Hello, and welcome to another edition of the Byron York Show, the No-Chit-Chap Podcast.

We like to get right into it, and what we're getting into today is, on COVID, Joe Biden

is leading from behind.

Remember that great phrase from the Obama administration leading from behind?

Now, the White House briefing room on Wednesday was dominated by one question.

Is the Biden administration falling behind in dealing with COVID?

Are the states now the leaders in dealing with COVID?

And this question was unspoken.

Is President Joe Biden irrelevant in all of this?

Now, the reason we're hearing these questions is because in the past few days, several big

states led by Democrats, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, California, Connecticut, Oregon,

others, have moved away from mask mandates, both in public

places and in schools.

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy says, people are frustrated.

There's learning loss in our kids' mental health and stress among kids and adults.

Folks are yearning for some sense of normalcy and count me, by the way, among them.

Okay, that is the Democratic Governor of New Jersey, Phil Murphy.

Now, obviously, Republican leaders like Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have been there

for a long time.

And they often were the subject of vitriolic attacks from Democrats.

But now, with the number of Omicron cases plunging, Democrats are racing for the exits

of COVID policy.

...