The picture of then-Senator, Joe Biden (with coffee pot in hand,) has been consistently posted along with a quote for many mornings within Kula's Morning Reaction series. It is what prompted the origin of this series to focus upon the transitions and daily activities of the other Executive Office holder: Vice President-Elect, Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr.
On Sundays, Joe's Inn offers a single item specific to the Office, character and discussion of the incoming Vice President. The Inn's brunch menu is intended as an exposition for all patrons to enjoy on a day that is dominated by excellent commentary from Daily Kos' Front Page.
As always (just over the bump), I start you off with a quote from The Gentleman to mull over with your morning Joe.
2 OCTOBER 2008 --
From the Transcript of the 2008 Vice Presidential Debate:
"... the primary role of the Vice President of the United States of America is to support the President of the United States of America, give that President his or her best judgment when sought, and as Vice President, to preside over the Senate, only in a time when in fact there's a tie vote. The Constitution is explicit."
-- Vice President-Elect, Joe Biden
::::: MIMOSA :::::
The first Vice President, John Adams, wrote a succinctly pithy comment about the Vice Presidency. He wrote to his wife, Abigail, that "... my Country has in its Wisdom contrived for me, the most insignificant Office that ever the Invention of Man contrived or his Imagination conceived".
Since those early days of the nation, a total of 46 men have served in the office of Vice President. Each have had noteworthy personæ, but most often their individual traits have come to be lost as semitone to that of the lead tenor offered from America's President. In particular, after an eight year performance by one such artist (Dick Cheney), his elected successor is now poised to take the stage in less than 40 days.
As he warms his voice for the concert ahead, his critique has only just begun: What part will Mr. Joe Biden will play in the coming administration’s composition? Having been an outspoken, conspicuously involved Senator it remains to be seen if he’ll retain such characteristics as Mr. Obama’s second octave.
Today's menu focuses upon the discussed differences between how the Gentleman from Delaware may best perform in a position that has been ever-present, but divergent from player to player. Consonance and dissonance -- or, in more layman terms the function or role -- is what comes to mind in describing the office of the Vice President.
::::: ELEVENSES :::::
In an interview held three weeks ago on Fareed Zakaria GPS former U.S. Vice President and Nobel co-Laureate, Al Gore, Jr., was asked on his thoughts of and what advice he would give V.P.-elect, Joe Biden, with a contrast directly relating to both his own eight-year tenure in the office and that of the current office holder, Dick Cheney.
Video is 10:45 in length.
Pertinent Biden discussion
takes place between 02:27 - 04:25
Transcript below:
ZAKARIA: Do you think that Biden should maintain the Vice Presidential structure that Dick Cheney has put in place? A lot of people feel Cheney has effectively changed the nature of the vice presidency forever, that these institutional aggrandizations of power never shrink. How should Joe Biden think about the vice presidency?
GORE: Well, I mean -- I don't think that's gonna happen because that's really a function of what the President wants. I hesitate to comment on Bush and Cheney because I've recently begun to fear that I'm losing my objectivity on them.
Actually if you look at the history of the Vice Presidency -- it's a very arcane field of history -- it was Walter Mondale who really elevated the office to what it is now, and I learned a lot from him in designing a partnership with President Clinton. And I think Dick -- I think it's good to have an active, powerful vice president who can help the president carry a lot of the burden.
ZAKARIA: You just don't think that person should be Dick Cheney?
GORE: Well, not only that, I think that the nature of the delegations in this present administration were unhealthy for the country. But there's a way to do it right that does -- that will give Joe Biden a huge amount of power and influence that I think he should have. And one of the many things that I admire about President-elect Obama is that he is comfortable and confident in sharing the limelight, sharing responsibility. And I'm certain that you'll see Joe Biden playing a very active and productive role.
He's a terrific guy. He has an enormous capacity, as you know. And I think -- not only in foreign policy, which is one of his specialty areas along with law enforcement and justice and so forth.
I think he'll have a lot of influence across the board.
Mr. Gore's point seems to be that the role of the Vice President, 1) Is defined by the circumstances, times and urgency in which it's holder occupies the office; and that, 2) It is not entirely up to the Vice President's preference, need or obligation to define un ensemble contractuel.
Last Friday the 7th, on Washington Week with Gwen Ifill, NYT's Peter Baker categorized Mr. Biden's quandary is lacking a defined role with the following statement.
"The thing is, coming in after a Vice President like Dick Cheney -- who had amassed so much influence and power -- that you spent the campaign saying you'd give it back, it leaves you in this odd position where you want to take your job and, and, both -- you don't want to emasculate it but you at the same time you can't be the 'Un-Cheney'."
From uttering this glib dictum, there began a deeper conversation about the potential role of Mr. Biden and of the Vice Presidency itself. Time Magazine's, Karen Tumulty and WSJ's, David Wessel joined in with their own assessments of past and potential Vice Presidential models.
Wessel: But I thought the whole idea was that he was gonna be the foreign policy heavy. Seems like we have plenty of those.
