Joe Biden's Son Hunter Kicked Out of Navy for Cocaine

[Purveyor]

Vice President Joe Biden's son was booted from the Navy Reserve earlier because he tested positive for drugs, it was revealed on Thursday.

A U.S. official told NBC News that Hunter Biden was kicked out of the Reserve earlier this year after he failed a drug test.

The official said Biden failed the test in 2013, but he was not kicked out until Feb. 14 of this year. Senior U.S. officials told NBC News that Biden, 44, tested positive for cocaine. The Wall Street Journal first reported the incident.

According to one official, Biden’s dismissal from the Naval Reserves was not made public "because he was treated like any other sailor who fails a drug test and is thrown out of the Navy." The official said the services do not routinely report such cases.

Hunter Biden, who is married with three kids, issued a statement Thursday evening through his lawyer, saying: "It was the honor of my life to serve in the US Navy, and I deeply regret and am embarrassed that my actions led to my administrative discharge. I respect the Navy's decision. With the love and support of my family, I'm moving forward."

more...

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/joe-bidens-son-hunter-kicked-out-navy-cocaine-n227811

[Fumesucker]

1. So Mr Drug Czar's son does blow?

By which I mean the office of Drug Czar was Biden's idea originally.

He's always been a gung ho drug warrior.

Your karma shouldn't strike your kids.

[Kalidurga]

6. Well that puts a twist on the story

I hope Biden learns something from his son.

[defacto7]

7. Ever heard of common logical fallacies?

I think not.

[Fumesucker]

12. Ever heard of irony?

I think not.

[defacto7]

15. Irony... yes I think I have heard of it.

Have you offered any?

The OP has irony all on it's own, what you offered basically negated that irony with illogical points. That's too bad, because those kinds of arguments undercut the very points that are important.... namely eradicating the war on drugs or war in general for that matter.

[Fumesucker]

17. Pointing out that a drug warrior's son has now run afoul of the very same laws is a bad thing?

Not everyone knows Biden is a huge drug warrior even here on DU.

His cool and avuncular image would have you think otherwise and a lot of people are fooled.

[defacto7]

41. You know, I think I must have made a wrong turn

somewhere. I'm not sure how I got off context.

Your last statement is absolutely right and I better check my meds.

My apologies.

[Fumesucker]

44. No worries

We all get hold of the wrong end of the stick sometimes..

[rhett o rick]

27. As I see it, the irony is that VP Biden's stern words on drug use seemed to

have missed with his son. How was that "negated with illogical points"?

[defacto7]

42. How was that "negated with illogical points"?

It wasn't... I goofed. Check above. Sorry. I think I will leave my comments as penance for being ill-informed.

[rhett o rick]

43. Thank you for your honest post. nm

[IdaBriggs]

19. Maybe he supported the drug war since he saw it destroying his son's life.

Odds are good the PUBLIC humiliation of getting kicked out of the Navy isn't the first time illegal drug use has caused problems for them.

[Bjorn Against]

21. So would that mean Biden thought his son deserved a criminal record?

The laws he supported did result in criminal records for a lot of other people who did the same thing as his son did. Somehow I don't think Joe Biden supported these laws because he wanted Hunter to have a criminal record as well however.

[IdaBriggs]

23. Dead versus criminal record?

When someone you love abuses illegal drugs, most people are willing to do that type of trade. And there is always the denial/belief (at least early on) that the "bad people = dealers" are really the responsible ones.

If I could jail some of the dealers who started some of my family members, especially the teens....

The stories I have -- and I don't use, so I just got/get the after shocks: death threats, hospital visits, criminal behavior/theft, etc.

Your mileage may vary. My family is crazy, and those on illegal drugs are ten shades crazier.

Sigh.

[Bjorn Against]

26. The point is that many people who use drugs do end up with criminal records

Not everyone who uses drugs has the serious problems you describe, there are some who use them and live normal lives without serious problems unless they get caught.

This is the problem with the drug war, people who don't necessarily need help end up with criminal records and people who do need help don't get help because they don't want to get in legal trouble.

We need a system that treats drug abuse as a medical issue rather than a criminal issue. I do think there should be laws against the manufacture and sale of certain drugs, but I do not think we should make people into criminals simply for using drugs as the laws Joe Biden supported do.

