Biden's Mega-Gaffe Energizes Talk Radio, McCain Campaign

INSTANT IMPLOSION

Biden's 'Calamity' Remark = Damage Control For Obama







Better than anything their worst enemies could have cooked up in a dark, smoke-filled room, the Obama campaign is playing defense over a bizarre comment by VP pick Joe Biden.

Predicting that Barack Obama would be "tested" by terrorist strikes against the US during his first six months in office, Biden further suggested that Obama's response to the attacks would be unpopular with the public.

From the New York Post:

Joe Biden warned that America's enemies would test Barack Obama with an international crisis within six months if he's elected president - a shocking comment John McCain eagerly pounced on yesterday to claim Obama isn't ready to be commander-in-chief.

"Mark my words," Biden told donors at a Seattle fund-raiser Sunday night.

"It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We're about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America.

"Watch. We're going to have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy.

"And he's going to need help . . . to stand with him. Because it's not going to be apparent initially; it's not going to be apparent that we're right."

Talk hosts and the McCain campaign were quick to jump on this yesterday, though the issue seems bigger today. From Rush Limbaugh's show:

RUSH: Colin Powell said that Biden would be ready to be president on day one. Does Powell agree that the price for electing Obama is a world crisis? Biden's starting this. Biden is stating this as a fact beyond dispute. He says it's a guarantee, that we are to mark his words. Now, can you imagine if I said -- without Biden having had said this first -- if I had said that the election of Barack Obama will cause a guaranteed international crisis, can you imagine? I mean, the Drive-Bys are in a tizzy over my little Colin Powell comment yesterday to Jonathan Martin of The Politico.

Can you imagine what they would do if I would have come out before Biden and said what Biden had said? I would be taking politics to the lowest common denominator. I would be a fearmonger. I would be irresponsible. The Fairness Doctrine would be needed to shut me up. I'm going to endorse Biden. Biden's exactly right about this. First time in a long time I'm going to agree with Biden. He's exactly right. We are going to get tested here. Obama's going to get tested.

What's amazing to me about Biden's statement, ladies and gentlemen, is I thought the election of Obama was going to make the world love us again. I thought we're going to repair this busted image that we have all around the world, and the moment Obama is elected -- we don't have to wait 'til he's inaugurated -- from the moment he is elected, the world is going to (kissing sound) love us again. They're going to want to kiss us everywhere they can. They're going to be so happy, and here's Biden saying, (paraphrasing) "Oh, yeah, get ready, folks. This young man, he's got what it takes, love this guy, this guy can handle it," speaking of Obama, "but he's going to get tested, we're going to get tested, I can guarantee you and we're going to need your support. We're going to need your support in there because it's not going to be obvious we're doing the right thing at first." (laughing.)

And from the Washington Post on McCain's reaction:

A RETORT TO BIDEN

McCain Jumps on Talk Of Early Test for Obama

COLUMBIA, Mo. --John McCain has not been talking too much about international affairs in recent days, but the suggestion by Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden that the world may try to test a President Obama early in his administration prompted him to dive back in.

Biden was quoted telling a crowd at a Seattle fundraiser Sunday: "Mark my words. It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We're about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America.

"Remember I said it standing here, if you don't remember anything else I said. Watch, we're going to going to have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy."

Biden urged the crowd to stand by Obama when he is elected president, a comment that drew a response from McCain.

"The next president won't have time to get used to the office," McCain said. "We face many challenges here at home, and many enemies abroad in this dangerous world. Just last night, Senator Biden guaranteed that if Senator Obama is elected, we will have an international crisis to test America's new president. We don't want a president who invites testing from the world at a time when our economy is in crisis and Americans are already fighting in two wars."

-- Michael Abramowitz

While a few mainstream media outlets have been avoiding the story in order to provide cover for their Dear Leader, some Obama stalwarts have been concerned enough that they've felt the need to provide excuses for Biden's mega-gaffe.

But did Madeline Albright's defensive reaction only make the situation worse? See for yourself:





If terrorist attacks are inevitable under an Obama presidency, then why not vote for McCain and avoid the carnage altogether? This profoundly stupid gaffe has provided McCain with the best opportunity he's had to date. Let's hope he continues to exploit it.


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