49 Comments

• Seanmor | Sep 29, 2012, 11:09 AM EDT

  Ommiting the indefinite article in a phrase is never a tremendous error.

• MarkMary73 | Sep 20, 2012, 12:52 PM EDT

  Ah, c'mon! Good 'ol Joe was at least close and that qualifies any politician these days for a gold star!

• AncientSeeker | Sep 20, 2012, 12:09 AM EDT

  To even mention W.B.Yeats to a conservative here in the colonies, unless used as a put down is rare, being a historical follower of Island cultures and a descendent from the Isle anything Joe Biden says is straight talking, guy says maybe a wee bit off, but his heart and help is right were you can see it, on his sleeve. So I would be following some of the others on this comments, W.B.Yeats as well as any other Irish writer is honored here, and those who use their magic words to inform the masses of vile and evil such, should be encouraged, not debated for anal retentive minor language mistakes.

• hyattsville | Sep 19, 2012, 03:10 PM EDT

  Pithily pedantic. Slow news day eh!

• ancavker | Sep 19, 2012, 02:54 PM EDT

  Minor, not even worth reporting. At least he was fmailiar with Ireland. I gurantee you there are many in Ireland today, who never even heard of it, never mind read it.

• darao | Sep 19, 2012, 12:16 PM EDT

  minor slip up on his part. NOT newsworthy at all. Certainly close enough as another poster has mentioned.

• southerner | Sep 19, 2012, 07:13 AM EDT

  Somewhat pedantic for a populist site, I think. J. O Shea, I fear you have not been trained well or fully. I am sure that time will abrade the edges from your ability. It needs to be smoother.

• IrelandNorth | Sep 19, 2012, 06:38 AM EDT

  What a difference a day makes, not least since the 1916 Rising was originally planned for Easter Sunday of that year, but had to be moved to Easter Monday, due to a certain degree of ideological schismatism in the upper ranks of Óglaigh na h'Éireann/Irish Volunteers (ahem!) Consequently causing Pearse to miss the chronological Christian symbolism of blood sacrifice/resurrectionism. (But with the Gregorian vs Julian calendar dichotomy, who knows for sure when the original gig took place anyway?) That the messiah of modern Irish republicanism was executed by the heirs apparent to imperial Rome, (with the tacit assent of the Sanhedrin-in-sheeps-clothing), speaks volumes to unrevised listeners in the 26 county proto-republic, (and its 6 county neo-provincial reflection behind that commissioned boundary line in the shifting Sands of colonial chicanery).

• Towngate | Sep 19, 2012, 06:28 AM EDT

  Joe Biden does us no favours by reminding us what damage was done to Ireland by mad Poets!! Especially as the 'Terrible Beauty' he refers to turned into the bloody quagmire the independent Irish carved for themselves afterwards, leading to the present humiliating poverty and begging-bowl culture it endures today ... and only themselves to blame!

• Ron | Sep 18, 2012, 11:54 PM EDT

  It's close enough in a casual convo. How many of us recall poems verbatim?

• cillowen | Sep 18, 2012, 04:52 PM EDT

  cut a paddy some slack - poem snoem who gives a rats

• Canal Rat | Sep 18, 2012, 04:29 PM EDT

  Charlie 0491 is right. There are plenty of real Biden gaffs. This is nothing compared to saying he likes to hang around in a coffee shop that closed twenty years ago.

• pilib04 | Sep 18, 2012, 04:25 PM EDT

  Mr. O'Shea, a gaffe is when you call half of population of the United States, parasites!

• pilib04 | Sep 18, 2012, 04:24 PM EDT

  Go raibh maith agat, Jerry Donovan. You made my day.

• pilib04 | Sep 18, 2012, 04:22 PM EDT

  WK, when was the last time you heard Robme or LyanRyan quoting poetry? To say nothing of quoting Yeats. Give Biden credit. Particularly this quote.

• pilib04 | Sep 18, 2012, 04:20 PM EDT

  James O'Shea is something of a gobshite. At least the Vice President could cite Yeats, unlike Robme and Lyan-Ryan. Actually I'm pretty impressed. Biden credited Yeats, unlike the thief Churchill who stole George Santayana's quote.

• mayoman | Sep 18, 2012, 03:17 PM EDT

  Preparation, Joe. Preparation. You should have brought a copy of the poem along with you. Well, perhaps next time.

• WoundedKnee | Sep 18, 2012, 02:57 PM EDT

  To the defenders of Biden: What you are saying is nonsense. No one ever paraphrases poetry--They quote it. Or in Biden's case, they misquote it.

• Scrivner | Sep 18, 2012, 02:48 PM EDT

  Joe Biden is a part of Obama's protection plan. Certain malcontents have second thoughts about removing Pres Obama from office because they realize that Joe Biden would replace him, then his many gaffes would have real consequences!

• joreilly | Sep 18, 2012, 02:19 PM EDT

  I think Mr.O'Shea had better learn the difference between quoting and paraphrasing!!!!!!!! Joe Biden is obviously a very well read man,more than we can say about most of our politicians....God Bless You JOE,you're a breath of fresh air up there on the hill.Don't let these ignoramuses get to you.J.O'R.

• Elyse2u | Sep 18, 2012, 02:06 PM EDT

  Joe Biden is in fact correct while the writer of this article is totally wrong. Poetry can be relayed in either of two ways, namely (a) by direct quote or (b) by paraphrasing. Joe Biden is clearly paraphrasing, and the article writer should be educated enough to recognize this by Joe's obvious ommission of the word "quote" prior to relaying the line of poetry to his listener. Instead he tells the listener of Yeat's work in the narrative mood, i.e. the usual mood employed when paraphrasing a work rather than directly quoting. While quoting a line directly always requires exactness of phrase, paraphrasing on the other hand does not and is usually employed to clarify the message rather than to deliver the line exactly as written. As a graduate of English Literature, I am very surprised to read an article by a journalist devoted to correcting another person for an error in English language useage where no error actually exists. Which leads me to the obvious question for the article writer: Is this your first gaffe, or is it just one of many?

• Nelsonbarry | Sep 18, 2012, 01:58 PM EDT

  I hope all of you are so exact and never misquote.

• borefield | Sep 18, 2012, 01:52 PM EDT

  I can live with Joe's latest gaffe. We all know he should be in his rocking chair and that is precisely why the Democrates keep him around. When they want spin and distortion the just pull old Joe's strings. Must say, he delivers every time. Romney has a long way to go to catch up.

• EphraimKibbey | Sep 18, 2012, 01:17 PM EDT

  If you want to see a gaffe, watch the new Romney commercial on China. The graphics are a hoot! The China job gains graphic doubles in height as the over printing says their jobs increased by 25%. Come to think of it, maybe its not a gaffe, maybe they really think that we are all that stupid that we can't read.

• eiriamach | