Biden Thrown Under Short Bus

Come on people. Is this your message? You're just setting up Joe to be the comic relief because Hopey's the most humorless president since Woodrow Wilson?

The competitors in the Special Olympics work hard. They're handicapped. Not "differently-abled." Handicapped. Meaning that they start at a disadvantage. And through pluck and courage, overcome those obstacles. It should be inspiring. A Triumph of the Human Spirit. The sort of thing a First Lady ought to handle. Not an occasion for low comedy and cheap late-night shots.

But now President Hopey, who did his best to toss Joe under the bus by describing him as an unfathomable nit-wit (when Joe actually made more sense about the "so-called stimulus" as he calls it than any official speechwriter), announces Joe will host the Special Olympics.

Oh, very droll. Websites are all over this, from the discreet but snarky "no comment" to the indiscreet but still snarky "Obama finds the perfect role for Biden."

How does this enhance the Special Olympics? How does this burnish Biden's reputation? Obama is a genuinely horrible person. Who makes handicapped kids the butts of his petty in-fighting jokes.

UPDATE: Check out our new sponsors (and by sponsors we mean blogs we link to)! At Friends of Joe to your right, you'll notice Fuck You, Penguin, the blog that tells cute animals what's what, Big Hollywood, a haven for creative Hollywood-types who are either libertarian, conservative, or just basically pissed off at Hollywood, Hot Chicks With Douchebags, featuring commentary on hot chicks who unaccountably end up photographed with douchebags, and The New Majority, featuring, well, a bunch of douchebags plus one hot chick (hi, Moira!) Stay tuned to JTV for the finest linkage on these our sovereign internets.

Murtha Empire Collapsing

The mood in the JTV newsroom has been understandably tetchy of late, what with disrespect for Joe being piled upon disasters for the nation (and is there really any difference?) So it's time for a break from depressing news items, like the fact that Geithner's bailout plan was laughed at when presented to Congress this morning, and roundly dismissed by the markets, which plummeted when it was announced just as the Please Don't Embarrass Obama bill passed the Senate. Enough of that. It's time for a news item of undiluted joy.

For the second time in as many months, a company with close ties to Jack Murtha (D-Moveon) was raided by the FBI. This is starting to resemble a pattern. Murtha is perhaps most famous for his condemnation of our troops in Iraq, calling them murderers of innocent women and children over the incident in Haditha. The personnel involved were cleared some years ago, but Murtha refused to retract or apologize for his statement.

JTV readers are most fond of his antics, however, because of his assertion that the racism of the voters in his Western Pennsylvania district would prevent them from voting for Obama. Catching some heat from his constituents over that remark, he backed off, explaining that what he didn't mean to call them racists. What he really meant to say was that they were rednecks.

He still somehow managed to get re-elected, leading to speculation that maybe the people in his district are dumber than dirt after all. But at least he's in the crosshairs of the feds. From the archives, the Saturday Night Live sketch featuring Murtha and Joe. Gird your loins!
UPDATE: Ed Morrissey connects the dots between the two FBI raids. The only connection is Murtha.
[NB: Now you can access all of the SNL sketches starring Joe! Just click on the "Joe on SNL" links provided at left.]

As Promised, a Special Comment

This will not stand. Our President, seemingly dazed into torpor by Marine One head injuries, held his first in a series of House-cancelling prime time press conferences, with the apparent aim of boring and annoying the nation into submission for whatever half-assed, misbegotten, godforsaken, irradiated giant rubber Japanese monster of a bill he lets Pelosi write while he hosts cocktail parties. Between tough questions about steroid use and zombie Helen Thomas groaning out some alleged question that sounded vaguely like "Death to All Juice," he took time out to gratuitously rip his own Vice President, Joe Biden

GARRETT: Mr. President, at a speech Friday that many of us covered, Vice President Biden said the following thing about a conversation the two of you had in the Oval Office about a subject he didn't disclose. "If we do everything right, if we do it with absolute certainty, if we stand up there and we really make the tough decisions, there's still a 30 percent chance we're going to get it wrong." Since the vice president brought it up, can you tell the American people, sir, what you were talking about? And if not, can you at least reassure them it wasn't the stimulus bill or the bank rescue plan and if, in general, you agree with that ratio of success, 30 percent failure, 70 percent success?

OBAMA: You know, I don't remember exactly what Joe was referring to...(LAUGHTER)... not surprisingly. . . I have no idea. I really don't.

