VP Biden Opens Mouth - Inserts Foot

[Michael]

Quick question? Why can't VP Biden be kept on a short leash and only permitted to discuss issues pertaining transportation infrastructure (and/or attending funerals for foreign dignitaries)?

Joe Biden speaking on any other topic is just a recipe for disaster.

Here's a case in point...

WASHINGTON — Plunging squarely into one of the most sensitive issues in the Middle East, Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. suggested on Sunday that the United States would not stand in the way of Israeli military action aimed at the Iranian nuclear program.

Source-NYTimes (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/06/us/politics/06biden.html?_r=1&ref=global-home)

The day Obama picked Biden, was Obama first major political error. Biden is an idiot and always has been. He's a very typical example of the kind of person a couple terms in the US Senate produces - vain, egotistical, publicity hound, not very bright and a complete idiot on policy issues.

That description applies to most of the US Senate - it is almost universal for any Senators wtih more than two terms. Biden is the poster boy for this phenomenum.

Every single idiotic statement that comes out of Biden's mouth reflects negatively on Obama's Administration. I thought the 'Mickey-Mouse-Foreign-Policy-Club' went out with the Bush Administration. I was clearly mistaken as Obama has merely replaced one set of idiot clowns with an new set of idiot clowns.

(Not fair to actual clowns who are entertaining and don't prentend to have delusions about how to run the world).

[Evangeline]

I disagree that he's an idiot. He's very intelligent. He's a blunt and brutally honest man. And he says what he thinks and he tells it like it is. I'd rather have that, than a secretive liar. I like Biden. He's been on the Senate Intelligence Committee for years. He knows what's going on. He's being honest about it. I don't find this such a problem that others do. I like the honesty.

[Michael]

I disagree that he's an idiot. He's very intelligent. He's a blunt and brutally honest man. And he says what he thinks and he tells it like it is. I'd rather have that, than a secretive liar. I like Biden. He's been on the Senate Intelligence Committee for years. He knows what's going on. He's being honest about it. I don't find this such a problem that others do. I like the honesty.

So you are okay with Biden throwing a stupid clusterfuck at Obama's attempt to manage the prickly Israel vs Iran issue - just because he couldn't keep his big yap shut?

And if you consider this to be evidence of "Biden's honesty", do you realize that means you are asserting that Obama is a duplicitous liar since every word spoken by Obama on this topic is a direct contradiction of Biden's statement.

[Evangeline]

So you are okay with Biden throwing a stupid clusterfuck at Obama's attempt to manage the prickly Israel vs Iran issue - just because he couldn't keep his big yap shut?

And if you consider this to be evidence of "Biden's honesty", do you realize that means you are asserting that Obama is a duplicitous liar?

I didn't know that Obama said something contradicting Biden.....

[Michael]

I didn't know that Obama said something contradicting Biden.....
That's the whole point of this issue.

Obama has been trying to be very honest and explicit with the Israelis about Iran and the settlement issue (two separate issues).

Biden just essentially told the Israelis that Obama is really only playing for show and his 'true' views on the issue are different than his public statements (and that the 'status quo' still rules in Washington - Israel can do anything they like and USA will support them - which is specifically the policy Obama is trying to change).

Obama is trying to deal with some very difficult issues in Middle East diplomacy. Biden is acting like a politician who just can't keep his mouth shut and has to spout off on issues he doesn't seem to know much about.

Btw, I would put forth the Senate Intelligence Committee as the one Committee of the Senate that seems to be the most disfunctional and the one that is most filled with people who know virtually nothing about US foreign policy and/or national security issues. Armed Services seems to be the most impressive committee for having members who actually know some policy. Intelligence Committee is filled with people who haven't got a clue about the difference between Shia vs Sunni.

[Thomas Paine]

Biden is well known for his foot-in-mouth statements so there doesn't seem to be a lot of shock factor, at least for me, when he makes them. When I voted for and chose to support the Obama/Biden ticket I expected Biden to have these moments. It was his foreign policy experience that impressed me the most, not his public speaking skills.

