Biden Meets Cheney After Countless Jabs on the Campaign Trail

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Biden Meets Cheney After Countless Jabs on the Campaign Trail

November 13, 2008 9:53 AM

ABC News' Matthew Jaffe reports: Days after President George W. Bush welcomed President-elect Barack Obama to the White House, the nation's top surrogate, Dick Cheney, tonight greeted his successor, Joe Biden, in a private meeting at the vice president's residence, Washington's Naval Observatory.

The present and future second-in-commands, accompanied by their wives Lynne and Jill, respectively, met behind closed doors for just over 50 minutes after the Bidens, as the senator has done for 36 years, took the Amtrak train down to D.C., arriving on the Acela at Union Station just before 5 pm.

"It was a good visit," read a statement released by Cheney's office. "The Cheneys enjoyed giving the Bidens a tour of the residence and wished them well as they make it their home in January."

"The Bidens thank the Cheneys for welcoming them into their home and for their gracious hospitality," said Biden spokesperson Elizabeth Alexander.

While the statements on the private meeting were cordial, Biden has already thrown many a public jab at the man he will replace.

"The most dangerous vice president we've had" was how Biden described Cheney at the vice presidential debate Oct. 2 in St. Louis.

And again in Bowling Green, Ohio on November 1, the day Cheney endorsed Republican nominee Sen. John McCain. "Dick Cheney has been wrong on everything else the last eight years," Biden said.

In his two and a half months on the campaign trial, the Delaware lawmaker never hesitated in blasting Cheney on the stump. In fact, no sooner had Biden accepted the role of Obama’s running mate then he immediately ripped Cheney in his address to fellow Democrats at the party’s convention Aug. 27 in Denver.

"For every American who is trying to do the right thing, for all those people in government who are honoring their pledge to uphold the law and respect our Constitution, no longer will the eight most dreaded words in the English language be: 'The vice president's office is on the phone'."

Especially inflammatory to Biden was Cheney's claim that the vice presidency does not fall under any executive branch.

"At least I know what the vice president does," quipped Biden in Raleigh, NC, October 23. "Not with Dick Cheney. Not with vice president Cheney, who said he's not a part of either branch!"

In his Washington University debate with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Biden ripped Cheney's time in office, denouncing him as the most dangerous man ever to serve as the nation's second-in-command.

"Vice President Cheney has been the most dangerous vice president we've had probably in American history,” Biden said. “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.”

“And the primary role of the vice president of the United States of America is to support the president of the United States of America, give that president his or her best judgment when sought, and as vice president, to preside over the Senate, only in a time when in fact there's a tie vote. The Constitution is explicit."

From the serious to the silly, Biden took countless shots at Cheney, at one rally even taking over Cheney Stadium, a minor-league ballpark just outside Seattle.

“I want to thank you for…temporarily changing the name from Cheney Stadium to Obama-Biden Stadium for the day,” he said October 19th. “Besides, if it was Cheney Stadium, we’d be at an undisclosed location. You’d never have been able to find us!”

“Who the hell wants to be vice president?” Biden had asked at a San Francisco fundraiser just the day earlier. "We don't pay attention to vice presidents much. Especially Cheney. So you know, I've got a lot to overcome.”

If nothing else, Biden’s meeting gave him a chance to check out his future home, the Naval Observatory in the northwest corner of the Capital City.

On Election Day, Biden said he looked forward to moving there due to its proximity to his son Hunter’s house, which gave Hunter’s daughter Finnegan all the reasons she needed to want her grandfather to take over the Naval Observatory.

"She said it's a mile and five-tenths, so that was the reason to run for vice president,” Biden joked in an impromptu plane press conference with Finnegan en route to Chicago. “The vice president's house is a mile and I think it was five-tenths, you said from the house. And her little sister Maisy’s up there. She said, ‘Yeah Pop, it's got a swimming pool.’ You know, they're all the reasons, all the good reasons."

ABC News' Martha Raddatz, Jon Garcia, Vija Udenans, and Sunlen Miller contributed to this report.

November 13, 2008 in Biden, Joe, Washington, White House | Permalink | User Comments (108)

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Posted by: jonathan | Nov 13, 2008 11:38:19 AM

Biden is dead wrong on this one. The vice president is not part of the executive branch. In fact he is not supposed to be asked anything by the president. That is what the presidents cabinet is for. If the president makes a bad call and is impeached or resigns from office there can be no ties to the vice president. It would undermine our entire system.

The vice president casts a vote in the Senate in the event of a tie. He is briefed daily on the goings on of the president and the world in case something happens to the president. No executive power at all.

Semantically, I suppose he is still under that branch of the gov't because he is certainly not a legislator or a judge but keep in mind that no decision making power is ever given to him if/until he becomes president.

Posted by: mo | Nov 13, 2008 11:43:33 AM

What amazes me is how can poor down and out red necks have faith in a republican party that is for the rich.

Posted by: Archie Haase | Nov 13, 2008 11:47:44 AM

Dangerous Halliburton Oilman Cheney with his tricky trigger shotgun finger is finally leaving. Of course the news of Cheney having more time for hunting is not good news for the Lawyers out there. Guess someone can make a lot of money to invent a bullet proof Lawyer suit since Cheney with his hunting rifle in hand is being released into the wild.

Posted by: mere | Nov 13, 2008 12:02:42 PM

“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.”

Of course the author wouldn't point out the fact that it isn't Article I that defines the role of the Vice President.

Jim Bob,
Are you saying that you don't work everyday to become rich? I guess there is no reason to become rich anymore, we'd just have to give someone else a piece of our pie.

Posted by: JD | Nov 13, 2008 12:06:45 PM

I could handle living at the Naval Observatory, and maybe making an occassional overseas junket to attend someone's funeral. I think that would be okay.

