As confidence in Joe Biden circles the drain, the president’s team is circling the wagon.
Biden’s Wednesday schedule included a sit-down with a group of Democratic governors in a closed-door meeting at the White House, the Hill reported.
As the Herald reported, Gov. Maura Healey was on the invite list, and the gist of the meeting was to reassure supporters that he could win in the November election, despite his train wreck performance in last week’s presidential debate.
Also settling into the comfy chairs: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the chair of the Democratic Governors Association, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, their offices confirmed to The Hill.
Rhode Island Gov. Dan McKee, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore and Delaware Gov. John Carney were also heading to the White House for the meeting, according to a source.
“Democratic governors are proud to be some of the President’s closest partners and allies on the campaign trail,” Walz said in a statement to The Hill, adding, “The president has worked side by side with us to deliver for the people of our states and we’re looking forward to talking with him today.”
A CNN/SSRS survey found former President Donald Trump maintaining a six-percentage point lead (49%-43%) over Biden among registered voters following the Atlanta debate.
What’s worse for Biden, 75% said they believed Democrats would have a better chance of winning the White House if someone else was the party’s nominee.
It’s all hands on deck at the White House and among many Democratic leaders to right the ship, even as it keeps taking on water.
This could be good for Massachusetts.
Healey, as have many governors wrestling with the migrant influx, called upon Washington for help time and again. The state is footing a nearly $1 billion bill for shelter and care for migrant families, and room and money keeps running out.
Biden needs Healey, who has always been a supporter he could count on. Now it’s time to pay it back.
Whether it’s on the list of talking points now or in the coming months, Healey has to make it clear that if Biden wants her help, then he has to step up to help with the migrant situation in Massachusetts.
Ideally, Biden could close the border to give beleaguered states some breathing room. The Healey Administration sent a team to the southern border to “educate” would-be Massachusetts-bound migrants that there’s no room for them here.
Hard to pull off with a right-to-shelter law, but at least they tried.
If the president really expects to get governors to pull out the stops for Biden as plausible, winnable candidate, then he needs to start writing checks.
First, to reimburse the state for some of the funds already spent on migrant housing and care, second, to establish a funding pipeline for future arrivals and schooling costs, and third, to put some muscle and manpower behind properly vetting asylum seekers and keeping criminals from crossing the border.
Healey needs that for Massachusetts. And now Biden needs Healey.
Make him earn your support, governor.
