VP Joe Biden holds opening gaffe until afternoon of Day One
On their first full day in office, the Obama-Biden administration's top folks, several dozen strong plus family, had gathered in the Old Executive Office Building, next door to the White House, as an afternoon audience for the signing of some documents and the swearing-in of some staff.
Good photo op to show the president busy already.
President Obama spoke about the importance of government openness and transparency and ethics. "The American people are really counting on us now," he said. He then signed documents to impose stricter rules on lobbying and the presumption of openness about government information for the people.
After signing the openness documents, the Great Changer proceeded to meetings with advisers that were closed.
But first, Vice President Joe Biden, newly sworn in himself in an unmuffed oath, was asked by Obama to give the oath. As he stepped forward to obey, the new ex-senator asked for a paper copy of the oath he was to administer.
"My memory is not as good as Justice Roberts'," Biden quipped.
The Obama crowd went "Oooooh" in amazement at the vice president's sarcastic shot at the chief justice of the United States Supreme Court, who moved the word "faithfully" around while administering the presidential oath at Tuesday's inauguration ceremonies.
What wasn't noticed so widely was that instantly Obama's right hand went out and gave Biden's elbow a warning squeeze. This isn't Delaware, Dorothy. (It's subtle but definite; watch the video down below.)
The rest of the session went fine. And, as The Ticket reported, on the advice of his lawyer, Obama asked Roberts to visit the White House on Wednesday evening to re-administer the oath just for safety's sake. We don't want another silly simmering certificate-of-birth snafu.
Campaign followers will recall that in September Biden publicly mused at one rally that maybe Hillary Clinton would have been a better VP choice for Obama. He meant it as a compliment to his Senate colleague from New York, now a Cabinet colleague. But the Obama campaign was not keen to have the female senator they beat in delegates and rejected as VP brought back into public discussion.
So for the rest of the general election campaign, Joe ended up being considerably less available for media interviews than even the Alaska hockey mom with lipstick. Now, after Biden's crack about Roberts, watch for a foreign funeral soon that needs urgent attending.
--Andrew Malcolm
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Photo credit: Associated Press
Biden's comments were just a joke and I found the remark amusing. Do we have nothing else to do but to critique minutia? This story was repeated so many times on TV, Radio and Web that I actually thought nothing else happened yesterday, which of course was not the case.
Posted by: Nancyb | January 22, 2009 at 04:57 AM
At last, some balance and healthy perspective. Join me up.
Posted by: PopsinDeSoto | January 22, 2009 at 05:35 AM
Vice president Joe Biden's sarcastic comment about not having a memory as good as Chief Justice John Roberts was uncalled for. Only a small person would make such a statement. It was obvious that President Obama was not one bit pleased with his comment.
Posted by: lorraine krouse | January 22, 2009 at 05:44 AM
How does ""My memory is not as good as Justice Roberts'" become a gaffe and a shot at the Chief Justice?
Sounds more like self-deprecating humor to me.
More balance, Mr. Malcolm, please. (Or is that asking too much?)
Posted by: Bruce Amiata | January 22, 2009 at 06:22 AM
Oh good, one more hack pointing out Joe's minor flaws! You people are a dime a dozen, unlike Joe Biden.
Posted by: Donna Hughes | January 22, 2009 at 07:48 AM
Eh, it's Biden... the Constitutional Law professor who is unfamiliar with the basic structure of the Constitution. Who cares, really?
Posted by: malclave | January 22, 2009 at 12:32 PM
I feel for Obama. I think he got saddled with this old dog and Biden much like a Cocker Spaniel loves to take nips around the ankles of those he dislikes. Biden needs to be tucked away never to be heard of again.
Posted by: Susan | January 22, 2009 at 03:14 PM
Joe Biden will be the Billy Carter of this administration. I think he adds a little "everyman' to a very polished organization. We all have a "Joe" working in our offices, love him or hate him, he can make your day.
Posted by: Donna Biggers | January 22, 2009 at 04:30 PM
What a surprise! Biden reveals himself as the classless and undisciplined buffoon. How could a serious leader of our nation demean the Chief Justice of the United States? It's easy for Biden. He always thinks he's the cleverest guy in the room; kind of like the pimply faced sophomore you remember from high school . That's where the term sophomoric comes from and that's what Biden is and always has been.
Posted by: jim r | January 23, 2009 at 03:27 AM
"Vice president Joe Biden's sarcastic comment about not having a memory as good as Chief Justice John Roberts was uncalled for. Only a small person would make such a statement. It was obvious that President Obama was not one bit pleased with his comment."
Posted by: lorraine krouse
What are you talking about? Roberts should be SOO embarrass about his performance in swearing in Obama.
He's so incompetent that he had to do it twice.
The scary part is...the oath is literally in the Constitution..which is something that Roberts not only should know better than anyone (in theory), but also being Chief justice, he's the only one who will be giving that oath.
But seriously, is it shocking? Every single person Bush has appoint or picked has been beyond incompetent. At least he's consistent.
Posted by: toby | January 23, 2009 at 02:13 PM
This administration is a joke and an embarrassment. Truly. These two are playing President and Vice President. Obama is so full of himself, he has no sense of what the presidency should be. Yuck.
Posted by: upandaway | January 23, 2009 at 08:47 PM
What if the supreme court had passed such a stupid remark about our chief executive ? Only an inflated ego such as that clown Biden finds this funny.
I sincerely hope the pres. tells Biden that he can be seen but not heard. I pray this idiot is never called upon to become the pres.We would become the
laughing stock of the world.In all fairness Biden hit the nail on the head when he said that Hillary would have been a much wiser choice for VP.That quote
from Biden is the only one he has to be proud of in his thirty odd years in the senate,and will hopefully come back to bite him in the derrière.
Posted by: Biden's humongus EGO | January 24, 2009 at 05:18 PM
The executive bashing the judicial ! Wow.This is change we dont need and Biden has disqualified himself.Obama
has to show he can turn on a dime and pick some more
worthy person to be a president in waiting.Biden is the
real dangerous VP.not Cheney.
Posted by: Loose canon VP | January 24, 2009 at 05:40 PM
If Biden has any decency he will resign and go back to his long winded monologues in the senate where he can feel at least equal if not smarter than the other harry Reids and Al Franken's .That former Klansman Bird has been complaining about how he misses the never ending exchanges with his former delaware balding colleague.
Posted by: Conduct unbecoming | January 24, 2009 at 06:27 PM