JOE BIDEN: FOREIGN POLICY FOR POLITICAL GAIN. It’s obvious that a midterm election loss would be devastating for President Joe Biden. Even if Republicans only win control of the House of Representatives, whatever remains of a Biden legislative agenda, if there is such a thing, will be instantly dead. If the GOP also wins control of the Senate, even narrowly, Biden’s ability to win confirmation for his judicial and other nominees will be greatly diminished. So while the president and the leaders of the Democratic Party want to appear cool and confident about the elections, there is more than a little desperation behind the scenes.

That’s the backdrop to the Biden White House’s dealings with Saudi Arabia and other oil-producing nations. The president is angry at the Saudis for cutting production, which will raise politically sensitive gas prices and thus hurt Democratic chances in the final weeks before the midterm elections. And now we learn the administration pushed the Saudis to put off their decision for a month — just long enough so that it would have little or no effect on the elections. And now that the Saudis have refused, Biden and other Democrats are talking about punishing Saudi Arabia.