Write A Caption: Joe Biden Edition

Guys, who wants to race me to the showers?

Why Does the White House Let Joe Biden Out in Public?

Our less than wise Vice-President said this at a reception.

"You can't tell Barack that the teleprompter's down. The standing joke in the office is Barack's learning to speak without a teleprompter; I'm learning to speak with one."

After Dick Cheney it is reassuring we have gone back to the tradition of idiotic vice-presidents. I am just amazed that the White House political team hasn't gotten Biden under control. This is the same Biden that didn't even know what state or university he was campaigning in.

Quote of the Day

"Now, I love John McCain — I just went out to do an event for him. We used to be close friends, and we’re trying to get that back a little bit. Campaigns have a way of causing those things to wane…. But here’s where we are with regard to Syria: With all the credibility we’ve gained in the world, we don’t want to blow it like the last administration did in Iraq, saying “weapons of mass destruction."

Vice President Joe Biden

Usually Biden puts his foot in his foot. This time he says something wise. The Obama administration needs to have solid intelligence on Iran's nuclear program. The decision should not be made on flimsy intelligence or political calculations.

Quote Of the Day

"Joe Biden Debuts New Official Portrait, Sans Schlitz Malt Liquor Bottle."

Josh Marshall, on Twitter.

The official Joe Bidden profile.

Biden: "Buy A Shotgun, Buy A Shotgun"

Republican political consultant Rick Wilson tweeted me that Vice-President Joe Biden is beyond parody. I'm afraid I have to agree. If Biden is going to be President Obama's point man on gun control, he shouldn't start urging people to shoot guns if they think they hear something spooky.

Joe Biden on 'Mitch Romney'

I love Joe Biden and his gaffes. It is nice to know where we are back to the days of vice-presidents making presidents look good. The days of Dick Cheney... well, you know.

Obama 'Today is Election Day in Florida' Ad

President Barack Obama, Vice-President Joe Biden and First Lady Michelle Obama urge people in Florida to go out and vote. Early voting has started today. You can go to Gotta Vote to find out where you can cast your ballot.

Joe Biden: Great Orator

Jodi Kantor's book "The Obamas" contains this funny moment.

Initially, Barack had tuned out the presidential talk, too. But he was just as disappointed with the U.S. Senate as he had been with the state senate – he had gone to Washington to do big things, but he was a junior member of a slow, rule-bound, Republican-controlled body. “Shoot. Me. Now.” he wrote to an aide, in the middle of a particularly long-winded oration. (The speaker was Senator Joe Biden.)

Why did Obama pick Biden to be his Vice-President?

Joe Biden Doesn't Know Who Van Jones Is

Joe Biden is hysterical. I just hope he never becomes president. Biden talked to Tampa's WFLA radio. The Vice-President was asked about the Occupy Wall Street movement and Van Jones. As you may remember, Jones had to leave the Obama administration after Glenn Beck's relentless attacks. Apparently, Biden didn't know that Jones was the green jobs czar in the White House.

Biden continued, "And so, you have on the one end Van Jones' guys, whoever he is, talking about Wall Street." The hosts then interrupted the vice president to inform him of Jones' former role in the Obama administration, to which Biden replied, "Oh is that...alright."

I don't expect the Vice-President to know all of the many people that work in the White House. I do expect Biden to know Van Jones, considering how the uproar from the Right for Jones' resignation was enormous. Obviously, I expected too much.

Quote of the Day

"High on list of things I'm looking forward to in 2012 presidential race: VP debates between Joe Biden and Marco Rubio."

Daniel Tilson, on Twitter.

The level of stupidity during that debate will be staggering.

DEM Senators Letter to Biden

Democratic senators Bill Nelson, Sherrod Brown, Ben Cardin, Claire McCaskill and Jon Tester have sent a letter to Vice-President Joe Biden. In the letter, the senators say that the Paul Ryan plan to turn Medicare into a voucher program should not be included in any budget deal. Biden is involved in budget negotiations with Congressional Republicans. Biden has been open to cuts in Medicare. The senators are urging Biden to walk back his previous position.

