Political Punch
Power, pop, and probings from ABC News Senior White House Correspondent Jake Tapper
Jake Tapper is ABC News' Senior White House Correspondent based in the network's Washington bureau. He writes about politics and popular culture and covers a range of national stories.
RECENT POSTS
- Subversive Xmas Tree Ornament Won't Hang from White House Tree
- Obama to Nominate Bill Richardson as Secretary of Commerce
- Obama Attempts to Ease Governors' Economic Worries
- Charlie's Interview with President Bush
- Oh, That Joe! (No. 45 in a Series): The Loquacious Blue Hen is Gracious to the Spunky Maverick
- Louis Caldera to be Director of White House Military Office
- Obama Sits Down with State Guvs to Stem Economic Slowdown
- The Spectre of a Senator Chris Matthews (D-Penn.)
- Clinton On the Case
- The Unit
MONTHLY ARCHIVES
« Previous | Main | Next »
Oh, That Joe! (No. 25 in a Series) -- National Priorities: The Financial Collapse and Josh Beckett's Arm -- Not Necessarily in that Order
October 13, 2008 12:17 PM
Wall Street is coming off the worst week in the nation’s history. But there are other worries out there as well, as sports fan and Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., well understands.
At American Legion Post No. 7 in Rochester, NH, this morning, Biden told fans of the Boston Red Sox, “Look, I know there are two big worries of people in this area now and quite frankly all over the country, but the first is unique to here."
Said Biden, with mock seriousness: "The first is Josh Beckett’s arm, so I understand that.”
The BoSox are preparing to play Game Three against the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Championship Series. Beckett, possibly still feeling the effects of some late-season injuries, lasted only four innings in Saturday’s Game Two, which the Red Sox eventually lost 9-8 in 11 innings.
“My Phillies didn’t do too well last night, you know, we had a rough night,” said the Delaware lawmaker.
The Phillies lost Game Three Sunday, crashing 7-2 at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series.
“I understand we get our priorities: first, Josh Beckett’s arm and direct order, second the economy," Biden joked. "But folks, all kidding aside, I don’t know what to tell you about Josh Beckett’s arm, but I do have a few thoughts about the second issue, the economy.”
And with that, Biden began his standard stump speech, putting off the BoSox ballgame for the time being.
“You know, it all begins with the understanding that for much, much too long this economy didn’t start collapsing for a lot of people, you know, a week ago. It didn’t start collapsing a week ago. It didn’t start collapsing a month ago. It didn’t start collapsing a year ago, or even two years ago. This economy started collapsing six, seven, eight years ago.”
The loquacious Blue Hen also wished the crowd a happy Columbus Day.
“I may be Irish but I was smart enough to marry Italian, so I’m alright today,” said the Veep nominee.
-- Jake Tapper and Matthew Jaffe
October 13, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (40)
How can you not love Joe Biden? With him as VP, it'll be better than having free cable!
Seriously, he is going to make a great VP, particularly after Cheney's sourpuss act.
Posted by: Tungsten | Oct 13, 2008 10:34:56 PM
re: "Biden is unafraid of the gotcha journalism practiced by every day voters."
- - -
To that end, perhaps we should heed his admonition that Obama is not ready to be President because the job is not conducive to "on the job training." No "gotcha" reporting. Biden's words.
Posted by: Rich Ng | Oct 13, 2008 3:25:32 PM
Biden is unafraid of the gotcha journalism practiced by every day voters.
Palin is busy covering up her abuses of power.
Posted by: Ryan C | Oct 13, 2008 3:06:27 PM
if john mccain really wants to show how much he puts this country first, he should be leading the charge against bush and his crew, for what they have done to this country
if john mccain becomes president one of the first things he should do is see if there are any charges he can bring up against the bush adm. for what they have done to this country.
here at home and abroad.
-------------
and for you mary, mary,
bill clinton and others like him (including bush the first)
have had and have been doing one good job of going around the world helping, and trying to straigten out the mess george w has caused.
george bush and his crew have just about ruined this country.
and who was right there, asking no questions, supporting him all the way
mccain.
mccain should have been thinking country frist and stood up in opposition to bush and some of the things they were doing against this country.
Posted by: world | Oct 13, 2008 3:02:12 PM
re: "i'll bet you go to some place to worship every sunday, and profess a belief in god.
it is that twisted kind of thinking that gave rise to hitler.
