Needed: A Vice Presidential Seal
By Pat Racimora on August 4, 2009 at 12:30 PM in Joe Biden, National Security, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Vice President
It’s time to slap an official seal on our Vice President’s yapper. This otherwise likeable guy is also a one-man blooper extravaganza.
Now he’s done it again. But this time it isn’t as laughoffable as asking a man in the wheelchair to stand up and take a bow. Or as whacky as telling people that we must spend money to keep from going bankrupt. Or only flubbing names, such as referring to Justice Roberts as “Justice Stewart.” Or John McCain as “George” during his VP acceptance speech. Or demoting Sara Palin to “Lieutenant Governor” of Alaska. Or reinventing history by recounting President Roosevelt’s televised 1929 commentary on the stock market crash. (Besides no TV yet, Hoover was President at that time.)
This time Biden’s so-called gaffe caused us some real trouble!
In an interview with the Wall street Journal, our Vice President referred to Russia as a “limping and humbled nation.”
…Mr. Biden pointed out that the U.S. and Russia aren’t strategic equals. “I think we vastly underestimate the hand that we hold,” he said, noting that Russia’s economy and population are “withering.” “They’re in a situation where the world is changing before them and they’re clinging to something in the past that is not sustainable.” As for the arsenal Russia inherited from the U.S.S.R., Mr. Biden said, “They can’t sustain it.”
Tensions were already palpable between the two superpowers, and Biden’s suggestion that Russia’s economic troubles would force the Kremlin to cooperate with us on national security issues did not play as another “crazy Joe gaffe” over there.
Ellen Barry writing for the New York Times has this take:
Within hours, a top Kremlin aide had released a barbed statement comparing Mr. Biden to Dick Cheney. Commentators announced Mr. Biden’s emergence as Washington’s new “gray cardinal” — the figure who, from the shadows, makes all the decisions that matter. Others said Washington’s mask had been torn off, revealing Mr. Obama’s “reset” as at best insubstantial and at worst duplicitous.
It will also be hard to convince the Kremlin that the comments don’t indicate a deeper drama. Russians have spent months searching for clues to Mr. Obama’s true intentions; when Mr. Obama killed a fly during a television interview shortly before traveling to Moscow, for example, several analysts here interpreted it as a message to Russia.
One can hope that the creation of a bilateral commission led by Presidents Obama and Medvedev will soften Biden’s verbal assault and lead to better communications and mechanisms for ongoing cooperation. Fortunately for us, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be in charge of this project. Secretary Clinton also tried to help clean up Biden’s oral poop during her appearance on Meet the Press by noting that, “We view Russia as a great power. I don’t think that’s at all what the vice president meant. Every country faces challenges. We have our challenges; Russia has their challenges.”
Finally, here is my favorite Biden gaffe. On September 11, 2008, almost a month before the election, in Nashua, New Hampshire Biden blurted out, “Hillary Clinton is as qualified or more qualified than I am to be vice president of the United States of America. Quite frankly it might have been a better pick than me.”
I think he got that one right.
(Release: November 13)
on sale for only $16.95.
has a spatula.)
8% Off at $11.95, with a rare five-star ranking by 294 customers: 
And check out these: 
("This crazy redhead is on to something. Her pink Rambler story alone is worth the price of the book," writes 
- “Richard Sale’s reportage on Washington, the CIA, the American armed forces, and foreign intrigue has created a perfect background for this account of the steady growth of President Clinton as a master of the game of nations.”--W. Patrick Lang, former head of Middle East Operations, DIA
"Anne C. Heller's stunning biography of Ayn Rand" uses a "plethora of newly unearthed research and fresh insight."
LOL!! Love this! I am running out, so I can’t comment further, but love the toon, and love that last gaffe.
HE was right about that one! :OD
Russia a “limping and humbled nation”? Russia is like the old wild west–no telling what could come out of that vast and interesting region. They’re tough people, and they’ve got lots of natural resources. And Vladimir could kick Barry’s butt any day of the week. It
would beis a huge mistake to underestimate Russia.Another great ‘toon, Pat. Is that “vice-presidential seal” a pacifier? The cartoon likeness of JB is very well executed.
