Several Democrats express astonishment and disbelief that Vice President Joe Biden is leaving Washington, D.C., in the midst of crucial negotiations with Republicans about raising the debt ceiling to avoid a government default, which analysts say could cause a massive economic meltdown.

According to Politico, Biden is leaving the White House — again — this weekend, heading to Camp David and then to his home in Delaware, further angering Democrats who already believe he is being too timid in responding to Republican arguments for expenditure cuts in exchange for raising the debt ceiling.

“It’s time to bring the president off the bench, or bring somebody off the bench,” an anonymous elected Democrat told the outlet. “No one’s responding to anything. Kevin’s consistently on message. We have the Oval Office. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“The scale of the cuts is staggering, which really the public knows very little about,” Rep. Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut, the Democrat’s leading appropriator, said of majority Republican conditions for a hike. “The president should be out there.”

Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-Texas) believes the speaker of the House of Representatives has been permitted to influence public opinion of the impasse with the White House in “very dishonest ways.”

“I do think it’s important that the president speaks on this,” she said, according to Politico.

Worse, Vice President Biden is now leaving Washington, D.C. for the weekend as the June 1 deadline approaches, which Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has stated will be the day the government runs out of money.

“Please tell me that’s not true,” another presumedly Democratic lawmaker to Politico. “You’re going to see a caucus that’s so pissed if he’s stupid enough to do that.”

Current polling, according to The Daily Wire, indicates that “the majority of Americans agree with McCarthy’s demands for budget cuts and work requirements for welfare.”

Regarding Biden’s departure from Washington, D.C., Politico added:

Biden’s aides have largely disregarded the calls for him to be more visible. According to an administration official who requested anonymity to discuss strategy, his minimal presence has been intentional.

The White House believes that the president’s bully pulpit should be used strategically — that oversaturation of the airwaves could lead to contradictory messaging, and that silence conveys reasonableness and calmness, according to the official. Depending on the progress of negotiations, administration officials have scaled back their public presence throughout the negotiations. They occasionally rely on Hill Democrats to wield the sharpest club, enabling Biden to remain above the fray.

“The American people need to understand just what’s at stake, and I’m not sure that for the broad public, that case has been made,” Rep. Joseph Morelle (D-N.Y.) told the outlet, adding that he doesn’t know of any White House surrogates speaking on the issue. “Other than the press secretary, I really have not.”

In the meantime, other Democrats are pressuring the media to adopt their side, as is typically the case.

“Help us,” DeLauro pressed reporters. “I don’t want you to feel that you’re being co-opted, but you have a responsibility as well.”

More on this story via Conservative Brief:

Privately, allies of President Biden have been more candid, expressing discomfort with Jean-Pierre’s repeated use of recycled talking points and raising concerns about her hesitance or perceived inability to delve into the substantive aspects of the discussions, Politico reported. CONTINUE READING…