The picture of then-Senator, Joe Biden (with coffee pot in hand,) was 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, Joseph Robinette Biden, Jr.
Today's Menu Specials:
- Bright Orange Peel Soup of the Day.
- Bitter Saffron Steak with Greens.
- Star-Spangled Strawberries and Whipped-Cream Stripes with Blueberry-Spread Stars.
As always (just over the bump), I start you off with a quote from The Gentleman to mull over with your morning Joe.
It's good to be back!
14 JUNE 2009 --
Stated during an interview with host David Gregory on NBC's Meet The Press:
"We are not going to allow Iran to go nuclear any more than the rest of the world is going to allow it to go nuclear."
-- Vice President, Joe Biden
::::: COCKTAILS :::::
Where in the HELL have I been, you may be asking? Put simply, "Joe's" got over 36 years in Congressional politics and plenty of side-work to boot. That means a lot of reading and a squad of broken mugs for java that I've gone through with the midnight oil.
Now I'm not saying I've read everything the guy's written, nor have I perused all the transcripts of everything he's stated during his expansive career. What I will say is that in this time away from DKos a lot of phone calls, emails and coffee pots have been engaged since Election Day 2008 and the Inauguration between myself and many others that follow Mr. Biden's career.
Now, that's enough about me. This is supposed to be about Joe.
So, here we go.
::::: APPETIZER :::::
While the big stories for this year's graduation season focused on the commencement speeches at Notre Dame and at Arizona State by President Obama, the Gentleman Vice President offered his motivation and well-wishes to Syracuse University's graduating class of 2009.
The significance of addressing Syracuse is not lost to those that follow Mr. Biden. As a graduate with a juris doctorate in 1969 the speech was part homecoming for the 48th Vice President.
Mr. Biden's commencement speech has long-been parsed by bloggers and reporters for some sort of distinctiveness. Most coverage that I've read regarded his speech as tepid, retrospective or unimaginative. I take a contrary view.
To me Vice President wasn't genuflecting. It's traditional to write a commencement speech that's lofty, but Mr. Biden shot from the cuff and offered perspective for those that haven't racked-up the mileage to provide a substantial vantage point.
Take the following lines as an example of "learning from your mistakes."
"The loyalty this University has shown me exceeds any institutional loyalty that I've ever encountered in my life. It's come at times during the bleakest moments, as well as the happiest ones." - Vice President, Joe Biden
It was well reported in 1986 by many including the New York Times that an allegation of plagiarism during Mr. Biden's 1965 freshmen year landed the Gentleman before the Syracuse Law School's Disciplinary Board. He graduated as a juris doctor in 1968.
If the Vice President was "getting one in" anywhere in the speech, my guess would be here. "Exceeds any institutional loyalty I've ever encountered" could be passed up as pandering to S.U., even as a thank you for not drumming him out of the school and into the Army back in '65 (mind you - he received five student deferments between '63 and '68). However, think this was something more substantive.
If ever Mr. Biden wanted to make a speech about the importance of completing an educational program, heeding hindsight as a teacher and to show appreciation for advantages offered for whatever reason, this was was his moment.
Say what you may about the reasons why and his par-level delivery when compared to his Boss, Joe did it his way back in May... like he has his whole life.
::::: MAIN COURSE :::::
Today, for the first time since assuming the office of Vice President, Mr. Biden spoke to David Gregory on several issues including the Administration's stances on pressing interests toward healthcare reform, North Korean posturing in opposition to newly imposed U.N. sanctions and U.S. economic projections to halt and reverse unemployment rates.
What the Vice President spoke on most passionately when the subject of Iran and Friday's election results were discussed. Below is the MTP clip on this subject alone.
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Here's a partial transcript of the clip above:
VICE PRES. BIDEN: Well, I think because it, it appears as though the supreme leader has decided the alternatives aren't as, aren't as useful. But again, this is--I'm getting a little head of myself here. We have to see what the results were, we have to have an analysis of it. And that'll be being done by not just us...
MR. GREGORY: Right.
VICE PRES. BIDEN: ...by every country in the world. And, and we can make a better judgment then.
MR. GREGORY: You don't want to recognize him as the president of Iran at this stage.
VICE PRES. BIDEN: Well, I, I'm not--look, that's, that's what they're announcing.
MR. GREGORY: Right.
VICE PRES. BIDEN: We have to accept that for the time being. And--but there's an awful lot of question about how this election was run. And we'll see. I mean, we're just waiting to see. We don't have, we don't have enough facts to note--to make a firm judgment.
MR. GREGORY: Even without those facts, the question is whether the belligerence we're seeing from Ahmadinejad is a sign that he is emboldened, that this regime is emboldened, or is it in some way it weakened? How do you see it?
VICE PRES. BIDEN: Well, the question is, is it for domestic consumption or is it for foreign consumption? It's obvious he has some problems right now. Let's assume he won the election fair and square, he still has some problems at home. And so it seems as though he--it--you know, it's hard to say where it's directed. It could just as easily be directed at his domestic critics. And they are, they are real. They're--and they exist.
Despite the prodding by Mr. Gregory for some sort of official speculation based on information that's only 24 hours old, the Vice President was prudent to not commit a statement as to the results of Iranian election.
Take this as yet another step forward from press statements made by Vice Presidents of the past:
Stated during a 9 March 1999 interview with CNN's, Wolf Blitzer (three months before announcing to run for the President):
"During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet." -then-Vice President, Al Gore
Stated on the 16 March 2003 airing of NBC's Meet The Press (four days before the start of Operation Iraqi Feeedom):
"Now, I think things have gotten so bad inside Iraq, from the standpoint of the Iraqi people, my belief is we will, in fact, be greeted as liberators." - then-Vice President, Dick Cheney
::::: DESSERT :::::
Today, is the 232nd Celebration of Flag Day. Fly strong and true and well.
::::: THE CHECK ::::::
Thank you for patronage here at Joe's Inn!
I'll be making this a weekly series from here on out as my time to write is kept short due to various fact-finding ventures and personal excursions best kept out of the public eye.
So offer your insights about "Our Good Man Joe".
See you next time.