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.
Today's Menu Specials:
- Hoopla Meatless Re-Torts with a Weak Honey Glaze.
- Apple Hand Pie and a Cuppa Fresh Joe.
As always (just over the bump), I start you off with a quote from The Gentleman to mull over with your morning Joe.
13 DECEMBER 2007 --
Stated during a Presidential Debate (among six Democratic candidates) held in Des Moines, Iowa:
"Education is the key to everything we are."
-- Vice President-Elect, Joe Biden
::::: LIGHT SNACK :::::
Jonathan Karl continues to regurgitate congressional rumor into hypothetical arguments and pass it off as news at ABC. Political Punch offers the following posit: Can Mr. Biden preside over Clinton's Confirmation hearing for Secretary of State?
This is no moot point. By tradition, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee holds a confirmation hearing for the President's Secretary of State nominee very early in the new Congress and before the inauguration of the new president. If Biden is still around, could he take part in -- or even president over -- Hillary's confirmation hearing?
It takes 10 paragraphs and a lot of hoopla to get to the answer: He won't be there, in that capacity, by the time the Hearing takes place.
Therefore, this is a moot point, Mr. Karl.
::::: DESSERT :::::
Every morning I get the New York Times delivered to my stoop. Given the theme of Joe's Inn, it makes me beam every time I see the Gentleman on the front page -- as he was yesterday. Well, it comes along with a fresh statement offered in response to the press' inquiry on how he felt about the choice of Arne Duncan as Mr. Obama's choice for Secretary of Education.
"From what I've learned from my wife, when you educate a child, you do a lot more than teach them math, grammar, historical facts. You shine a light. You open doors. You make it possible for dreams to come true. You give a child hope and then nothing is ever the same again for that child.
And that's what Arne Duncan has done. From the time he got out of school to this very moment, he's shined a light for an awful lot of these kids. He's raised standards. He's helped kids in school. He's expected more. He's changed lives."
I've read a few peoples’ reactions to many of the appointments to the Obama-Biden Administration’s cabinet; and, frankly, I'm not taking Mr. Biden completely at his word here about Mr. Duncan as top pick. It could be easy to get into a battle over whether or not to base public school teachers' salaries on merit-pay systems versus exam results, but I think that overlooks why Duncan was chosen. He's a friend to Obama and looks good on paper to politicians (the ones that ultimately have to agree on legislation to get education standards improved and money gathered to pay teachers better wages) . That said, I'm with The Nation on being cautious with accepting this choice as being the best; and will go so far as to say that it's likely going to be a problem in the long run.
To his credit, what Joe points out is something that shows the best of what like about him: It's not about the nominee for the job, it's about the goal that person is going to be assigned by the Administration. That goal is finding a way to teach our children in ways that enrich their lives, inspire their dreams and outperform past results while improving the livelihoods of those that teach in salary, support and status.
Mr. Biden looked at this appointment in a way that no other pundit or reporter did -- he did it Biden-Style. With these appointments continuing to come, it's Obama's style that's making me wonder what we've really learned.
::::: THE CHECK ::::::
Thank you for patronage here at Joe's Inn!
I know there's a lot of talk about appointments and the like, but I'm still trying to keep a level head. I hope you all are as well.
Tomorrow I'm working on the Vice President and space policy. Also there's breaking news about Biden's puppy breeder being hit with violations in their practices, but I didn't run with this story because there are too many conflicting stories. Perhaps by tomorrow I'll have something clearer to report.
I'm also looking to get something more written on Dr. Jill by the weekend so hang in there friends!
See you next time.