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Reuters: Vice President Joe Biden’s ‘Charm Mission’ To China Involves ‘Punchlines’

by Frances Martel | 11:00 am, August 20th, 2011

» 33 comments

In America, Vice President Joe Biden has developed a fairly large following beyond his politics for being somewhat fast and loose with his words, a trait that did not go unnoticed in the 2008 election. These days, the Vice President is on what Reuters is calling a “charm mission,” which so far seems to have involved him making several Vintage Biden jokes that have been met with blank stares.

The trip appears to have involved plenty of meetings, both publicly and privately, where the Vice President spent his time “pulling punches but not punchlines.” Given the current tension between the two nations, the Vice President’s national debt jokes seem even more comically out of place somehow, especially contrasted with the behavior of the Chinese Vice President:

“Good to see you again,” [Chinese Vice President] Xi said. “I know you are very busy with national affairs at home.”

“You ARE national affairs,” Biden told his counterpart from the United States’ largest creditor. [...]

“I used to have an important job when I was chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee,” Biden told Wu. “I had a big office, large staff. Then I became vice president.”

Members of the press pool speculated that joke, at least, may have been lost in translation.

He also walked around and schmoozed with Chinese delegates, the report narrates, by complimenting their hair. While the report certainly fosters an image of Biden as a free-wheeling but ultimately lovable sidekick– the Oscar to President Obama’s Felix– one hopes colorful writing went into making the extremely important foreign policy trip sound a bit more sitcom-like than it would have otherwise.

It appears things went a bit better than the Reuters report makes them out to have, however, as today, President Biden was scheduled to meet yet against with Vice President Xi, this time after a tour of economy boom town Chengdu and once again casually over a meal. The Vice President’s trip is scheduled to last five days.

[h/t, Photo via]

"charm missions", China, Democrats, Diplomacy, foreign policy, Joe Biden, this could only go well, Vice President, whose idea was this?, Xi Jingping

Anonymous

Longtime government tick Vice President Motor Mouth is getting pushback on calling the TP ” terrorists”:

Politico Stands Behind Its “Biden Terrorist” Story
“This White House, that preached civility, has shown it can be brutal and viscous towards average citizens. President Obama has called Republicans his “enemies” and suggested his supporters take guns to a knife fight. Representatives of the administration have suggested they “destroy” and “kill” Mitt Romney and “punch back twice as hard” against political opponents.
Barack Obama denied Biden used those words when he spoke with tea party activist Ryan Rhodes. Obama was not in the private meeting, but he has gone on the record and taken a position. He said it did not happen. Certainly, it’s interesting that the media has not asked Obama about this, a private citizen has to bring up this issue and pull a denial out of the media’s Dear Leader.
Politico is standing solidly behind its story and has now taken the time to explain how the story came together.

Politico points out that they had numerous sources confirm the Biden statement and that his denials have been lacking.
In the Politico case, it’s interesting to note that other media outlets are working to discredit their story. The Washington Post has already questioned their reporting (that’s also fascinating because many of the founders of Politico came from the WaPo.)
This is a story that the rest of the media is going to be pulled kicking and screaming into doing. It has been two weeks running now since the story was first reported and we have a “citizen journalist” finally with the courage to confront the president and at least one other outlet trying to destroy the story. Biden denied to CBS that he used the terrorist word, but as of the writing of this story, CBS has still not aired the interview. They have it. Perhaps they don’t want to air the verbal record of Biden’s denial. Who knows?
You wouldn’t know it by the lack of serious media attention to this story, but it is a big ‘effing deal. The public knows it, and the writers at the Politico know it. They are also getting a little taste of what it’s like when you go against the Regime.”

http://bigjournalism.com/rfutrell/2011/08/19/politico-stands-behind-its-biden-terrorist-story/
Anonymous

Maybe grinning Joe will tell them that knee-slapping insider joke about the corrupt Delaware Senator who was a bag-man for Big Finance & Big Chemical his whole career.
Anonymous

Biden is Obama’s insurance policy. As long as Joe is there, Obama has no fear.
Anonymous

Joe Biden is the Michelle Bachmann of the democrat party.
AliveStillKickin

Why not just send Jon Stewart if it is to be a bad joke mission?
http://www.facebook.com/people/Rachel-Simpson/100000090534507 Rachel Simpson

Shame on you!! Don’t you dare put Joe on the same level as Michelle Bachman!!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Rachel-Simpson/100000090534507 Rachel Simpson

Joe is a cool dude. I wish that Barack would step aside and let Joe be President!! Just because the Chinese are stick-in-the-muds and don’t get his jokes, does not mean that Joe is a bad guy.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Rachel-Simpson/100000090534507 Rachel Simpson

Joe for President, 2012.
JMcCarthy

There is NOTHING ‘charming’ about biden. He is a Rude and Crude Western Marxist who admires the way the Communist Chinese deal with protestors-murder and imprisonment. The Chinese know biden is a CLOWN but are forced to put up with him and laugh at biden AND obama behind their backs. HOWEVER, the Chinese are behind obamas’ wanting to destroy America from within, that is certin!!
Anonymous

It’s idiots like you that get the world laughing at the U.S. That’s for “certin.”
Anonymous

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AliveStillKickin

Hey…TTF!!!!
Yeah….I grew up in N. Va. but now reside in eastern NC.
Still an AVID Lefty, Jerry, Fridge and Gary fan….and a Redskin fanatic.
Also root for the Nats…..Saw many Senators games at Griffith Stadium (and RFK)……even saw the 1969 All Star Game.
Anonymous

Yeah! Md grad many years ago. I too saw a few in the old Griffith Stadium.

Hey, we’re old, but, as you say, “still kickin.”

All the best from AZ!
AliveStillKickin

The best right back at’cha.
Memories.
Nancillarypeloslinton

How will anybody know when Joe “I’m an Old Fool” Biden has Alzheimer’s?
Nancillarypeloslinton

That’s “cretin” 2U!
Nancillarypeloslinton

That’s “cretin” 2U!
Anonymous

Okay then; have it your way. It’s cretins like you that get the would laughing at the U.S.
Anonymous

When he begins behaving as foolishly as you. Then we will know.
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