Biden On Cheney Criticism: "Who Cares?"

Asked about criticism from former Vice President Dick Cheney, current VP Joe Biden had a simple response: "Who cares?"

Actually, he said, "Who cares what -- " and then stopped himself.

"Yeah, yeah, I can see the headline now," Biden said. "I'm getting better, guys. I'm getting a little better, you know what I mean?"

Cheney said in a speech Wednesday night at the Center for Security Policy that President Obama is "dithering" on Afghanistan "while America's armed forces are in danger." He claimed that "signals of indecision out of Washington hurt our allies and embolden our adversaries."

The vice president did elaborate on one of Cheney's arguments -- that the last administration left Obama with a review of Afghanistan.

"A whole lot has changed in the last year," he said. "Let's assume they left us a review that was absolutely correct. Is that review relevant and totally applicable to today in light of the changes that have taken place in the region, in Afghanistan itself? So I think that is sort of irrelevant. Not sort of -- I think it's irrelevant."

Biden's rebuttal was delivered from Eastern Europe, where he has been reassuring leaders that the reconfiguring of President Bush's missile defense system does not mean the U.S. is no longer committed to the region.

The White House responded forcefully to Cheney's claims on Thursday. "What Vice President Cheney calls dithering, President Obama calls his solemn responsibility to the men and women in uniform and to the American public," Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said. "I think we've all seen what happens when somebody doesn't take that responsibility seriously."

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Comments

[CognitoErgoSum]

The White House responded forcefully to Cheney's claims on Thursday. "What Vice President Cheney calls dithering, President Obama calls his solemn responsibility to the men and women in uniform and to the American public," Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said. "I think we've all seen what happens when somebody doesn't take that responsibility seriously."

SNAP!

[Tim Janssen]

You go Joe!

[Giftedroot]

You just have to love it when Biden is on point.

[SparkyDash]

Indeed ;-)

But then Joe can pretty much say anything and I'm there.

[buxztyn]

Please who cares. They put every one sof in danger. They did not think of the health, education, job and welbeing of their grandchildren when they went into iraq.
They should focused on national health care and education for all americans. instead they went on rampage against unknown enemies.

[Maria McManus]

I kind of like it when Biden says it like it is. It's refreshing.

[Kevins]

Cheney's Iraq "adventure" lasted longer than WWII--and is still sucking our country dry. More than 4000 dead Americans out of this whole thing. AND tanked our economy, while giving his company Halliburton a boost. I don't see how Cheney has the face to give anybody 'advice'.

Or why anybody would want it.

[garymc8]

Maybe 3500 dear Americans died in 911. So they went to war with the wrong country on the PRETENSE that Iraq had something to do with it. cheney nearly bankrupted Haliburton (SEE DRESSER IND.) so starting this war would rectify that problem, coupled with the Standard business practice of NO BID CONTRACTS. If chickenhawk cheney and george WORTHLESS bush cared abput people the would have spent all that money to cure cancer which kills 550,000 a year. The myriad of causes for death and the huge numbers they claim dwarf the loss of 911.

[goodpyr]

Now now ACKZ,Your going to make Lizzy mad at you,and boy will you be sorry you..you..
beast.LOL

[ramsha]

Cheney was not the bravest and brightest light even in his younger years as seen by his educational records. He could not cut the mustard in Ivy League institutions so he quit, just after a few months. Then being a coward he took multiple deferments from going to war. Then came the years of oxygen deprivation of his brain from his heart problems. Now the aging factor is catching up with him. Even if he was half as smart as he thinks he is, we still have to disregard his assertions. Grandpa should be given a toy BB gun and asked to play war games in a remote unpopulated wilderness.

[Tulka2]

I had a vivid dream summer of 2008. In my dream, i was at the National Mall and saw a crowd. It was Joe Biden and Dick Cheney. They were both dressed in 18th century powdered wigs and clothes and were about to have a duel with swords. "Finally", i thought in my dream, "Biden is a real man". There was no doubt that Biden would win.

A little less bipartisanship and a few more throw-downs on the National Mall would suit me fine. Rash and hasty of me. I'm actually pleased Obama has such a brilliant temperament for the presidency and is playing the correct long game. Yet....? I often think of that dream duel and it does me a lot of good.

[SparkyDash]

You are correct...Biden would win.

I believe he already has.

[hischagal]

Cheney should be in prison not spending his time with diarrhea of the mouth and getting pats on his back. If this were Europe, he would already been found guilty and have a sentence pronounced by now.

[Plebean]

Cheney wouldn't have the aptitude or the credentials to make it this far in the governing bureaucracies of Europe.

Only in America

[hischagal]

Truer words have never been spoken.

[SparkyDash]

Thanks Joe. And you were correct when you added that Cheney is irrelevant. So true.

[GUSTOV]

Cheney or any of the Bush people

couldn't we get Cheney to guest appear on a Simpson's episode

as Mr. Burns darker sided brother , I'm thinking

[Jaladeno]

Cheney may be suffering from an ailment that causes one to go to great lengths to avoid service when they can, then forget all about that decades later and artificially act like a tough guy when they are out of harms way. That ailment should be named defermentia, or in slang terms, "pulling a Cheney."

[doublels]

Oh, that's great!

[patrickgarret]

This is how the X Administration should be dealt with. WHO CARES.

[eddiejacobson75]

And yes BIDEN our soldiers care

[Jaladeno]

About what Cheney thinks??? How and why did you pull that one out of your arsenal of non sequitors?

[LisainNYC]

Brilliantly put!!

[ladyoftheisland]

Oh, just stop it, Beau Biden was in Iraq.

Drives me nuts that people buy into the notion that Bush/Cheney kept us safe when 9/11 happened on their watch!

[hischagal]

You are absolutely and unequivocally correct and everyone knows it!

[GUSTOV]

oh
if they really cared

they wouldn't enlist in the first place