Posted on 03/27/2011 9:49:06 AM PDT by kristinn
Vice President Joe Biden is opposed to President Barack Obama's attack on Libya, according to the reporter panel on the Chris Matthews Show broadcast the weekend of March 26-27.
There was also mention of White House concerns that it doesn't know who the rebels in Libya are and that they may be tied to al Qaeda in the Maghreb.
The panel noted Biden's public silence on Libya and tied his opposition as consistent with Biden's opposition to Obama's surge strategy in Afghanistan.
What was striking about the panels' conversation was how casually it was discussed. Matthews set up the discussion with the lighthearted cultural reference question, "Where's Waldo?"
The vice president opposing the president launching a kinetic military action and apparently not being able to be a 'good soldier' and publicly campaign for support for the effort is huge news--except for liberal reporters covering a liberal administration as the discusssion was held at the last segment of the half-hour broadcast.
A quick check of the White House Web site for Biden statements on Libya showed only press spokesman readouts of a March 22nd Biden phone call to the UAE about Libya and two other calls:
Vice President Biden spoke with United Arab Emirates Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayid al Nahyan today about developments in Libya and the region. The Vice President expressed his strong appreciation for the UAE's significant humanitarian contribution to the international effort on Libya. The Vice President and Crown Prince also discussed the importance of the unified international effort underway to enforce the measures called for in United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 and agreed to continue close coordination between the United States and UAE on this issue.
Biden also made two other low-profile phone calls to foreign leaders about Libya, but apparently has not made any public statements of support.
Biden took a phone call about Libya from Obama while the president was on his Spring Break trip to Latin America and later had lunch with Obama when he returned to the White House.
A pool report in the Orlando Sentinel on March 23rd about a Biden fundraising speech for Sen. Bill Nelson in Florida that day noted Biden's failure to speak out about the administration's attack on Libya:
Biden never mentioned Libya and only talked about the budget fight in broad terms.
The New York Times White House reporter Helene Cooper definitively said Biden was opposed to military intervention in Libya, while the others on the panel Howard Fineman of the Huffington Post, Elisabeth Bumiller of the N.Y. Times and Major Garrett of the National Journal offered their opinions about Biden's opposition.
Cooper: "Biden was on the side of the milit--was against the military on the Afghanistan debate and he was definitely with the military and with Gates saying that, you know, we should be very cautious here."
Fineman noted Biden's "invisibility says a lot." Bumiller said it was "consistent" with Biden's opposition to the surge in Afghanistan. Garrett joked Biden "was afraid of a big blankety mistake."
Earlier, in the "Tell Me Something I Don't Know" segment, Cooper said, "The United States has gone, uh, went to war in Libya to in part protect the democracy protests, protests and the rebel movement there. The reality is in the White House, and John Brennan in particular, (is) really, really concerned about, that we don't know who these, these rebels are and that some of them may have ties to al Qaeda in the Maghreb.'
Matthews replied to Cooper's news with a deflated, "Oh, great."
Think about all the stories that were written about the "wars" between Rumsfeld & Powell, or Powell & Cheney or any number of conflicts between Bush Cabinet officers. Have you seen one traditional media report written about two Obama Cabinet-level officers fighting amongst each other, let alone any story about Obama fighting with Biden?
LMAO, in a world of right and wrong, leave it to the BRAIN of BIDEN to come up with another “unexpected” choice.
(Bartender, better make this one a triple. Er, just keep pouring until Joe says 'when'.)
And there have been lots of deliveries for ninja turtle shells east of the Potomac as insiders prepare for the expected rash of backstabbing on the horizon.
Bump. Imagine if Cheney opposed GW on a major military action.
Could Pissy Matthews possibly be THIS dimwitted?
Kristinn, do you think this is the beginning of the “letting go” of Duh Won? Is Biden being placed to look ‘in charge’ and have the albatross Obama ‘step aside.k
All of their weird actions and machinations don’t make sense; all the golf, vacays, useless photo ops w/Barracketology. All designed to make him look useless, out of touch, so they can shed him for 2012?
What’s worse is Speaker of the House John Boehner should be pitching a fit over this—and isn’t.
Can’t we demand a new speaker? Boehner is a disspointment..... and a wimp.
No. The ‘Rats would be committing electoral suicide if they dumped Obama.
Give the job to Bachmann and stand back...
Pelosi? Please don’t bring up that name, especially comparing her to anybody.
Right now it seems Hillary is the POTUS and is running the show. I asked my dad if her plane had all the capabilities of Air Force 1 and he said yes (I'm sure FReepers could correct me). But I honestly believe Obama is out to lunch, he rather throw parties, pick NCAA brackets, golf, gallivant with anti-American scum.
Now if I am correct WHY is Hillary taking her orders from the UN? Hillary is a strong woman, I can't stand her politics but the whole "3AM thing" I totally agree with. Once again I feel safer with her running the show than Nero.
I was just curious if anyone agreed with my idea on Hillary running the show. The only thing that makes no sense is why she'd let the UN make decisions for her. Doesn't add up.
i can’t wait for tomorrow when obummer tells us how his kinetic stimulus bombing has saved and/or created 10 million peaceful rebels
Maybe he’s still got all the reporters locked in broom closets.
Hey! Say what you will about that witch. She knew how to get her political agenda passed and we, for what its worth, are a bunch of pansies...
Now there's an idea whose time has come.
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