Biden to Supporters: "Gird Your Loins"

[Area52]

Blind leading the blind. Gird your loins? I say hide your money. God help this country.

Biden to Supporters: "Gird Your Loins", For the Next President "It's Like Cleaning Augean Stables"

October 20, 2008 7:35 AM

ABC News' Matthew Jaffe Reports: Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., on Sunday guaranteed that if elected, Sen. Barack Obama., D-Ill., will be tested by an international crisis within his first six months in power and he will need supporters to stand by him as he makes tough, and possibly unpopular, decisions.

"Mark my words," the Democratic vice presidential nominee warned at the second of his two Seattle fundraisers Sunday. "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 gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy."

"I can give you at least four or five scenarios from where it might originate," Biden said to Emerald City supporters, mentioning the Middle East and Russia as possibilities. "And he's gonna need help. And the kind of help he's gonna need is, he's gonna need you - not financially to help him - we're gonna need you to use your influence, your influence within the community, to stand with him. Because it's not gonna be apparent initially, it's not gonna be apparent that we're right."

Not only will the next administration have to deal with foreign affairs issues, Biden warned, but also with the current economic crisis.

"Gird your loins," Biden told the crowd. "We're gonna win with your help, God willing, we're gonna win, but this is not gonna be an easy ride. This president, the next president, is gonna be left with the most significant task. It's like cleaning the Augean stables, man. This is more than just, this is more than – think about it, literally, think about it – this is more than just a capital crisis, this is more than just markets. This is a systemic problem we have with this economy."

The Delaware lawmaker managed to rake in an estimated $1 million total from his two money hauls at the downtown Sheraton, the same hotel where four years ago Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., clinched the Democratic nomination. Despite warning about the difficulties the next administration will face, Biden said the Democratic ticket is equipped to meet the challenges head on.

"I've forgotten more about foreign policy than most of my colleagues know, so I'm not being falsely humble with you. I think I can be value added, but this guy has it," the Senate Foreign Relations chairman said of Obama. "This guy has it. But he's gonna need your help. Because I promise you, you all are gonna be sitting here a year from now going, 'Oh my God, why are they there in the polls? Why is the polling so down? Why is this thing so tough?' We're gonna have to make some incredibly tough decisions in the first two years. So I'm asking you now, I'm asking you now, be prepared to stick with us. Remember the faith you had at this point because you're going to have to reinforce us."

"There are gonna be a lot of you who want to go, 'Whoa, wait a minute, yo, whoa, whoa, I don't know about that decision'," Biden continued. "Because if you think the decision is sound when they're made, which I believe you will when they're made, they're not likely to be as popular as they are sound. Because if they're popular, they're probably not sound."

Biden emphasized that the mountainous Afghanistan-Pakistan border is of particular concern, with Osama bin Laden "alive and well" and Pakistan "bristling with nuclear weapons."

"You literally can see what these kids are up against, our kids in that region," Biden said in recalling when his helicopter was forced down due to a snowstorm there. "The place is crawling with al Qaeda. And it's real."

"We do not have the military capacity, nor have we ever, quite frankly, in the last 20 years, to dictate outcomes," he cautioned. "It's so much more important than that. It's so much more complicated than that. And Barack gets it."

After speaking for just over a quarter of an hour, Biden noticed the media presence in the back of the small ballroom.

"I probably shouldn't have said all this because it dawned on me that the press is here," he joked.

"All kidding aside, these guys have left us in a God-awful place," he then said of the Bush regime, promptly wrapping up his remarks. "We have the ability to straighten it out. It's gonna take a little bit of time, so I ask you to stay with us. Stay with us."

[JuniperPark]

Palin to supporters: "What's a loin?"

[Bill Roy]

Joe tells the truth, if you don't like hearing the truth then vote for McCain/Palin - that simple!

The choice is simple, be adults and be treated like adults and go with Obama/Biden, or be like scared children and be treated like children not able to take the truth and go with McCain/Palin.

Remember one of the first acts McCain wants to do is give himself a $300k tax break, unfortunately for most Americans that tax break will not be coming.

I would think most electors want to be treated like adults and the polls clearly show it. Roll on November 4.


Juniper, that was brilliant, can I add to it?

Palin to supporters " What's a loin, is that like a tiger, and can I shoot one and make burgers?"

[DomainsInc]

It doesn't seem right that these politicians who supposidly know that a great crisis is going to happen, yet keeps the American public in the dark.

[Tia Wood]

I knew what he meant, so do most people. He simply meant our country is in a crisis right now with finances and war. Whoever is elected faces a challenge. This is reinforced by how he finished:

Biden emphasized that the mountainous Afghanistan-Pakistan border is of particular concern, with Osama bin Laden "alive and well" and Pakistan "bristling with nuclear weapons."

"You literally can see what these kids are up against, our kids in that region," Biden said in recalling when his helicopter was forced down due to a snowstorm there. "The place is crawling with al Qaeda. And it's real."

"We do not have the military capacity, nor have we ever, quite frankly, in the last 20 years, to dictate outcomes," he cautioned. "It's so much more important than that. It's so much more complicated than that. And Barack gets it."

[BobDiGiTaL]

Because it's not gonna be apparent initially, it's not gonna be apparent that we're right."

He already sounds like Bush, were screwd.

Biden is the Senate Foreign Relations chairman ? He has not been doing a good job. The world hates us.

