Democrats should admit it: Hunter Biden is a sleaze-bag and an embarrassment.
He is no better than Jared Kushner.
Joe Biden knows full well that Hunter is a miserable mess. He has seen it up close. The alcohol. The drugs. The multiple relapses. The marital messes. The paternity suits. It must give Joe Biden heartache.
Joe Biden has seen the way Hunter landed cushy jobs and corporate board seats. He saw the wheeling and dealing in China and Ukraine. Hunter is part of the "swamp" of influence, connection, and alliances that connect government, K Street, and Wall Street. Trump criticized the swamp in his 2016 campaign. It is one of the things he got right. Hillary couldn't criticize the swamp. She got paid $300,000 to make speeches for Goldman Sachs. She was part of the swamp. And so was Trump, but he had a story to tell. He said he knew the swamp very well, so he knew how to drain it.
Hunter Biden soils the reputation of democratic government. He represents crony capitalism, the special privilege of the elites, and corruption tolerated at the very top. Hunter Biden soils the reputation of Democrats. He soils the reputation of the news media which contextualized Hunter Biden as unfairly targeted by people trying to get at Joe Biden. Democrats can complain that Hunter's messes are an exaggeration and that Fox News cherry picks, but the cherries are there to be picked. Hunter Biden is the swamp, and Joe Biden doesn't stop him.
Kushner is married to Donald Trump's daughter. Although Kushner lacked any apparent experience in foreign affairs, Trump gave him a senior role in managing America's foreign policy. Trump's national security advisors cautioned that Kushner had suspicious business dealings with foreign businesses and governments. Trump needed to over-ride them to give Kushner the secrecy clearances he needed.
We have just learned that Jared Kushner established a hedge fund, a new venture for him. Kushner brings his set of connections to the enterprise. Against the recommendations of Saudi Arabia's own financial professionals, the Kushner firm got Saudi Arabia as its first big client with a placement of $2 billion, and a sweet asset management fee of 1.25% per year: $25 million a year. Kushner had represented the USA in arranging a multi-billion dollar arms deal with Saudi Arabia in the immediate aftermath of discovery that Saudi Arabia killed and dismembered a Washington Post reporter. That was a big, controversial deal. Trump ignored the murder. Saudi Arabia was grateful.
This is the swamp. Favors. Relationships. Pay-backs disguised and sanitized by work contracts. Hunter Biden brought his negligible expertise in oil to Burisma. Kushner brought his negligible expertise in hedge fund management to Saudi Arabia.
Joe Biden has an opportunity. He could cut Hunter Biden loose. He could announce that nobody, including family members, get special consideration, and that if Hunter Biden broke the law he should face the consequences. He could get in front of the hearings we will certainly see if the GOP regains control of either legislative chamber. If Hunter is found guilty and spends time in prison it would be a welcome symbol of justice and the rule of law.
I don't expect Joe Biden to do it. He loves his son and won't condemn his swampy behavior. Nor do I expect Donald Trump or Fox News or any Republican candidate for president to condemn the cronyism and nepotism Jared Kushner represents. It's too close to home.
There is one group of people who could condemn Hunter Biden, and should. Democrats. A Democratic candidate for president could say what everyone knows, that Hunter Biden is a mess and his business deals stink. Say that if he broke laws he should be prosecuted. Joe Biden won't like it, but Democratic voters will. Joe has an excuse for his blindness. He is a father. He should have put the country first, but he didn't. Shame on him. Democratic officeholders don't have that excuse.
Let Republicans stick with their team and defend Kushner, Eric, Ivanka, and Don Junior, if they insist. That group is indefensible, just like Hunter Biden. A smart Democrat will lead a call to drain the swamp. That starts with Hunter.
[Note: to get home delivery of this blog by email every day go to https://petersage.substack.com The blog is free and always will be.]
20 comments:
There’s no question that Hunter is a problem child, but he wouldn’t even be newsworthy except for all the wingnuts harboring delusions of somehow using him to bring down Biden’s presidency. They’re determined to get even with us for voting Trump out of office and then making a big deal out of his attempted coup.
All the hoopla over Hunter's alleged laptop is nothing but a weapon of mass distraction in a vain effort to distract us from the Jan. 6 Committee.
Hunter Biden appears to be your typical narcissistic addict. As anyone affiliated with AA or Al-Anon knows, this is how it is. Addiction is a complex mental illness, a biopsychosocial brain disorder. If the person has another mental illness, which is common, that is called dual diagnosis.
