and attached the leash to him. My suit coat has 3 holes,1 being all the way through. No skin was broken. 

What does this mean to us? When reading the Judicial Watch expose, we see a side of Biden that he’s kept hidden for decades. If this is how little regard he has for the well-being of people sworn to protect him and his family, how little regard does he have for the rest of us?

Garland Blasts Republicans for Using Contempt of Congress as “Partisan Weapon”

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland should have been at that confab of comedians at the Vatican last Friday. His latest punch line? Accusing Republicans in Congress of using the contempt charge against him as a “partisan weapon.”

Garland, for the first time in American history, prosecuted and convicted Peter Navarro and Steve Bannon — two Republican presidential advisors who refused the partisan subpoenas of the partisan and unlawfully constructed J6 Committee. In fact, he even had dragged Navarro off a plane in irons in front of cameras after he’d already agreed to turn himself in.

And what did Garland do to deserve his contempt of Congress charge? He refused to turn over an audio tape that will hurt the Democratic candidate’s chances in the November presidential election — ironically, the very same type of act for which he prosecuted both Bannon and Navarro.

On Friday, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that that — surprise, surprise — no one there will be pursuing charges against their boss. U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson responded by vowing to take Garland to court over his refusal to hand over the tape.

Meanwhile, if Garland were interested in doing his job in a nonpartisan way, he’d investigate Biden’s ghostwriter Mike Zwonitzer. According to the Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project, Zwonitzer deleted the audio of his interviews with Joe Biden despite (or because?) being fully aware that Special Counsel Robert Hur was investigating Biden’s conversations with the writer.

CNN Does Not Know We Are a Constitutional Republic? 

Are the talking heads at CNN uneducated, or simply carrying Biden’s water for him? Answer: They’re carrying Biden’s water and making themselves look foolish in the process by acting as if MAGA supporters hate democracy.

The network posted a wide-eyed video claiming Trump supporters don’t think we’re a democracy. They asked a bunch of MAGA types about democracy, who responded with various versions of, “No, we’re a republic.” (Of course, we operate as a constitutional republic. We elect representatives by democratic means — but that does not make us a democracy.)

However, the reason CNN was bothering to ask was not to show off their ignorance. The major theme of Biden’s whole campaign is that Trump and MAGA Republicans are a “threat to democracy.” So the idea is to get MAGA types on tape downplaying the importance of democracy. The title of the video is “Democracy Is Overrated, Some in MAGA Base Say.”

In the video, the reporter listens with rapt attention as a talking head explains “some elements” of the Republican Party downplay “democracy” because they “want Donald Trump to be able to do whatever he wants.” 

Good News: Princess Kate Makes First Public Appearance Since Cancer Announcement

Any time someone puts a thumb in cancer’s eye, it’s worth celebrating. So across the Pond we go: England’s rejoicing over Kate Middleton’s return to the public eye on Saturday. She attended the annual Trooping the Colour ceremony Saturday, returning to duty even as her treatments continue. She smiled broadly to onlookers as her carriage came to the palace, and looked elegant taking in the event with her family.

A memorable day at The King’s Birthday Parade. From the Irish Guards Trooping their colour to seeing so many faces on the Mall, thank you for making it a day to remember. 🌦️ pic.twitter.com/UG74aGcKFX

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) June 15, 2024

Trooping the Colour honors the official birthday of the British monarch and is the ceremonial highlight of the year for the Brits.

On Friday, the princess posted an update on her condition, saying she is “making good progress” though she’s “not out of the woods yet.” Her treatment will continue for a few more months.

“I am learning how to be patient, especially with uncertainty,” she wrote. “Taking each day as it comes, listening to my body, and allowing myself to take this much needed time to heal.”

I have been blown away by all the kind messages of support and encouragement over the last couple of months. It really has made the world of difference to William and me and has helped us both through some of the harder times.

I am making good progress, but as anyone going… pic.twitter.com/J1jTlgwRU8

— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) June 14, 2024

Finally …

I happened upon a Juneteenth celebration in southern Maryland over the weekend. Juneteenth is the holiday commemorating June 19, 1865, the day when word reached enslaved blacks in Texas that they were free.

The St. Mary’s County Democrats were on hand for the event.

Here’s a shot of their tent. Notice anything missing?

No? Don’t spot it?

There’s no sign there reading, “We Democrats Apologize For Having Fought to Keep Slavery.”

(And before you ask, no, I did not ask them about this, tempting as it was. I guess I just don’t have enough John Zmirak in me for that.) 

By the way, don’t miss Wednesday’s serving of Al’s Afternoon Tea. The Juneteenth edition is going to be something special, as we celebrate some of the black Union troops who helped set a people free. 

Along The Stream

Stream founder Rev. James Robison posted “From Fatherless to Father-Led” yesterday in honor of Father’s Day.

Pastor Shane Idleman returns with “Why We Can Love LGBTQIA+ People But Not Celebrate Their Lifestyle.”

 

Al Perrotta is The Stream’s Washington bureau chief, coauthor with John Zmirak of The Politically Incorrect Guide to Immigration, and coauthor of the counterterrorism memoir Hostile Intent: Protecting Yourself Against Terrorism.