On the 59th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, President Joe Biden channeled the civil rights activists, one of whom sat in the first lady’s box, who marched across the Edmund Pettus Bridge to force America to do right by all of its citizens.
He was defiant declaring, “I will not bow down,” referring to the war in Ukraine. Addressing Jan. 6 insurrectionists, he was patriotic, bellowing, “You can’t love your country only when you win.” And name checking one of the most well-known bridge marchers, he was demanding: “It is time to do more than talk. Pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act.”
With a tone of strong optimism Biden pronounced, ”the state of our union is strong and getting stronger.” What quickly ensued was a chant accompanied by a standing ovation of mostly democrats of “Four more years!”
In contrast to the GOP narrative of a too old, too sleepy, too-weak-to-lead 81-year-old president, Biden was often fierce, fast and forceful as he addressed abortion rights, the IVF ruling in Alabama, banned books and the attempts to eradicate Black history. His declarations were repeatedly met with applause, primarily from Democratic congressional members. That support in the Capitol continued at the White House, reportedly celebrated into the early morning.
The “clap in” for President Biden was said to be resounding when he returned to the White House following the State of the Union Address. His staff lined a corridor to receive Biden with welcoming applause for what they described as a victorious speech. The Bidens were said to have stayed up until early morning celebrating after an extended stay at the capitol.
White House sources confirmed the administration met with civil rights leaders in the lead up to Biden’s address. Those leaders talked with speech writers to contribute to the overall themes for Black, Latino and Asian American communities. And notable Black guests attended the speech in the U.S. House…
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