Oh, very droll. In one ear and out the other, sir? Joe was, of course, entirely correct in saying that a project of such magnitude and uncertainty has an element of risk. He was merely incorrect in hinting that the Please Don't Embarrass Obama bill comes anywhere close to getting it right. It gets it whatever the opposite of right is. But you just had to go for the cheap laugh at the man you chose to be the second in command.

Let us remind you, sir, that your precious golden boy tax fraud Geithner, scheduled to come begging for another TRILLION DOLLARS of bailouts tomorrow because he blew the first $350 billion to no appreciable effect, damned near caused a trade war with China, averted only by Joe's timely correction. Let us remind you, sir, that you gave vent to your oath-taking inadequacies by making Joe work 20-hour shifts to swear in everyone in the executive branch and the Senate, some of them twice, just hoping he'd screw it up once to make you feel better. Let us remind you, sir, that Joe was given the unenviable task of cleaning up Hillary's campaign debt.

And finally, sir, let us remind you of Joe's ultimate sacrifice: the Superbowl party for the Finance Committee, specifically hosted with the aim of getting your other tax fugitive pal Tom Daschle confirmed. Ordinarily, Joe doesn't mind schmoozing with senators, even in such an unworthy cause. But this, this was a bridge too far:

“Vice President Biden and his family are just great people and terrific hosts. Teresa and I had a wonderful time, and her Terrible Towel worked wonders for her Steelers." - Senator John Kerry

Teresa loose in the Naval Observatory swinging her terrible towel. While John offers running commentary on the game. For hours on end. The horror, the horror...

Is there any greater loyalty than this? Beware, sir, the wheels on your bus may go thump, thump, thump, but after you've tossed your true friends overboard, who will be left to defend you? Not even a dog. Good night and good luck.

Everything Seemingly Is Spinning Out of Control

Setting aside the fact that the Senate is being forced to hold its nose to blow a TRILLION DOLLARS by next week on the sole sheepish argument that we can't embarrass Obama in his first big thing, setting aside the fact that the vaunted smooth transition has been a scandal-plagued mess and the axles of the Hopenchange Express are getting clogged with blood and matted hair, setting aside all those domestic fiasci, the wheels are coming off our foreign policy as well. The Please Don't Embarrass Obama bill contains protectionist provisions that have resulted in threats of retaliation from Europe. Because the best thing you can do in a recession is start a trade war. The Russians have convinced Kazookiestan (Joe's term) to close down our main supply base for the Afghan War. Iran has mocked us as weak, launched a satellite, bared their broad buttocks and cried "behold, we honor thee most highly!" Yemen just released 170 suspected terrorists into the wild. Our fugitive criminal Treasury Secretary threatened a trade war (!) with China. Hugo Chavez is making racist jokes about our President, and Ecuador just kicked out our ambassador.

So what we really needed was Joe Biden heading off to Berlin for the international security conference thing. He had a script, so it was pretty dull. He apologized for absence of John Kerry, no doubt earning a sigh of relief from previous attendees. A few highlights:

Obama Was Not, I Repeat, Not Punk'd
It was not an accident that he gave his very first interview as President of the United States to Al Arabiya. That was not an accident.

If only it were. Let's see, Obama managed in that interview to diss the US, blame the Gaza situation on nonexistent Israeli settlements, and extend the hand of friendship to Iran. Who promptly swatted it away, saying it was a sign of weakness. And then they launched a satellite. And refused to meet with Joe Biden without preconditions (heck he was in town and everything, what gives?). Way to go, Hopey. Way to look out for the home team. Nice results.

Frankly, Poor Nations Have Cooties
To meet the challenges of this new century, defense and diplomacy are necessary. But quite frankly, ladies and gentlemen, they are not sufficient. We also need to wield development and democracy, two of the most powerful weapons in our collective arsenals. Poor societies and dysfunctional states, as you know as well as I do, can become breeding grounds for extremism, conflict and disease. Non-democratic nations frustrate the rightful aspirations of their citizens and fuel resentment.

Our administration has set an ambitious goal to increase foreign assistance, to cut extreme poverty in half by 2015, to help eliminate the global educational deficit, and to cancel the debt of the world's poorest countries; to launch a new Green Revolution that produces sustainable supplies of food, and to advance democracy not through the imposition of force from the outside, but by working with moderates in government and civil society to build those institutions that will protect that freedom -- quite frankly, the only thing that will guarantee that freedom.

