Smack. Another slap in the face. This time it wasn’t by Will Smith, but by syndicated Washington Post commentator Dana Milbank, in his April 7 column (“President Obama, your country needs you right now,” Page A7) imploring Barack Obama to lead a national effort to save our democracy.

Milbank’s gratuitous “slap” was aimed at President Biden, bemoaning his lack of charisma in comparison to the former president’s. Milbank, reporting on a reunion of sorts at the White House for Team Obama, compares the two presidents this way: “Where Obama was loose, Biden was stiff, standing with hands clasped before him and his lips forming a tight line.” What? This is 10th-grade stuff. Or at another point: “Biden coughed, took out a hankie and discreetly blew his nose.” What? Ninth-grade.

Instead, how about this? Biden is fighting for huge advances in policies that would benefit children and the elderly; has laid out a comprehensive climate change agenda; is the world leader in aiding Ukraine in Vladimir Putin’s war; has steered an intelligent battle against COVID-19, and is steadily leading the effort to further strengthen our economy.

Surely Milbank is right to press Obama to play an even greater role than he did in the 2020 elections, but it doesn’t require that he puts down President Biden.

Michael Petit
Portland