Remember the furor and the comedic punch lines as a result of Sarah Palin’s statement, implying that she needed someone to clarify the role of the Vice President?
Well, brace yourselves for a similarly overwhelming media reaction to Joe Biden’s solution on where one can locate the definition of the Vice President’s role – Article I of the Constitution.
Problem being, it’s actually Article II.
To most, this will simply constitute another famous Biden gaffe. However, Biden was so forceful and patronizing in his argument during last night’s debate that Dick Cheney should realize ‘Article I of the Constitution defines the role of the vice president,’ that it bears pointing out.
The full excerpt from the debate follows (h/t to Michelle Malkin):
Vice President Cheney has been the most dangerous vice president we’ve had probably in American history. The idea he doesn’t realize that Article I of the Constitution defines the role of the vice president of the United States, that’s the Executive Branch. He works in the Executive Branch. He should understand that. Everyone should understand that.
Article I of the Constitution merely covers the Vice President’s role in tie-breaking votes. It encompasses the powers bestowed upon the Legislative Branch of government.
Article II on the other hand, focuses on the Executive Branch of government, comprising the President, the Vice President, other executive officers, and their role in government.
I’m not sure where Biden was going with this statement, perhaps hinting that Cheney should have stuck to tie-breaking votes rather than actually being a productive member of government, but surely this gaffe will become a sound bite for the media to use against him. Sarah knows…
Her statement to CNBC’s Larry Kudlow in late July was:
“As for that V.P. talk all the time,” she told CNBC’s Larry Kudlow in late July, “I tell ya, I still can't answer that question until somebody answers for me: What is it exactly that the V.P. does every day?"
“I’m used to being very productive and working real hard and in administration,” she continued. “We want to make sure that the V.P. slot would be a fruitful type of position, especially for Alaskans and for the things that were trying to accomplish up her for the rest of the us before I can even start addressing that question.”
The last sentence of the first paragraph has, of course, been taken out of context by the media over the last several months. It is obviously a rhetorical and somewhat amusing answer to a question in which she is trying to deflect attention to the possibility of her being named as running mate. Yet the MSM pounced, here at CNN, Rolling Stone, MSNBC, the LA Times, and the New York Times, among countless others.
Fortunately the even keeled media will make sure Biden pays for his gaffe, as he has paid so dearly for his several other gaffes.
This just in, icicles have been forming in hell.
Pay attention to your own words, Mr. Biden. To paraphrase - The idea ‘Biden’ doesn’t realize that Article 'II' of the Constitution defines the role of the vice president of the United States, that’s the Executive Branch. He should understand that. Everyone should understand that.
You certainly should, Mr. Biden. As for the media, this will just be another case of Biden being Biden.
Photo of Sen. Joe Biden by Joe Raedle/Getty Images
