Happy Monday! I hope everyone feels refreshed. I got a lot of sleep the past five days so I'm definitely tanned, rested, and ready.
To finish up the days of the week: Saturday comes from the Roman Titan Saturn. The Germanic tribes didn't have any analogue for Saturn, so they just kept the name.
Sunday comes from Sun Day, which was also the Roman name for it:
Old English Sunnandæg 'day of the sun', translation of Latin dies solis . Compare with Dutch zondag and German Sonntag .
I wondered what were the Germanic tribes' names for the day of the week before they adopted the Roman names (or Germanic analogues of the Roman names). I haven't been able to find that. I guess it's very possible they simply had no names for days of the week. If you ever come across that information, please send it my way.
On to the Daily Dose of Demented Brandon:
Brandon's prep includes photographs showing him how to get to the... only podium on the stage.
For his events, President Biden's staffers prepare a short document with large print and photos that include his precise path to a podium, according to an event template the White House sends to staffers.
Why it matters: Since the June 27 debate, some Democrats who've attended and helped set up Biden events have wondered whether his team's focus on minute details were to obscure the 81-year-old president's limitations -- rather than just a reflection of a meticulous staff.
"I staffed a simple fundraiser at a private residence, but they treated it like it was a NATO summit with his movements," according to a person who staffed a Biden event in the past 18 months.
Driving the news: Before a presidential event, the White House sends event staffers a document to emulate when preparing their own materials for the president.
One template -- a copy of which was obtained by Axios -- is short and simple, with one large picture of the event space on each page, accompanied with big text such as: "View from podium," and "View from audience."
In the five-page document, two pages are separate pictures of, "Walk to podium."
The staffer who helped with the fundraiser told Axios: "It surprised me that a seasoned political pro like the president would need detailed verbal and visual instructions on how to enter and exit a room."
A White House official told Axios: "If individuals are not accustomed to seeing advance teams work, that would be a common reaction, whoever the principal is."
Two former aides who worked with Biden during his vice presidency said that at that time his preparation documents were different, and more often relied on site diagrams.
Reality check: Organizing presidential events -- often called "advance work" -- is intensive and detail-focused for every commander-in-chief.
Presidential movements are planned down to every footstep in ways that the movements of a vice president often are not.
Advance documents also have evolved since Biden was vice president, including the increased use of smartphone photographs.
Other prominent principals in the Biden administration use similar methods for plotting his movements, sources told Axios.
Obviously there is more leaking from the White House intended to drive Brandon out of the race.
Biden promises that "Dark Brandon" -- remember that? -- is back, baby!
In other words, he's seeking to appease angry Democrats by promising them a... fascist retribution against enemies of the party.
To save democracy, you know.
President Joe Biden is intensifying his campaign efforts, confidently declaring "Dark Brandon is back," despite facing mounting pressure from senior Democrats to step aside from the 2024 presidential race. This follows his underwhelming debate performance last month, which raised concerns about his ability to lead.
On a private call Sunday afternoon, four senior House Democrats, including Reps. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), Mark Takano (D-Calif.), Joe Morelle (D-N.Y.), and Adam Smith (D-Wash.), urged Biden to withdraw from the race. These lawmakers, all ranking members of key House committees, expressed a need for a change at the top of the Democratic ticket, sources told The Hill. This sentiment echoes that of five other Democratic lawmakers who have publicly called for Biden to step aside.
Despite this internal pressure, Biden remains steadfast. "Let me say this as clearly as I can: I'm the sitting President of the United States. I'm the nominee of the Democratic party. I'm staying in the race," Biden wrote on the social platform X on Friday.
Biden's campaign stops in Pennsylvania on Sunday were aimed at energizing his base and countering concerns about his age and vigor. Jokingly referencing the "Dark Brandon" meme, he assured supporters in Harrisburg that he is still in the fight. "Dark Brandon is coming back," he quipped, aiming to rally his supporters.