by Mark Silva and updated
Vice President Joe Biden told a few jokes on himself last night.
They involved that open-mic expletive of his the other day, at the ceremonial presidential signing of the healthcare overhaul at the Whte House. It was a moment in history, Biden said in his formal remarks introducing President Barack Obama. Then, turning to embrace Obama, Biden told the president: "This is a big (effin') deal.''
Biden, speaking last night at a political fundraiser at the home of Baltimore-based developer David S. Cordish, acknowledged the presence of retired Sen. Paul Sarbanes, a Maryland Democrat.
"I would have never made the faux pas I made the other day if you [Sarbanes] were still around,'' Biden said.
All Biden could think of, after learnng that his effusive expletive was picked up by the open mic at the podium in tthe East Room and broadcast around the world on cable news was, "Thank God my mom's not ..." (the rest of his words were lost to laughter in the room, our pool reporter reports.)
The president was unphased, Biden told his audience last night. At the next morning's presidential briefing, Biden said, Obama remarked: "You know what the best thing about yesterday was? Joe's comment."
The president had tried to have a T-Shirt made with Biden's now-famous phrase emblazoned on the front, Biden said, but he couldn't get one made in time.
Biden told Obama -- or so Biden told his fundraising audience last night -- "If you thought it was so good, why didn't you say it?"
Biden went on, in a serious vein, to explain what a B(F)D winning passage of the healthcare bill really was: "The thing this portends the most is, that this country is capable of handling complex, ideological divisive, consequential issues. If we were unable to move the ball on this issue, not only in the political sense might we be dead... But in terms of being able to deal with other major issues on our plate, we would've been done. Absolutely done.''
(White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, asked en route to Iowa City today aboard Air Force One if the president share's Biden's assessment about being "done'' if the healthcare bill had not passed, said with a smile: "I think health care was a big deal.'')
""What happened two days ago represents fundamental change in an incredibly, incredibly difficult political environmentt,'' Biden said. adding to applause in the room that "reports of the demise of the Democratic Party in November are premature...
"The ace we have in our pocket is the Republican Party,'' the vice president said. "The Republicans concluded that their success lies in our failure." (Republicans, for their part, are already out raising their own campaign funds with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as a targe and Biden's own words as a fundraising booster.)
About 60 people attended the fundraiser at Cordish's home in Lutherville north of Baltimore -- Cordish's company helped reshape Baltimore's Inner Harbor and has been responsible for other developments around the nation. Ticket prices started at $2,500 per person. The menu included grilled vegetables, saffron infused rice, seafood Newberg with jumbo shrimp, fresh lobster, crab, blueberry crisp with vanilla ice cream.
And one big dollop of Biden.
Comments
One thing is right in all this. Biden is a joke.
Posted by: Bill me in 3030 | March 25, 2010 7:56 AM
All you word nannies out there can go straight to the H place. What a stupid argument concerning old Babble-Mouth. Everybody I know says the F word at least 1000 times a day. D.H. Lawrence and Mark Twain would be forced to writing ad jingles or greeting card blurbs. if they were forced to be politically and linguistically correct. Would one of you Ivy league liberal hegenomists explain to me why saying the n word, c word, b word, r word, q word, or even dropping the f bomb is a bad thing if it gets the point across clearly and tersely.
Charles B Tiffany
Kissimmee, Florida
Posted by: Charles B. Tiffany | March 25, 2010 8:38 AM
THE JOKE'S ON US.
20 Ways ObamaCare Will Take Away Our Freedoms
http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:http://blogs.investors.com/capitalhill/index.php/home/35-politicsinvesting/1563-20-ways-obamacare-will-take-away-our-freedoms
Posted by: Bobby Mobbie | March 25, 2010 8:46 AM
One of Vice-President Biden's most consistent public talents, has always been his ability to fit both his feet into his mouth, at the same time. Laughable, it may be, this uncommon talent, but it is also an indicator of his unflinching ability to state his position, honestly, darn the consequences.
I know, in a previous post, I made light of his unbridled comments, but I still hold that view, as well. That the Republican-Libertarian-T.Baggers are pulling out all the stops, including, coming up, just short, of inciting physical violences against their political opponents. Therefore, it is indeed refreshing to hear a voice, speaking plainly and maybe obliquely, about the egregious strategies of a losing Party, going over the cliff in desperation. My only serious question concerning the Republican-Libertarian-T.Baggers' inclination to incite to riot and other ill-considerred strategies, is, when are the authorities going to start looking into criminal offenses against Republican-Libertarian-T.Bagger provocateurs who, either by example or remarks made, are stirring and fomenting criminal behavior, from personal death threats, to death threats against the children of their political opponents. Where are the rebukes from the Republican-Libertarian-T.Bagger's leadership, or has that already left town!!? Apparently, these goons, and their leaders, thought their bullying and intimidation " almost " worked during the Town Hall meetings and public rallies against Healthcare Reform. Yet, Healthcare Reform is now the law of the land !! So much for violence, bullying and intimidation. This is America, we were weened on revolution and armed opposition. So, please, put away all of those destructive and useless strategies that call for violence or you may get much more than you bargained for, from the people of America !!
So, yes, America, Vice-President Biden's remark is quite accurate, concerning Healthcare Reform: It is a big f&*%*)# deal !!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE AND WHOLE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, IL | March 25, 2010 8:51 AM
No one is really upset with biden's comments, taking over a sixth of the economy and hiring a small army of tax collectors to "administer" health care is a big deal. At least this is one of the very few times biden wasn't lying.
As for violence don, there is a reason for the 2nd amendment. It is for the people to protect themselves against tyrants that would use our system of government for their own gains rather than the will of the people. There was a reason Hitler took away people's guns prior to taking over banks, manufacturing facilities and health care. The post partisan idiot in chief has fractured this country like we haven't seen since the Vietnam war. If he and his merry band of chicago thugs continue to turn this country into their version of a third world socialist state, I suspect the threats will start coming from the right. These lib manufactured taunts are nothing more than political cover for a few dems looking for sympathy after destroying a health care system that worked for anyone willing to work.
Posted by: Hans | March 25, 2010 10:30 AM
Hans... well said
Posted by: Bot City | March 25, 2010 1:37 PM
Hans, the next step is to legalize 20 million foreign nationals and get them on the dole.
Posted by: Free to Watch Liberals Meltdown | March 25, 2010 9:56 PM
One thing about Joe Biden: He makes Dan Quayle look like Albert Einstein by comparison. Still, he's a welcome relief from the humorless and bombastic Obama.
Posted by: McKinley | March 28, 2010 11:48 AM