Jill Biden let it slip to Oprah that Joe Biden was offered choice of Sec. of State or VP

[TeamJordan23]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The wife of Vice President-elect Joe Biden let it slip to Oprah Winfrey Monday that her husband had a pick of two jobs in the Obama administration.

Jill Biden said President-elect Barack Obama gave Biden the choice of being secretary of state or vice president. The vice president-elect tried to hush his wife as soon as the words came out of her mouth, with a loud "shhh!" that sent the audience into laughter.

The Bidens made a surprise appearance on Winfrey's show, recorded at the Kennedy Center for broadcast later Monday on the eve of the inauguration.

The vice president-elect said he only accepted Obama's offer to be his running mate after talking it over with "Jilly," his pet name for his wife. Mrs. Biden said she told him vice president would be better for the family.

"If you're secretary of state, you'll be away, we'll never see you, you know," she said. "I'll see you at a state dinner once and awhile. But I said, if you are vice president, the entire family, because they worked so hard for the election, they can be involved. They can come to our home. They can go to events, they can be with us all the time. And that's what's important to us."

The vice president-elect didn't address his wife's comments, but said didn't immediately take the vice presidential offer since he wasn't sure it was the best place for him to serve. But Biden, who ran against Obama in the Democratic primary race, said he agreed after getting some assurances from Obama about his role.

"This is a partnership," Biden said. "He's president of the United States, but as I said to him when he asked me, I said, `Barack, don't ask me unless the reason you're asking me is, you're asking me for my judgment. I get to be the last guy in the room before you make every important decision. You're president. Any decision you make, I will back.' "

"He said he wanted to have a confidant and somebody who wouldn't be a yes man. He's pretty sure about that" last part, Biden said with a laugh.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/BIDEN_OPRAH?SITE=NVREN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

[stray cat]

1. I had heard something similar from another source

[mucifer]

makes me wonder if he chose SOS if Hillary Clinton would have been VP

[wyldwolf]

8. "Joe... I want you and Hillary... but I'm giving you first choice."

[polichick]

2. That's interesting!

[PM Martin]

3. Kick for others to see.

[TwilightGardener]

4. Hmm. Hmmm.... interesting. Wonder how we went from Biden to Hillary?

[Auggie]

5. And that opens the question -- who would have been offered VP?

Moot point. But fun to speculate.

[Common Sense Party]

9. I'm guessing here...

Rick Warren?

:hide:

[Auggie]

49. LOL

[nsd]

12. Evan Bayh was the runner-up, according to most press accounts. (nt)

[camera obscura]

33. Really? I thought it was Kaine.

[Pirate Smile]

6. This has already been reported although it may have never been openly sourced.

[Muttocracy]

54. in the New Yorker back in October

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/10/20/081020fa_fact_lizza?currentPage=all


Obama also asked Biden whether he thought that he was more suited to a different position. “He said, ‘You have a great interest in national-security policy, foreign policy,’ ” Biden told me. “He wasn’t offering me this, but he said, ‘Would you rather be Secretary of State instead of Vice-President?’ And I thought a lot about that.”

Biden consulted with his closest political advisers, including Ted Kaufman, Mike Donilon, and John Marttila, all of whom have been with him since the early days of his career. “They convinced me that I could have more influence on policy as a Vice-President with Barack,” Biden said. “And so the bottom line of all of this is that I said, ‘Barack, look, if you’re going to ask me to do this, please don’t ask me for any reason other than that you respect my judgment. If you’re asking me to join you to help govern, and not just help you get elected, then I’m interested. If you’re asking me to help you get elected, I can do that other ways, but I don’t want to be a Vice-President who is not part of the major decisions you make.’ ”

[grantcart]

7. Jill Jill Jill who would have thought that it would be her speaking out of turn?

[terisan]

10. I guess voting for the Iraq War Resolution meant shouldn't be prez was a phony talking point

Biden is Mr. Mastercard and Mr. Visa----mainly responsible for those 30% interest rates.

[jenmito]

11. This was reported Dec. 7th. I started a thread about it:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=132&topic_id=7960558

[Jennicut]

13. Thanks Jen. I thought I had heard this before.

[jenmito]

16. No problem. If you go to that thread, you'll see John Heilemann reported it on

The Chris Matthews Show Dec. 7th. :hi:

[ErinBerin84]

14. uh

Keith is breathlessly reporting this on MSNBC right now, but I have definitely read/heard this reported at least a DOZEN times. I mean, we KNEW this! It was never as blatant as Jill confirming it, but am I the only one who has heard this thing a million times and thought it was pretty much known for a while? Where have you been, Keith? I know that I have heard it reported by Andrea Mitchell a bunch of times too. And no, I don't think this gives any special idea as to how Hillary got to be SOS...I doubt there was any "deal" or whatever. I think Obama was just impressed that she campaign for him/wanted to include her, but again, I very much doubt there was any "deal" with her. (and that he thought she would be good for the post, of course. But again, no bombshell here, folks). Christ, the way Keith built up to it, you would have thought that Jill announced a pregnancy or something.