All the Senators that signed the letter are up for re-election. The letter is good politics for them. It also means that if the senators stick to their position the Obama administration won't be able to cave in the the Republicans.

Scott Powers Trapped in the Closet

The member of Joe Biden's who had Orlando Sentinel political reporter Scott Powers wait in a closet should be fired. The Biden staffer did not want Powers to mingle with the donors at a Bill Nelson fundraiser. The Biden staffer's over-zealousness into a PR disaster for Biden. To add insult to injury, Powers is scheduled to appear on Good Morning America to speak about the closet incident.

Gov. Rick Scott chased off the media from a Lincoln Day Dinner. Powers was selected as the pool reporter for the Nelson fundraiser. Translation: a pool reporter is the only media member selected for an elected. Both these actions are the result of Scott and Biden staffers not wanting the media record their bosses kissing the asses of powerful political contributors. Elected leaders are terrified that the Americans will realize both major parties do not govern for the needs of the America people. What these out of touch pols fail to understand is that people are already clued in.

Joe Biden Slide Show

The Onion has created a bogus Joe Biden slide show. The last image is my favorite.

Bizarre Obama Administration GOTV Strategy

Vice-President Joe Biden was at a fundraiser in New Hampshire. Biden literally told Democrats to "stop whining."

Democrats should "remind our base constituency to stop whining and get out there and look for alternatives," Biden said, echoing the message this fall.

The Obama administration have been relentless in attacking the base. Obama attacked the base at a recent fundraiser. The CNN story suggests the Obama political team is using these attacks as part of their 2010 strategy. As I said in a previous post, progressives are not viewed by Team Obama as part of their base. This strategy is staggeringly stupid. It does make clear where Team Obama's stands with their own base.

Quote of the Day 2

"I root for the Flyers, or I sleep alone."

Vice-President Joe Biden

BFD

Vice-President was overheard by the media tell President Barack Obama that the passage of the health care bill was a "big fucking deal." The Democratic National Committee and Organizing For America is using Biden's verbal gaffe as a fundraising T-shirt. DNC spokesman Brad Woodhouse explained the reasoning to CNN.

"Health reform is a huge and historic deal that will benefit American families and small businesses," Woodhouse said. "We and our supporters agree with the Vice President – health reform is a big bleeping deal."

Biden forgot to add the bleep.

Arianna Huffington Asks Joe Biden to Resign

Arianna Huffington tells Ron Reagan of Air America that Vice-President Joe Biden should resign in protest of U.S. troop increases to Afghanistan. Biden's opposition to Gen. Stanley McChrystal's 40,000 troop request earned him a Newsweek cover story. There was a fascinating exchange in the White House.

Joe Biden had a question. During a long Sunday meeting with President Obama and top national-security advisers on Sept. 13, the VP interjected, "Can I just clarify a factual point? How much will we spend this year on Afghanistan?" Someone provided the figure: $65 billion. "And how much will we spend on Pakistan?" Another figure was supplied: $2.25 billion. "Well, by my calculations that's a 30-to-1 ratio in favor of Afghanistan. So I have a question. Al Qaeda is almost all in Pakistan, and Pakistan has nuclear weapons. And yet for every dollar we're spending in Pakistan, we're spending $30 in Afghanistan. Does that make strategic sense?" The White House Situation Room fell silent. But the questions had their desired effect: those gathered began putting more thought into Pakistan as the key theater in the region.

U.S. forces have pushed al-Qaeda into Pakistan. CBS News cheir foreign correspondant Lara Logan said Afghanistan is the spiritual home of al-Qaeda. The Taliban is intent on taking back Afghanistan. The Taliban will allow al-Qaeda to set up safe havens in Afghanistan. Logan states the Afghanistan government is too unstable to fight al-Qaeda. The questions about President Hamid Karzai's future also cloud matters. Members of the White House, leaked to the media, that they have lost confidence in Karzai. So far, the White House has not called for Karzai to publicly step down.

Biden is right about Pakistan. The Swat Valley has become an international human rights crisis. The Pakistani people were divided over the Taliban. The cruelity displayed by the Taliban turned the Pakistani people. President Barack Obama just signed a $7.5 billion aid bill for Pakistan. What the longterm policy for Pakistan is uncertain. The United States is launching predator drone attacks on terrorist targets.