[nomorenomore08]

36. +1000

[Warren DeMontague]

38. I've never known any addict who would be helped by 10 or 20 years in a state prison.

Which is basically what we do to people caught smoking the wrong plant or snorting the wrong substance, who can't get a good lawyer.

Biden's contributions to the drug war were idiotic pieces of legislation like the RAVE Act- which basically said that any promoter who put on a rock and roll show where someone in the audience smoked a joint (which never happens at a rock and roll show, amirite?) could be charged with multiple felonies.

It was crap legislation, and the drug war is a cruel joke. I hope Hunter Biden gets help if he needs it (I do not believe, however, that every person who has ever done cocaine has "a cocaine problem"... witness, for instance, certain extremely highly placed executives in the US Government who have admitted to trying that particular drug) but the drug war needs to end, for good.

[Fumesucker]

22. I give him credit for being intelligent

Any intelligent person can look at the lesson of Alcohol Prohibition and see that banning mind altering recreational substances causes many more problems than it solves.

Joe Biden is smarter than that, he just knew it wouldn't make any real differences to his progeny, they have connections.

Bear in mind this son has a high powered and very well remunerated job in the oil bidness he got right after getting discharged, I would say he landed on his feet quite well.

[amandabeech]

33. It has been reported elsewhere that Hunter Biden needed a waiver to join the Naval Reserve

because of a youthful indescretion involving cocaine.

H. Biden showed either a real problem or incredibly bad judgment in using any illegal drug while in the service. It's just asking to get caught, and I think that it is embarrassing for him and his family.

I also think that he should have turned down the Ukrainian job as well. While I'm sure that there was no impropriety on the part of Joe or Hunter Biden, there may have been the assumption on the part of the Ukrainians that they were buying influence which might reflect poorly on the Bidens at some point. I'm basing my idea on the description of Ukrainian business practices by a couple of recent immigrants from Ukraine that I have known.

[Comrade Grumpy]

37. Biden has been supporting the drug war for decades. Long before junior started snorting.

[Cali_Democrat]

2. Thanks, Obama. nt

[littlemissmartypants]

9. OMGawd!

I actually laughed. When is the TYO going to die?

I actually laughed. Does that make me a bad person?

Nap time.

~ Lmsp 🌻

[nationalize the fed]

3. Well isn't this ironic, considering daddykins was the biggest D drug warrior that ever existed

What a ridiculous and hypocritical place the US has become.

Fracker/Director of Ukraine Gas Company Hunter Biden's Daddy:

Joe Biden's Awful Record on Drug Policy

...from a policy perspective, it’s a disaster. Biden has sponsored more damaging drug war legislation than any Democrat in Congress. Hate the way federal prosecutors use RICO laws to take aim at drug offenders? Thank Biden. How about the abomination that is federal asset forfeiture laws? Thank Biden. Think federal prosecutors have too much power in drug cases? Thank Biden. Think the title of a “Drug Czar” is sanctimonious and silly? Thank Biden, who helped create the position (and still considers it an accomplishment worth boasting about).

Tired of the ridiculous steroids hearings in Congress? thank Biden, who led the effort to make steroids a Schedule 3 drug, and has been among the blowhardiest of the blowhards when it comes to sports and performance enhancing drugs. Biden voted in favor of using international development aid for drug control (think plan Columbia, plan Afghanistan, and other meddling anti-drug efforts that have only fostered loathing of America, backlash, and unintended consequences). Oh, and he was also the chief sponsor of 2004’s horrendous RAVE Act...
http://stopthedrugwar.org/speakeasy/2008/aug/24/joe_bidens_awful_record_drug_pol

This will be ignored, and people will continue to blame the R's for the Drug War and make excuses for Royalty's Son

[defacto7]

10. Ironic it is...

an argument it is not. I've always believed that the drug wars are senseless but reasonable arguments change things, logical fallacies do not.

What a ridiculous and hypocritical place the US has become.

I agree but it has nothing to do with the post. It's a straw man.

This will be ignored, and people will continue to blame the R's for the Drug War and make excuses for Royalty's Son

It's called "poisoning the well". In other words, this will be ignored because other people disagree and I want to stop them from arguing with me even if I have to think for all these people I don't even know by making a conclusion for them.

