Obama is 'distracted' by Biden's indiscipline...Richard Wolffe claims

[BluegrassDem]

"President Obama is so "distracted by his vice president's indiscipline" that he has been forced to rebuke privately Vice President Joe Biden, according to a new book by Newsweek journalist Richard Wolffe, who interviewed Obama a dozen times.

"He can't keep his mouth shut," Wolffe quotes a "senior Obama aide" as saying of the gaffe-prone Biden in "Renegade: The Making of a President," set for release June 2.

As evidence, Wolffe reports that during the presidential transition period, Biden insulted Valerie Jarrett, one of Obama's closest friends and confidantes. Jarrett had been considered Obama's top choice to fill his vacated Senate seat in Illinois, but took herself out of the running just hours after Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich allegedly told a wiretapped conference call he would not heed any Obama recommendation without a payoff.

"Soon after Jarrett pulled out of consideration for the Senate seat, the senior transition team met to discuss cabinet picks," Wolffe writes. "Biden tried to compliment Jarrett after one contribution. 'You should be in the Senate,' he quipped. After the meeting, as everyone returned to their offices, Obama stopped Biden to warn him not to say anything like that again. 'It's not funny,' he told him."


http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/20/obama-distracted-bidens-indiscipline-book-asserts/

[BluegrassDem]

1. I would be surprised, but not shocked if there is a new VP nominee in 2012

I could easily see Sebelius or Napolitano being the new VP in 2012. I'm not saying it would happen, but I would not be surprised.

I don't think Joe has a gaffe pass forever. Obama is not one for distractions. Joe's got 4 long years to basically not screw anything up.

[hedgehog]

4. I think Joe's so-called gaffes are greatly exaggerated by a lazy press corps,

and that in fact a lot of people like to hear Joe speak his mind!

[Captain Hilts]

6. Agree. It's not a big deal. Let Biden and Michelle run free and say as they please.

I don't want either on a leash.

[Jennicut]

14. You mean he is not evil like Cheney? All he does is gaffe now and then.

[Bucky]

2. Kind of a Rube Goldbergish attempt to put the Blago mess on Biden's desk

Sounds like Jarret is trying to gin up some color & controversy to sell his book. Obama is distracted by Republican opposition antics, but not really by much of anything that Biden has said.

[lamp_shade]

3. Fox news?

[Blue_Roses]

5. Oh, give me a break...FAUX news?

now there's a real honest source of information:eyes:

[DrToast]

8. Do you look at the source?

Or do you just see the words "Fox" and immediately flip out.

It's Richard Wolffe. The guy practically lives on Keith Olberman's show.

[Blue_Roses]

10. I KNOW who Richard Wolffe is. I also know how things are taken out of context.

[BluegrassDem]

11. These are claims from Richard Wolffe's book

Wolffe is a pretty straight up guy and not some sensationalist type journalist. You really can't demonize him. I don't think he would put such stuff in print if he didn't think it were 100% true.

I like Joe Biden, don't get me wrong, but I do believe that Obama has been pissed at him many times.

[Blue_Roses]

12. It's not Richard Wolffe, it's FOX.

I "know" Richard Wolffe well per watching him and his reporting for years. He's also tongue-n-cheek too. He is the master of sarcasm. I am responding to FOX taking things out of context. They obviously don't get it.

[OHdem10]

7. The Media love to pick on Joe Biden. They like the Republicans fear

trying to go after Obama so Biden is their target.

[Forkboy]

9. Well, if you can't trust Wolffe who can you trust?

[Jennicut]

13. I love Richard Wolffe but yeah things get taken out of context at times

And Wolffe is not perfect either, he left Newsweek (yuck) to go work for Dan Bartlett (double yuck).
Joe and Obama seem to get along fine. Obama will not pick another VP, he has someone who will advise him without being a rival as Joe will be too old to run in 2016. Obama has asked for his advice of everything from Afghanistan to the next Supreme Court Justice so I don't see them having any major problems. Also, VPs and Presidents rarely get along. LBJ hated Kennedy. Nixon did like Eisenhower. Obama and Biden get along better then most have.

[kiranon]

15. Every play needs comic relief. Enter Biden.

[stillcool]

16. from the primaries?

[high density]

17. So Biden makes a bad joke from time to time.

Who doesn't? Obama has found himself in the same spot plenty of times. I'm sure everybody has been "rebuked" by their boss before as well.

[Jennicut]

18. Obama made a joke about Nancy Reagan's astrologer once but I kind of liked it.

:)