Um, the Green Revolution is going to help poor nations? About the only thing the Green Revolution does for poor nations is use a bunch of perfectly good food for inefficient ethanol, and reduce crop yields by banning genetic science practiced since the days of Gregor Mendel. Quite frankly, the Green Revolution helps poor nations by keeping them poor and quaint and charming and poor. To be frank.

Joe went on to say that France needs to pony up more in NATO operations (they declined), and that Russia should unclench their fist and get a free hand or something (they chuckled and said no dice).

So has anything gone right in this misbegotten administration? Why yes, and Joe's responsible, natch. Tim Geithner, our newly-minted Treasury Secretary, noted tax fraud and mismanager of $350 billion, accused China of precipitating the financial crisis by manipulating its currency. Its own currency. Which isn't even held by anyone as a reserve currency, so we're not exactly sure how that creates a worldwide crisis. What would create a crisis and (you guessed it!) a trade war is the Treasury Secretary officially saying China manipulates its currency. That triggers automatic legal action. Thankfully Joe was there to clean up the mess. He clarified that Geithner didn't know what he was talking about, is a known criminal, and is whacked out of his mind on penetrating wood finish half the time. OK, so that's not a triumph, exactly, more of an aversion of yet another disaster, but it's really got to be embarrassing for Geithner when Joe Biden goes on television to correct your misstatements.

At this rate, Joe may be forced to pull a Weinburger and seize control of the government. At least he never asks you to fork over a TRILLION DOLLARS just to save him embarrassment. Cover him at the cafeteria now and again. Cab fare maybe. But not a TRILLION DOLLARS. And he's every bit as effective at foreign policy as Hopey. A bargain.

Biden Lands Toothless Sinecure

Or a blue-ribbon commission, as they say in DC. The good news is, Joe gets to keep his vital honchoing responsibilities. He'll be honchoing the Middle Class, to be specific (in addition to honchoing the baseline on foreign policy). The bad news is, those responsibilities don't appear to be quite as vital as all red-blooded, right-thinking Biden-loving Americans had hoped. Here's the composition of the very important Middle Class Task Force (motto: Power On!):

The Labor Secretary and the Education Secretary. Neither of these are real actual cabinet positions. They just exist so that the real cabinet can attend the State of the Union Address while one of these dupes stays back at the White House and hopes the Capitol gets nuked. These are, in effect, the cabinet equivalents of the Snipe Hunt. "Hey, you've got a real important job. Here's a bag and a flashlight. Watch out for terrorist threats while we go get on TV." While these two nobodies might cause trouble by virtue of having nothing else to do and therefore showing up at Task Force meetings with ideas, Joe can probably overawe them with his sheer honchodom.

The Commerce Secretary. A literal non-entity. They still can't fill this job. The first nominee, the allegedly hispanic Bill Richardson, had to withdraw due to a federal investigation that somehow slipped through the bestest vetting process ever. The second nominee, an actual hispanic congressperson whose name eludes us, withdrew because he just plain didn't want the job. This is a congressman, turning down a cabinet post. He had previously turned down the (still unfilled) Trade Representative post on the grounds that "trade wasn't a priority" with the administration. No joke. So now they're trying to snap up a decidedly unhispanic GOP senator for the job, and he's not that thrilled with it. So not a lot of interest for the Commerce Secretary, though Blagojevich has made himself available.

The chair of the Council of Economic Advisors. We think this is Larry Summers. It may be someone else, who is doubtless beholden to Larry Summers.
Bottom line: Joe's going to be taking the minutes for Larry Summers. But at least it's something to do.

And still Evil Sarah manages to suck up all the headlines. Now people are whining because they don't get to see enough of her. "Where's our Sarah?" Oh, boo-hoo. Dammit, people, there is only one Vice President of the United States and that is Joe Biden. And Joe could've attended the Alfalfa Dinner with Barack and Sarah if he wanted. It's just that he needed to stay back at the White House and watch out for terrorist threats.

Cartographic Creep

Is there no limit to Sarah Palin's blagojevan attention whoredom? In an underhanded attempt to steal headlines more properly belonging to the DULY ELECTED VICE PRESIDENT, Evil Sarah sucks the air right out of the newsroom with this presumably corrupt money grab.

A couple of observations. It's obvious that this photo was taken post-wardrobe-confiscation, in a cynical appeal to mouth-breathing Walmart shoppers. More alarming, however, is the Orwellian logo of Creeping Alaska reaching its sinister tentacles into every corner of the "Lower 48," as the alleged governor dismissively refers to us. What's more, the implied threat is entirely empty, based upon the vicious distortions of the now-debunked Mercator projection.

