Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Cagematch: Will Clinton and Biden do battle over foreign policy?
Megan Carpentier of Madame Secretary argues that the first foreign policy turf wars of the next administration will actually between Hillary Clinton and -- this is surprising to those of us who believe we have actually seen the collar and leash -- Joe Biden.
On one hand, the Times people point out, Biden has been quite critical -- as have many other people -- of the role current Vice President Dick "Svengali" Cheney has played in this administration and in some of its more controversial foreign and defense policy positions. On the other hand, in the November 2007 Democratic debates, he wiped the floor with both Clinton and Obama on foreign policy issues, chastising them both for failing to come out strongly enough against martial law in Pakistan or in favor of cutting funding for Gitmo.
And while Biden is "ready on day one" to chair Obama's White House Task Force on Working Families, he spent his last few days as senator roaming around Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iraq, and he wasn't just seeing the sights.
Well, he was also looking "cool".
Frankly, as hugely amusing as this would be as bloggy entertainment, Joe Biden is so prone to gaffes that I would give Hillary short odds to win this fight, at least in public. The question is whether Barack Obama is enough impressed with Joe "let's bust Iraq into tiny little warring mini-states" Biden's geopolitical wisdom to listen to what he has to say and be seen doing it. Somehow, I doubt it.
5 Comments:
By 
, at
Tue Jan 13, 02:23:00 PM:
I think if Obama is smart, now that Biden is overseas, he will leave him there for the next 4 years. Just let Biden tour endlessly overseas. A few years in Africa would be a good place to start.
By 
Georg Felis, at
Tue Jan 13, 08:33:00 PM:
This assumes that 1) Biden has a good, original idea, and 2) he can get off the leash long enough to expound on it, neither of which is possible. My favorite Paranoid Conspiracy Theory is that Biden is going to resign sometime in the next couple years, and let Hillary slide into his spot. Of course, the same theory had Cheany resigning and Rice taking his spot, and we know how well that worked out....
By , at
Tue Jan 13, 09:43:00 PM:
I think his gaffes are more due to an early onset of Alzheimer's than just the fact that he is thick as a brick.
Yes, I would guess that even though he thought Obama was a really clean and well spoken Negro, he will probably be sent home early or vist Fort Marcy Park in the next two years. Hillary wins a cage match easily against Joe the Gaffer. (Gaffer, what's a gaffer?)
It's interesting to see all the Clintonista retreads show up in the Obama cabinet. For all the people that have forgotten how ruthless, cynical and crooked the Clinton administration was, we get a rerun now. It's like an "I Love Lucy" rerun, except it's not. WHERE'S RENO?
I can't wait until Hillarity meets with Medvedev and/or Putin. Fun for all.
This rant is now over.
-David
By , at
Wed Jan 14, 08:29:00 AM:
He is as pathetic and amusing as Zapp Brannigan. The next 4 years will be funny, while depressing.
The costume shades and bomber jacket just round out the imagery for me.
By , at
Wed Jan 14, 08:57:00 PM:
Cheney was "the most dangerous vice-president" ever.
Biden would seem happy to be considered the most benign.
Personally, I approve of each man's chosen role.
