With the GOP and Rep. Kevin McCarthy aggressively assailing President Biden for the discovery of classified documents at his various locations, it must have been comforting to be sheltered at the National Action Network (NAN) to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday celebration. After being introduced by the Rev. Al Sharpton, president of NAN, Biden said, “It’s an honor to spend the King Holiday with the National Action Network and the King family.”
Referring to Dr. King’s oldest son, Biden said, “Martin the Third, understand that we celebrate the legacy of your beloved father and mother, and they worked for the Beloved Community.”
But it didn’t all go well for the president, who, during the singing of “Happy Birthday” to Martin III’s wife, Andrea, forgot her name. That gaffe was partly disguised by the chorus of other voices as he called her Valen or something to that effect.
More egregious, especially when mouthed by Republicans, is the storm gathering around misplaced classified documents, which seem to multiply with each day. On Sunday at Ebenezer Baptist Church, though, Biden spoke eloquently about the legacy of Dr. King and “the sacred hour of justice,” which was enough to muffle the growing voices of reaction to his administration.
Once McCarthy finally achieved the gavel as leader of the House after 15 ballots, it was clearly understood, by even the least-informed political citizen, that the attack on Biden and his administration would soon begin, although the recently found documents were initially not on the agenda of denunciation.
If Biden is to weather this siege, and it’s ridiculous to compare this recent controversy with Trump’s defiance, it will come as other issues become more prevalent and crucial. It’s hard to believe things can get any worse for Biden and his cohort.
But as he told the audience at Ebenezer: “Folks, you know, on this day of remembrance, as we gather here at this cherished Ebenezer to commemorate what would’ve been Dr. King’s 94th birthday, we gather to contemplate his moral vision and to commit ourselves to his path—to his path. The path that leads to the Beloved Community, to the sacred place and that sacred hour when justice rains down like water and righteousness was a mighty stream.”
To get out of the current bind, Biden will need all the power and support he can gather from the Beloved Community.