Joe Biden does not need to throw his mentally ill, addict son under the bus. All he needs to do is let the facts unfold and let the Department of Justice handle it.
In Al-Anon, families and friends of addicts/alcoholics learn to detach with love and let the addict experience the predictable consequences of their behavior. That is when the addict reaches rock bottom and may finally admit that he or she needs help.
Millions of Americans know what it is like to have an addict or other type of mentally ill person in the family. It is extremely painful for everyone involved: spouses, parents, children, siblings and other close friends and family members. Frequently they watch their loved one self destruct. Addiction is a family disease because it affects everyone in the family, one way or another.
Hunter Biden is a sad case and will get justice sooner or later. He has hurt no one but himself, and his father probably kept him from doing even worse. Any parent with an errant child will sympathize with Joe, and those who take pleasure in their family's predicament are pretty low class.
Anyone who believes that this is Jared's deal is a (insert pejorative here). He's a front for you-know-who. Just another Quid Pro Quo and shockingly (or not) brazen on its face.
Let's not equivocate one with the other...
There's no upside to Democrats beating up on Hunter, but hammering on Republicans about Jared is all to the good. Watch them scatter like roaches when asked about the deal!
If Joe Biden broke any laws, he’s partly responsible for Hunter's actions. If not, cut Joe a break. No father can force an adult child to act like an honest person.
On the other hand, Trump has no excuses. I hope I needn’t explain this to you.
Here are a few things that may "bite" Joe and Hunter:
1. Info released thus far indicates that Hunter did pay some of Joe Biden's family bills. No gift tax required if Hunter paid the bills directly rather than giving the money to Joe or his wife first so they could pay the bills.
If the money was given directly to Joe or Jill, then there would need to be gift taxes paid if they exceed a certain amount each year.
2. Some of Hunter's money came from foreign sources. Declarations are required; the IRS must be informed of any income from foreign accounts. Not clear if those declarations have been filed.
3. Just as the media reports on Kushner's funding from Saudi Arabia, they similarly should be reporting on Hunter's funding from foreign entities. Again, if funds were received by Hunter or Kushner directly, federal filings are required too. If those foreign entities paid funds to things to things the President or son might have liked, no reporting required unless the money passed thru the hands of Kushner or Hunter or the President.
So as Peter writes what's good for the goose is good for the gander.
A lot could be revealed in the coming weeks and months.
PS I am not a tax expert, nor do I claim to be one. I did learn a lot about gift taxes and how to avoid them.
Peter, how has Hunter Biden fleeced the American people? Has he been on the government payroll, like Trump's spawn? Has he affected US policy, like Trump's spawn?
I don't believe so.
If a company, foreign or domestic, wants to pay a politician's relative for having a name on their board, who cares? It happens all the time in corporate America.
Most Americans would be surprised at the behavior of Corporate America.
I was recently voting stock proxies. Why do corporations need 14 board chairman who are each paid millions of dollars?
Joe Bidens "hands off" approach to Hunter has enabled the younger to continue his self destructive patterns. It would undoubtedly be a first if Joe were to join AlAnon, and learn how he might actually help his son, who he undoubtedly loves very deeply. I doubt I will ever live long enough to see this.
I agree that Democrats need to get out in front of the inevitable replay of Republiqans sinking further to the bottom if Hunter Biden keeps being protected by his family and the Democratic Party.
What the mainstream media and the tech platforms did to suppress this story in the Fall of 2020 was a frightening example of the exercise of unaccountable power. Who appointed a few liberal editors and high tech CEOs to be the censors of the new high tech public square?
Hunters father keeping him from doing worse things to hurt himself has enabled his addictive, narcissistic behaviors. I suspect that in his heart, the President knows this, and just hasn't been able to emotionally grapple with the necessary steps,which may well be doing what Peter recommends; cut him loose, to stand on his own. Not necessarily throwing him under the bus, but letting him know he can't count on Daddy bailing him out again, he must take responsibility for his own actions.
Hunter Biden is 52 years old, born in 1970. He is a an attorney who graduated from Yale Law School.
Anyone familiar with Al-Anon should know the 3 C's: We didn't cause it, we can't control it and we can't cure it.
Al-Anon teaches the family and friends of addicts/alcoholics that They are responsible for Their recovery. No one can force or make someone get sober & get into recovery. This is basic Al-Anon 101.