Biden's statement has be clarified.


Vice President Joe Biden's statement that Israel can decide on its own whether to strike Iran's nuclear sites should not be construed as an American "green light" for such an action, the State Department said on Monday.

"We are certainly not going to give a green light to any kind of military strike, but Israel is a sovereign country and we're not going to dictate its actions," State Department spokesperson Ian Kelly said on Monday.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1098211.html

[Michael]

Biden is well known for his foot-in-mouth statements so there doesn't seem to be a lot of shock factor, at least for me, when he makes them. When I voted for and chose to support the Obama/Biden ticket I expected Biden to have these moments. It was his foreign policy experience that impressed me the most, not his public speaking skills.
Yes, it has been long expected that Biden would do the 'foot-in-mouth' thing.

What gets me is that I knew it would be on the foreign policy side where it would be most damaging and that's exactly where Biden did it.

And what really has always freaked me out is the assertion that Biden is some kind of foreign policy wonk. I've certainly never seen anything of it other than the endlessly repeated assertion in the media (and his supporters) that foreign policy is his strong suit. Anyone know of any evidence of that? Anything?

US Senators speaking rationally about US foreign policy over the last twenty years is a VERY TINY CLUB and I don't think it extends beyond Hegal or Lugar on a good day and even then those boys tend to be just as ideological as all the others (defining US foreign policy only in terms of US domestic/partisan politics).

Biden's statement has be clarified.


http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1098211.html

I think the statements Joint Chief Mullen made in response to questions about Biden's comments on CBS and FOX was rather more emphatic and a true representation of actual US policy on the issue.

Biden seems to be in way over his head here and has no business taking questions on such a critically sensitive political issue. Biden had every opportunity to dodge that pointed and loaded question - and he delivered an epic fail that has the actual US foreign policy community forced into a defensive reaction/spin mode.

[Evangeline]

It's just as I thought. Biden didn't say anything that contradicted Obama.


WASHINGTON (AFP) – US President Barack Obama strongly denied in an interview on Tuesday that the United States had given Israel a green light to strike Iran's nuclear facilities.
Asked on CNN television whether Washington had given Israel the go-ahead for such an attack, Obama said: "Absolutely not."
In the interview with the US network broadcast from Russia where he is on an official visit, Obama added that Washington could not "dictate" the security interests of other countries and would seek to settle the dispute through diplomacy.
"What is also true is, it is the policy of the United States to try to resolve the issue of Iran's nuclear capabilities," Obama said.
This would be achieved "through diplomatic channels," he said.
The remarks followed comments by Vice President Joe Biden over the weekend that the United States would not stand in the way of Israel in its response to Iran's nuclear ambitions.
"Israel can determine for itself... what's in their interest and what they decide to do relative to Iran and anyone else," Biden told ABC television's "This Week" program in an interview broadcast Sunday.
"We cannot dictate to another sovereign nation what they can and cannot do when they make a determination -- if they make a determination -- that they're existentially threatened," Biden said.
Obama on Tuesday stressed that he wanted first to see progress on diplomacy, as the United States attempts to end Tehran's controversial nuclear drive.
"I think Vice President Biden stated a categorical fact, which is that we can't dictate to other countries what their security interests are," the US president said.
Obama said that "the United States reserve(s) the right, and I as commander-in-chief reserve the right, to take whatever actions are necessary to protect the United States."
Asked about Iran at an event Tuesday in Washington, the top US military officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, said Tehran could have an atomic bomb within one to three years and that such a development risked unleashing a nuclear arms race in the Middle East.
If Iran secured a nuclear arsenal it "would be potentially very destabilizing," Mullen told an audience at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
"My concern is that, you know, the clock has continued to tick," he said.
Saying Israel viewed a nuclear-armed Iran as an existential threat, Mullen spoke of the "criticality in my view of solving this before Iran gets a nuclear capability or that anyone would, you know, take action to strike them."
Mullen, who is chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the focus was on diplomatic efforts but echoed Obama's comments, refusing to rule out military options.
"There is a great deal that certainly depends on the dialogue and the engagement, and I think we need to do that with all options remaining on the table, including certainly military options," he said.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090707/pl_afp/mideastisraelusnuclearobama