Biden is soooo gaffetastic. For someone who officially has very little to do, he sure is constantly in the news for one stupid remark after another.
Remember all the screaming about what bad judgement McCain showed by choosing Sarah Palin? And how if she was VP she’d embarass the US or say something ignorant because she’s a stupid hick who doesn’t know politics or how Washington works? Funny. I think Obama and the bots got exactly the VP they deserve.
I expect Obama to dump Biden in 2012 if it appears reelection will be difficult. They will announce it’s because Biden has health issues or something like that. But you can bet, if it does happen, sooner or later Biden will reveal the truth. He just can’t help it. Which leads me to wonder — does anyone think that some of Bidens gaffes aren’t gaffes at all??? He intentionally reveals stuff and then acts dottering on purpose to cover it up?
To me Aflack and Biden are the same. Both make stupid gaffes. Some of them I think Biden does on purpose. Some by the other are done (like the 57 states) as “shout outs” to the people we know are his friends.
tango –
I think you are exactly right about Biden — some of his gaffes are “Crazy like a fox”… I think it is a passive aggressive way of sticking it to BO.
But beyond that he has always been gaffe-tastic. The double standard applied to Palin vs. Biden was likewise appalling under the circumstances.
There is bound to be resentment. Biden has been there riding the train to work for over thirty years. Along comes an AA with evangelical speaking skills and he learns… no it’s not experience that counts, but rather marketability and branding that matters most. I always thought there was some covert hostility there with Biden behind everything else.
How could he feel otherwise?
Branding is more important than everything apparently — intellect, experience, practical knowledge, voting record, history of actually working for your constituents — none of that matters much anymore. Just be American Idol and you too can be President.
I have family that watched this Matt Damon video about Sarah Palin during the elections. Matt was “terrified!” of Palin, the hockey mom who thinks dinosaurs are hiding in the hills of Idaho eating cavemen.
This little video really impressed a few family members - I mean Matt Damon cannot be wrong, can he? Hes a brilliant political analyst and a deep thinker… I can tell this every time I watch The Bourne Supremacy.
My relatives ran around calling Palin “too scary, naive, and stupid to be VP” during the election season. They really worked themselves into a frenzy about it, and ran some actuarial tables on McCain.
Whenever Joe Biden opens his mouth I remember these silly conversations. If Biden werent so terrible, I would laugh.
You are speaking of the same Matt Damon that went to Harvard, right??
Oh, that’s right - he didn’t really go to Harvard, he played a guy who went to Harvard.
But that’s the same thing right? Just the like commercials “I’m not a doctor but I play one on TV”
Well, Matt did go to Harvard “1988 to 1992 but did not graduate” (Wikipedia). But I would say that his IQ is off the charts, just like POTUS, and my evidence is the same as that used by the MSM: a hunch.
“I’m not a doctor but I play one on TV.” Right. It all reminds me of the film “The Great Impostor” with Tony Curtis (1961). Fake it till you make it.
Both Biden and Palin were unfit. The argument of just which is worse is akin to people arguing that Scarlet fever is worse than the typhoid.
IMHO, the only candidate worth his/her salt running was Nader. McKinney would have been a good choice too, but her running mate was a total dolt. That, or she wasn’t very skilled at media issues.
Still, even McKinney’s running mate was better than Palin and definitely better than Captain Mastercard.
Our country’s in the very best of hands.
He’s amusing–except when he’s not.
I’m surprised, even a bit mystified at Biden’s latest public comment. I still like Joe Biden. When he gaffes about inconsequential matters, it’s easy to say: that’s so, Joe. And make no mistake, this is a man with plenty of foreign relations experience.
Yet a comment like this one, uttered by the VPOTUS is so unwise when we need Russian cooperation in a number of arenas. My real fear is that this was less a gaffe than some Brezinski slant. Brezinski’s hatred of all things Russian has been discussed before. The very fact that he’s pulling levers behind the curtain makes me worry. He was Carter’s “expert” and that certainly didn’t work out so well.
