Hurricane Helene has wrought deadly and destructive havoc across the South and Appalachia, killing dozens and doing billions in property damage. Fast on Helene’s heels, we now have another disaster hitting the U.S.: The longshoreman strike that now threatens to shut down much of the U.S. economy.

And very conspicuously, Joe Biden did nothing about it. No jawboning. No ideas. No attempt to cool tempers and bridge differences to get a deal. Apparently Biden’s leaving it to others as he whiles away the remainder of his only term as president at his beloved Rehoboth Beach vacation home.

Kind of like his administration’s reaction to the devastation from Hurricane Helene, the second-deadliest hurricane of this century. A complete failure.

As for the port shutdown, Biden as president has the authority and political clout to help mediate a dangerous strike that has both economic and national security implications. But he did nothing to stop the potentially devastating walkout. He apparently has left it in the hands of anonymous aides and incompetent Cabinet members to deal with the mess.

They are failing spectacularly. Yes, Biden did nothing. Nor did Vice President Kamala Harris, a likely preview of what’s in store if she becomes president. How about Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg? Is he on a second paternity leave? If not, why has he done zip about this?

How about Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo? Don’t the nation’s ports have something to do with “commerce”?

Here was her response when asked about it in a television interview. “I have not been focused on that,” she said in a CNBC interview, in which she was appearing as a campaign “surrogate” for Harris.

“Not been focused”? Is that a sick joke? That’s her job. No, instead of doing her job, she’s chosen instead to join Harris’ election campaign, while still being paid by public tax dollars. By the way, the strike could cripple our economy, costing by some estimates as much as $4.5 billion a day.

Yet, as a surrogate for Harris, Raimondo in an MSNBC interview called for Donald Trump to be “extinguished for good.” By using those words, she was in essence calling for Trump to be killed. With Trump having had two serious assassination attempts in the last two months, such comments can only be thought to invite another mentally unstable leftist to have another try.

In her words you can see the burning, irrational hatred that the deranged left has for Trump — and by extension, his “deplorable” supporters (who happen to live in the areas most affected by the hurricane, and who will also bear the brunt of the strike).

And right now, their votes might be all that’s standing in the way of absolute, one-party rule for the Democrats.

Raimondo’s words seem to reflect the Democrats’ new modus operandi: whip up hate, let the country go to Hell, and count on all the reliable media’s lefty bootlickers to make excuses for your failures and incompetence. Then seize even more power.

It’s all about power, not good governance. In Raimondo’s case, she should be fired forthwith for her dereliction. But, of course, she won’t be. And neither will any of the rest of the do-nothings in the Biden administration.

Which is an enormous problem.

Right now we face serious threats to global stability and the U.S.’ leadership: China’s threats against Taiwan and its other neighbors. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and its bullying of Eastern Europe. Iran’s nuclear threat, which grows by the day, and its continued use of terrorist proxies such as Hamas and Hezbollah to further its goal of becoming a global nuclear power.

Domestically, Americans must reckon with continued surges in out-of-control illegal immigration, along with threats to their constitutional rights to free speech, freedom of religion, and the right to bear arms.

Add to that runaway inflation, soaring housing and energy costs, an explosion in federal spending that has pushed U.S. total debt well beyond the once-unthinkable level of $30 trillion, a surge in crime, elevated drug deaths, and awful schools, to name just a few of the problems we’ve seen worsen under the Biden administration.

Biden held the reins of power in his hands for almost three years and failed miserably. Now, as he dodders off into the sunset, we’re seeing his “Cabinet,” which has met once in the last 11 months, fail at its job, too.

We’d call this a clown show, but after a clown show most people laugh. This isn’t funny at all.

The level of incompetence in this administration, from the top down, is stunning. It’s almost as if it’s trying to fail. America, only you can fix this. At the ballot box.

— Written by the I&I Editorial Board