[Americano]

"Protect the United States", as we discovered with Iraq, is a term interpreted by politicians to suit the needs of their masters and invariably accepted by the US general public. Sounds like the MIC is still in full control of US foreign policy supported by the Israeli lobby.

Mullen talking 'strike' and Bush era 'all options on the table' means nothing has changed, Biden knew that when he spoke.

"Why of course the people don't want war. Why should some poor slob on
a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best he can get out of
it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally the common people
don't want war neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in
Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the
country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to
drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist
dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no
voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders.
That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked,
and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the
country to danger. It works the same in any country."

Hermann Goering
April 18, 1946

[Evangeline]

Mullen talking 'strike' and Bush era 'all options on the table' means nothing has changed, Biden knew that when he spoke.



Everything has changed. Obama and Biden are in charge now. They don't have the agenda of war as Bush and Cheney did. They don't belong to a PNAC that says we need another Pearl Harbor so we can invade Iraq. They don't follow the Bush doctrine of Pre-emptive war.

Everything has changed.

[The Drunk Guy]

Everything has changed. Obama and Biden are in charge now. They don't have the agenda of war as Bush and Cheney did. They don't belong to a PNAC that says we need another Pearl Harbor so we can invade Iraq. They don't follow the Bush doctrine of Pre-emptive war.

Everything has changed.
I'll believe it when I see it.

[Michael]

It's just as I thought. Biden didn't say anything that contradicted Obama.

Technically true. Biden parsed his words sufficiently that he didn't technically contradict long standing general policy here. But it is totally trite to say that all nations are sovereign. That's not the point.

The point is twofold:

1. When faced with a loaded/barbed question like the one Biden faced here, the PROPER response is to reiterate that the US supports all peaceful means to achieve the policy and then to refuse comment on hypothetical situations. Anything else is a landmine. Biden opened his mouth, stated the obvious and thus triggered a political landmine.

2. Perception is everything. The Israeli press (and much of the rest of the Middle East) immediately quoted the Biden interview and were proclaiming the fact that the US has just given the "GREEN LIGHT" to Israel for an attack on Iran.

It doesn't matter what Biden's precise words or intent, and it doesn't matter how the US media spins this for the US domestic audience - the fact is the RESULT in the Middle East and that result is categorically the opposite message that the Obama Administration is working on sending.

As many Middle Eastern commentators are noting, the US now completely "owns" any Israeli strike on Iran. It is generally understood that any Israeli attack on anyone, anytime, is going to be blamed on the US - but in this case there is a clear official link that can be claimed and it traces right to Obama through Biden.

The issue is a very subtle one. Biden didn't say anything that wasn't true. Diplomacy is all about reading between the lines. And reading between the lines on Biden's statement is a clear 'green light' for Israel to attack Iran. That categorically is NOT Obama/US official policy here. Ergo, Biden fucked up big time.

That's why Mullen reacted with a strong statement to clarify official US position - he understood the ramifications of Biden's stupid statement in terms of Israeli domestic politics.

I want a muzzle on Biden - and keep him at home please - he's not safe for international audiences.

[Michael]

Everything has changed. Obama and Biden are in charge now. They don't have the agenda of war as Bush and Cheney did. They don't belong to a PNAC that says we need another Pearl Harbor so we can invade Iraq. They don't follow the Bush doctrine of Pre-emptive war.

Everything has changed.
Nothing has changed.

And Obama has never abjured the preemptive strike doctrine. On the only occasion where the issue has come up, Obama endorsed the concept with respect to Pakistan. Obama has also reiterated his belief that the US has the right to violate any sovereign nation any time it pleases, if the US feels threatened in any way (also in respect to Pakistan).

