In the sappiest of sappy interviews, outgoing vice president Joe Biden looks back, and forward. ‘I Wish to Hell I’d Just Kept Saying the Exact Same Thing’ says Biden in a New York Times interview.
The title is cryptic but it pertains to a speech Biden gave in July that he wishes he repeated more often instead of attacking Trump.
Biden is afflicted with guilt and worry.
- About not talking about what Hillary would do, instead of blasting Trump.
- About not running for president himself. He thinks he would have won.
- About affordable health care. “I’m not prepared to bet my granddaughter’s college tuition, but it’s less likely to be undone than frayed on the edges,” moans Biden.
- About the nonsensical prospect of Vladimir Putin fulfilling his dream of re-establishing Russian hegemony over Eastern Europe.
- About Syria.
- About the glass ceiling and the failure of the first black president to pass the baton to the first female president.
If that’s is not enough sap for you, Biden says “I’ll run” in 2020 “if I can walk.”
Biden did offer this tidbit on Trump ‘It’s like a rubik’s cube trying to figure this guy out. We have no freakin’ idea what he’s gonna do.’
The sap concluded …
After Air Force Two touched down on the tarmac in Wilmington, I asked him about a line he liked to use before the election. “So do you still believe what your grandfather said, that God looks out for drunken Irishmen and the United States of America?” Biden said he wasn’t sure about the Irishmen, but he was about the country. “I have to believe that,” he said. “There’s no sense being in this business unless you’re an optimist.
Unknown vs. Known
Although we do not know what Trump will do, we likely do know what Hillary would have done, and nearly all of it bad, especially on the warmongering front.
I would rather deal with the unknown. Trump is likely to get at least some things right, and Russia appears to be one of them.
Mike “Mish” Shedlock
“About not running for president himself. He thinks he would have won.”
A good joke!
“Although we do not know what Trump will do, we likely do know what Hillary would have done, and nearly all of it bad, especially on the warmongering front.”
Exactly. That is why in my case it was always Anybody but Hillary, so Trump was an easy choice. I am glad enough Americans felt the same for Trump to win.
ROFLMAO: Oh yeah Joe. Do please run. But don’t announce so early. I want Trump working hard at making that Trump magic. If he knows you’re going to run he could just sit on his arse cause beating Speshul Joe the Tard aint’ gonna be hard.
If you believe what you said, I’ve got a bridge to sell you. Trump has no clue about running a country. he has said he would use tactical nukes. The country will survive. There has never been a guarantee that we go forward in a positive direction. We have made a U turn
Well, so far liberal progressives & the MSM have a perfect record for being 100% wrong when it comes to Trump. And the ‘worst’ thing he & the Russians have done, is to tell the American people the truth.
Personally, I’d like more of both.
They have been correct about him lying many, many times. He’s telling you what you want to hear while he picks your pocket.
Never rule out the use of any weapon at your disposal. Then they can never be sure.
If you want peace be totally prepared for war.
Si Vis Pacem Para Bellum
Those who fail to understand this typically lose when the bullets start flying.
I think you misunderstand the term U-turn. It means turning back to the same direction you came from.
“Trump has no clue about running a country.”
Right, a billionaire entrepreneur doesn’t, whereas a community organizer from a crime ridden city and a bankrupt state did?
“Trump has no clue about running a country.”
Right, a billionaire entrepreneur doesn’t whereas a community organizer from a crime ridden city in a state that’s bankrupt largely because of that city did? Sure…
little known fact: We were at DEFCON 3 pre-election while Hillary appeared to be a shoe in. once Trump won the threat of nuclear war dropped immediately to DEFCON 5. clearly, some people with a better finger on the pulse of the risk of war than anyone here, thought Trump was a safer bet than Hillary.
“There has never been a guarantee that we go forward in a positive direction. We have made a U turn”
Dude, in case you’ve slept over the past century and a half, it has, in practice, politically, been a guarantee that we have gone in a negative direction. In an unbroken fashion. And fat chance The Orange Haired One will be the one to UTurn that legacy…
The Trump presidency will definitely be good for relations with Russia. Although instead of picking a fight with Russia he’s going to look for trouble and sour relations with China. I’m not a Hillary supporter, but Trump isn’t much better. I still can’t believe out of 300 million Americans Trump was the best America could select.
