Joe Biden update: He calls some fellow Democrats 'turkeys'

(UPDATE: An update on Biden's schedule has been added to the end of this item.)

Vice President Joe Biden did not need Air Force Two Thursday night to travel across the Potomac River to McLean, Va., to the home of former Democratic Virginia Gov. and Sen. Chuck Robb.

It was, of course, a fundraiser, designed to help finance three freshman Democratic House candidates -- Glenn Nye, Gerry Connolly and Tom Perriello -- in their challenging reelection races 13 months from now in what once was a predictably GOP state.

Robb himself did not speak at the event. His wife, Lynda, daughter of President Lyndon B. Johnson, introduced the trio of representatives.

But it looks like Joltin' Joe stepped in something again, rhetorically speaking.

About 100 supporters had paid $1,000 each to gather in the open-air pool house where Biden spoke. 

"I don’t have to tell you that you’re in a very competitive state,” the vice president said, according to the press pool notes. “You got some tough votes coming up.”

Biden called the three men “independent minded” and “damn competent,” adding, however, that they were all united on core Democratic Party themes, including energy policy and healthcare. 

“These guys are smart, "Biden asserted. "Some of the guys Chuck [Robb] and I have campaigned for are turkeys. Not all Democrats are created equal, while most Republicans are.”

The voluble Biden has a reputation for sometimes getting carried away in remarks, as refreshingly candid though they may be to some non-administration ears. Last fall at one gathering, a shirt-sleeved Biden paced the stage with a microphone and said Hillary Clinton would have been a better running-mate choice for Barack Obama to make, a gaffe that prompted the campaign to end most of Biden's media interviews then and there.

GOP candidates may also have some fun in coming months speculating to partisan crowds which Democrats the vice president had in mind as small-minded birds.

Biden became a U.S. senator way back when the 48-year-old Obama was a sixth-grader. And ran for the presidency himself twice. So he's campaigned with and for many Democratic politicians over all these years.

Perhaps understandably, on Thursday night the vice president did not proceed to list which fellow Democrats that he's campaigned who are the turkeys and which are the smart ones. And presumably Biden did not intend to imply that most Republicans are smart.

But he might be asked about all that in coming days by the media -- or even White House folks. And many fans of politics may be trying to guess which Democrats Biden had in mind when he likened them to those tasty but dim birds.

Obama was in Pittsburgh overnight as host for the G-20 summit and protests. He'll return to the White House this evening.

Biden is off to Georgia (the American one) this morning to briefly watch floodwaters. He'll return to Washington in the afternoon for what has become one of his frequent duties, swearing someone in. Before heading for Delaware, Biden will administer the oath to Paul Kirk. He's the senate replacement for the late Ted Kennedy. Kirk was just named to that spot Thursday morning by Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick.

(UPDATE: 4:44 p.m. The vice president's weekend schedule has just been released. Here it is: "Vice President Biden will be in Wilmington, Delaware on Saturday and Sunday. There are no public events scheduled.")

-- Andrew Malcolm

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Photo: Getty Images

Comments

[P.T. Parks]

Biden oughta be on "Saturday Night Live". He could make a killing as a bumbling comedian, instead of a bumbling Vice President. Obama must be tired of banging his head on the wall in fustration and disbelief everytime Biden opens his mouth. The President should make the same request to Biden that he made to Gov. Patterson of New York ("I think it would be better if you don't run for re-election").

[Don]

He's hosting a summit and protesters? Biden may not be the only one to make the occasional gaffe.

[Jack Kinch(1uncle)]

This dummy would do less damage to the country than The Kenyan. He lacks the intelligence to be diabolical.

[Biden 2012]

As a conservative I am going to donate money to Biden to run for prez in 2012.

[tdrag]

In his own dimwitted way Joe Biden often speaks the truth. I think 2010 will show him who the American people think are turkeys and who are not. It just amazes me why people keep electing the Joe Biden's of the world (Democrat or Republican) time after time while expecting them to change their lives. I hope God protects Barack Obama, can you imagine Joe as President?

[Vince]

An albatross calling his comrades a turkey. That's perfect.

[DrEdu]

Yes, even next to our Affirmative Action President Biden looks as if he had an extra chromosome. Or maybe I am wrong...am I?

[Clif]

Any democrat he has campaigned for is a turkey, (dim) as are all democrats including old Joe.

[Willy Brown]

Biden like Obama are the biggest gobblers in the democrat party.

[KansasGirl]

"refreshingly candid"? The man is a puppet!

[Freemon SandleWould]

I yi yi. This guy calling anyone else a turkey.

That's like O.B.AM.A. calling someone dumb.

[Cuttimer]

Being called a turkey by Joe Biden is like being called ugly by a 'possum.

[Irondog]

It takes one to know one.

[daveinboca]

I'm sure he had Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi in mind, as their behavior indicates minds sadly below a three-digit IQ. Or maybe he was projecting?

[Bob Boogie]

I agree with him on this, a lot of democrats ARE trurkeys. But as he points them out, four of his fingers are pointed directly at himself.

[Gceres]

ROFLMAO - This administration is the biggest joke in American history!

[Che Obama]

What a card, a regular comodian this guy is...I love it when he sticks his feet in his mouth (all the way up to his thighs.

I just keep him around to make me seem reasonable and smart...I keep Rahm in my back pocket.

[Nancy]

Yea really, he did not need to take Air force One, Did he? Whats the cost of that flight across the river. He and Obama are unbelievable!!! I can't wait until 2012!

