With news that the inflation rate has hit a 40-year record of 9.1%, the White House is scrambling to tell Americans to ignore their lying eyes. Rather than admit that policy after policy has added to the cost of living crisis, the commander-in-chief’s top team appears determined to deliver little more than inflation excuses in the hope of buying just a fraction more time.
The Wacky Races of Inflation Excuses
The moment the figures dropped, the White House issued a statement declaring the shocking 9.1% composite was based on “old” data, referring to a roughly 20% drop in gas prices since mid-June. And while the cost of fuel may well be lagging behind in the month-by-month numbers, almost every other metric shows that inflation is here to stay and getting more intense.
Americans with memories that stretch back further than the last newsreel will recall that under President Donald Trump, inflation was at a manageable 1.4%. The Biden administration has blamed the rapid increase on COVID, supply chain issues, and, most recently, the war in Ukraine. It would be a harsh critic who did not admit that these factors played some role, however, recognizing hard times does not mean forgiving policy incompetence.
In the Wacky Races of inflation excuses, the one entity in which the administration refuses to see fault is itself. Creating an environment where oil producers fear litigation for attempting to drill, shutting down essential pipelines, pulling oil lease auctions, and sending a large chunk of the strategic petroleum reserve overseas all have a trickle-down effect.
(Photo by Ilia Yefimovich/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Mr. Biden will be meeting Saudi Arabia’s leadership on Friday, July 15, in the hopes of convincing the Middle Eastern nation to release more oil into the market. As noted by French President Emmanuel Macron’s hot mic moment in Europe, the Saudis are at capacity and Biden should be drilling more at home. So why continue in what will inevitably be a dud course of action?
In political theater, it is often more important to be seen to be doing something even if you are not actually doing anything.
Bracing for Impact
The president’s poor polling is surely a cause for concern to those presently in government, and despite 18 months of shifting inflation excuses, there is no bright light on the horizon. The Heritage Foundation estimates that inflation has cost the average American family with two paychecks $6,800 in annual wages.
Vice President Kamala Harris offered some words of comfort, though, sure to warm the cold of heart and the light of wallet. Touting the alleged success of the American Rescue Plan, Harris pointed out that the administration was working hard on “access” to transportation, specifically for folks from “underrepresented backgrounds.” She said: “It seems like maybe it’s a small issue; it’s a big issue. You need to get to go and need to be able to get where you need to go to do the work and get home.” So that should help. Right?
A Losing Streak
Regardless of the outcome in Saudi Arabia, Team Biden will be spinning it as a win for the president. This is their purpose. The Democrats are engaged in what seems like a cover-up of failing policies and political errors to justify earning enough votes in the November midterms to hold sway in Congress for as long as they can. But the public just isn’t buying it.
Louisiana Senator John Kennedy summarized the situation in his usual colorful fashion, saying, “The American people are very disappointed in this president and his policies.” He then listed blunder after blunder committed by the government, topping the litany with the cost-of-living crisis. “Inflation is waterboarding the American people,” he alleged. “The creepy banjo kid in Deliverance is more popular than the president.”
Joe Biden is sinking fast. Inflation may well be an extra stone weighing him down. Excuses are not flotation devices, and after four decades in the Swamp, he should have learned to swim by now.
