Details Matter

RNC Research claims it is "exposing the lies, hypocrisy, and failed far-left policies of Joe Biden and the Democrat Party. Managed by the Republican National Committee." Joe Biden and the "Democrat" Party rarely lie- until the Age of Trump, few politicians actually knowingly stated falsehoods. They're not as hypocritical as the GOP and as for "far-left policies"- if only!

So you won't be shocked that this twitter account is expert at taking things out of context. In the following 89 second clip, RNC Research displays Jean-Pierre commenting twenty (20) times about negotiations with the GOP over- well, now, this is what the deception is all about.

Karine Jean-Pierre claimed yesterday that Biden has been engaged on debt ceiling negotiations "for months" — except she spent months insisting the exact opposite.

WATCH: pic.twitter.com/aYEGCqp6tK

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 24, 2023

The clips are very brief, lacking a hint of either what the Press Secretary stated immediately after or before or to what question she is responding. Additionally, she is not very good at her job, in sharp contrast to Jen Psaki's performance in the same role. However, the gist of Jean-Pierre's theme- if consistent with President Biden's intentions until fairly recently- can be found in remarks of hers from April 22, followed by those from May 1:

As I said yesterday, he'd be happy to meet with Speaker McCarthy but not on whether or not not the debt limit gets extended. That is not negotiable; we have been very clear about this.

As he said, we'd be happy to meet with Speaker McCarthy but not on whether or not the debt limit gets extended. That's not negotiable.

This Is a critical, though seemingly not big, difference. Biden has been willing to negotiate on the budget but not on the bottom line: whether the debt limit is extended, hence not on whether there is to be a default on the debt. By contrast, the GOP bill which passed the House in April would have extended the debt limit with deep- but unspecified cuts in discretionary spending.

The next day, RNC Research was similarly dishonest;

House Democrat Leader Hakeem Jeffries claims it's a "fake, false, fraudulent narrative" that Biden refused to sit down and discuss the debt ceiling with Republicans for 97 days.

Except that's exactly what happened. pic.twitter.com/LV4XXfYCJp

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 25, 2023

Minority Leader Jeffries here notes

And these Republicans- they're going to say that Joe Biden refused to sit down with them. That's a fake narrative that they continue to try to put into the public domain. They said that President Biden refused to talk for 97 days- fake, false, fraudulent narrative.

Jeffries was correct when he accused Republicans of a fake, false, and fraudulent narrative, and he gets extra credit for the alliteration. (Speaking in poetry seems to be a Jeffries specialty, and a fine one for him to have.)

As the presidential press secretary is depicted in the tweeted video as repeating, the President was always fine with talking, for better or for worse. But it was the budget, not default, he signaled an interest in negotiating, a distinction with a difference.

As of Friday afternoon, 5/26/23, the contours of a likely deal are not definitively none. Thus, whether Joe Biden has maintained that crucial distinction will be revealed only when a final deal is reached. We may find out also whether the message Jeffries displayed "House Republicans Are Running Out Of Town To Cause An Economic Meltdown," is accurate. In the meantime, faced with an extraordinarily dishonest foe, it's helpful for the Democrats, for a moment at least, not to be on the defensive.

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