In fact its an ideal job for anyone who isn't offended by the thought of not being in the news everyday (which pretty much leaves out all politicians).

I'd take it in a second.

Posted by: Paul | Nov 13, 2008 12:13:57 PM

Well, that will be a fun meeting.

Posted by: Perhaps Naive | Nov 13, 2008 12:45:46 PM

Obama didn't only have credit card donations...they were PREPAID credit cards, which are untraceable. So when Obama says he had 300 million in donations from average americans....I begin to wonder WHO was actually making those donations. Scary...
++++
Don't you have to have identification to obtain those from the bank (secured credit card)? Or are you talking about the gift certifcates you buy at the grocery store?

Posted by: Mike M. | Nov 13, 2008 12:47:29 PM

Jabs by Biden at poor little ol' Cheney? Oh, I'm cryin'. Cheney wouldn't know honesty if it appeared in front of him as honest Abe Lincoln. Get him, Joe, let him have it. The truth only hurts the guilty, in Cheney's case, the morally bankrupt guilty.

Posted by: buzziea | Nov 13, 2008 12:52:08 PM

That is a real stretch - calling Biden sane.

Posted by: JG | Nov 13, 2008 1:02:39 PM

Isn't it great to see that countries are again beginning to show respect to the USA. People are treating Americans citizens that are living overseas a lot better. All this and Obama isn't even president yet. It's just so refreshing that we are again going to have someone in the White House that we can all be proud of. Also with Biden as VP, we can all be proud after suffering thru the worst this country has ever seen. YES WE CAN!!!

Posted by: pt | Nov 13, 2008 1:06:07 PM

Typical Dem leader- doing all they can to tear down their opponents while blaming their opponent of being "divisive" and of course the mainstream press plays right along. And the opponent- Cheney in this case- continues to show the class and responsible action of a true leader- intent on work and not wasting time on the verbal politics, typical of the Repub's.

Posted by: bob | Nov 13, 2008 1:09:51 PM

Joe Biden is great!

Posted by: MRChips1980 | Nov 13, 2008 1:13:08 PM

Biden is going to do the same as Cheney did the last 8 years, absolutely nothing. He is like a relief pitcher or a back up heart surgeon. Hopefully he doesn't get called to pitch or operate that would be worse than what is going to happen to us by Comarade Obama

Posted by: Paledude | Nov 13, 2008 1:18:15 PM

Biden showed great wisdom in turning down Cheney's undoubted invitation to a "hunt".

Posted by: Jordan | Nov 13, 2008 1:34:57 PM

Undisclosed sources indicate Cheney plans on having his brain placed in Biden's body, so he can rule another four years. Biden's brain, meanwhile, will be placed into jar marked, "ham."

Posted by: Zod | Nov 13, 2008 1:41:37 PM

JD You replied to the wrong poster.

Posted by: Jim Bob | Nov 13, 2008 1:52:07 PM

Ever since the election the libbies have been saying that they wanted to move on beyond all the partisan sniping and bickering [(of course we all know this is just to give their guy the best chance to succeed, and preempt as much criticism of him as possible – and especially stop the conservatives from revealing as much of Obama’s inconsistencies as possible.- All of this so he can install as many of his social programmies as possible.)] They say republicans should just be big and accept Obama’s win, yet that is not what they did with Bush. They started sniping from day one even though Bush won ‘three’ recounts. Also, remember when the outgoing Clinton people took the ‘W’ of the keyboards (that wasn’t very mature and accepting of the democratic outcome was it), and the libbie-libs did not stop sniping for 8 years. Now they expect us to just give their guy a free hand. WHAT HYPOCRISY !!

I might have somewhat let up on Obama if it was not for what I am seeing now……. With McCain on Leno (the’ Skunk Haired’ Man with his non-stop jokes about McCain and few about Obama) the other night I am seeing the ‘Same Old Liberal Hypocrisy’ and sniping at McCain, and now Cheney…….. So much for their kinder, gentler compassionate-liberal mindset (liberals are just as full of HATE & BIGOTRY as anyone but they just get called on it SO much less often because the Liberal Media is in their back left pocket).

Liberals are not more compassionate and humanitarian than anyone else. They will Lie, Cheat, & Backstab more than anyone when they don’t get their way. All so they can continue to promote themselves as compassionate while they spew Hate to create a society just for themselves. They substantially get away with it because the Media lets them (which shows the Media’s Hypocrisy)…… The ‘Media’s Bigotry’ really showed in this election, and this Bias (along with their Kissing Cousin, Hollywood’s) really influenced many susceptible young minds. Obama was made to look hip while McCain was criticized at every turn (this is why myself and others think we have a MEDIA INDUCED PRESIDENT).

Also, since the outgoing Clintonians took the W’s of the keyboards maybe the Republicans should take the O’s off the keyboards, or maybe the B, H & O’s off. After all if the Libbies never get called on their antics they feel encouraged to continue (so much for their maturity level). When children don’t get spanked they grow up to be like the spoiled brats the Libbie-O’libs are today (especially with the media having their back like it does Obama’s).

No, with what I am seeing today I will not let up on Obama. I will continue to point out his, and the Media’s Hypocrisy, and point out why I think he IS a ‘Media Induced President’ who just got the “Biggest Dose of Affirmative Action Ever”………..

Posted by: Mr Reality | Nov 13, 2008 1:55:30 PM

BIGGEST DOSE OF AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EVER.

MEDIA INDUCED PRESIDENT.

Posted by: Mr Reality | Nov 13, 2008 1:57:55 PM

that was hilarious! can't wait until january!

Posted by: titan | Nov 13, 2008 2:00:05 PM

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