Axios.com founders Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen were dishing before Joe Biden's big speech that "Biden's friends tell us that as the president heads to his Democratic National Convention sendoff in Chicago tonight, he's somewhat relieved and pretty nostalgic — but also still stunned and pissed about the way he was pushed out of his re-election race."
So he's relieved, and then he's pissed -- does it depend on which mental state he's in? For media-watchers, this sentence is hilarious:
"Some Biden stalwarts blame the press for forcing him out, and now seethe at what they see as fawning coverage of Harris."
What they see as fawning? We just proved that since Biden was forced out, her network news coverage is 84 percent positive! She's all momentum and joy!
Axios added: "They know that the best thing for Biden's place in history is for her to win. But after four years of doubts about her governing chops and reliability as a politician, they see the party's instant embrace of her as an even more brutal rejection of Biden." They also pointed to the dramatic staff turnover under Kamala as a sign she's not the best candidate.
But here's the beginning of the item:
President Biden hasn't had much to smile about lately. But we hear he got a huge laugh on a recent call when he was told about this encounter at Fenway Park in Boston:
- A former top White House official under President Obama ran into Mike Barnicle — the Morning Joe regular, and close friend and ardent defender of Biden — and said: "Isn't it great that f--king guy finally figured out he had to quit?"
- Barnicle was tired, and wasn't having it. "What guy?!" he replied.
"Joe Biden!" the West Wing alumnus replied.
- "You know something? F--k you!" Barnicle replied. "And f--k all your friends with their anonymous quotes in the papers. Put your name on it next time!" And kept walking.
- A source familiar with Biden's reaction to the story told us: "He might still be laughing."
