Biden Urges Americans to Blame Rising Prices on Putin. Many Do, for Now.

Ronna McDaniel, the chairwoman of the Republican National Committee, accused the Biden administration on Thursday of refusing to take responsibility for rising costs.

“Prices continue to skyrocket under Biden and Democrats’ reckless policies,” Ms. McDaniel said in a statement. “Biden’s attempt to deflect blame is an insult to every American and small-business owner struggling to afford the cost of everyday goods.”

Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, told reporters on Thursday that there was “no question that inflation may be higher for the next few months than it would have been” without the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and that the administration’s focus would be to mitigate the long-term effects of rising costs.

Democratic strategists pointed out that much of the criticism of Mr. Biden from Republicans is that he has not done even more to confront Russia. The president has repeatedly said he is unwilling to send American troops into Ukraine, and the United States declined this week to take fighter jets from Poland and station them at an American air base for eventual use in Ukraine.

Each decision Mr. Biden is making, the strategists from his party argue, is rooted in strategic decision making, not political calculation.

“Being in the situation he’s in carries a kind of political freedom,” said David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to President Barack Obama. “Virtually every indicator is working against him relative to these midterm elections, and many of them are beyond anyone’s control. The best service that he can perform for himself, for Democrats, is to be intrepid and as strong and as honest as he can be about the situation we’re in.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/10/us/politics/biden-putin-inflation.html