JTV will not be intimidated. We got news for you, Barb. Greenland's twice as big as Alaska ever was, and Joe Biden won the election. So put that in your little red wagon and smoke it.

Joe Screws Up Simple Task

Oh, man. Career-Limiting Move. On the first day, too.

Given the easy job of swearing in some senior staffers, Joe Biden took the opportunity to mock Chief Justice John Roberts. Possibly because Obama didn't like being reminded of the smooth awesomeness of Joe's oath-taking compared to his own bungled fiasco, or maybe just because he wanted to maintain some basic decorum starting out, the President was not amused. Shook his head as if to say, "where's a bus when you need one?" We're not sure, but we think he might have then added, "dammit, Joe,I ask you to do one little thing, and already you've started screwing up." It's what he was thinking, at least.

JTV hopes Joe is allowed to hang on to his vital honchoing responsibilities. At least he can't be fired, constitutionally.

Praise Song for Joe Biden

This was a glorious day for Joe (and the nation!), and all he had to do was show up. Because aside from Aretha, Joe's the only one who didn't totally blow it. The ever-classy Dems, displaying the charm and grace usually associated with Daily Kos, booed President Bush, and improvised clever taunts, such as "yeah, you're leaving office after your two constitutional terms and swearing in a successor who intends to continue most of your important policies; how does it feel, loser!" Vice President Cheney, confined to a wheelchair after an episode of domestic violence, oddly chose to wear a Nehru jacket while stroking a fluffy white kitten. And most disturbingly, our new President flubbed the oath of office, when it was somehow decided to place him thirty yards away from the Chief Justice with nary a teleprompter in sight.

And that oath isn't even all that hard to remember. The Vice-Presidential oath is far more rigorous and challenging and altogether Charlie Gibsonesque. Its substance, dating back to the Aaron Burr days:

Do you faithfully swear to faithfully discharge the office of Vice President of the United States faithfully?
I do.
And you have no misgivings of mind on this point?
I do not.
No pangs of conscience?
Nope.
Are you sure?
Yeah, man What are you trying to say?
Nothing, it's just that -- Really?
Look, just get on with it.

Despite this complex cathechism, Joe sailed through it without a hitch, unlike the stammering stooge at the top of the ticket. Obama's foozling of the oath was so bad that it may give new fodder for frustrated birth certificate conspiracists (did he really take the oath of office? is he really president?). Obama then lumbered into his much-touted inaugural address, destined to be chiseled in drywall at the new Inoffensive Adequacy Memorial.

Moving from strength to strength, we were treated to what was billed on the official program as a "poem." It failed to clear even the late-stage limbo bar last dropped to accomodate Maya Angelou. Ms. Alexander could've saved the trouble and substituted the lyrics to Chicago's "Does Anybody Know What Time It Is?" without sacrificing any perceptible meaning. Capping the festivities, a benediction was given by the Reverend Dr. Rich Lowry, entitled simply "Praise Song for Racebaiting." This lifted spirits somewhat after the depressing Coleman Francis film of the inaugural address and the alleged poem by having rhythm and occasional rhymes, as well as an actual clear point: Whitey's keepin us down.

After this series of unfortunate events, Joe and Aretha were looking pretty good. But not nearly as good as drop-dead gorgeous (and quite gainly) Jill Biden who, fresh from skewering Hillary, has apparently been hanging out with Condoleeza Rice. She's taken to calling herself Dr., and was wearing a short skirt and boots with a defiantly scarlet coat. This was in sharp contrast to the ungainly Michelle, who wore a chintz slipcover and decided to put her hair on sideways due to inclement weather. Point to Team Biden, in a day that rapidly became a rout.

Overall a proud day for the nation, as millions thronged the hallowed porta-pottie strewn ground of the Mall of America to hear Joe Biden flawlessly not screw up his oath to take back America. "Joe! Joe! Joe!" they chanted, having come from Alabama, San Francisco, the Virgin Islands and Scranton to witness this great moment in world history. Be proud, America. Prosperity at home, respect around the world. Today is a new day. Join with us in saying it. Vice President Joe Biden. Feels good.

