Earlier tonight the nation finally heard directly from President Biden, whose decision not to run for re-election was announced via social media three days earlier and who had not subsequently made any public appearances due to his latest bout with COVID. He delivered a poignant speech defending both his presidency’s accomplishments and his belated decision to pass the torch to a new generation from the Oval Office. It was only the 4th Oval Office address of his presidency, albeit the second in recent days, having given a brief address after the assassination attempt.

Today the DNC Rules Committee officially adopted rules governing the revamped 2024 presidential nomination process. Theoretically, candidates can file by July 27th to be considered, but in doing so would need to demonstrate support from at least 300 delegates, no more than 50 of whom can be from any one state delegation. As a practical matter, given how the previous 72 hours have gone it appears virtually certain that Harris will be the only qualified candidate. Assuming that holds, virtual voting to anoint Harris would commence on August 1st. The expectation is that Harris would then choose her vice-presidential candidate prior to August 7th, so as to leave no ambiguity about whether the ballot access deadlines in Ohio or any other state have been met.

Harris has named Eric Holder, who had been Obama’s attorney general, to lead an abbreviated vice-presidential vetting process. Reporting indicates that the five people being vetted are Governors Cooper, Shapiro, Walz, and Whitmer, and Senator Kelly.

In other news, yesterday Senator Menendez defied my expectations and filed his resignation letter, indicating he will step down on August 20th. Governor Murphy is expected to name an interim replacement, which appears unlikely to be Representative Kim, the Democratic nominee for this fall’s election (recalling that Kim’s main opponent in the primary had been Murphy’s wife).

And in the humor department, today New York filed its brief with SCOTUS opposing a motion that Missouri filed earlier this month on the Court’s original jurisdiction docket (for disputes between sovereign states), in which Missouri sought a stay until after the election of both the sentencing in New York v. Trump and the remaining gag order conditions on Trump. Missouri’s political stunt involving the original jurisdiction docket is reminiscent of something that Texas tried, without success, back in December 2020. Maybe it’s an encouraging sign that this time only 4 states signed on as amici in support of Missouri.