As for Biden? He’s got to remember he’s the VP now. What he might have gotten away with previously makes boldface headlines now. I understand HRC scurried around trying to calm the situation.
Good thing we have someone to count on!
Thanks for Gagging Biden, Pat, another great cartoon.
Ole Joe, he’s Second-in-Command” and he knows it.
“Mama”, said Ole Joe, “I came from 4% in the first primaries to sitting on the couch in the Oval Office,
I am a contender !!”.
Some of us dream about being the best, and Joe won’t give up that dream. When the cameras are on him, he’s THE BOSS.
Thank God for Biden! There’d be nothing for Saturday Night Live to make fun of otherwise. Plus, Palin is too easy of a target. With Palin, all you have to do is sit and wait. Biden, however, keeps you on your toes. . .
Only a cartoonist can do justice to Mr Biden. Blooper extravaganza….I like that.
It’s interesting to me, a person with a long recreational interest in alternative history, that no one at NQ mentioned Hillary’s alleged slip not too long ago in which she noted in her address to the CFR how convenient it was that they now have an office down the street from her in Washington DC. That would make it easier for them to let her know what she should be doing. A few “fringe” blogs roared about this “slip” of hers. However, I interpreted her remarks as quite intentional and serious, directed towards those with ears to hear. Ignoring this “slip” by Hillary is consistent with NQ’s negative position on questions about Obama’s citizenship and the blatant controlled demolition of the World Trade Center buildings nine years ago….but it is not consistent with picking on every little gaffe coming from the mouth of likeable Joe Biden.
Also, it’s interesting to me that a couple commenters mentioned Robert Ludlum’s Bourne Supremacy. Actually, I think Ludlum’s novels give almost as clear a picture of what’s going on as MSNBC. In the millenial year 2000, two Ludlom novels were copyrighted….”The Prometheus Deception” tells the story of a group whose objective is to bring about a financial crises in order to create a new world financial order spearheaded by a Bill Gates-like character with a high-tech multi-million dollar mansion in Seattle. The other novel, “The Hades Factor” tells about a super virus let loose upon the world by a deranged scientist and his evil cohorts, including Congresswoman Nancy Petrelli, who intend to reap the financial and political rewards of being the only supplier of the vaccine to save the world.
I really have to wonder where these fiction writers get some of their material. It’s one thing if they write about it after it happens. It’s another story completely if they write about it before it happens.
Hillary doesn’t make stupid “slips”. IMO she said precisely what she was thinking. And contrary to your negative views of this site and its habitues, her comment was discussed here. So sorry you missed it.
Do you have a link for the NQ discussion of Hillary’s slip. I agree. I also think she said exactly what she meant to say. I don’t have a negative view of NQ. On the contrary,I have been commenting here for almost two years under several names. I even believe there really is a Michelle Obama “whitey” tape. But I am very puzzled by postings on Obama’s birth questions, which seem closed-minded to me and by 9/11 questions. The use of controlled demolition seems obvious. I don’t think many of us would know exactly how it would have been done, but there doesn’t seem to be any other good scientific explanation for why those buildings fell when they did and the way they did. If what happened wasn’t an inside job, then maybe the first Twin Towers attack prompted somebody to set-up the buildings for a controlled demolition to prevent them from toppling over and destroying surrounding buildings in the event of another attack, and, of course, saving somebody a lot of money, even it was at the expense of 3000+ lives. It would be a big secret in that case because people in the Sears Tower in Chicago or other monstrous skyscrapers around the country might have concerns if something along those lines were to be some Dr Strangeglove’s SOP.
Sorry, I just now saw your question. I don’t have a link because it was within the context of another discussion. Perhaps someone else has it? I am also sorry if I misunderstood your comments. I am so accustomed to obots coming in just to snark that it seemed your comment about NQ peeps was an attack.
As for the planned takedown of the towers, I can’t imagine anyone thinking it was okay to do demo with so many people still inside. I’ve seen that video implying it was an organized destruction. Perhaps the video was a fake?
maybe their physic.like Jules Vern
noting that Russia’s economy and population are “withering.”