Heh, Keith looks so different with those glasses.

[karynnj]

44. I would think the reason Obama picked her was the reason

many (Kerry included) have spoken of - that her name is well known internationally. In addition, Obama was able by doing this to align what was best for him with what is best for the Clintons - and to keep them working towards his goals rather than having them possibly dragging their feet.

If it were just campaigning for him - Kerry did FAR FAR more - and risked some of his own support - first to endorse Obama and then to ask as an incredible surrogate - both in the primaries and in the general election. HRC, in campaigning for Obaam, never risked her own popularity.

[ecstatic]

15. So Jill pretty much stopped Hillary

:wow:

[Jennicut]

18. I don't know about that. He might have gone with Evan Bayh instead.

Hillz would not be SoS but maybe something else.

[jenmito]

19. Joe chose to be VP and also told Obama he thought Hillary would make the best SoS (over Kerry). n/t

[TwilightGardener]

20. Why did Joe stab Kerry in the back, I wonder?

[ecstatic]

21. after all their years together in the Senate... both from the NE too! nt

[TwilightGardener]

25. Biden had to know that Kerry was very interested in SoS. Did he fear rivalry on the foreign policy

front? Why in God's name would Biden think that a person who never even sat on the SFRC or held a State Dept. position was a better choice, unless there was some personal motivations there? If I were Kerry, I'd be pissed.

[jenmito]

23. Who said he did? Thinking Hillary would be better as SoS doesn't equal stabbing Kerry

in the back.

[TwilightGardener]

26. Yeah, it pretty much does, because Kerry was the #2 guy on the SFRC under Joe,

and it was pretty clear that Kerry would have wanted SoS, and was certainly qualified for that position.

[karynnj]

40. If all this was true - and I saw the same reports - it might suggest

that it is better for Kerry to be head of SFRC. I would assme that Biden might have preferred HRC - because Biden and HRC are both more centrist and more hawkish than Kerry - giving Biden someone likely to agree with him. In addition, where HRC is a novice on foreign policy compared to Biden - Kerry isn't. (Biden has far more years on the SFRC, but Kerry is in every way a peer on this.)

Kerry, even more than Biden, has been someone who articulated a unique foreign policy that was his own. Even his 1966 speech, that Albright quoted from in a book written around 2006, had some major themes that sounded like comments he made in a foreign policy speech last fall.

If Obama offered Biden either position last summer, it would have had to be because Obama was closer to Biden's far more hawkish foreign policy than for the change in foreign policy that Kerry has argued for since that 1966 speech. Kerry wanted a change from more than just the last 8 years. (Remember that Clinton and Gore favored backing the Contras - while Kerry was absolutely against them.) I still hope that Obama wants a fundamental change in how we deal with the world - not just a return to the pre-Bush policies. (If not, on foreign policy - Kerry might have been the real change candidate.)

Chairing SFRC, Kerry will be a strong independent voice. He has said that as such - he will work with, but not for Obama. Because I am more impressed by Kerry's ideas on foreign policy than anyone else's - I think it is better for him to be independent, maybe to pull Obama to the left, than having him implementing policy that he might not agree with.

It could be that Obama is not that far from Kerry on foreign policy, but sees that he needs a strong ally in the Senate - on foreign policy and other issues. (Kerry is a senior Senator on both Finance and Commerce.) I hope that is the case, as he pretty much ran on a Kerry foreign policy.

I think the reason so many people - including the pundits - all thought Kerry would be SoS was that Obama used Kerry and Susan Rice - not Biden or the Clintons as his top foreign policy surrogates. Kerry did an amazing job as a foreign policy surrogate. He, more than anyone else - other than McCain himself - took away most of McCain's advantage on the subject. Kerry spoke of Bush moving to Obama's positions on a time line in Iraq, North Korea, and Afghanistan - never once saying they were all his positions first - which built up Obama's limited resume here. He also framed McCain - as both Senator McCain and candidate McCain. The fact is that very few Presidential nominees have had an advocate like Kerry.

[rvablue]

31. Maybe he didn't "stab" Kerry in the back. Maybe he sincerely believed that and it was his honest

assessment.

Why does everything have to always be seen as nefarious??

[MarjorieG]

32. Both Hillary needing power, respect, but still Jr. Senator, Kerry maintaining independence.

Kerry will run with this opportunity of SFRC chair. A tough call made all around, and they're all grown-ups.

