Barack Obama throws Joe Biden under the bus

Telegraph.co.uk ^ | Feb 10, 2009 | Toby Harnden

[fallingwater]

Pity poor Joe Biden. His "there's still a 30 percent chance we're going to get it wrong" quote is put straight to President Barack Obama during the White House press conference just now and his boss seemed to want to say: "Vice-President Who?"

As reporters started giggling, Obama came close to conceding that Biden was indeed a joke. "You know, I don't remember exactly what Joe was referring to, not surprisingly."

The President went on to say that "I think what Joe may have been suggesting, although I wouldn't ascribe any numerical percentage to any of this, is that given the magnitude of the challenges that we have, any single thing that we do is going to be part of the solution, not all of the solution."

Of course, Biden wasn't saying anything of the sort - Obama knew that and all the rest of us did too.

Biden's exact quote, read out by Fox's Major Garrett at the presser was: "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."

Clearly, Obama and his aides were unhappy about Biden's loose lips. On Friday, top Obama adviser David Axelrod said on CNN: "I don't know exactly about what that math was."

We're probably going to have to get used to Obama explaining "what Joe may have been suggesting". And Biden must be wondering if he's going to end up as a Dan Quayle figure.

[Tijeras_Slim]

What in the world made Obama choose Biden?

Since the Senate needs to convict to remove the President, why not have a Veep that every Senator knows is a pure disaster? The ultimate insurance policy.

[Protect the Bill of Rights]

I've long said Biden is not going to happy as No 2. His ego is just too big. Just think, he gave up his Senate power to become executive buffoon.

BTW—just how much health care resources has his elderly mother wasted?

[McGruff]

I'll be here all week folks.

[LifeComesFirst]

My gosh, I think you’re right! It’s Machiavellian! A pretty smart move from Obama, if true. (I think his intellect is monstrously over-rated)