_ _ _
Uh, not so much. Hitler, Stalin, and Mao, were far and away the most murderous tyrants in history and their societies were correspondingly totalitarian and hostile to religion.
Posted by: Rich Ng | Oct 13, 2008 3:01:58 PM
ask obama,
B. obama cannot afford to repeat anything mccain has to say on the economy, nor can the media.
because he changes it from day to day.
mr. mccain said what he said today about the economy, after he said what he said on friday, which was different from what he said on wednesday,
who know what he will be saying by weeks
end.
mccain also said-i don't know much about the economy,
mccain also say the economy is fundamentally sound.
mccain also said-the economy is in a crisis.
mccain and his plan for the economy
stay tuned
Posted by: world | Oct 13, 2008 2:56:37 PM
Ha Ha Ha Ha (slapping my knee). Gosh, that Joe Biden is so funny! Funny in kind of a Yogi Berra way - you know the nonsensical lines, except in Joe’s case with misspeaks and mistruths. The mainstream media ignores Biden’s gaffes because he’s irrelevant and he’s been ushered under the MSM Obama protective bubble. In that sense the MSM is also funny in a Yogi Berra way – you know because people now just chuckle at the MSM and no longer take them seriously. To that end, the MSM is also kind of like Biden-irrelevant.
Posted by: Rich Ng | Oct 13, 2008 2:56:18 PM
d0
first of all, you are not even trying to be intelligent, by calling obama zero-bama. very juvenile. and only kids would find that funny, for a minute.
next of all, that is part of my point
no one should be living anywhere for $1dollar a month, or year.
and little children in other countries should not have to work and loss limbs and just to make goods for us here in the us.
they should have a right to go to school.
no matter what you say, the fact will remain
"the earth is but ONE country, and mankind its' citizens"
maybe all of you old head thinkers will have to die out before this comes about, but it will come about.
the earth is one
Posted by: world | Oct 13, 2008 2:52:26 PM
--World--Even Bill Clinton has stated it was the Democrats for the mortgage problem. Unfortunately, you need to become more informed like listening to or reading from the most intelligent financial people. The people in Europe and Asia are also blaming the Democrats. I have listened to CNN International TV and know what their people think. It is the Democrats and Obama that is hiding truth and their hands in the sand.
Posted by: Mary | Oct 13, 2008 2:47:22 PM
Mary,
from now on everytime i read one of your post, i am going to just think you were the woman at the rally that mccain snatched the mike from when she called obama an arab. ok. Mary is the woman at the mccain rally in the red shirt, who
mccain took the mike from
and i will respond to everything you write from now on in the same way mccain responded to you on that day.
"NO MADAM"
mary, your post are not helping mccain' one bit.
Posted by: world | Oct 13, 2008 2:44:41 PM
and it is not socialism.
it is God' plan for his world.
the earth is but one country and mankind its citizens.
Posted by: world | Oct 13, 2008 2:29:59 PM
====
Yes, Mr. world. Why don't you live with Zero-bama's brother in Kenya for $1 per month. That would even save Zero-bama's tax plan $5000 for you.
Posted by: d0 | Oct 13, 2008 2:42:14 PM
The Obama canpaign paid $800,000 to this group so they could defraud the election system. Obama loves those corrupt people and groups, ACORN, Rezko, Ayers, Rev. Wright and Trinity Church that teaches hate and racism. YEP, OBAMA LOVES CORRUPTION. His love for America and its traditional values is sadly lacking. Obama supporters are waiting in lines for their hand-outs.
Posted by: Mary | Oct 13, 2008 2:37:39 PM
Mary, Mary, Mary,
is george W bush, the president responsible for ANY of this mess?
we did have a surplus when he came into office. did clinton and carter take it away from him and spend it? and george W just looked the other way?
and mary, did clinton kill lincoln?
you can really tell how important bill clinton has been even to is critics,
the man is so good, he can take responsibility for EVERYTHING, that has gone wrong with this country.
don't you folks see how twisted that kind of thinking is.
and i'll bet you go to some place to worship every sunday, and profess a belief in god.
it is that twisted kind of thinking that gave rise to hitler.
please check yourselves.bill clinton and the dems are not resp. for everything that has gone wrong in this country.
Posted by: world | Oct 13, 2008 2:35:29 PM
and it is not socialism.
it is God' plan for his world.
the earth is but one country and mankind its citizens.
