Joltin’ Joe should leave and go away

President Biden turned up in the briefing room with a few remarks about the devastating mass murder in Nashville yesterday. The White House has posted the transcript of Biden’s remarks here.

Biden added remarks on the Nashville tragedy to his prepared text, but he found it an appropriate moment to perform his usual shtick. There was never anything remotely good about this shtick, but under the circumstances it was indecent. This is what he had to say:

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. My name is Joe Biden. (Laughter.) I’m Dr. Jill Biden’s husband. (Laughter.) And I eat Jeni’s Ice Cream, chocolate chip. (Laughter.) I came down because I heard there was chocolate chip ice cream. (Laughter.)

By the way, I have a whole refrigerator full upstairs. (Laughter.) You think I’m kidding, I’m not.

Ben, how are you, pal?

SENATOR CARDIN: Well.

THE PRESIDENT: One of the best guys in the United States Congress, Ben Cardin. (Applause.)

Folks, welcome to the White House.

AUDIENCE: Thank you.

THE PRESIDENT: And it’s a delight to have you all here. And who are those good-looking kids back here? (Laughter.)

MS. BLAKELY: Those are my kids.

THE PRESIDENT: They’re your kids? All four of them?

MS. BLAKELY: Yes.

THE PRESIDENT: Well, stand up, guys. (Laughter and applause.)

Well, I want you to know, like you, I had two brothers — there were three in our family, three brothers, and one sister. And my sister is smarter than all of us. (Laughter.) Not a joke.

She used to be three years younger than me; now she’s 23 years younger than me. (Laughter.) You know, she managed every one of my campaigns for office, even back when I was in high school. We went to the same university two years apart. She graduated with honors; I graduated. (Laughter.) And we had a simple rule in the family: Listen to Val. (Laughter.) My sister, Valerie, is incredible.

So, guys, be nice to your sister. You’re going to need her. (Laughter.) You’re going to need her. I promise.

It’s the same lineup. You’re the oldest? Who’s number two? Number two? Who’s number three?

AUDIENCE MEMBER: It’s both.

THE PRESIDENT: You’re twins? Are you guys twins?

AUDIENCE MEMBER: No, we’re not twins. (Laughter.)

THE PRESIDENT: Okay. All right. Just how — just how it was in our outfit. Well, I’m so glad to see you all, and thanks for coming with mom. Okay?

You got to take care of your mom. Dads are much harder to raise. But, you know, we’re — (laughter) —

What is going on here? Biden turned to the Nashville tragedy:

Before I begin to speak, and the reason I spent a little time on the kids, I — I just want to speak very briefly about the school shooting in Nashville, Tennessee.

You know, Ben and I have been doing this our whole careers, it seems. And it’s just — it’s sick. You know, we’re still gathering the facts of what happened and why. And we do know that, as of now, there are a number of people who are not going to — did not make it, including children.

And it’s heartbreaking. A family’s worst nightmare.

His heart was broken despite the chocolate chip ice cream and the prefatory yuk-yuks.

The facts are still coming to light (as Biden acknowledged in passing) and the victims have yet to be buried, yet Biden sought to exploit the tragedy for his own political purposes. He seems to have omitted any concern about the mental health issues troubling “trans” people such as the perpetrator was, according to Nashville Police Chief John Drake. It was time for the “gun violence” routine:

And I want to commend the police who repo- — responded incredibly swiftly — within minutes — to end the danger.

We’re monitoring the situation really closely — Ben, as you know — and we have to do more to stop gun violence. It’s ripping our communities apart, ripping the soul of this nation — ripping at the very soul of the nation. And we — we have to do more to protect our schools so they aren’t turned into prisons [?].

You know, the shooter in this situation reportedly had two assault weapons and a pistol — two AK-47. So I call on Congress, again, to pass my assault weapons ban. It’s about time that we begin to make some more progress.

But there’s more to learn. But I just wanted to send my concern and hearts out to so many parents out there. I’ve been to so many of these sites, as Ben knows, by — virtually every one.

And one of the things you folks should — I know you do know, but you should focus on — you know, just like when — in the military — when my son was in Iraq for a year, other places, you — there’s so many members of the military coming back with post-traumatic stress after witnessing the violence and participating in it.

Well, these children, these teachers, they should be — should be focusing on their mental health, as well.

And so I’m grateful — anyway, sorry to start off that way, but I couldn’t begin without acknowledging what happened. And now I’m grateful that all of you are joining us here today.

The New York Post is full of stories on the tragedy in Nashville. One addresses the transgender status of the perpetrator. Referring to her, the Post story notes: “It is unclear whether Hale identified as a man or woman at the time of the slayings.”

Another story in the Post concludes on a fitting note:

Multiple vigils across the community Monday night grieved for the slain students and staffers.

At Belmont United Methodist Church, mourners prayed, sang, and lit candles as they at one point said together “we confess we have not done enough to protect” the children killed or wounded in shootings.

“We need to step back. We need to breathe. We need to grieve,” said Paul Purdue, the church’s senior pastor.

“We need to remember. We need to make space for others who are grieving. We need to hear the cries of our neighbors.”

Pastor Purdue speaks for me.

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