"Biden is Obama's point man on almost everything"

[Clio the Leo]

Biden is Obama's point man on almost everything

By Margaret Talev | McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — Suddenly, Vice President Joe Biden is everywhere.

Leading talks with Egypt's new vice president, Omar Suleiman, to help shape the transition to democracy.

Meeting with prominent deficit and tax policy experts as President Barack Obama seeks bipartisan agreements on both fronts.

Zipping through Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq on a whirlwind war-policy tour.

And that's just since January.

From the start of his presidency, Obama looked for Biden to play a substantive role. That role has grown more visible, and probably more important, since Democrats lost control of the House of Representatives in November, forcing Obama to work more cooperatively with Republicans, something Biden's done for a lifetime.

"What's changed is who's up there on the Hill," said Ron Klain, who stepped down last month as Biden's chief of staff. "The vice president has good relationships with Republicans, and he'll try to use those relationships to the administration's advantage."

White House aides and former Senate colleagues say the rise of the Republicans in Congress coincided with an evolution in the Biden-Obama relationship. They didn't know each other all that well before their election, and forged a partnership while combating the worst economic downturn in 70 years.

"When your relationship is forged in crisis like that, you find out a lot about the other guy," said top Obama adviser David Axelrod, who left the White House last month to plot the 2012 re-election campaign. Over the past two years, he said, Obama learned "what a faithful adviser and advocate Biden could be."

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/02/09/108378/biden-is-obamas-point-man-on-almost.html?storylink=addthis

U.S. President Barack Obama laughs with Vice President Joe Biden at a campaign event in Wilmington, Delaware in this October 15, 2010 file photo. Biden said on Thursday he expects to be on the 2012 Democratic presidential ticket as President Obama's running mate.

[defendandprotect]

1. K/R

[Hippo_Tron]

2. Which is why speculation of replacing him on the ticket is ridiculous

Geographically "balancing" the ticket or picking a running mate to appeal to a demographic or home state doesn't really work in this day and age. You could argue it never worked and we just have more sophisticated polling to prove it doesn't work. I honestly think it had more to do with appeasing party factions back when nominations were decided at the convention rather than at the primaries.

I could tell from watching the announcement event that Obama picked Biden because he wanted someone who he would have a good working relationship with. A Vice President that is actually part of your team, rather than somebody you run with and then shut out for 4 to 8 years, can be a huge asset. The Vice President can do things that other aides can't because they have much greater stature. Additionally, the Vice President can also be a really helpful advisor for bringing unique perspective, because unlike the rest of the President's team, the President can't fire him.

[Inuca]

3. Nice article, horrible photo n/t

[PatSeg]

4. That is one busy guy

I get exhausted just reading about his day-to-day activities. Aside from Cheney, I can't recall a more involved VP, but in Biden's case, it is in a good way.

[Jennicut]

5. He is everywhere, all the time.

He has more energy at 68 then I do at 35.

[PatSeg]

6. I know, its amazing

I guess it is because he loves what he's doing.