Posted by: world | Oct 13, 2008 2:29:59 PM
the time for the reps to try and pit one poor man against another poor man
making them think one is going to take from them is over.
those wedge issues will not win the day.
the world is getting smaller.
The days of the only way you can get up is by stepping on someone else are over.
and that will come about with obama or mccain.
there is no need to fear-not everyone will be rich, there will always be the class system,and there is nothing wrong with being rich, but getting rich by cheating others out of their chance to have anything are going to end.
all of our allies know this, this country who has had so much, will take time to get use to the idea. but our country will not last, thinking it can go it alone with everything. time for the usa to join the rest of the world.
as equal partner.
Posted by: world | Oct 13, 2008 2:29:06 PM
I listened to Obama's speech and he must have listened to McCain's earlier because NOW after hearing McCain wants to suspend the rule that people age 70 1/2 have to begin taking the minimum required amt. from the IRAs and 401ks without regard to the market, Obama wants to do the same thing. At least he could have given McCain credit for the idea but since he didn't, it's plagiarism of ideas and something he has been doing ever since he got in this race. Ask Hillary Clinton.
Posted by: ask Obama | Oct 13, 2008 2:26:29 PM
Why can’t the Republicans see that the majority of the people in this country and around the world feel that they have had their chance to run this country? And quite frankly, they have run it into the ground.
McCain has demonstrated his leadership style and let me tell ya, it isn’t pretty or what this country needs to get back on the right track.
We need a leader that people are willing to follow. A calm thoughtful person / party who will look at each issue with a set of fresh eyes, a transfusion of new thoughts and innovative ideas. If your car breaks down and you get it fixed just to have it break down would you return to the same repair shop? I don’t think so. You would go somewhere else. If you can understand that rationale, then voting for a change should seem logical.
To make it short…It’s the economy, it's health care, it's the war just to name a few issues and most people are going to vote by asking themselves am I better off than I was 8 years / weeks ago? A "NO" answer equals to a vote for INTELLIGENCE, EXPERIENCE, and a steady hand....OBAMA / BIDEN 08
Posted by: y.sister | Oct 13, 2008 2:24:42 PM
Senator Obama has a new four-point plan that sound wonderful for the snake oil salesman. Some of his new plans have been from hijacked from McCain and Clinton campaign and Obama critized them at the time. WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL SOCIALISM IS COMING IF OBAMA IS ELECTED. How is he going to save taxes for those 40% who pay no income taxes. He is using fuzzy math again but it is mostly just more lies. Just say no to the con-man/snake-oil salesman. The Democrats are responsible for the sub-prime mortgage loan chaos. It was Clinton and Carter who signed the legislation that brought the crises on--something for nothing agenda for political popularity. Obama will not tell the truth, again and again and again.
Posted by: Mary | Oct 13, 2008 2:16:00 PM
being a service to mankind, helping your fellow humans is not revolutionary.
"I've got mine, you get your" is on the way out.
the earth is but once country, and mankind it' citizens.
and the sooner my fellow american realize that, the better life will be for them. or maybe they will just have to die out. but it will happen.
with or without the naysayers.
Posted by: world | Oct 13, 2008 2:13:47 PM
Ask Obama why in the new and improved economic tax plan he introduced today, is he planning to raise taxes on everyone making over $250,000, which includes most of the small businesses in the country and proposes to let them borrow low interest loans so they can pay their bill and expand and in addition give small businesses a tax break if they hire more people. Never mind the struggling business will have to pay workers less to hire more so they can get the tax break to pay their low cost loan. Barak Obama is either insane or a complete idiot with no knowledge of business or all of the above.
Posted by: ask Obama | Oct 13, 2008 2:13:16 PM
Ordermonger,
Anti-0bama is not equal to pro-McCain.
McCain can defend or promote himself.
Perhaps you and your political Jesus believe in that your enemy's enemy is your friend. So does George Bush.
Posted by: d0 | Oct 13, 2008 2:11:04 PM
I keep seeing the same exact anti-Obama comments after multiple articles, many not even having to do with the topic of the article. Most of them are from the same people and frankly it is getting old, especially since most of their "sources" are frankly quite wrong. And despite the anti-Obama rhetoric I see hardly any Pro-McCain issue based rhetoric. Partisan policies and partisan attacks at a time when the country should be working together.