Huh? Quite rich coming from the 15th most debt-laden country in the world. The other 14 are all (excluding Hong Kong) European countries. So I wouldn’t be so fast to boast about the success of western-type economy. It’s true that Russia’s economy relies heavily on gas and weapon industry which do not employ a lot of people. But for the very same reason Russia’s political power will increase when the oil runs out.
As for the comment on population, the US and Europe are hardly role models. The “real” population of the US and Europe is decreasing very quickly and the only ones who are making children are immigrants. It’s the muslims in Europe and the Hispanics in the US who will soon form the majority. Taking into account that it’s the very same groups of people who have the most problem with education and employment.. Well, I don’t see the future of the western nations very bright since the labour works are running to cheaper countries making the uneducated people irrelevant in the western job market (a fact that is very evident in the current unemployment rates). The situation is the worst in Europe due to religious conflicts but that’s an entire different topic.
In my opinion it’s the hand of the US and Europe that is being over-estimated. East-Asia is here to stay, they have a lot of obedient people with a strong belief in education and a sense of unity.
Maybe a good screening of candidates with a PET or SPECT scan would help identify those who appear to be in an early stage of a vascular dementia or Alzheimer’s that impacts their judgment. Of course, I am not suggesting JB is demented.
But what if Reagan had been examined with one during his last term in office? Would his Alz have been detected and treated? Perhaps top executives like Pres and Vice-Pres should have scans as part of their medical checkups to assess their continuing fitness for the job. Is it wise to have loose canons running amuck at top levels because of brain function issues? Obviously, JB cannot shut up and doesn’t consider the consequences of his statements. He will continue to embarrass the White House and leave it to others to “clean up” after him.
Of course, if you start making PET/SPECT scans a requirement for important political jobs, think how many senators, Supreme Court appointees, and congressmen might be adversely affected. I guess this kind of exam requirement will never happen because it would be political suicide to promote it.
Absolutely perfect Pat. Well done and very well illustrated. To steal from a cartoon I saw, Biden the object for the “Cash for Clunkers” program…
Great post and cartoon, Pat!
Maybe the button in his mouth should have an arrow and read: “I’m With Stupid” and Barry could wear one too, with arrow pointing the other way.
Either way, I can see yet another sequel to the film “Dumb and Dumber”, although, unfortunately, it’ll be all too real.
BREAKING NEWS
A Clinton to the rescue AGAIN!!!
I’m crying…I’m so happy for the girls, and, of course, President Clinton.
North Korea has just announced the 2 journalists that work for Al Gore have been pardoned!
Thank God for Bill Clinton. Obama could learn a few things if he wasn’t so bloody arrogant.
Oh, this is great news! Thank goodness a real President knew what to say and do!
I agree, I just said the same thing when I called my hubby to share.
Pat — as always a great cartoon and a thoughtful post. When you mentioned Hillary with clean-up duty, my mind immediately went to those poor guys who follow the horses in the Rose Bowl Parade. Hillary deserves rose petals, but she gets horse manure.
Great post Pat. Good thing President Clinton went to N. Korea. Had it been JB, the women would not be, being released tonight, and have been pardoned.
They would have been executed the very next day.
Whenever Hillary has been quiet, you know she’s had her sleeves rolled up doing The Work. Wonk that she is, she takes care of business. I do hope that Hill and Bill will be able to take a few bows on this one rather than the Dear Leaders.
I am very happy that the two women are coming home. However, in the future is it too much to ask that American journalists, tourists, hikers (looking for fabulous waterfalls)stop creating incidents by staying far away from hostile borders?
welcome home ladies,compliments of the Clinton team..
Good people of Russia, please pity us…then ignore the buffoon in the VP costume.
Well, there are/were two Russian nuclear subs parked along our East Coast for the first time in 15 years. They are just 200 miles from our shores in international waters.
I just wonder if his comments invited the subs or if his comments were in response to his knowledge of their existence.
In this case, “seal” being the operative word.
Great ‘toon, Pat.
Stan Davis
Lakewood, CO
I’ve collected some classic Bidenisms at joebidensaidthat.com
Enjoy! And suggestions are welcome…
OMG–Your site is terrific! Good job!