Joe is sitting there with a beer!

[PatSeg]

I wonder if he will actually drink it. As I understand it, he NEVER drinks at all. Do you suppose it is just a prop or near-beer?

[PatSeg]

1. Well, so far I haven't seen him touch the beer

Edit to add - okay someone on Hardball said it was non-alcoholic, but had to make a snide remark about maybe it was because they didn't want him to talk. Geez.

Well at least Matthews brought up that Joe does not drink.

[Muttocracy]

2. nyt photo and article

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/31/us/politics/31obama.html

[PatSeg]

6. Everyone looks pretty relaxed except for Crowley

He really stands out from the rest.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

3. Hmm, I wonder why he doesn't drink?

I think that's pretty cool. I don't drink either, but that's because a substantial number of family members are raging alcoholics and I fear that we have a predisposition towards alcoholism.

[elleng]

4. Same as Joe's reason, I believe.

.

[PatSeg]

5. That is what Joe has implied

without being specific. Someone must have left a powerful impression on him being he says he's never had a drink.

[SemiCharmedQuark]

7. I've never had a drink either.

An alcoholic father really does leave an impression.

Aww...I want to give Joe a big hug now :(

[PatSeg]

8. And there are so many reasons to want

to give Joe "a big hug". He's quite a guy.

I'm not sure who in his family was a drinker, maybe an uncle. When offered a glass of stout at an Irish Pub, he declined graciously saying something like, "it's the genes, you know".

It's funny how having an alcoholic relative can affect people in extremely opposite ways. My ex won't drink because of his father, though he did drink in his younger days. The fear of ending up like his old man is always with him.

[Jennicut]

10. I want to give him a hug too. I read that one if his uncles was an alcoholic (maybe the brother of

his Mom) as well as his own brother (I think it was the youngest one). Very sad. My own Grandfather was one but I never met him. He used to abuse my Grandma. My Dad drinks a beer now and then but never carries it too far and I never did too because of that.

[GardeningGal]

9. I read in some article (sorry can't remember which one) that he

asked for a non alcoholic beer. Whatever article it was said Gates had Sam Adams, Crowley had Blue Moon, Obama had Bud Light, and Joe had ???? non alcoholic brew. If I come across the article again, I'll post a link.

[Jennicut]

11. It was Bucklers...made by Heineken.

Bush used to drink it. At least we know Joe is nothing like Georgie.