So what exactly do You think Joe Biden should do with his 52 year old lawyer-son?
Try learning about addiction, alcoholism, substance abuse, substance use disorder, mental illness and Al-Anon before providing incorrect information on a blog.
Al-Anon has a website. There are online meetings and in-person in many locations.
Hunter's mother and baby sister were killed in a car accident when he was a child. I am sure Joe Biden did the best he could raising Hunter and brother Beau after this extremely tragic event.
Hunter Biden has never been a government employee. Jared was a White House employee.
Big big difference.
The "story" you are referring to was an attempted political operation that flopped.
Just like the woman who accused Joe of sexual assault in the Capitol.
The republicans support of media consolidation leads to poor and less diverse news coverage. That's seen locally.
And it gives corporate media greater power, which your side enjoys via Fox News.
Corporations can censor whatever they want, and they do it regularly.
But nice attempt at throwing red meat. Facts don't matter, I guess.
Just a reminder about why he's even in the news:
A pro-Trump computer repairman gave a laptop to the FBI in December that he claimed had been left with him since April by Hunter Biden. He had made copies of the hard drive (gee, what else might he have done with it?) which he gave to Guiliani who gave it to the Post, a right-wing rag, which printed its story two weeks before the election.
Anybody that failed to exercise a healthy skepticism toward this story wasn't being very conscientious. The mainstream media and tech companies that supposedly "suppressed" the story were doing their due diligence and deserve our thanks.
Healthy skepticism is fine. Locking the Twitter account of an American newspaper is censorship worthy of George Orwell’s “Ministry Of Truth” or the East German Stasi.
Just another reminder:
Private companies can censor whoever or whatever they want. The First Amendment only applies to the government, so a better example of violating it would be the "Don't Say Gay" law and the states banning the teaching of Black history (or CRT, to use their racist dog whistle.
Mediq and platforms that refused to broadcast unsubstantiated allegations about Biden's son just before the election were being responsible citizens. Those who did broadcast it, not so much.
Anonymous; If you're addressing me, I started attending AA in 1985, about the same time my late wife started attending AlAnon. I'm quite familiar with alcoholism, addiction,substance abuse disorder, and just finished burying my brother who suffered from several of the things you shrewdly mentioned for the vast majority of his adult life. And I didn't provide any incorrect information in my opinion. It remains my opinion that Joe Biden would benefit from AlAnon. If you don't like that opinion, fine.
Thanks for your schooling.
Hunter's memoir, Beautiful Things, was published in April 2021. No doubt the haters won't be interested, but others might be. Have not yet read it.
PS - Hunter and Beau also were seriously injured in the car crash that killed their mother and sister. Hunter was 2 years old.
Sorry about the loss of your brother. However, you have misrepresented Al-Anon. But instead of arguing, interested readers can learn about it for themselves.
AA is for addicts/alcoholics. Al-Anon is for the family and friends of addicts/alcoholics because life with an addict is so difficult and painful. If someone participates in both programs, he or she is called a double winner. There also are what are known as dry drunks. These are people who get sober (stop using), but the attitudes and behavior don't change.
It appears that you do not understand Al-Anon, for several reasons. As previously mentioned, members of Al-Anon seek to detach with love. We learn not to control the addict, which is known as co-dependency.
I don't know what Joe Biden did or did not do for Hunter when Hunter was still a minor or young adult. You claim he had a hands off approach, which sounds like he neglected Hunter. Please share your evidence for this claim.
After Hunter became an adult, Joe Biden was and no longer is responsible for his son's behavior. Hunter is responsible for his behavior AND his recovery.
A previous post asked, What exactly is Joe Biden supposed to do about his 52 year old lawyer-son? With all of your wisdom and experience, what is your answer?
Detach with love. Let him find his own way. Offer love and support when possible, but even that is not always possible if the addict is abusive and toxic, which is extremely common. And certainly do not enable the addict.
Consider participating in Al-Anon for your own benefit. In addition to meetings and reading the literature, there are Al-Anon groups on Facebook.
Al-Anon is a voluntary fellowship for the family and friends of addicts/alcoholics. In Al-Anon we focus on ourselves and self care. We strive to decrease or end all co-dependent behaviors, such as trying to control the addict and trying save him or her from the inevitable consequences of his of her behavior.
Last but not least, this information is being provided to anyone who might be interested, not only the author of the previous comments.
Doesn't it seem the people who claim First Amendment rights have been violated never seem to have read the Bill of Rights?
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