‘Twas Trump did the selecting.
Biden is like the crazy uncle that lives in the attic.
He talks a lot but no one pays much attention…
Everybody has a “crazy” Uncle Joe. Some are more dangerous than others.
Jimmy Carter had his brother Billy.
Biden is like the crazy uncle that lives in the attic. He talks a lot but no one pays much attention…
——————————-
Ideal candidate for POTUS, then!
Biden is a numb skull.
Manning debate – Paul Ryuan blasted
Not a single document leaked by Manning was “top secret.” You support every foolish war yet blame a soldier/whistleblower for risking lives.
https://twitter.com/ChaseMadar/status/821552898362474498
No definition of “classified”
United States Army soldier who was convicted by court-martial in July 2013 of violations of the Espionage Act and other offenses after disclosing to WikiLeaks nearly three-quarters of a million classified or unclassified but sensitive military and diplomatic documents.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelsea_Manning
Typical case where two wrongs don’t make a right. He/she should have never leaked the documents, but he shouldn’t have had to either. We know that their is no way for whistle blowers to accomplish ANYTHING within the system and are left but nothing but illegal acts as an alternative to doing nothing. Corrupt from top to bottom. At some point we will all likely be in a similar circumstance.
The one thing I am positive about is that he/she would not have been released if not for the sexual issue. Part of Obama’s legacy is his deference to sexual perversions….not transparency.
I knew what Obama was going to do.
I’m pretty much gobsmacked at everything Trump is doing and the speed he’s moving at. In politics everything is upside down and backwards. Obama promised hope and change. We got status quo. Trump says make America great. Hard to say what’s the opposite of that.
It’s oxymoronic from the get go. As far as countries are concerned, politicians “making” and “great” are logically strictly disjoint. IOW, like “hope and change”, simply mindless feelgood nonsense, to soothe the empty cranial spaces of the dittohead indoctrinati.
Biden is still worried about the deck chairs meanwhile Trump is ready to take the helm of his battlestar and proceed at warp speed.
Said the great Bill Bonner about Joe Biden: “a man who is out of his depth in the bathtub”.
~ Biden also acknowledged at the World Economic Forum in Davos that he’ll hold his post for only another 48 hours, and quipped: “Then I can start to say what I think.”
Better he should just start to think.
https://youtu.be/4ujxVtcymNQ
“Why must you be a smart add?”
~ VP Jie Biden, responding to a question about “lowering our taxes”
Biden strikes me as the court jester of the Obama administration. It will be a relief to watch Biden and Obama walk off into the sunset, never to return to public jobs that have influence over the lives of the American people.
A man best known for his speaking gaffes is going to give VP Dan Quayle a run for his mouth?
Biden can start with a few black racist remarks, insult 7-11 employees, offend the military, and then finish off his introduction by saying that even when you do everything 100% right, there is still a 30% chance you messed up.
And it will only go downhill from there. There is a reason the Obozo administration, with the most captive and friendly press corps imaginable, told Biden to keep quiet.
