Guest Editorial
BY JIM MCALLISTER | MAY 16, 2012
Biden's shoe again firmly entrenched in mouth
Even though Obama doesn’t need help in looking foolish, it’s still comforting to know that we always have Joe Biden to step in for the prez when he runs low on material.
Big Joe did it again last week with his support of gay marriage; something Obama was trying to hold off on until after November for fear of the political backlash it would bring with precious Independent voters and religious groups. It was kind of like he is doing with the Keystone decision. Heaven forbid he would man up and say yes or no on that now. First, he has to decide who to piss off the least: his EPA buddies or the unions. What a guy!
With Forcing Obama’s hand on gay marriage, it’s almost as if Joe was being slipped a few million by Romney to throw a wrench into the gears of an already troubled administration. The good news is Romney doesn’t have to pay the guy; Joe is always happy to put his foot in his mouth for free.
To make matters worse, Biden even referred to Mr. Romney as “President Romney” while referring to Obama as “President Clinton.” Does the foolishness ever end? I guess I should save until another day Biden’s making the sign of the cross at a convention of 1,600 Rabbis recently.
I almost feel sorry for press secretary Jay Carney who had to take the grilling over Biden’s gay marriage statement. The poor guy seems to always stutter and stammer anyway but the reporters had him almost crying when they started laughing at his flustered answers to their questions.
Even Liberal leaning columnist Dana Milbank of the Washington Post has written that Biden “inadvertently set off a frenzy on same-sex marriage, not because his position was surprising but because it made Obama’s look all the more absurd.”
Milbank reports that CNN’s Jessica Yellin asked whether Obama was trying to “have it both ways before an election” and whether he should “stop dancing around the issue.”
ABC’s Jake Tapper said “it seems cynical to hide this prior to the election” and that “I don’t want to hear the same talking points 15 times in a row.”
NBC’s Chuck Todd said with a grin, “So help me out here. He opposes bans on gay marriage, but he doesn’t yet support gay marriage?”
Carney replied “He, as you know, said that his views on this were evolving.” To that Tapper replied whether Obama was “still evolving” or whether he’s “just waiting for the proper time to drop it, likely after November.”
“His views,” Carney maintained, “are crystal clear.”
Chris Geidner from Metro Weekly, a gay publication, said it best: “If he’s crystal clear, why is everybody in this room asking you questions?”
Yeah, why?
Jim McAllister is a community columnist and blogger who writes about a variety of interesting subjects. He is an Air Force veteran, alum of the University of Central Missouri, has written news and features for print and television and done hosting work in radio and television. Jim lives in Scottsdale.