[Gerry]

Biden is the Senate Foreign Relations chairman ? He has not been doing a good job. The world hates us.

The world hates us because the current administration has NO foreign relations policy.

The "screw you" mentality has worked so well on the American people that it has been applied to foreign relations and the judicial system. Now the monetary system.

Foreign relations MUST be one of the top priorities for the next administration.

As for a global crisis, this is not at all out of the realm of possibilities. As someone already pointed out, India-Pakistan remains a hot issue with Kashmir a flash point. Russia tested our resolve recently with their hostile actions.

Iran will continue to push itself onto the scene by its defiance to world demands.

Any new president will be tested as well as the American people and US Military. We are fighting a war on two fronts and not making much progress on either. The Taliban regrouping is serious concern as new troops are needed and the most convenient place to pull them from is Iraq. This will leave forces stretched thin and may be a set back in achievements in Iraq, exactly what the Al Qiada wants.

African nations like Somalia are becoming more and more radical and havens for terrorists.

Hugo Chavez's rhetoric is enough to incite and spread a hatred of the US to South American neighbors. I think he is stupid and dumb enough to attempt to flex his power by invading a nearby country or possibly some offshore islands where many US workers are in the oil fields.

It will do well to keep informed of not only US happenings but also global as their both seem to have such rippling effect and consequences.

Yeah, Donald Rumsfeld is the iconic image of diplomacy.

[JuniperPark]

Bush is a failure in every way imagineable, including foreign relations.

The biggest mystery to me is how 27% of Americans still APPROVE of Bush. That just boggles the mind. I wonder if these people also think Enron is a great company, or OJ Simpson is a nice guy who is simply misunderstood. I think an IQ test of those people might be very revealing.

[500,000]

Love Wins

[Gerry]

The biggest mystery to me is how 27% of Americans still APPROVE of Bush.

psst...it is down to 22%.

[500,000]

Love Wins

[Gerry]

I hear Bush is going to meet with other world leaders (Foreigners) and get 4 trillion dollars to help finance and protect the worlds economy from Bill Clinton's SCANDEL (you know) he made fake money.

Wow, you must be Bush's and the GOP's spin doctor.

Bush is going to meet with other world leaders. Well, Hells Bells! There's some diplomacy. Looking for a handout.

Psst...where do you think the $700 billion is coming from? No where. It does not exist. It is paper notes.

Paulson's plan calls for "$700 billion AT A TIME" along with a clause to increase the federal reserve coffers to $13 trillion.

My God. I feel better all ready!

[Raider]

I knew what he meant, so do most people. He simply meant our country is in a crisis right now with finances and war. Whoever is elected faces a challenge. This is reinforced by how he finished:

No, What Biden meant was that Foreign leaders will test him, Just like Kruschev tested Kennedy in the Cuban Missle Crisis, Kruschev sensed weakness in his meeting with JFK and that's what led to the Soviet Union sending missled into Cuba.

Iran also tested Carter, where the Hostage crisis that was only meant to last a week, turned into years... All because he was a weak leader.

Obama, the "community organizer" will be another weak leader if elected.

[JuniperPark]

No, What Biden meant was that Foreign leaders will test him, Just like Kruschev tested Kennedy in the Cuban Missle Crisis, Kruschev sensed weakness in his meeting with JFK and that's what led to the Soviet Union sending missled into Cuba.

Iran also tested Carter, where the Hostage crisis that was only meant to last a week, turned into years... All because he was a weak leader.

Obama, the "community organizer" will be another weak leader if elected.

Ok, then we'll have full scale nuclear war if MCSame croaks and Palin is president.

Did anyone really that she, also CANNOT PRONOUNCE THE WORD NUCLEAR?? Gee, what genious does that remind you of?

[Gerry]

I harken back to 9-11. Seems to me that we had an untested president.

And Katrina...a natural disaster that ended up being the biggest man-made debacle in history.

[Donald Aquilano]

And Katrina...a natural disaster that ended up being the biggest man-made debacle in history.

I would put the majority of the blame for this on Mayor Ray Nagin and Governor Kathleen Blanco not the federal government.

[500,000]

Love Wins

[jasdon11]

He already sounds like Bush, were screwd.

Biden is the Senate Foreign Relations chairman ? He has not been doing a good job. The world hates us.

No, the world hates George Bush, the Neo-cons pulling his strings, and the intelectually subnormal buffoons that keep supporting them.

[Gerry]

I would put the majority of the blame for this on Mayor Ray Nagin and Governor Kathleen Blanco not the federal government.

You can't be serious. Have you ever heard of FEMA and Micheal Brown?

I guess this George W. Bush appointee was going to ride to the rescue on his noble stallion clutching his resume of being Judges and Stewards Commissioner for the International Arabian Horse Association, (IAHA).

I work for a health organization that was sitting idol with tractor trailers loaded with supplies and staff for a 250 bed state of the art field hospital waiting to set up along with 5 fixed wing aircraft and 3 helicopters at our disposal to evacuate the critically ill and injured. Instead, we were told by FEMA that we were not needed.

The Governor of Mississippi laughed and scoffed at this and extended an invitation to service coastal Mississippi and its residents.

This was another George Bush boner and demonstrates how uninformed you are in blaming Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin (both of whom I dispise) as the primary reason for the failures of the government to respond.

[Raider]

Theirs plenty of blame to go around for Katrina on both State and Federal levels... To blame Bush entirely is just rhetoric of just pure ignorance.