Posted by: Ordermonger | Oct 13, 2008 2:04:33 PM
From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.
If you do not have Mr. Zero-bama's high Revolutionary Spirits, he will take it from the rich, and give the wealth to those not willing to work for it.
Posted by: d0 | Oct 13, 2008 2:02:09 PM
and that is just the way it should be.
not in the history of american economics have so few stole so much from so many.-barney frank.
i don't mind giving a few bucks to help some unfortunate who has not had many pluses in their life, if it will keep them from knocking me or one of my family members in the head for a few bucks.
and you cannot lock everyone up in jail.
think about it.
God wants us to help one another.
and not have the mind set of I've got mine now you get yours.
Posted by: world | Oct 13, 2008 1:59:10 PM
Obama Tells Tax-Burdened Plumber the Plan is to 'Spread the Wealth Around'...
SOCIALISM!!!!
You mean George wasn't there to save Obama this time?
Posted by: geevill | Oct 13, 2008 1:56:26 PM
Oh that Joe, hires Vera Baker's partner as his Deputy Politcal Director. No wonder Clinton got snubbed for Biden. Smart thinking Joe.
Posted by: geevill | Oct 13, 2008 1:27:32 PM
MCCAIN IS NOT READY TO LEAD THE COUNRTY AS HE HAS FAILED ON MANY OCCASIONS TO ADDRESS THE REAL ISSUES FACING THIS COUNTRY.
GO OBAMA '08!!!
Posted by: I.A.T.SMITH | Oct 13, 2008 1:19:05 PM
I watched the speak this weekend. Biden, his wife, Hillary and Bill. They did a great job.
Go Obama!
Posted by: becky | Oct 13, 2008 1:10:40 PM
I wanted to post something here to earn My McCain campaign blogging bonus to get extra points toward a new golf bag.
Unfortunately there is nothing on the McCain web site that connects the Red Sox to ACORN or Kenya and my local AM station carries Limbaugh on delay.
Posted by: ricky | Oct 13, 2008 1:07:07 PM
Biden's sleazy machismo directed to male sports figures makes him look sooooo manly -- or like a closet case who gravitated to sports for the thrill of gang showers.
Posted by: Belle Starr | Oct 13, 2008 1:05:12 PM
Biden's sleazy machismo directed to male sports figures makes him look sooooo manly -- or like a closet case who gravitated to sports for the thrill of gang showers.
Posted by: Belle Starr | Oct 13, 2008 1:05:12 PM
Yea that's funny! Joe says Obama is not ready to be President and then steps right up to be his V.P. That's what greed looks like from the Dem's. I guess he(Joe) was afraid he was gonna get left behind? Can you smell that Joe? It smells like Donkey Poop!
Posted by: Independent | Oct 13, 2008 1:04:34 PM
Obama is not ready to be President. This is what Joe Biden said just a few months ago. I believe him.
Posted by: young_voter | Oct 13, 2008 12:58:38 PM
Joe B....gotta love him
Jake,It would be a lot more informative to votors If you started counting Palins gaffs (lies).
Posted by: votor | Oct 13, 2008 12:51:09 PM
Biden's just trying to pander to the Red Sox-crazed locals. No harm, no foul. But he still owes a buck after adding the exorcised "Devil" to the name of my surging Rays...
Posted by: matt | Oct 13, 2008 12:45:55 PM
Joe Biden is nothing if not entertaining. but somber times do require somber speeches.
Posted by: impeachtheone | Oct 13, 2008 12:38:21 PM
Contrast the positive, informal Biden banter with the angry, hateful rhetoric of a Palin rally and you'll have the choice before you in a nutshell.
Posted by: Pacific moderate | Oct 13, 2008 12:37:26 PM
With apologies to Piza Pie. I need to go back to the Dan Quayle Spelling Institute.
Posted by: ricky | Oct 13, 2008 12:36:43 PM
Jake has had two mentions of the econbomy in two days. One about a report McCain had a new plan which seems to have been abandoned and this one about Biden's priorities. No offense but I bet more people care about Joah Beckett's arm than care about
yard sign bombers in Oregon or Rick DDavis misstating Joe for John.
Posted by: ricky | Oct 13, 2008 12:35:01 PM
I love Joe Biden!
Posted by: hang | Oct 13, 2008 12:33:47 PM
Post a comment