Remember that all the positions, and phrasing, were Kerry on foreign policy as Obama campaigned. As surrogate, Kerry was par excellence on substance, finesse and avoiding TV minefields.

[jillan]

36. Do you have any links to back up that statement? Or are you just trying to start rumors?

[jillan]

30. Link? I don't believe that for a second. The only explanation for that - if true - that Joe

would want Kerry to take his place as chair of the SFRC, because out of everyone on that committee, Kerry would be the best to take over as chair.

Biden and Kerry have been great friends for years and I cannot believe that Joe would screw him.

[jenmito]

37. From Dec. 7th:

John Heilemann reported today that Obama first asked BIDEN if he wanted to be Sec. of State or if

he'd prefer a "specific portfolio" (before choosing him for VP) and Biden said he didn't WANT to be SoS but he wanted to be "advisor in chief" which is why he was chosen as VP. Biden ALSO wanted HILLARY to be SoS (over Kerry).

Heilemann ALSO reported that Obama asked the top 4 or 5 people around him to give their short lists of who they'd like to see in his cabinet and almost everybody who's been named so far was on Biden's short list, so he's more influential than many people may think, which should give some of Obama's critics some comfort, I think. (This was on The Chris Matthews Show.)

http://mediamatters.org/columns/200901170003?f=h_top

[jillan]

48. Huh? That link is about the cost of the inauguration.

[karynnj]

46. You can't make it for Kerry's good if Kerry preferred SoS - that is just patronizing.

Kerry is more capable of determining which would be better for him. Here though is a more benign way of looking at it - rather than the "stabbed him in the back" view.

Biden likely wants to be the main foreign policy voice heard by Obama. If Biden believes that he is the best foreign policy person that is not unreasonable. Imagine who Biden would prefer at the table in a cabinet meeting when a foreign policy topic comes up. The choices are - HRC, a novice on foreign policy compared to him - or the eloquent, persuasive John Kerry, who is his peer on foreign policy and who likely disagrees with him more often than HRC would. (remember this is a Democratic party debate and the range in narrower - if Kerry were there - he likely would be alone to the left of Obama - with the other FP people to the right.)

Go back over the last 4 or so years and look at the foreign policy stands taken by HRC, Biden and Kerry. Both Biden and HRC were among the more hawkish, centrist Democrats - which still places them far apart from Bush and company. (Biden spoke of Bush's 2nd inaugural speech as sounding like JFK with a Texas twang. Kerry commented that "spreading democracy" was not the reason the Bush administration gave the American people.) At the SFRC hearings, Kerry was often allied with Feingold and Boxer - definitely the more liberal wing. Obama seemed to pick up and expand points Kerry started when it reached his turn - but nowhere near as consistently as Boxer and Feingold - and sometimes Dodd (in the next round) did.

In 2004, Biden was a foreign policy advocate for Kerry - and he was good - as long as he stuck to arguing Kerry's positions. As you saw from Kerry's farewell speech for Biden, they have been friends. But, the Senate is a place where people have to place policies and ideas above friendships. (One of Kennedy's best friends is said to be Hatch - yet I doubt that if Kennedy become President - he would have placed in a prominent cabinet position.)

Let's turn this around - assume Kerry had won in 2004 and decided against Biden for SoS. (During the campaign Kerry never spoke of Biden as SOS - not a hint. Biden made many many comments that assumed he would be.) Assume that Kerry felt that someone else for whatever reasons could do what Kerry wanted done better. Would you - as someone who I know genuinely likes both - think Kerry had stabbed Biden in the back. Or, would you say that Kerry chose based on his best ideas of what would succeed.

Also remember that ultimately Obama, not Biden made that choice. As to Obama, I do not think he did anything wrong - unless he really did not believe in the policies (Kerry's mostly) that he ran on - when he was running. Than the problem was not stabbing anyone in the back but not running an honest campaign.

[jillan]

47. If Biden really wanted to be the top foreign policy advisor to Obama, than he would've chosen SoS,

He is letting Hillary move into the position of top advisor.

About Kerry vs Hillary as SoS, we will never know, will we? Maybe Obama didn't want Kerry for SoS?
The decision was not up to Joe Biden...duh.

In the end it doesn't matter who was more of a hawk, or what position they held. The SoS is to speak for the President, not for themselves. And fyi - Biden is to left of Hillary on foreign affairs.
A prime example of that is on the urgency of Iran; and along those same lines calling the Iranian guard 'terrorists'. Another example is on diplomacy. When you say stuff like that, it shows me once again how little you know about Biden's positions or his legislation (to go back to a previous discussion we had).