[MD]

Liberals and Democrats have now turned on each other. it started with the sexist campaign against Hillary. They have totally devalued words like racist, facist and Nazi by using them at the drop of the hat for the last nine years to describe anyone center or right of center. The Democrats in charge (they think) are now so far left that they use name calling to describe members of their own party who are "only" slightly left of center. You can no longer a moderate Democrat without incurring the wrath of this regime. How does this Hope and Change feel to those citizens who are centrists and voted for this administration and congress?

[Bob Wells]

Vice President Biden was absolutely correct in implying that most democrats are Turkey's. Way to go Joe!

[DrEdu]

It is clear that this News media will not let me post anything that brings attention to the fact that we have an Affirmative Action President...
...This same medium called Obama 'The Magic Negroe'
....I just don't get it!

[Sour Grapes]

Dumbest VP EVER!
Mark Levin couldn't be more correct!!!
God help is!

[Bill in New Hampshire]

It is hilarious to hear an incompetent fool like Joe Biden refer to anyone else as "damned competent".

Biden's own frame of reference is so low.

[The Warrior]

Joe you silver tongued devil. Is that the best you can come up with? On second thought, it probably was. Hope you didn't sprain anything, like a frontal lobe.

[Dennis D]

"Fredo, you're my older brother, and I love you. But don't ever take sides with anyone against the family again. Ever."

As Obama sends Fredo Biden out on the lake for a fishing trip

[Albert Einstein]

You have Biden calling other politicians Turkeys. You have Obama apologising to the enemies of this country at the UN about all of the supposed bad deeds this country has done over the years. You have Obama's minister Wright saying ,"God damn America!" You have Jessie Jackson and Al "the Charlaton" Sharpton saying this country is a racist country. What a miserable bunch of people we are in this country. It is a wonder God has not struck us down.
Seriously though, we need to have a complete new government in this country. The Looney Tunes that are in office now have made our country the laughing stock of the world.
What other country has leaders who constantly knock and put down the country that they are in charge of? Our so called leaders are a friggen joke.

[Wally]

And I say Biden and Obama are the head turkeys!

[Albert Einstein]

Obama wasn't dumb when it came to picking a vice-president. He figures the safest way to stay alive while being president is to pick someone like Biden as his running mate.
He figures no one would want anything to happen to him with Biden next in line. Very smart!!

[graham]

Biden has little mini fists

[Albert Einstein]

Today was Muslim Unity day. Why wasn't Obama with the rest of them celebrating with his turban in D.C.?
Maybe he was there.

[Fred R.]

Is Biden for real? You kind of wonder about Obama's ability to surround himself with competent professionals!

[William]

Joe Biden does the impossible---he makes Barbara Boxer look smart!

[nestornajwa]

Turkeys? Way to keep up with the lingo, Joe. 23 Skiddoo!

[John Poland]

Have the voters of his state been humiliated ENOUGH yet? Will they pass a law
that will require everyone who voted for this bloviating itiot to kick themselves in their butt 3 times a day as penance for their idiocy for getting him involved in OUR COUNTRY'S GOVERNMENT? They SHOULD..as should Mass. for their poor decisions for electing Senators that both should have served time in prisons instead of congress!
Kennedy for AT LEAST neglegent manslaughter and Kerry as a self professed war criminal !

[Du]

...and I suppose this poor excuse for a human isn't a
pro-abortion hypocritical Catholic turkey?

[Walter Dixon]

Why is this guy even near the White House? Well wait a min....Oh I guess he does fit right in!

[JAY]

Joe Biden is actually Jimmy Carter wearing a mask

[Anti-Crimmigrant]

I would call MOST of your fellow Democrats "Fascist-Communists" actually but Turkeys a start.

[joe sixpack]

Biden is a turkey. But did you really think the worst president in our history would pick someone good? O'Hitler and O'Gaffe Boy - should bury the democratic party for years to come.

[Ariah]

Maybe we don't have to worry about someone assassinating the president so much...

[Regular Guy]

This guy is a mess and to think he's one step away from the Oval Office...One has to wonder how much damage those two brain aneurysms had really done?

[ayres caayo]

... and the Democrats and Republicans jointly called Biden a Dork

[moz]

Obama selected Biden as VP to absolutely insure no thinking american would consider impeaching or otherwise removing him from office.
2nd in line: Biden
3rd: Pelosi
Talk about a guarentee

[A Non Believer]

Lets see....Obama is:

A destroyer of our Constitution
A destroyer of our Freedoms
A destroyer of our Unity
A Marxist
A Liar
A narcissist
An arrogant elitist
A Divider of our citizens
A man who wants to be King
An idiot racist who is far below the league of any past President
Hates America and wants to apologize to all foreign governments for his perceptions of our Country.
Unfit to lead our Country!!!!

God Bless America and help us survive this administration and Congress.

[John14541]

Biden calling dems turkeys. By golly for once the man is right.

[Don s.]

Is Joe a trip, or what? But the scary thing is that he is one heartbeat from the Presidency and Nancy Pelosi is two heartbeats from the Presidency. As scary as the President is, imagine Biden or Pelosi in power.

[Osamas Pajamas]

No honor among thieves, obviously, and it must be excruciating to be called a _turkey_ by Mr Potato Head Biden --- the intellectual enemy of anything ever written by natural-rights philosopher John Locke.

[John Smith]

it takes a turkey to know a turkey

[Mike]

I wonder if the government is going to help or hinder my small business with all this discussion on new taxes and tax credit cancellations.

It just seems like they feed us this stuff to keep us distracted from the major issues.

Our country is economically unstable and the plan is to spend another 1 trillion dollars in tax payer support of 13% of the population?

It doesn't make any sense.

[Svetlana]

What a doofus! and an insult to the turkeys!