On technology:
“You know, I’m embarrassed. Do you know the Web site number? I should have it in front of me and I don’t. I’m actually embarrassed.” –Joe Biden, speaking to an aide standing out of view during an interview on CBS’ “Early Show,” in the midst of encouraging viewers to visit a government-run Web site that tracks stimulus spending, Feb. 25, 2009
On people’s names:
“Jill and I had the great honor of standing on that stage, looking across at one of the great justices, Justice Stewart.” –Joe Biden, mistakenly referring to Justice John Paul Stevens, who swore him in as vice president, Washington, D.C., Jan. 20, 2009
Biden’s mastery of finance and dates:
“When the stock market crashed, Franklin D. Roosevelt got on the television and didn’t just talk about the, you know, the princes of greed. He said, ‘Look, here’s what happened.” –Joe Biden, apparently unaware that FDR wasn’t president when the stock market crashed in 1929 and that only experimental TV sets were in use at that time, interview with Katie Couric, Sept. 22, 2008
“Stand up, Chuck, let ’em see ya.” –-Joe Biden, to Missouri state Sen. Chuck Graham, who is in a wheelchair, Columbia, Missouri, Sept. 12, 2008
And the list goes on and on… don’t think Mish’s filter will allow the more off color Biden quotes
[On technology:
“You know, I’m embarrassed. Do you know the Web site number? I should have it in front of me and I don’t. I’m actually embarrassed.” –Joe Biden, speaking to an aide standing out of view during an interview on CBS’ “Early Show,” in the midst of encouraging viewers to visit a government-run Web site that tracks stimulus spending, Feb. 25, 2009]
What’s wrong with this quote? In full context here, it reads like Biden is asking about the stimulus spending amount reported on the web site.
Grandpa JCS…
Bite-me was asking for a “website number” from one of his handlers. He could have asked for the stimulus spending number. He could have asked for the website URI.
Instead Bite-me got a bit confused about that whole “interweb thingy” and made yet another speaking gaffe
If you want to read Bite-me’s remarks “in full context” as you put it — then you should have mentioned that Biden was appearing on that show to encourage Obama supporters to visit the website… not to circumvent it by giving the numbers on TV.
The decision by Obama to keep Biden away from the media as much as possible (despite having a captive media that worshipped Obama’s every move) speaks louder than your excuses. Biden could help muster the democrat troops in Congress, but on TV he was a liability to Obama… and that is why Obama kept Biden out of the press for the last few years.
Now you understand that question to Trump, and the answer is: god does look out for drunken Irishmen.
Uknown vs Known. hmmmm. The devil that you know vs the devil you don’t know who might be better? What is it they say…better the de…..ah screw it.
Hasn’t Biden been a serial failure when running for President? Not sure he would have done any better. Not the smartest either.
If Hillary went a 15 round decision with Bernie Sanders then Biden certainly had a punchers chance to take her out in the primaries but with progressive groupthink the order of the day he might have been afraid of being labeled “anti woman” if he waged a vigorous campaign against HILthebeast.
Hilthebeast could barely muster the energy for a perfunctory campaign this year, no way in 4 years. Biden can fougeddabout a 2020 campaign. He should be grateful to have spent 8 easy years at the second highest position in the land, his epitaph has been drafted.
imo, he looked itching to run in 2015 … but was told to Stand Down by TPTB.
I’m gonna miss old Joe…
http://www.theonion.com/search?q=joe+biden
Age 74.
Yep. This whole topic is (er, should be) a non starter.
Just ANOTHER example of a pol who won’t walk quietly into the sunset … must be carried off kicking and screaming.
I said last summer Trump would win in a landslide. He will win a second term in a similar landslide if he is not assassinated. The democrats are petrified he will transform inner cities and grab not only union workers but the urban vote as well.
I believe his comments toward intelligence agencies are at its political leaders but is being portrayed as on the entire agencies. Hopefully he will make peace with them. His health depends on it.
So many lies to tell.
How to choose which ones to tell.
Who said propaganda was easy.
What a joke…
“The Presidential Medal of Freedom recognizes those people who have made ‘an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors'”.
Biden’s citation. What fluff:
In a career of public service spanning nearly half a century, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. has left his mark on almost every part of our nation fighting for a stronger middle class, a fairer judicial system, and a smarter foreign policy, providing unyielding support for our troops, combating crime and violence against women, leading our quest to cure cancer, and safeguarding the landmark American Recovery and Reinvestment Act from corruption.
With his charm, candor, unabashed optimism and deep and abiding patriotism, Joe Biden has garnered the respect and esteem of colleagues of both parties and the friendship of people across the nation and around the world. While summoning the strength, faith, and grace to overcome great personal tragedy, this son of Scranton, Claymont and Wilmington has become one of the most consequential vice presidents in American history, an accolade that none the less rests firmly behind his legacy as husband, father, and grandfather.
