That may not be CNNs headline, but our headline certainly reflects the context of their report. Not long after Joe Biden's press conference wrapped up, Jeff Zeleny told Anderson Cooper immediately afterward that Biden's return to fitful semi-coherence would not move the ball in one direction or the other among Democrats. He had a better command of the facts, Zeleny noted, but his sources on Capitol Hill told him that Biden had done nothing to ease their concerns:

ZELENY: Anderson, there's no doubt that he has a command of these issues, something that he has dealt with really for decades, but that really wasn't the overall purpose of the press conference. Just talking to a senior Democratic adviser who is in close touch with many Hill Democrats tells me this. I don't think anyone from the Hill is going to stand down after this.

Both David Chalian and Manu Raju agreed. Raju's Democrat sources told him in real time that Biden's tired and rambling performance didn't cut it at all:

RAJU: Yes, there's signs that those calls for him to step aside are not going to go away despite what Democrats say was a better performance, of course, than the debate from two weeks ago. In fact, just moments ago, right after this press conference ended, Jim Himes, who is a top Democrat, on the House Intelligence Committee just put out a statement calling on Joe Biden to step aside from this race. He writes in a statement, Anderson, he says that he praises Joe Biden's legacy, his record. He says, "It's because of those traits and in consideration of that legacy that I hope President Biden will step away from the presidential campaign." He goes on to say that the 2024 election will define the future of American democracy, and they must put forth the strongest candidate possible to confront the threat posed by Trump's promised MAGA authoritarianism.

So that is in line with what I've been hearing going in to this press conference.

 Two hours later, Zeleny partnered with CNN reporter Edward-Isaac Dovere to report that Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi are considering an intervention to force Biden to withdraw. And that Democrats may be getting as tired of their Hamlet dithering as they are of Biden's denials:

Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi have spoken privately about Joe Biden and the future of his 2024 campaign. Both the former president and ex-speaker expressed concerns about how much harder they think it’s become for the president to beat Donald Trump. Neither is quite sure what to do.

Democrats are desperate for the dispiriting infighting to end so they can get back to trying to beat the former president. And they’re begging either Obama or Pelosi to help them get there, aware that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer doesn’t have the trust of Biden and that House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries doesn’t have the depth of relationship to deliver the message.

CNN spoke with more than a dozen members of Congress, operatives and multiple people in touch with both Obama and Pelosi, many of whom say that the end for Biden’s candidacy feels clear and at this point it’s just a matter of how it plays out, even after Thursday night’s news conference.

And if those two feel otherwise, several leading Democrats say, they need to say that clearly as soon as possible before even more damage is done less than four months before the election.

This may put a new light on Morning Joe's question of Obama interference in muh democracy. Did Obama already try to convince Biden to withdraw? If so, did Biden officials leak that to MSNBC and others in an attempt to brush back Obama and his clique? 

Obama and Pelosi arguably have the most personal influence in the Democrat establishment with Biden. If they've pushed and he's pushed back, then there may not be anyone else who can convince Biden that he's not the smartest guy in the room any longer, if he ever was in the first place. But Axios reports this morning that other Democrats are organizing to try anyway, in a coalition that Axios names "The Committee to Un-Elect The President."

It looks like a committee of the whole, in parliamentary terms, with one exception:

The committee includes:

1. Former Obama aides: The strained relationship between Obama and Biden extends to their former aides, including David Axelrod (Obama's ruthlessly pragmatic chief strategist) and the influential "Pod Save America" guys. Biden has reportedly called Axelrod a "prick," and threw shade at him — "Oh! You're kidding" — during Monday's call-in on "Morning Joe." The pod guys — Obama alumni Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Tommy Vietor and Dan Pfeiffer — have irritated Biden's camp by arguing for a new candidate. Lovett writes that it's "hard to deny that in the two weeks since the debate, it's the arrogant and small Joe Biden we've seen most."
2. Former Clinton advisers: Carville, appearing all over the cable dial, says unsparingly that a new candidate is inevitable, whether the president admits it or not. Keeping him would be "an idiotic choice for the future of this country," Carville told Anderson Cooper on CNN.
3. Elected Dems: Massive pressure is building from rank-and-file members of the Democratic caucus. One Democratic senator (Peter Welch of Vermont) and 17 House Democrats have publicly called for Biden to drop out. Scores more are furious at the White House for pushing them to support a president they view as unelectable.

So the combined establishment -- whence Biden sprang, mind you -- wants him out. The institutional donors want him out too, and made that clear this morning. The only missing demo here is the Congressional Black Caucus, which has vocally remained loyal to Biden. In fact, Rep. Jim Clyburn went on the Today show this morning to reaffirm his endorsement:

Seventeen members of Congress have now called on President Joe Biden to stand down from his reelection bid, but a key senior ally — Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) — said Friday morning he's sticking with the incumbent after a steady press conference performance.

"I am all in," Clyburn said on NBC's "Today Show." "I'm riding with Biden no matter which direction he goes, no matter what method he takes. I'm with Joe Biden."

After last night, Biden will assume that the question is settled. If he won't leave voluntarily, there really isn't any way to force him out short of some Deus ex machina device that forces him into withdrawal. Clearly, Democrats want Obama and Pelosi to assume that duty, but unless the DNC decides to shred its rulebook and give 14 million primary voters the finger, they don't have the omnipotence necessary for the Deus ex machina.

So ... pass the popcorn, because the Committee to Un-Elect the President won't stop working until that delegate roll-call vote takes place. 

Finally, I've waited for a couple of days to find an opening to post this clip of George Clooney firing Joe Biden. Team Trump apparently put this together from Up In the Air, an excellent but depressing film from Jason Reitman in which Clooney plays a hatchet-man-for-hire. I played it for Duane Patterson during our Week in Review episode that goes up tonight, but here it is now.

Trump posted this last night on Truth 🤣 pic.twitter.com/uyqr7tJ2Xo

— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) July 11, 2024