The life and times of Congress can be confusing for people that don’t follow politics 24/7. We might be thinking different things. For instance, won’t the government shutdown soon unless an agreement can be reached? Sure, but the House of Representatives has more important fish to fry. So, it’s all Hunter Biden all the time.

The hysterics over Hunter come down to three different things. First, he has had a sordid history of abusing drugs in his adult lifetime. Goodness knows what his personal issues are. I’m assuming some of it could be related to losing his mother at a very young age. Some of it could be because he lost his brother to cancer. Maybe he is just one of those people that have an addictive personality.

This is obviously where Joe Biden comes in. The elder Biden is obviously like millions of other American parents. It is the same hard decision they have had to make. If you truly love your child you don’t want to see them suffer and yet you know they likely have to suffer some in order to get better. So, when do the handouts end and the tough love begins? Unfortunately, there isn’t a manual that gives you a simple flow chart you can follow.

The second thing they seem to be focused on is what Hunter Biden did while he was abusing drugs. Apparently, he frequented the company of women of the night. There were lots of pictures and a lot of sordid details. For many with more delicate sensibilities it was disgusting and unsavory. Outside of Nevada and some foreign countries it was also illegal.

Now, unless Joe Biden was also participating I’m not sure what this has to do with the price of whiskey in Ireland. Did he know about it? Again, there is more than enough documentation that the elder Biden knew that his son had a problem. One can only guess how much he knew about the depths of that problem. Did he know about the prostitutes? Maybe. Did he know about the pictures of his son’s genitals? Maybe.

We should keep one basic thought in mind. If two consenting adults take pictures of their exploits they are free to do so. If one releases those pictures without the other’s consent they have committed a crime in most jurisdictions. That is usually what is referred to as revenge porn. It should not matter that the offending party is female. We normally see this behavior from men, but it doesn’t mean that men can’t be victims. So, when someone in Congress broadcasts these photos they are aiding and abetting in a crime.

That brings us to the third consideration and the one that actually has some legs. If we go back to the first premise of drug abusers we go back to the very human desire for parents to shield their children from suffering. Some of that includes financial support and some of it includes using influence to get them breaks and opportunities others may not have. Did Joe Biden use his influence to help his son? I am almost certain that the younger Biden got positions and assistance that someone without his last name wouldn’t get. That by itself isn’t illegal. It is unsavory but it isn’t necessarily illegal.

If Biden primarily solicited favors for his son as a former vice president then he has done nothing illegal.  What makes it illegal is when someone accepts bribes or promises goods and services in exchange for the favor. It also can be very illegal if the person in power promises punishment or harassment if the favor is not given. Anything short of that and this is all a nothing burger. Given that there is no evidence of that then we all know this is a whole lot of nothing. Of course, we all knew that anyway.