When You’ve Lost the New York Times (2)

Further to Paul’s post yesterday on mounting criticism of Biden in the house organ of the Democratic Party (commonly known as the New York Times), today the Times has published what amounts to a four-alarm fire memo to Democrats that Biden needs to get his act together, or be cut loose:

With President Biden facing a political crisis that has shaken his standing in his party, Democrats across the country are increasingly worried about their ability to maintain power in Washington, as his administration struggles to defend its chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and stanch a resurgent pandemic that appeared to be waning only weeks ago.

While Americans watched devastating scenes of mayhem at the Kabul airport and ascendant Taliban forces last week, the steady drumbeat of bipartisan criticism left many Democrats frustrated and dismayed at a White House they viewed as having fumbled the end of the country’s longest war on multiple fronts.

On Capitol Hill, lawmakers announced congressional investigations into the administration’s handling of the withdrawal, as a handful of Democratic lawmakers weighed whether calling for the resignation of Mr. Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, would help the president “reset the narrative,” according to a Democratic House member, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

The harrowing images appalled even the president’s staunchest supporters, many of whom — like a majority of the American public — support the decision to remove American troops from Afghanistan. But some of them worry the execution of the withdrawal has undermined Mr. Biden’s central campaign promise to restore a steady hand to governance, particularly on issues of national security. . .

The Democratic concerns come as Mr. Biden’s popularity has eroded. His average approval rating dipped below 50 percent last week for the first time since taking office, as views of his handling of the pandemic have grown more negative over the summer.

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