by Peter Nicholas
It was a largely somber prime-time news conference, focused on recession and war--except for a moment when President Obama slipped off message and turned his No. 2, Joe Biden, into a punch line.
A reporter asked the president to explain something Biden had said in a recent speech: Even if the White House did everything right in combating the economic downturn, the vice president said he had told Obama, there was still a "30 percent chance we're going to get it wrong."
What exactly did Biden mean by that?
"You know,'' Obama replied Monday night in a light-hearted tone, "I don't remember exactly what Joe was referring to.''
Then, the president added, ``Not surprisingly''--a seeming reference to Biden's well-known gaffes.
Aides say Obama and the vice president eat lunch together once a week. The two men are quick to praise one another in public. But a few episodes suggest the mutual admiration may have its limits.
Speaking at a security conference in Munich last week, Biden made a curious comment about the Obama administration's $800 billion-plus stimulus package. At a time when Obama has made the stimulus his central focus, when he is racing around the country staging campaign-style events to build support for the plan, Biden referred to it as "our so-called stimulus package.''
That is not the sort of talking point the White House is putting out these days.
Obama and Biden's rapport seems to be a work in progress. The president could barely conceal his annoyance last month when Biden attempted a joke at the expense of Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr.
In giving Obama the oath, Roberts had stumbled over the words.
The following day, Biden had a forgetful moment while swearing in some Obama administration officials.
"My memory is not as good as Justice Roberts,'' Biden said.
At that, Obama reached out his arm, as if to grab Biden and choke off any more quips.
A foreshadow of presidential impatience came during the campaign. In October, Biden warned that if Obama went on to win the election, he would face a severe test from hostile interests within six months.
Obama tried to defuse the warning.
"I think Joe sometimes engages in rhetorical flourishes,'' he said.
Nothing in the Constitution says the president and vice president have to get along. In 1960, then-President Eisenhower was asked to cite an idea adopted by his administration that had come from his vice president, Richard Nixon. At the time, Nixon was running for president. Eisenhower said "If you give me a week, I might think of one.''
Comments
In any given speech there's a 30% chance Biden is going t get it wrong and say something the President will then have to explain.
Posted by: ornery | February 10, 2009 8:30 AM
While I know this, to coin a post by one of the rabid, sends a tingle up the legs of the right, I will take a gaff over an arrogant fool who would answer "so" to a question about the fact that most Americans now see his war a mistake. Arrogance is the rally cry of the right.
Posted by: bill r. | February 10, 2009 8:40 AM
Jon Stewart of the Daily Show played a clip of Biden making that crack about Roberts and Obama's reaction and said: "This is what President Obama's STFU face looks like."
Absolutey hilarious.
Posted by: Doug Zook | February 10, 2009 8:48 AM
Obama is very, very thin-skinned. And it shows. That was a petulant, immature remark. It was disgraceful to treat your VP that way.
Then again, this was Obama. He treats everyone not currently of use to him that way.
Posted by: Liz | February 10, 2009 10:02 AM
Washington DC has their idiot, Biden and Chicago has theirs, Mayor Daley.
Posted by: Denny Crane | February 10, 2009 10:36 AM
"There's Chuck. Stand-up Chuck, let'em see you...God love ya, what am I talking about."
Joe Biden - America's comic relief. God love 'ya Joe!
Posted by: Chris | February 10, 2009 10:52 AM
Is anyone still wondering why he didn't pick Hillary? This should be proof positive of why if they are. Obama's enormous ego cannot stand to have a nearly-equal subordinate around. The way that he belittles Biden is an expression of that insecurity.
Posted by: Jeff | February 10, 2009 11:16 AM
President Obama showed me something that I haven't seen in a long time when he teased about Biden. He showed a President with a sense of humor and one that would admit he and his team are not perfect. No excuses.
Posted by: melodylane | February 10, 2009 12:08 PM
"President Obama showed me something that I haven't seen in a long time when he teased about Biden. He showed a President with a sense of humor and one that would admit he and his team are not perfect. No excuses"
So now their flaws and weaknesses are strengths? That's the very essence of kool aid drinking blind adoration.
Posted by: Matt | February 10, 2009 12:18 PM
Everyone's reading too much into these remarks. Let them be so we can get this country moving again.
Posted by: neil | February 10, 2009 12:21 PM
This is great! Biden's loose mouth; Obama's arrogance. And we're only a couple of weeks in!
Posted by: No-bama | February 10, 2009 12:29 PM
> So now their flaws and weaknesses are strengths?
Admitting flaws and weaknesses is indeed a strength.
Posted by: Dave | February 10, 2009 12:33 PM
> So now their flaws and weaknesses are strengths?
Admitting flaws and weaknesses is indeed a strength.
Posted by: Dave | February 10, 2009 12:33 PM
Absolutely Dave. From the party who self admittedly made no mistakes, it is refreshing to know adults have returned. Do they accept blame for the mess they left us? No...their hands are clean.
Posted by: bill r. | February 10, 2009 1:03 PM
> So now their flaws and weaknesses are strengths?
Admitting flaws and weaknesses is indeed a strength.
Posted by: Dave | February 10, 2009 12:33 PM
Absolutely Dave. From the party who self admittedly made no mistakes, it is refreshing to know adults have returned. Do they accept blame for the mess they left us? No...their hands are clean.
Posted by: bill r. | February 10, 2009 1:03 PM
This will be a recurring theme. I'm still surprised Obama tapped Biden for VP. Obama is a great speaker, who is careful with his words and rarely backs himself into a corner. Then you have Biden, who seems like a decent guy, but was born with a foot in his mouth. Obama should start "vetting" Biden's speeches. Until then, get used of hearing Obama say "I think what Joe really meant . . . "
Posted by: Herbie H. | February 10, 2009 2:05 PM
Jon Stewart of the Daily Show played a clip of Biden making that crack about Roberts and Obama's reaction and said: "This is what President Obama's STFU face looks like."
Absolutey hilarious.
Posted by: Doug Zook | February 10, 2009 5:42 PM
Liz, you really need to chill or something.
Obama is about as thick skinned as it comes.
He never would have made it through some of those ethnic neighborhoods on the South Side of Chicago back in the early 80's otherwise.
You need some new talking points or something.
Posted by: ornery | February 10, 2009 6:11 PM
HH, I think the reason Biden was picked was that the campaign was in a bit of a panic mode, because of the Georgia situation, and Biden was thought to provided the "foreign policy gravitas" that was perceived to be needed at the moment. Had it not been for Georgia, I think someone else would be VP, like the Virginia Gov.
I wouldn't rule out Biden being a one - term VP.
Posted by: ornery | February 10, 2009 6:46 PM