In early 1999 Delaware Senator Joe Biden had absolutely no problem ensuring that then-President Bill Clinton would remain president of the United States, despite the latter being guilty of a felony.

After the U.S. House impeachment of Clinton, at the Senate trial, Biden voted twice on the floor to allow Clinton to continue as president. Apparently, he had complete confidence in Clinton’s ability to serve the role. Most Democrat senators agreed with Biden.

Today President Biden is reversing his position as he claims former President Donald Trump is not fit for office as a felon.

It is hypocrisy, just politics, or both.

Clinton and Trump were both involved in sex scandal cases. There is no fundamental difference between Clinton and Trump being guilty of a felony.

Here is the record:

Clinton was the first president guilty of a felony, for perjury

Trump was the second president to be guilty of a felony, for falsifying business records

Clinton pleaded guilty

Trump was found guilty

(Trump, however, has an opportunity to have his case reversed via an appeal and new trial.)

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich led efforts to remove Clinton from the White House. He failed miserably. Voters turned on the Republican Party in the next elections and reduced their majority in Congress. As a result, it was not long before Gingrich resigned as Speaker.

On the other hand, Clinton rose.

In fact, for many, Clinton’s presidency may have ended a golden era in America’s history. During that time, there were no wars, no attacks on American soil, no large number of American deaths due to storms, no high national debt, no Great Recession, and no invasion at the Mexican border. Clinton’s administration balanced budgets, reduced crime, reformed welfare, and we enjoyed an extended period of national prosperity. Compare that to the last 24 years.

Upon his departure from the White House after two terms, Clinton was more popular than any of his successors at a similar point in time. Clinton’s felony meant nothing to the American people.

Today, under the Biden administration, we are living in precarious times thanks at least partially to distractions.

Every day we wake up we are thankful – but would not be surprised – if China invaded Taiwan, and if Russia used tactical nuclear weapons against Ukraine. In the Middle East Biden is not faring well either. He claimed that Israel’s leadership had agreed to a peace plan when they had not. I would say that is troubling on many levels.

It seems like the liberal media will protect Biden from being exposed to any domestic crisis. Remember, only Fox News has reported nightly on the invasion at the Mexican border.

There is one exception that even the liberal media cannot remedy for Biden – our economy. Americans know what they feel. They live with inflation, high gas prices, and the inability to buy a house due to high interest rates. Yet here too, it took months before the liberal media conceded this fact (some still insist everything is great).

From an economic perspective, no one would truly be surprised if the bubble burst – the stock market is around 40,000.

The national debt of $34 trillion is unsustainable with no strong actions being taken to improve matters. Servicing our national debt, if left unaddressed, will ultimately cripple us. Our continuation of deficit spending cannot continue either. We cannot continue to borrow $1.75 to buy that gourmet cup of coffee for $6.25. In short, we cannot continue to defy the laws of economics, logic or simple math. Granted, Trump and all the presidents after Clinton contributed to this mess. But the question is: Who can best fix it?

When Democrats cannot win on the issues important to Americans, they quickly turn to distractions. In frustration, they throw everything against the wall hoping that something will stick. It would be comical if it were not so diabolical. I have personally seen and experienced it during my political career.

Imagine, in all four of my elections for Congress, my family had to wake up and see the same bull manure ads costing millions of dollars, and all basically with the same message.

For the repeated campaign strategy of my Democratic opponents, I was the young Black millionaire slumlord. In television ads Democrats showed roaches, mice, rats running across the TV screen. I never responded. My family and friends saw them as racist ads, but I refused to use the “race card.” I felt it was more a reflection on my opponents.

I won three of the four elections. When I lost at age 43, it was due to a bad vote on partial birth abortions. And I was fine with that.

(For the record, after intense scrutiny the media never confirmed their allegations.)

The winner’s brother on the other hand was indicted on 17 charges of election violations that could have sent him to jail for 17 years with a fine of $1.7 million. It was serious. But he pleaded guilty for a much lesser penalty and claimed his politician brother, Rep. Jim Maloney, had nothing to do with his crimes.

For me, I only talked about the issues, my vision and achievements. Even as the nation’s first Black conservative elected to Congress in one of the most liberal states in the union, my constituents responded fairly.

I believe if Trump would focus on the same – the issues and his vision – and contrast that with Biden’s, while reminding voters of his record and past achievements, he will prevail.

For the moment Trump, thanks to the Democrats, has united Republicans and has even caused some independents to think twice.

If he gets into the mud with Democrats – spouting hate, seeking retribution, and focusing on his plight – he will lose.

Trump and his allies must remember, it is “love of country, not hate of Democrats” that the people are looking to see.

Gary Franks served three terms as U.S. representative for Connecticut’s 5th District. He was the first Black Republican elected to the House in nearly 60 years and New England’s first Black member of the House. Host: podcast “We Speak Frankly.” Author:@GaryFranks/ Tribune News Service