The issues in Afghanistan and Pakistan demand someone that is willing to challenge the President. Vice-President Biden will do a greater service to his country in office than out. Resigning out of protest would draw headlines. The move would be a one time ploy and Biden would have no voice on policy once he leaves.

Joe Biden Remembers Ted Kennedy

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Vice-President Joe Biden's off-the-cuff words for Ted Kennedy maybe the finest speech of his career. Biden is obviously shaken by the loss of Kennedy.

Remembering Ted Kennedy

Legendary Senator Ted Kennedy finally succumbed in his battle against a brain tumor. His death was announced this morning. Republicans and DEmocrats are mourning the loss of the political giant.

President Barack Obama

"His ideas and ideals are stamped on scores of laws and reflected on millions of lives ... in all who can pursue their dreams in an America that is more equal and more just, including myself," Obama said of the senator, who was a crucial supporter of his presidential campaign.

Vice-President Joe Biden

And, you know, he was never defeatist. He never was petty. Never was petty. He was never small. And in the process of his doing, he made everybody he worked with bigger; both his adversaries as well as his allies. Don't you find it remarkable that one of the most partisan, liberal men in the last century serving in the Senate had so many of his -- so many of his foes embrace him because they know he made them bigger? He made them more graceful by the way in which he conducted himself.

John McCain

"Ted Kennedy had this unique way of doing hand-to-hand combat on the floor of the Senate," McCain said on CNN. "And as soon as we stopped our speechmaking, he'd come over and put his arm around you and make everybody appreciate that we had our differences, politically, but personally we could be friends and work together as colleagues and friends for the good of the country."

"Probably the most overrated aspect of the United States Senate is that people keep their word," added McCain, who worked with Kennedy on immigration overhaul, education, and other issues. "Ted Kennedy always kept his word. He would keep his word to the point where he would vote against his positions in order to preserve a carefully crafted compromise."

Robert Byrd

In his honor and as a tribute to his commitment to his ideals, let us stop the shouting and name calling and have a civilized debate on health care reform which I hope, when legislation has been signed into law, will bear his name for his commitment to insuring the health of every American.

Orrin Hatch

"Today America lost a great elder statesman, a committed public servant, and leader of the Senate. And today I lost a treasured friend."

A humorous Joe Klein story involving Hunter Thompson.

A few months later, I was back at Ethel Kennedy's house — living there as the deputy to Richard Goodwin, the J.F.K. speechwriter who had been tapped as the Rolling Stone Washington bureau chief. On July 4 weekend, Hunter Thompson showed up, and I don't remember much else after that, except that a fair number of Ethel's children were involved. Word spread quickly, as word will do in Washington. That Monday, by coincidence, I had an appointment with Kennedy to talk about a story I was working on, and he said, "Joe, before we get started, can I ask you something off the record?" I said sure, and he continued. "What on earth is happening at that house?"

"Why nothing, Senator," I said, summoning all the false gravity in my tiny arsenal. He smiled, raised an eyebrow. "O.K., O.K.," he said. "I asked."

The Beer Summit

"Americans are the best entertained and quite likely the least-informed people in the Western world."

Neil Postman

The hype over the Beer Summit drove me crazy today. The media played it up. MSNBC ran a Beer Summit countdown. America has two wars and a health care crisis. The media is more focused on theatre than their original role of investigate reporting.

President Obama, Vice-President Biden, Sgt. Jim Crowley and Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. sitting around a table does not make fascinating television. Josh Gerstein of Politico ran the headline "'Beer summit' letdown." The event was set up for Gates and Crowley to work out their differences and simmer down racial hostilities that the media was too happy to play up.

The American public would be more inform if cable news and talk radio died. Imagine people actually reading the news again. Better informed citizens make a better country. Current cable news is a hybrid of public access televsion and professional wrestling. It should be no shock there are people who believe the government attacked the World Trade Center towers and Pentagon. The current birthers are an extension of the ignorance Lou Dobbs and Rush Limbaugh spiel at the public.