Stimulus Package

What the hell is going on in the Senate cloakroom? No wonder Joe's getting all sentimental. In a tingle-inducing Senate moment, Orrin Hatch gave this stirring tribute to Joe's testicles:

Hatch, a devout Mormon not prone to profanity, quoted historian Richard Ben Cramer who once wrote that the Delaware Democrat has "a breathtaking element of balls ... Joe Biden had balls."

Sounds like that natural male enhancement stuff really works. The Utah Republican (whose presidential bid was so cruelly mocked by the National Review gang) then defended Treasury Nominee Tim Geithner, claiming that "this dewy, clean-limbed young man has attracted the confidence of Wall Street, and he has a really sweet little tush."

Larry Craig could not be reached for comment.

Farewell to All That

It's a bit too glib to make fun of Joe's farewell address. Sure it was maybe hokey and squishily sentimental. Maybe it went on a bit. But hell, he's been there 36 years. Most of his life. Who wouldn't feel a bit of a pang upon leaving, and give a lot of shout-outs to his friends? Joe Biden being squishily sentimental is Joe Biden at his best, pal. Stepping out of character for a minute, I do really like Joe, well-founded kidding aside. That's why I applaud his selection of the fine, strong, manly Champ the Killer Attack Puppy as compared to Obama's laboratory-spawned, focus-grouped hypoallergenic tofoodle. That's why I wish he'd stand up to Harry Reid. He's President of the Senate, dammit. He can have a Capitol office and sit in on meetings. He shouldn't let Harry Reid push him around. Of all the people to let push you around, Harry Reid comes pretty low on the list.

That's why I have steadfastly refused to report every stupid cookie-cutter "Joe Biden Will Be Insignificant" analysis story. I know some of you people are on deadline, and are tasked with writing a Joe Biden story, but show maybe a little originality. Did you just Google, cut, and paste? Pathetic, the lot of you. Journalists, my ass. If I want to run down Joe Biden, I'll do it myself rather than gliding off your snarky chablis-in-a-box drivel. No-talent pansies.

I also enjoy Joe because he says just about exactly what's on his mind. That's the raison d'etre for this site. Because what's on Joe's mind is usually entertaining. Woefully misguided as he often is on policy, squirrely as all get out as he is in public pronouncements, it's a strain to dislike him. JTV wishes Joe well. And I thought the speech was just fine.

However, his speech did inadvertently point out the danger in institutional reverence of the Senate. It's an exclusive club, and the awe of it reinforces senators into thinking that they are the Wise Ones. Pillars of the Nation, without whom the supporting walls would collapse, ending in chaos, anarchy and higgledy-piggledy*. This was the deep flaw in the McCain candidacy. My Senate colleagues agree. The DC press corps agrees. Therefore, it can't be wrong. We have achieved Consensus. Which is both bollocks, and unhealthy.

The speech was full of stories about senators who grew as individuals by voting for greeting-card sentiments, and thus felt better about themselves. At which point, it was group hugs all around. Never stopping to consider the practical effect on actual citizens who were going to have to pay for this stuff. As long as the senators grew and learned and felt warm and fuzzy, it was a beautiful thing. The best example of this is his recounting of Jesse Helms's opposition to the Americans with Disabilities Act:

I said, "Mr. Leader," I said, "I can't believe what I just heard on the floor of the Senate. I can't believe anyone could be so heartless and care so little about people with disabilities. I tell you, it makes me angry, Mr. Leader."

He said, "Joe, what would you say if I told you that four years ago, maybe five, Dot Helms and Jesse Helms were reading -- I think it's the Charlotte Observer, the local newspaper -- and they saw an ad in the paper or a piece in the paper about a young man in braces who was handicapped at an orphanage, who was in his early teens.

"And all the caption said was the young man wanted nothing more for Christmas than to be part of a family."

He said, "What would you say if I told you Dot Helms and Jesse Helms adopted that young man as their own child?"

The point is, of course, that the Helmses cared enough to back it up. As opposed to passing some feel-good measure that the feds wouldn't even pay for, that would impose enormous costs on businesses, and that would achieve little of importance to Americans with disabilities. However, I don't think Joe got that point. His take was more along the lines of 'even though they vote horribly, some people are still nice; group hug!'

The most telling story, however, concerns young Joe's query of elder statesman Jim Neeson "what's the most important thing that's happened":

He said, "The most significant thing that happened since I got here since I got here is air conditioning."

I thought, "Wow, that's kind of strange."