US missile strikes into Pakistani territory have increased since Obama took office.

I see zero change in Afghanistan between Bush and Obama policy on foreign policy so far.

Words in Washington don't influence my views - I go by what happens on the ground in the Middle East - and over there, nothing has changed since Bush was in office. Any positive efforts by Obama and Hillary on the Israeli vs Palestine issue have just been undone by Biden's idiot statement.

[Michael]

So now Obama (who is in Moscow right now) has been forced to address the Biden controversy.

MOSCOW, Russia (CNN) – The United States is "absolutely not" giving Israel a green light to attack Iran, U.S. President Barack Obama told CNN Tuesday.

"We have said directly to the Israelis that it is important to try and resolve this in an international setting in a way that does not create major conflict in the Middle East," Obama said, referring to Iran's nuclear ambitions.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden on Sunday appeared to leave the door open for Israel to attack Iran if it saw fit.

"Israel can determine for itself — it's a sovereign nation — what's in their interest and what they decide to do relative to Iran and anyone else," Biden said on ABC's "This Week."

Obama said Tuesday that Biden had simply been stating a fact, not sending a signal.

"I think Vice President Biden stated a categorical fact, which is we can't dictate to other countries what their security interests are. What is also true is that it is the policy of the United States to resolve the issue of Iran's nuclear capabilities in a peaceful way through diplomatic channels," he said.

Source (http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/07/07/obama-u-s-not-giving-israel-green-light-to-attack-iran-2/)
That's called 'damage-control'.

It wouldn't be necessary if Biden didn't screw up by starting a diplomatic brushfire in the Middle East with his ill-considered yapping.

[Michael]

Biden opens mouth again... inserts foot again...

WASHINGTON -- Vice President Joe Biden said in an interview that Russia's economy is "withering," and suggested the trend will force the country to make accommodations to the West on a wide range of national-security issues, including loosening its grip on former Soviet republics and shrinking its vast nuclear arsenal.

Mr. Biden said he believes Russia's economic problems are part of a series of developments that have contributed to a significant rethinking by Moscow of its international self-interest. The geographical proximity of the emerging nuclear programs in Iran and North Korea is also likely to make Russia more cooperative with the U.S. in blocking their growth, he said.

But in the interview, at the end of a four-day trip to Ukraine and Georgia, Mr. Biden said domestic troubles are the most important factor driving Russia's new global outlook. "I think we vastly underestimate the hand that we hold," he said.

Source-WSJ (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124848246032580581.html)

Again, Biden didn't say anything that was explicitly true. He just blabbered on about a topic that he should NOT be addressing - in a context that is precisely the worst context for making such comments.

Like I said, nothing that Biden says will surprise me. I consider him a complete idiot and a liability to the White House. He doesn't seem to have any clue about what the words he says really mean and what political ramifications will follow directly from his words.

This one I think is actually worse than his comments about Israel. This time, Biden has pretty much guarenteed that Russia is going to be especially ornery in ALL dealings with the USA for the near term. I'd expect Russia will go out of her way to ensure that Biden has lots of egg on his face for this one.

Russia has a long history of cutting off her own nose to spite her face. Biden has just invited Russia to do it again - at the expense of US foreign policy. Russia is going to prove Biden wrong - just for the sport of it. US foreign policy gets to suffer for that.

Seriously, if I hear one more person telling me that Joe Biden is some kind of 'expert' on foreign policy I'm going to die of laughter. Joe Biden is as much an expert on US foreign policy as G.W. Bush was.

Put a muzzle on this idiot and keep him on a short leash. Domestic ribbon-cutting ceremonies and foreign funerals only please! Six months in office and he's already made major stupid comments that threaten to screw-up two of the most important elements of US foreign policy.

I'll be expecting Biden to diss the Chinese, Brits and Germans next.