Did you hear the way Biden handled Karl "Turd Blossom" Rove calling him a "blowhard doofus?"

[Bicoastal]

It was classic.

Apparently, Biden flashed the interviewer a big grin, and responded, without a trace of irony: "He’s a great American.”

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/09/01/biden-reacts-to-rove-insult

And that, my friends, is how we take the high road.

[grasswire]

1. what was it that GHW Bush called Clinton and Gore?

Equally stupid and insulting, but I can't remember exactly what.

[lurky]

16. "Slick Willy and the Ozone Man" n/t

[Maccagirl]

19. GHWB also called Clinton/Gore

"Those two Bozos". Well, he ought to know a clown when he sees one-he raised one didn't he?

[POAS]

33. One?

Seems he raised a litter of em!

[tblue37]

42. And he called them "bozos." n/t

[BrklynLiberal]

2. Biden is a great man..

[NotThisTime]

3. I love Biden, he can smile a great big smile while sticking it straight to you...

I just love him!!!

[DangerousRhythm]

38. I saw that too and I LOVE that about him.

Anyone who can flash a great smile while eviscerating you is great to have on YOUR side. :)

[FrenchieCat]

4. I loved it! Biden did good!

Biden addressed the criticism during a flight on his campaign plane Monday evening. A reporter asked if the senator would now answer to “Senator Doofus.”

“You can call me anything you want,” he said. “I learned a long time ago you can call me anything you want.”

Both political parties have made a point in recent days to draw down partisan rhetoric as Hurricane Gustav threatened the Gulf Coast. Biden said he would have no trouble drawing his sword in the weeks to come.

“I don’t think we’ll have any trouble resuming the campaign,” he said. “I guess Karl did it already. I guess he didn’t get the memo.”

[PatSeg]

28. That is beautiful

What a perfect response. Karl best not antagonize Joe, if he knows what's good for him.

[Whalestoe]

5. I love Joe. Every time I see his smile, I can't help but have one on my face.

[bdamomma]

46. yea, he has a infectious smile.

love Joe Biden.

[TheDebbieDee]

6. Phuck the "high road"!

If he'd been insulted by Osama Bin Laden, would Joe Biden have said, "He's a great terrorist!"?

Biden should have said, "The next time I see Karl Rove, I'm gonna rip his head off and $hit down his neck!"

[Muttocracy]

8. Biden was being sarcastic. nt

[Bicoastal]

9. And THAT is why neither you nor I will never be elected to higher office.

[TheDebbieDee]

14. So be it! I could never be like most candy-a$$ed, weak-kneed,

overly-polite Dems. I would counter each and every attack from my opponent with a blistering, curse-word laden repsonse.

I might have to leave the race, but I would leave my opponent beaten and bloodied in spirit - my opponent would know that he or she had tangled with a stand-up Democrat, not a doormat Democrat.

[ikojo]

20. YES!!! When the Democrats take the high road or engage in

bipartisanship (which the regpugnicans define as the Dems caving in and giving the pugs what they want) they are seen as weak by the American people. Americans "say" they want less vitriol in politics but attack dog politics work as is indicated by continuing Republican victories using those tactics. If it did not work then the pugs would not use it. Playing middle class nice obviously did not work for the Dems in 2000 and 2004. Dems won in 2006 because people, wrongly, thought they were serious about bringing the troops home.

Now that people have seen them rubber stamp whatever Bush wanted (the big stuff like telecomm immunity and continued war funding) I think it'll be more difficult for the Dems to win in November. They need to come out SWINGING and fight like they really want the jobs they have applied for.

[Sugarcoated]

24. I think it's smarter tactics to not respond to the actual dig

otherwise you're on defense. You hit back, but in your own way, you choose the issue and you choose the time. You come back around on an opponents attack and sic em . . . with humor, sarcasm, or the way Barack did in his accenptance speech, but in your own time, that's key.

But as has been said here many times tonight, when your opponent is self destructing, get out of the way. The Repubs are looking like a joke right now, so, why bother?

[lligrd]

11. I Think They Leave It To Us To Make Those Kind Of Remarks

So I will. Rove is pure scum.

[bdamomma]

47. like I said before

WHY ISN'T ROVE ARRESTED??

[Indi Guy]

15. I have an extra copy of Dale Carnegie's book if you want one...

[TheDebbieDee]

18. Phuck Dale Carnegie and his phuckin' book................

There are no friends in politics! Don't you know that by now?

Democrats need to learn that they aren't going to make friends. They just need to focus on getting done what they were elected to get done. And they need to learn to turn on their attackers like wounded animals.

The way it is now, there are no negative repercussions for repukes when they attack Democrats and there haven't been any negative repercussions for several years.

ETA: I thank you very much for the offer of this useless book, but I already have a copy!

[Indi Guy]

21. C'mon Debbie, Obama delivered the "Red" meat w/o getting in the sewer with the Rovians...

Biden convicted Rove of his own ignorance by slyly taking the high road. Don't forget that Obama & Biden are ahead in this race & can't afford to be baited into sludge wrestling.

[1corona4u]

34. Exactly.

[Mimosa]

35. Wrong: there are friends in politics

Orin Hatch and Ted Kennedy come to mind. There've been many examples over decades of friends in American politics, starting with John Adams and Thomas jefferson, who often did not agree on big issues.

However Karl Rove is completely Machiavellian. Biden is clever and experienced enough to know what to say and how to go against Rove's machine.

