By DUARDO PAZ-MARTINEZ
McALLEN, Texas |...His was a sort of long goodbye, but President Joe Biden says he is sticking around for the next six months to do the job he was elected to do. Biden is not sick, extremely sick, dying or dead, as many in the Right-Wing media asserted in the last 24 hours.
The president has opted to not seek reelection.
Last night, in a nationally televised speech, he offered Americans a reason for his departure. Biden is a weary looking 81 years old and that has been highlighted to the Max by Republicans who have said all year long that he is just too old to be president.
Biden rather agreed in saying he is okay with passing the torch to a younger generation.
Still, even that will draw complaints from Republicans backing Donald J. Trump in the 2024 General Election scheduled for November 5th. They openly wonder who really is in charge of the government, and more than one GOP congressman has sought his removal under the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which would remove a president incapacitated by mental decline.
Trump asked the question over and over in harried postings on Truth Social.
As explained in a report on Poynter.org, "If Biden were to transfer his presidential powers and duties to the vice president, he would do so under Section 3 of the 25th Amendment.
"The president must transmit a letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the United States Senate stating that he or she is 'unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office' and is accordingly transferring presidential power and duties to the vice president under Section 3 of the Amendment."
Biden is not there yet.
The Democratic Party is apparently fine with Vice President Kamala Harris seeking the presidency now that Biden has dropped out, only that also is disconcerting to a Republican Party saddled with the oldest candidate in the race, 78-year-old Trump.
As per the Poynter.org report, powers transfers have occurred only four times in U.S. history, during the terms of Republican Presidents Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush (twice) and Democrat Biden, when he underwent a medical procedure under anesthesia.
Republican criticism is vacuous political talk.
"There's also a time and place for new voices, fresh voices, yes, younger voices. That time and place is now," Biden said in last night's speech.
Biden will serve as president throughout the rest of the year and likely be there next January 20th to hand over the job to the winner of the upcoming election...
-30-