But I suppose if this is about having fun ridiculing someone you disagree with then go ahead. That's called ad hominem.

Just have an argument so we can kick the asses of those who waste our lives with drug wars, bomb wars and lie entertainment called News.

Sorry, I'm just pissed at it all. The article makes some serious points.

[IdaBriggs]

20. See my post #19. nt

[dsc]

34. I agree with most of this

but I disagree on the issue of steroids and other drugs that are used to gain a competitive advantage. That is a crime that can be deterred as opposed to a sickness that can be treated. I have no problem treating that as a crime and trying to deter it.

[LawDeeDah]

35. I can't see how a parent can control an adult child.

Is Biden supposed to be responsible for Hunter's drug use? I can see the irony, yes but seems there is more to it in some peoples responses here.

Maybe I'm missing something or maybe I'm one of those people that cringe when I see people attempting to control others. I have a couple of super fine example of control freaks in my circle (that I avoid but sometimes we do have to be in the same planet together) so this sets my teeth on edge.

[rufus dog]

4. If you got bad news ...

[KingCharlemagne]

5. He managed to land on his feet with the fascist putschistas in Kiev, so

no harm, no foul.

[BrotherIvan]

8. Yeah

He's fine.

[JohnnyRingo]

11. OMG! This is....

...no big deal at all.

Next year, after the next shiny object, no one will remember who Hunter Biden is.

[cherokeeprogressive]

39. I guess the lesson here is "Them that gots, ain't gots to worry about gettin' in trouble."

If you're a regular enlisted schmuck, and you smoke a little weed then fail a piss test? 99% of the time it results in what's called an "OTH" discharge, which means "Other Than Honorable". If that happens to you, you're pretty much fucked for life because every employer you apply with wants to see your DD214, which will clearly state the nature of your discharge (OTH), and the circumstances which will be "Substance Abuse".

Some get lucky if they're top performers and simply get busted in pay grade and get fined. Some get lucky after the discharge if they're the type of person who always lands on their feet. Biden? He got luckier than most people can ever imagine when he won the birth lottery, so for him this thing that would be FAR MORE SERIOUS for Joe Schmuckatelli the Enlisted Man isn't even a bump in the road.

I have no sympathy for him whatsoever and might even feel a little guilty pleasure at one of them that gots getting a little comeuppance for a change.

[TheCowsCameHome]

13. Idiot.

44 years old and you're still a dunce.

[bigwillq]

14. 44 years old and still doing coke? Get help, dude. (nt)

[kelliekat44]

16. Whatever anyone else thinks, I think his response was honest and mature. Hope he gets help. nt

[jtuck004]

18. It would have been better if they had stood him on the fantail and ripped his stripes off, then

made him walk off the ship.

Ah, the good old days.


It's odd to read this. I got my education in drugs in the Navy, little naive kid from Oklahoma in with all these gangsters

We were shipping stuff back and forth from the Mediterranean like we were UPS of the Sea. Good thing Vietnam was about over.

What an education...

[B Calm]

25. After a 1972 north Atlantic cruise with a stop in Rotterdam, they said our ship

was supplying the whole east coast of America with hashish. They were right.

[jtuck004]

31. I was on the USS Seattle that year, making the same runs. n/t

[UglyGreed]

24. Cocaine

leaves your system pretty quickly he must of snorting or whatever only days before the test. I Don't know how the Navy Reserve works, but if he knew he was going to be tested it is pretty easy to avoid failing the test.

[MH1]

28. When I was in the military you didn't always know when you would be tested.

Just generally that you could be. Then one morning you're called to come in and pee.

I'm sure that hasn't changed much. I'm betting the only thing that's really changed is that it's probably a lot harder to beat the test now, as all the simple ways would have been sussed out and prevented by now. (it's been a LONG time since I was in the military, and pee tests were fairly new then. I knew many guys who were high all the time and never failed their pee tests.)

[UglyGreed]

30. Thanks for the reply

I thought since he was in the Navy Reserve he would know when he would be needed to put in his time. I have no idea if that is the way it works.

[seveneyes]

29. I'm not going to Rail on him

[Warren DeMontague]

40. I see what you did there.

[Iggo]

32. That War on Drug Users is a motherfucker, ain't it Mr VP?