Biden to limit role of vice president

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Source: Politico

Dialing back his predecessor’s expansive view of the office, Vice President-elect Joe Biden plans on “restoring the Office of the Vice President to its historical role” as adviser to the president and tie-breaker in the Senate, an aide to Biden said Saturday.

The declaration results from an attention-getting article coming from the Las Vegas Sun, which is reporting Sunday in a story by Washington Bureau reporter Lisa Mascaro that the new Congress “will reassert its constitutional independence from the White House by barring the vice president from joining in internal Senate deliberations, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said in an interview with the Sun.”

“The move is intended to restore checks and balances to a system that tilted heavily toward the White House in the Bush presidency,” Mascaro writes. “By giving Vice President Dick Cheney regular access to Senate Republican caucuses, at times with White House advisers in tow, party unity became more important to many Republicans than upholding their responsibilities to provide legislative oversight of the executive, experts say.”

The paper says that when Reid was asked whether Biden will be allowed to attend Senate Democratic caucus meetings, Reid said: “Absolutely not.”

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1208/16261.html

[Idealism]

1. Not really a believable quote:

"the new Congress “will reassert its constitutional independence from the White House by barring the vice president from joining in internal Senate deliberations, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said in an interview with the Sun.”

Since when does Reid have a spine to stand up to anyone, let alone a Vice President Elect

[Jennicut]

2. LOL.....true but I think Biden will try to limit the VP's role to what it was under Al Gore

[Taverner]

3. When its for show like this

Now, I don't think there's anything wrong with putting on a good show to make a good point

But the two are friends, on the same side, and like Reid or not - he is on our side, even if in a milquetoast way.

[rosesaylavee]

9. Exactly - this was for show as well as to educate those still in the dark

about what Cheney did the last 8 years.

[Taverner]

10. Eggggggggsactly!

[Better Believe It]

4. That's the idea .... He will stand up to a Democratic but not a Republican V-P or President

They don't want a strong Democratic president and won't stand in the way of a strong Republican president.

Impressive .... NOT!

[tsuki]

6. Reid can stand up to Democrats. It's the Republicons that he's

scared sh*tless of.

[rocktivity]

5. Well, it isn't as thought Biden WANTS to be vice president

in name only.

:evilgrin:
rocknation

[treestar]

7. Wonderful. IOW, we are returning to the rule of law

Rather than the increased power of the Executive branch at the opportunism of the * Administration.

Phailin would never have done this; didn't she think the role was to boss the Senate?

[Abq_Sarah]

11. THE VPs

Traditional and Historical role IS as President of the Senate. Without that position, they would have no actual responsibilities. Biden is within his rights if he wants to show up every day the Senate is in session. That is his job, after all and it would be nice if the VP actually did the job we are paying them to do. Senator Reid is very wise in deciding not to caucus with the VP. There's too much opportunity for arm twisting and some senators just don't have the spine required to stand up for their own positions in the face of executive pressure as we've seen in the past. As VP, Biden can fulfill his Constitutional responsibilities as President of the Senate without being involved in internal party debates.

[Posteritatis]

17. It'd probably lead to better communication between the WH and Congress, too. (nt)

[shanti]

14. not only would

Failin not do this, she would have taken it even further than the Dick in charge. *shudder* thank god, that didn't happen!!

[DeepModem Mom]

8. K&R

[FrenchieCat]

12. The only quote they have from Biden dates back to his debate,

and the article has no quotes from President elect-Obama.
In other words, they are running out of things to write about. LOL!

Biden articulated his view of the office in St. Louis in early October, during his vice presidential debate with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin.

Asked about the incumbent’s interpretation of the vice presidency, Biden said: “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.”

“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,” Biden said., “The Constitution is explicit. The only authority the vice president has from the legislative standpoint is the vote, only when there is a tie vote. He has no authority relative to the Congress. The idea he's part of the Legislative Branch is a bizarre notion invented by Cheney to aggrandize the power of a unitary executive and look where it has gotten us. It has been very dangerous.”

[Titonwan]

13. Alright Joe.

A true statesman and patriot. A rare politician that actually reduces his power to what the Constitution proscribes. Your turn, Barack!

[bemildred]

15. More empty posturing from Reid, that's all I see here.

Though he may have a point if Cheney has been caucusing with the Republicans for the last two years. But then, you gotta ask, what's to prevent this from happening again any time someone wants to do it? And where was this concern about separation of powers in 2006?

[lebkuchen]

16. Did Cheney attend a single military funeral?

I'd like to see Biden go to some of those.