Tumulty: Yeah, we have plenty of foreign policy heavies. However, the fact is that he's gonna be in the White House. He's gonna be right there when the decisions are made. He is surely going to be a force in foreign policy decision making. But I do think that he is -- you know the other model that we have in Vice Presidents are people that take over entire portfolios, entire parts of the government for themselves. Al Gore: It was technology and the environment. I don't see Joe Biden playing that role either.
Though not a complete listing, some major points have been raised as to what roles past Vice Presidents have pursued.
- Global Advocate for America - As the Secretary of State tends to take the lead in implementing ambassadorial enterprises of the President, the V.P. advises all in the executive branch and also reaches out to Heads of State of other nations. Bush Sr. in Saudi Arabia, Johnson in Vietnam, Wallace in Latin America as examples (most... pretty bad examples really). Mr. Biden in this role could lead in Palestine/Israel, Georgia/Russia, Iraq/Iran/Syria, Somalia/Ethiopia/Eritrea, and a host of other contingent-laden national firestorms.
- "President Svengali" - President Bush said in 2003, "When you're talking to Dick Cheney, you're talking to me." Yet according to some, even this doesn’t cover the most egregious abuses of power. What could we call the Cheney Vice Presidency other than imperium in imperio, a government within the government. See also, Agneu, Hamlin, and Jefferson. Mr. Biden should have no trouble avoiding this role's history so long as the blowhards in the media pay attention to his activities and end their egocentric speculation.
- Tackle-the-Issues Man - Mr. Gore addressed the environment and technology; Mr. Mondale started the weekly lunches; Mr. Rockefeller financed inner-city education with his Veep salary; Mr. Barkley had the gas plant influences; and Mr. Curtis endorsing the five-day work week without a wage reduction during the Depression. Mr. Biden in this role could focus on civil service workers like police, fire and emergency medical service personnel. Given his track record of working with members of justice system this could be a prime focus of his office should he choose it.
- (Im)Patient heir-apparent - Do I really need to go much farther than John Vance Garner’s visual of disgust and ennui in his description of the office as "not worth a bucket of warm piss."? Yes, I can. :D Comparison to Mr. Biden = nada.
- Mr. Invisible - Some have taken Mr. Garner's position of rampant disgust (or personal ambivalence) to the role of Vice President to new levels of decrepitude. Daniel D. Tompkins' drunkenness while presiding over the Senate, Richard Mentor Johnson's pregnancy-length absence, Charles Fairbanks's "vacation from practicing law", and "Silent Cal" Coolidge. The Gentleman's not likely to disappear after his bunker-hiding predecessor's set the new standard for showing only when it suits his need (shotgun at the ready).
By comparison of the examples above, our public visage of Mr. Biden has been crafted to be a mostly wholesome man and honest public servant. Admitted errors from the past -- of speaking out of turn, tongue-in-cheek mockery, factual mistakes or commenting without attributing it to the original author -- have taken their toll at times when then Senator Biden may have advanced beyond the Senate. Now, these moments offer to detractors of Mr. Biden, petty taunts at best and snide revelations of said cynics' trifling at worst. IN the end they paved the way for him to be poised as the perfect Oliver Hardy to Obama's Stan Laurel.
What's been said and written thus far, concerning the coming Vice Presidency, has played into these expectations. Reports and new items concerning Mr. Biden have mostly been trivial, superficial, anecdotal and uneventful -- not to mention the fact that most have come about as a side note to any of Mr. Obama's announcements. What makes this complacency toward the 47th Vice President as most curious to me are perhaps two, prominent reasons for why he's being overlooked so effortlessly: "4th-Branch" Cheney is THAT easy of an act to follow and that Mr. Obama's victory was (and persists as being) THAT dynamic.
This year's election season (being as thrilling as it was) remains difficult for its devotees to eschew. Momentous in nature, the expectations of the President-elect outshine the hum-glum appeal perpetrated upon Mr. Biden. Therefore the media can continue to lollygag on covering him, hoping for renewed attention now that the election's ended. But that's an unlikely possibility without some curious sorts actively seeking and requesting information on his activities. As the administration starts up, likely we'll once again see snippets of his personal, coffee-toting, "average Joe" personality. Until then, there will be speculation and justifying and circumspection on Mr. Biden's "yet-to-be-determined" role. Each opinion little more than hedging a bet as the Transition team works.
Next Sunday, the next Vice President will be interviewing with "Snuffy" on This Week, his first interview since the election. What you won't hear about is the function of the Vice President -- the Gentleman's already defined that as the quote above clearly states. It's just a crummy way to grab headlines -- to remind everyone that the job is mostly waiting to see if you're going to become President. Plus it's not Mr. Biden's character or nature.
However, that is the role of a modern Vice President. It's the same role as it's been since the days of John Adams and all points in between. It means you remain on the wings of a powerful bird while it's in flight. More a feather than a falcon. Awaiting the call of the Nation's leader for advice, feedback, or to take up a bantam mission that will then be delegated, completed then forgotten -- except by the man who was set to accomplish it.
::::: THE CHECK ::::::
Thank you for patronage here at Joe's Inn!
Joe's Inn will be closed for two days to start its regular hours of operation and weekly schedule (five days a week) Also I'll be preparing new menu items and equipment while the Inn is closed.
I'm looking forward to serving you starting Wednesday morning. Enjoy the days! :D