[Sugarcoated]

22. That's exactly what KKKarl wanted Joe to say

Joe was smart enough not to take the bait.

[Danger Mouse]

25. That would've gone over well.

:eyes:

[WinkyDink]

29. You fell for that "not a trace of irony", eh? Heh.

[Jennicut]

36. Got to love the sarcasm. Rove went after someone who smells bs a mile away.

"A Great American" Too funny!

[1corona4u]

32. Yeah, I'm sure that's a response that would make Obama proud...

:eyes:

[Muttocracy]

7. kick. nt

[Fenris]

10. "He's a great American" will be my new euphemism for "fuck that asshole."

Sort of like the Southern "Bless his/her/your heart."

[blondeatlast]

39. EXACTLY! I learned what the "bless" remark meant very young when my mom used it! LOL nt

[napi21]

12. Another quote from that article....

Biden addressed the criticism during a flight on his campaign plane Monday evening. A reporter asked if the senator would now answer to “Senator Doofus.”

“You can call me anything you want,” he said. “I learned a long time ago you can call me anything you want.”


Both political parties have made a point in recent days to draw down partisan rhetoric as Hurricane Gustav threatened the Gulf Coast. Biden said he would have no trouble drawing his sword in the weeks to come.

“I don’t think we’ll have any trouble resuming the campaign,” he said. “I guess Karl did it already. I guess he didn’t get the memo.”

It doesn't get much better than his response!

[elshiva]

13. Bravo.

:applause: :applause:


Hit him Biden:



buffy/

[opihimoimoi]

17. Its the Finnegan in him...come we sing Irish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg9QekmZ-iM

The Irish National Anthem....a soldiers song

[AspenRose]

49. *nodding*

Yo Rove....school's in, sucka! :rofl:

[Indi Guy]

23. Anyone who listens to Hannity's radio show knows the he calls his guests and callers...

...Great Americans.

Hannity makes a living by saying, "Hey, you're a great American."

I guess Biden gets it -- brilliant.

[Muttocracy]

26. the comments are delightful too

of what I read, all but one or two cheering Biden on or saying, "why isn't Rove in jail?"

[Danger Mouse]

27. Beautiful. Saying 'what a dick' without actually saying it.

I love this guy :D

[Golden Raisin]

30. Classy, ironic, civilized

and yes, the High Road. Unfortunately we are playing against a team that will cheerfully and without remorse stab a butcher knife in your back or gut every time and twist it (think DeLay, Rove, Frist, Lott, Gingrich, Atwater, Nixon, John Mitchell). Dems take the High Road, lose elections and then scratch their heads wondering. The "High Road" and "Not Sinking To Their Level" are ideals but don't necessarily work in the very non-ideal world of American politics and Republican hatchet-men. I'm not advocating vicious, attack-dog mode 24/7, nor losing our souls, but perhaps we consistently need to show a bit more teeth and backbone, especially with a scheming piece of work like Rove.

[DarthDem]

31. Joe = Fantastic

A brilliant pick by Barack Obama who looked great at first, and yet is somehow is looking better and better every day.

I love the quote. :-)

[SeaLyons]

37. Love Joe Biden!!!!

K&R

I think that's the tone both Barack and Joe will take with McStupid and his outrageous choice in VP.

[bullwinkle428]

40. I'm sure Palin can totally compete with an equal level of rapier-wit!

:sarcasm:

[Forkboy]

41. Heh...that's smooth.

:thumbsup:

[Inuca]

43. Classic Biden. Priceless n/t

[Dukkha]

44. remember what Reid said about Cheney?

"I'm not going to get into a name-calling match with somebody who has a 9 percent approval rating,"

What Biden should have done was paraphrase that about Rove:

"I'm not going to get into a name-calling match with somebody who is a known criminal"

[bdamomma]

45. why is rove still walking around and not being arrested.

period.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

48. I agree with how Biden handled it

Frankly, as much as I want Democrats to blast away at the GOP until there's nothing left of them other than rubble (which we need to later clean up as well), I can't see Biden (or anybody else) descending into the depths of what is patently juvenile name calling. I mean, what Rove said is no better than what any elementary school age child would say to another child and I just couldn't see Biden descending to that level. Yeah, it may be the "high road" and it may not look like the "strongest" thing that he might have said but what else might have he done/said other than what he did? I'm sure that he'd love to (as I'm sure most of us here would like to) rip Rove to shreds but exploding over such a juvenile comment and issuing a profanity-laced invective against him would make him look worse IMHO not to mention the fact that it would significantly conflict with Obama's attempts to change Washington including, most importantly, the tone of the discourse (since Bush failed so miserably to do it during the past 8 years). Also, it's McSame who is supposed to have a temper problem NOT Biden. Although it's bad enough that the MSM is not really examining in any great detail McSame's apparent anger problems it would be far worse if they start making Biden out to be the one with the problem (and take some of the focus off of Palin/McSame). The Republicans are going to say a lot of nasty things about us Democrats (they're partisans after all just like we are) but the Democrats can't respond by exploding at every little dumb statement the Republicans make this week (or any week) although I do hope they make sure to keep aggressively challenging all of the misinformation and bald-faced lies that are spewed by the GOP and keep up the attacks on McSame/Palin. I'm confident that Obama/Biden have some kind of plan for this week to keep things going well for us. Heck, Palin is already severely damaging herself and McSame just by agreeing to take the VP slot on the ticket.