Joe Biden update: Iraq one of Obama's 'great achievements'

Who knew?

Thank goodness, Vice President Joe Biden went on CNN to chat with Larry King Wednesday night. So many think things are not going so well for the Democrat administration, as The Ticket chronicled here.

Many Americans recall the ex-Sen. Biden's Democratic primary plans to give in to Iraq's fractious factions and carve the country into three territories. And even more probably recall Biden's boss' plan to halt the Iraq war years ago. As long as it got started anyway without the permission of the then state senator.

Plus, of course, the vehement opposition of the Nobel Prize winner to the 2007 American troop surge of you-know-who from Texas that Obama knew for certain was only going to worsen sectarian strife there. (See 2007 video here.)....

Well, of course, it didn't turn out that way, thanks in large measure to the brave service of hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops who served in that war-torn land and helped peace to break out despite the loud political acrimony back home over their role.

Now, the Obama-Biden pair that opposed the Iraq war and its tactics and predicted their failure is prepared to accept credit for its success.

It seems that Biden, who's from Delaware when he's in Delaware and Pennsylvania when in Pennsylvania, is certain now that Iraq will turn out to be one of the Obama-Biden administration's greatest achievements.

No, really.

Here's how Biden put it to Lar:

I am very optimistic about -- about Iraq. I mean, this could be one of the great achievements of this administration. You're going to see 90,000 American troops come marching home by the end of the summer. You're going to see a stable government in Iraq that is actually moving toward a representative government. 

I spent -- I've been there 17 times now. I go about every two months -- three months. I know every one of the major players in all the segments of that society. It's impressed me. I've been impressed how they have been deciding to use the political process rather than guns to settle their differences.

Biden did not elaborate on what all the administration's other "great achievements" were so far.

No doubt, Iraqis too are very thankful for that 2008 U.S. election. (Full King transcript here.)

-- Andrew Malcolm

Talk about success, openly click here to receive Twitter alerts of each new Ticket item all day every day. Or follow us @latimestot. You can also go to our new Facebook fan page here.

Photo: Lorenzo Bevilaqua / CNN

Comments

[Ramos]

Obambi and IwonthewarBiden. How do these two buffoons tie their shoes in the morning? Not as bad as IinventedtheinternetGore, who at least got in front of the heat wave.

Embarassing.

[Zan]

WHAT A LIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mr. BUSH was the one that fixed IRAQ!!!!

These Liberals are the biggest bunch of LIARS on the PLANET!!!!

Bunch of MARXIST / SOCIALIST / DICTATORS!!!

[Dr_Who?]

This is becoming SURREAL, Biden and this administration is a bunch of complete IDIOTS? They must really think the American people have no memories at all. Come on 2010 and 2012 elections, the sooner we remove these buffoons from office the better.

[DZ]

He's a loon.

[Marty Brown]

This is classic George Orwell.
Please, everyone, until Winston Smith can get into the archives and "correct" the history logs, please refrain from google-ing any more past quotes from Our Beloved Leader or Our Beloved Big Mouthed Vice Plagiarist.

[David]

Is this man completely nuts?

[Looking For Sanity]

Thank you LAT for covering this latest outrage.

[Daveinct]

Ripley's

[Paul]

Un-freakin-believable!

[brett]

this administration is an absolute joke.
I no longer know which crowd they are trying to entertain.
I just know that I and most of the people that I know are not in it.

[Daveinct]

Al Gore claimed credit for the internet Why not this Dem VP claim credit for Iraq?

[CJT]

What a goof ball. Willing to take credit for what he is against. Hope he is happy in private life come 2012. Maybe AlGore needs a caddy....

[The Obnoxious American]

Nothing short of stunning. Of course I'm used to being stunned by this amateurish administration. Of course this is a great acheivement, but any problems or failures were just "inherited" from the prior admin. I get it now.

[Steve]

I have nothing to say...

[afkbrad]

Bush signed the SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) 2 years ago. It detailed when our forces would leave (2011). Biden wanted to divide Iraq and wanted no part in the troop surge. Clearly Biden was wrong back then and he's wrong now. Obama hasn't done anything except play caretaker to Bush. One last thing, since Bush was responsible for the surge and SOFA, casualties are about 1 per MONTH in Iraq. It's more dangerous on the LA strip at night than downtown Baghdad.