If Kerry chose someone else for SoS over Biden, I'm certain that Biden would have been happy to remain as chair of the SFRC, because that chair of that committee is one of the most powerful and important in the Senate. I sure as hell wouldn't call Kerry a backstabber - jeez! A president picks the person that they believe will help them the most promote their positions to the country and the world.

Biden didn't nominate Hillary for Sec of State. Obama did.

[karynnj]

50. Not really - the SoS is the top diplomat and the administrative head of the State department

The President will have MANY people advising him on foreign policy. It is highly unlikely that HRC will be the most significant - at least at first. Can you explain why Biden went on his trip to Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan etc if he will not have a voice in foreign policy?

Did I say that HRC was to the left of Biden? - no, I simply said that there is a bigger difference between Kerry and Biden and Hillary and Biden. The fact is that Biden was one of the last to sign on to a timeline on Iraq. I've read his foreign policy speeches, watched him on SFRC and saw a few fp speeches he gave - My opinion is that he and HRC are both substantially to the left of Kerry. There have been indices that back this up.

Not to mention - your personal assault is unwarranted. I do know Kerry's, Biden's and Clinton's positions. Biden is at most a centrist Democrat - I don't think I have ever seen him called a liberal - other than if he was called so as VP. I don't know what makes you attack me personally because you disagree with my statement - partially because you read something that was NOT there - I never said that Clinton was to the left of Biden - I did say that Kerry was - and I implied that Obama is. The one we all have the least information on is Obama. (PS I didn't attack you even when you were attacking Obama and many of his prominent supporters - if you want I'll find comments where you said really awful things - where here all I did was place Biden where I think he is on the political spectrum.

As to your last points - those are precisely the points I made - I said it was Obama's decision and I gave the 2004 scenario to point out that even if Biden pushed HRC over Kerry - either due to her name recognition, her political positions, his likely ability to influence Obama to what he considers the best position - those are all valid reasons and not back stabbing. (Note - I said those MIGHT be reasons.

I wrote what I did to back you up that it was not back stabbing - by suggesting a series of valid reasons for him to have recommended HRC IF he did.

[polichick]

34. Biden liked Clinton over Kerry for SoS? Has he said that? Did he say why?

[jenmito]

38. See my post above yours. n/t

[polichick]

39. Thanks! I'd love to know what Biden told Obama about Kerry and Clinton...

...since he's known them both for so long.

[jenmito]

41. Maybe he thought Clinton was more respected around the world and/or

Kerry has a powerful position in the Senate that he would like to keep?

[polichick]

42. Could be - but it was reported that Kerry really wanted the SoS job.

[jenmito]

43. I guess he just felt Hillary would be better for the job then. n/t

[Muttocracy]

55. a lot of that was rumor-mongering - does anyone actually know if Kerry

wanted to be Sec of State and limit his ability to work on a broad range of issues? I'm thrilled he's still in the Senate.

[Lochloosa]

17. This says one thing about Biden and Obama.

They KNEW they were going to win.

[monmouth]

22. I'm glad it worked out the way it did. Good choices all round...n/t

[Jennicut]

24. Yup. I like Joe as VP. Hillary as SoS and Evan Bayh no wherein the

administration!

[MarjorieG]

27. Biden said he liked the independence of SFRC chair, if not VP.

Similar to honest reasons Kerry also finds SFRC hardly a weak alternative to serve, if not SoS, also given how myriad his interests/causes and how independent he's been

[Muttocracy]

57. totally agree. nt

[jillan]

28. This came out about a month ago, but I guess the pundits were paying attention.

That said - I bet Jill Biden feels terrible for given the pundits some juicy gossip to focus on instead of Obama's inspirational plan for America.

[ErinBerin84]

29. and it's something that

has been reported a bunch of times already....maybe it's NBC/MSNC trying to promote the upcoming Oprah or something? Def not news though, Jill shouldn't feel bad.

[blue_onyx]

35. I'm glad Biden picked VP

Evan Bayh or Tim Kaine probably would've been the VP had Joe decided he preferred being SOS.

[polichick]

45. Me too - Biden helped us win over voters here in PA.

[Auggie]

51. Request to Dr. Biden: Don't volunteer information like that again

I could be more direct, like "shut the fuck up." But I won't.

Shit like this can really rock a boat.

[ErinBerin84]

52. well, I really don't think this is rocking anything

It was an innocent remark.

[Auggie]

53. Innocent remark -- sure.

But you never know what egos it could rile or how the opposition could use that information in the future. Dr. Biden is not part of the administration. It would be wise, IMO, for her to watch her words.

Sorry to be so cynical. I want nothing but smooth sailing for President Obama.

[ErinBerin84]

56. ok.

But Biden had said it before to the New Yorker, in October, so it is hardly new news.