...that I hadn't heard:
At the Tuesday-morning meeting with committee staffers, Biden launches into a stream-of-consciousness monologue about what his committee should be doing, before he finally admits the obvious: "I'm groping here." Then he hits on an idea: America needs to show the Arab world that we're not bent on its destruction. "Seems to me this would be a good time to send, no strings attached, a check for $200 million to Iran," Biden declares. He surveys the table with raised eyebrows, a How do ya like that? look on his face.
The staffers sit in silence. Finally somebody ventures a response: "I think they'd send it back." Then another aide speaks up delicately: "The thing I would worry about is that it would almost look like a publicity stunt." Still another reminds Biden that an Iranian delegation is in Moscow that very day to discuss a $300 million arms deal with Vladimir Putin that the United States has strongly condemned. But Joe Biden is barely listening anymore. He's already moved on to something else.
Didn't anyone point out to him that Iran is not part of the "Arab world"?
And we want to put this guy a heartbeat away from the presidency?
Well, I don't. Although, he's a better pick than most of Obama's alternatives. Which is even scarier, now I come to think of it. I really wish "none of the above" was a binding vote, at which point someone would simply be picked randomly from the jury rolls for the jurisdiction voting. (I'd rather, as someone once said, be governed by the first 500 names from the Boston phone book than by the clowns we generally get.)
That was William F. Buckley, and he said he'd rather be governed by the first X persons in the Boston phone book than by the faculty of Harvard.
'Twas an ascerbic comment about the intrinsic value of education, I believe.
Jeff, it's just the same in the UK. Although I would find clowns tolerable; it's the crooks we normally get that really bother me. I suspect that's the same in the USA too.
The entire piece, by Michael Crowley, was interesting, so thanks for posting a link to a link to it.
Rand, I do have a quibble with your criticism: It appears that it was only Michael Crowley, and not Senator Biden, who was referring to the Arab World. At the very least, Crowley's piece leaves us with no way to know. But it seems more fair to give Biden the benefit of the doubt regarding "the Arab World", and withdraw the benefit of the doubt from Crowley, since it was only Crowley who refers to the Arab world, and he then transitions to a somewhat vague story about Biden's Iran idea without any further comment. It have been interesting to read a longer version of Crowley's article, in which there would be more direct quotes to support Crowley's narrative.
Carl,
I don't think that WJB was making a comment on the merits (overstated or otherwise) of education, but rather (as a proud Yalie) that of a Harvard education.
In any event, however, it is a delightful quote...
"Carl Pham wrote:
That was William F. Buckley, and he said he'd rather be governed by the first X persons in the Boston phone book than by the faculty of Harvard."
I wouldn't want to be governed by randomly chosen Bostonians - they're the ones who've shoveled Ted Kennedy into office for over forty years. Maybe some other city.
> "Seems to me this would be a good time to send, no strings attached, a check for $200 million to Iran," Biden declares.
You don't want somebody who thinks outside the box?
(yes, it's sarcasm)
Aren't they supposed to send him campaign contributions before he gives them pork?
You're right - I don't know that they didn't.
I wonder if the "they'd send it back" argument is that it's called pork.