[shocked...]

wow...so the previous admin. had nothing to do with it? im sorry but wasnt that one of the goals of the past 7 years? so lets blame Bush when something goes wrong...and take the credit when something goes as planned that was set in place 6 years before these clowns took over... i'd get fired from my job if i did that

[valwayne]

Well, what can you say? We could talk about incredible gall and arrogance, but we already know about the Obama administration. I guess the Pesident gets to take credit for anything good that happens while he's in office, but that means he had to take credit for the bad as well, and Obama and Biden don't seem to be willing to do that? Do they?

[Kayleigh Rose]

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

[Justin]

But of course, the tanking economy in 2009 is all Bush's fault. Oh, wait, Bush isn't President anymore. So....how......?

Give me a break Joe.

How can anyone take these lunatics seriously.

[BO Stinks]

Wow! Talk About Shameless!!

[Anna]

There is just no line of indecency or deprevation that this administration won't cross. What abject morons we have in our executive branch now.

[OverTheCoastline]

More diharrhea of the mouth, courtesy of the most lamentable, hateful, dishonest, destructive, insidious presidential administrations in the history of this once-great country.

[JohnFLob]

With all these "wonder achievements" why are Joe's and Barack's poll numbers cratering? Could it possibly be that the political breezes are disbursing the smoke screen or that the rocky road has cast stones that broke the mirror?

[linda]

BUSH DID ALL THE WORK IN IRAQ... AND OBAMA WANTS TO TAKE THE CREDIT... DOES HE REALLY THINK WE ARE THAT STUPID OUT HERE IN AMERICA......OBAMA BLAMES BUSH FOR EVERYTHING... I BET HE EVEN BLAMES HIM WHEN HE FARTS....

[TOMFROMALGONQUIN]

Shameless but predictable.

[MrFlippy]

Great achievements??? Like Al Gore who, as everyone knows, invented the Internet.

It just keeps getting worse. While our brave men and women fight overseas for justice against tyrants like Saddam Hussein, we have our own kangaroo government here. If it weren't so sad it would be funny.

[Big Joe]

What a Boob!

[No Joe]

Wow. Truly delusional.

[That's Unbelievable]

ROFLOL!

And this from one of the primary instigators of unfettered hatred and malice towards BushII's all-despised traitorous surge.

It makes you wish they could store Youtubes in polisci history books, because its almost unbelievable.

[That's Unbelievable]

ROFLOL!

And this from one of the primary instigators of unfettered hatred and malice towards BushII's all-despised traitorous surge.

It makes you wish they could store Youtubes in polisci history books, because its almost unbelievable.

[TwentyFirstCentury American]

If Obama were to own and take responsibility for $1.2T deficit, $8T projected deficit over 10 years, and $11T national debt, why can't he own the success for bringing troops back home? While the deficits occurred even before he took reigns, the bringing the troops back is happening in his 3rd year. Surge could be one reason for stability there, but there had been many other things such as Anbar awakening (not attributable to the previous Govt.) that contributed to it. Again, why did we have to go to Iraq in the first place? It is not the one who got us into the mess gets credit, but the one who got us out the mess.

[SimpleFacts]

If you say it, it must be true. Right? Like when Gore invented the Internet and when Obama created or saved over 2 million jobs, when the unemployement numbers grew by 1/2 million a month.
How can anyone look himself in the mirror after telling lies like this? Have these people no moral compass? The end of this administration just cannot come soon enough.

[bob]

What an idiot, to put it mildly. Thank God for Bush and Petreous who made it happen!! This administration is a disgrace to those of us who believe this country is great without apologizing to anyone, let alone our enemies. Mr Biden get off the Koo-lade!

[Dave]

Biden needs to quit smelling his own underwear. He stinks to high heaven with his hypocracy.

[Kevin]

This guy, and the chicago thugs have to go! Do they think we actually believe we believe this b.s.? Biden's one of the biggest ponzi schemers in dc! The kenyan and his pack of thugs are fools! Just heard an ad where the marxist census is accepting applications. You need two proofs of identification. How many proofs of ID did we get from the marxist usurper?!