He said, "Well," he said, "You know, Joe," he said, "before we had air conditioning," he said, "all those recess lighting, all of they used to be great pieces of glass, like in showers." He said, "Come around May, that sun" -- he used to use a little bit of profanity which I will not use for appropriate reasons -- he said, "that darn sun would beat down on that dome hit that glass, act like a magnifying glass, heat up the chamber, and we'd all go home in May or June for the year. He said, "Then we put in air conditioning and stayed year round and ruined America."

Which is exactly the point, though the assembled senators laughed like it was a joke. Keep the Senate in session too long, and they feel the need to pass legislation. Even though most of it will be actively harmful to the nation as a whole, they count each law as an Achievement. Keep legislators in DC for too many months out of the year, and they just hang out with each other and a few reporters. And feel like Wise Men, Guiding the Destiny of the Nation. When by and large, most of them are bigger doofi than even Joe. OK, that's hyperbole, but they aren't exactly brilliant or even steady and sound.

So Joe, creature of the Senate, moves on, satisfactorily annoying John Kerry and that outright criminal Chris Dodd. With much woefully misguided but quite understandable and rather charming respect and deference.

But he'll be back, Harry Reid. Just you wait.

*higgledy-piggledy: n., a real mess

Biden Resigns

JTV is shocked, shocked at the resignation of Joe Biden after 36 years in the Senate. "Spend more time with his family." As if. There's something behind this, which we'll get into as soon as our crack staff shows up. Like, this evening maybe. Apparently, they all are really busy doing actual work right now. Meanwhile, Anne Schroeder Mullins has this bittersweet retrospective:

He never fails to disappoint.

By the Numbers:

39: The number of minutes of Joe Biden's farewell speech on the Floor.

Also he of course gets the Quote of the Day, as stated in Biden's profile in the NYT with this doozy:

“I’m the most experienced vice president since anybody.”

Full coverage to follow.

Hail the Conquering Hero

Mission accomplished on Joe's top secret Magical Mystery tour. Joe didn't want to tell you press guys this, but he was going to Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq (shhh). And so, indeed, he did. Without causing a nuclear war on the subcontinent (whew!), committing a serious gaffe (damn!), or just going nuts and claiming plenipotentiary powers to partition Iraq, as he is wont to do. He did, however, wear a series of cool shades in exotic locales. Successful trip, all around.

The trip was supposed to include five senators, but three bailed at the last minute: Reed (D-Sock Drawer), Collins (R-Washing Hair) and Kerry (D-Still Pissed About State Dept). So the only one left was Lindsey Graham, although along the way Joe appears to have picked up either Short Round all grown up or the heir to the throne of North Korea. Hard to tell.

Graham, of course, was the chubby kid in high school. He has never refused an invitation to anything, and too often assumed those that weren't in fact extended. McCain mistakenly thought that because Graham trotted at his heels with pathetic eagerness, he was leading some sort of centrist movement. Turns out, he had just been nice to Lindsey Graham once, and never managed to shake the guy. Joe could turn this to his advantage, of course. If he was nice to Lindsey on the trip, he could introduce him to Ted Kaufman, and then have two pocket senators. A Vice-Presidential party in the Senate. A rival court, if you will. That'd be something salvaged from this pointless boondoggle.

Another triumph was Joe's receipt of the Crescent of Pakistan, that nation's highest civilian award. It is reserved for those Chairmen of the Foreign Relations Committee who try but fail to pass an aid package for Pakistan, despite having a Democrat majority. As one might think, few have managed to earn this honor. Then he went to Afghanistan, where he braved the legendary Brutal Afghan Winter in a black shirt, blazer and cool shades, but still didn't look as suave as Hamid Karzai. Then it was off to Iraq, where he wore a black shirt, leather jacket and cool shades. There he may or may not have been reunited with top-JAG Beau Biden, which at least provides us with the excuse for another Catherine Bell photo.

Bidenophiles have doubtless been frustrated by the lack of press coverage for this important junket. This was apparently by design. For a week, Joe has been completely off the radar screen. He didn't even issue the standard boilerplate press releases after each stop, as is customary on these occasions. Most importantly, as outgoing head of the Foreign Relations committee, he was not present to question Hillary. Just imagine the risks involved in letting Joe ramble on for twelve minutes or so, freestyle, on live television, with the entire DC press corps leaning forward in their seats, pencils at the ready. The risk of a land war in Asia pales in comparison, and so the decision was made.

And naturally, Joe has now gathered sufficient information to tackle his chief foreign policy responsibility: honchoing the baseline.