MIAMI.- The president of United States, Joe Bidensaid Wednesday that there is room for new voices in the country, in what could be his last speech to the nation from the Oval Office of the White House.
He justified his decision by saying: “the defence of democracy is more important than any personal ambition.”
“There is a time and a place for long years of experience in public life. There is also a time and a place for new voices, fresh voices, yes, young voices.”he said, adding that he dropped out of the race for a second term to “unite” the Democratic Party.
“America is an idea, an idea stronger than any army, bigger than any ocean, more powerful than any dictator or tyrant,” the Democratic president insisted.
Biden admits his failure
After a poor three-and-a-half-year mandate to date, and a disastrous debate with the former president Donald TrumpJoe Biden officially withdrew on Sunday, when he called Kamala Harris to show their support for her as the country’s new presidential candidate.
Biden confirmed that he will remain in office for the next six months, at which time US citizens will elect the country’s new leader in an election in which former President Donald Trump will likely face off against Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Over the next six months I will focus on doing my job as president. That means continuing to lower prices for working families and grow our economy,” he said, although his results in these areas leave much to be desired, given the huge inflation and unemployment.
Many have argued that he should not only have abandoned his re-election bid, but also the presidency, citing his poor performance in the White House.
Kamala Harris on the campaign trail
Meanwhile, as she nears one of the most consequential decisions of her new presidential bid, Vice President Kamala Harris is beginning to review a dozen potential candidates for her running mate, two people familiar with the matter said.
Harris launched her campaign on Sunday after President Joe Biden bowed to pressure from within his own party to withdraw from re-election, leaving him with a historically tight window to make a selection before next month’s Democratic National Convention. His party could name her as its nominee on Aug. 1 in a virtual vote, and formalize the nomination of her running mate shortly afterward.
Harris’ goal, the people said, is to keep the process stress-free as she and Democrats try to project confidence after an extraordinarily tumultuous few weeks for the party.
While much of the political conversation has focused on four names – Arizona Senator Mark Kelly; the governor of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro; the governor of Kentucky, Andy Beshear; and the governor of North Carolina, Roy Cooper—Harris’s team has requested information from a dozen officials, according to the people who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the confidential process.
The broader list includes the Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg; the Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo; the governor of Illinois, J.B. Pritzker; Michigan Governor, Gretchen Whitmer; and the governor of Minnesota, Tim WalzAt least one of the candidates examined is not currently part of the government.
According to one of the people interviewed, the first requests for information were sent on Tuesday.
Shapiro, who said Tuesday he had not received any requests for background checks, was less categorical Wednesday. He referred questions about the process to Harris’s campaign.
Former U.S. attorney general Eric Holder and a team of lawyers from his law firm Covington & Burling are tasked with vetting potential candidates. Candidates are typically asked to submit financial disclosures and records of their past policy positions and speeches, and are required to undergo interviews with lawyers to identify any negative signals.
Source: AP/AFP/Europe Press