[jim]

Let me get this straight, not only are they going to continue to blame Bush for their own ineptitude, but they are also going to take credit for Bush's actual successes?These people are diabolical!

[Alan]

Obama was 100% against any part of prosecuting this war. He made ZERO contributions to the success in Iraq. Yet, the fact that he had nothing to do with it, in comparison to what he actually has done, I must agree with Joe Blow. This is Obama's greatest achievement.

[Russ]

Wow - how can he sit there and take credit for something he an BO had nothing to do with except predict utter failure.

[lamchops]

The disconcerting part of Biden's comments isn't that he's stupid enough to believe it, it's that he's stupid enough to think that we are stupid enough to believe it.

[Spikus]

WOW! I'm continually amazed at how greatly they underestimate the intelligence of the average American to think they can spout this drivel and think we're actually going to believe it, or not check to see if any of it is even true. The nads on these two are ginormous!

[Alan]

Biden declared the war in Iraq "lost" several times during GWB's admin, however now that zero is the President he wants to claim Bush's surge was a victory for zero's admin. What a complete and total joke.

[TheEnforcer]

'

The problem with this interviwer (Larry King)is that there is no follow-up question. Not even a hint of surprise at Biden's answer.

But, hey, Obama is fantastic.

Even when he is wrong, he is right.

'

[kenflot]

Joe Biden had had 6 terms in the US Senate when Sarah Palin took him to school in the debate. Why should anyone pay any attention to what he has to say?

Neither President Obama nor Vice President Biden deserve any credit for the Iraq success. The credit for the Iraq success belongs to George Bush, the American military forces, as well as the decent Iraqis all of whom fought for freedom of the Iraqi people.

The only question that remains on the matter of Iraq is: when will Obama and Biden apologize to Mr. Bush? Had they had their way, Iraq would have been lost. And now, they want the credit?

[Sunnyr]

Didn't this goofball, Joe Biden, just chide Sarah Palin's Tea Party speech as being "over the top?" pfft! What a fool!

[NCMike]

Biden is a contemptuous fool. He apparently believes Americans possess neither intelligence nor memory. This flaming moral relativist constructs reality on the fly and wallpapers his reality with more nonsense than Alice in Wonderland. The audacity of his mendacity stuns the adult mind.

[Gabriel]

Ah, I see the LA Times is'nt posting comments because they might go against their "views"

Your paper is on the brink of financial disaster, but you keep going down the same path. I look forward to seeing the LA Times crash-and-burn financially. I'll see you all in the unemployment line.

[ProudVeteran]

Does this moron think the American public is dumb enough to give him credit for something he rallied against and stated would never work. Hussein Obama tried to cut off funds for our soldiers who were on the front lines in the fight to liberate Iraq, he voted twice to cut off funding to our troops. And Hussein stated that the surge was not going to work.

It was the Bush Administration that set up the secret timeline with the Iraqi government for our troops to leave their country after the country was secure and this was before Hussein took office. All Hussein has done is not screw it up.

And Biden stated the surge wouldn't work as well and that an Iraqi government made of of Sunni, Shite, and Kurds would never work, he was wrong about that as well. And it was Biden that wanted to break Iraq up into three different countries. What an absolute buffoon.

Biden is trying to give Hussein Obama credit for the successful liberation of Iraq. Hussein had nothing to do with the success of the liberation and did everything he could to make the liberation fail.

[Barry Milhouse Obama]

OMG. Are you kidding me? Can these people lie any more than already do? Barry voted against the surge. The war, treaty, etc. were wrapped up long before he got elected. The current state of success was a result of the plan put in place when he was practically still a community organizer. He even had the nerve to meet with the Iraqis while he was running to postpone the current plan until after the election because he knew it would a success and he wanted to take credit. What a joke.

[Ryan]

What a bunch of ingrates this administration is! Both the Pres. and VP hurled every dire prediction thinkable when the war started and then when the surge began - they agreed with the now Senate leader (Reid) that "the war is lost" and "bring the troops home now!" And now this!? My only question is this: how does ol' Joe keep escaping the White House grounds? Guess Barry better re-double the gaurds that keep the veep under control.

[Susy]

These people are mentally ill. And, they actually believe what they say. The worst in our country's history for "running" a nation.