A grateful nation thanks Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. for his lifetime of service on behalf of the United States of America.
Biden did offer this tidbit on Trump ‘It’s like a rubik’s cube trying to figure this guy out. We have no freakin’ idea what he’s gonna do.’
Biden could have said that about Obama. Obama was a big peddler of fiction.
The Davos crowd is probably begging Biden to run and that is hilarious.
The Democrats will dredge up some old hacks for the next election. They may go back to what worked for them and run a young African American women.
Trump is all about business and security. His cabinet is all about business and security. A nations goals are peace and prosperity.
He is an outsider and not a politician. It appears that the Democrats will continue to self immolate and Trump will demolish what is left of them.
Please read the comment section on this BBC ‘journo’s’ post if you want to see the general public’s view about what is Fake news. This kept me fascinated the entire weekend. https://www.facebook.com/JamesLongmanBBC/posts/1865714746992014
Biden might have won. Hillary lost votes in part because of the email scandal, Clinton foundation, health issues. She also gained votes because of her husband and being a woman. Biden was more likable. It boils down to would Biden have gained enough votes in the battleground states? I can’t definitively say yes or no.
Not endorsing him, although I would have preferred him over Hillary. Hillary was the worst.
Seems Biden and O are trying to clean their slate in these last few days.
No way Biden could have won with Russia fixing the vote 😉
What will Trump do? I think the more pertinent question is what can he do? In the two short years in which he has a republican congress, that is. Even then, congress is crammed full of coyotes put there by special interests, whether they be D’s or R’s.
Congress decides how much ends up on Trump’desk. Everybody forgets that. It may end up being his legacy.
What Trump has is what Obama had in that he has a strong grip of the bloody pulpit. No doubt Obama was afforded a much higher approval rating given the media’s sycophantic love, but regardless, when Trump speaks, people listen and they can put pressure on congress. The democrats are n a tough place as they have a bunch coming up for reelection in two years…very vulnerable, so If Trump shows he has some strength, they may have to capitulate in order to win election.
I’m more interested in what Trump can undo. Government has been metastasizing for 200+ years.
Line-item vetoes and Executive Orders come to mind since they would be helpful in outing the neocon fake conservatives.
“The question I get everywhere is: ‘Is American leadership going to continue?’ ” he told me on Air Force Two. If Trump “just stays behind the lines — hands off — it could be very ugly. Very, very ugly.” – Biden (in linked article)
Trump makes the USG stay on the sidelines and the world gets ugly? Seems to me that the world would be much prettier had the USG stayed on the sidelines the past quarter century.
Another serious speaking gaffe that explains why Biden was kept far away from Obama’s adoring media
Too many people in DC have God Complexes.
This blog luckily gets the priorities right.
There is nothing more important than peace, and sleepwalking into a conflict is as bad as it can get. It would be oversimplification to blame the current commander-in-chief. The fact is, he was a community organizer with little experience, and he had his entire cabinet chosen for him before his first election, including Biden.
Contract that to the incoming commander-in-chief.
We do not know how it will evolve, but it is a foregone conclusion how things would have evolved with his opponent.
Babylon is fallen [oops.]
Meanwhile back at Trump Tower, his financial adviser said there may be TWO tax bills. I posted about this on Mish topics previously… apparently they want to pass corporate tax cuts first… then when… IF… they get around to it… they “might” bother with individual tax cuts. In other words, oligarchs first… while Trump’s peasant supporters take a back seat [if they are allowed on the bus at all.]
” Steve Moore: Trump has to focus on the business tax cut
On Wednesday President-elect Donald Trump’s economic advisor Steve Moore said the incoming administration may introduce two separate tax bills to increase chances of prompt Congressional approval.
“I think you may see a business tax cut where you could actually get, I believe, a lot of Democrats especially if you linked that with infrastructure spending then you might leave the second part, which is the broad-based tax reform, for another day,” Moore first reported on FOX Business Network’s Cavuto: Coast-to-Coast. ”
http://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/2017/01/18/steve-moore-to-fbn-expect-two-different-tax-bills-from-trump.html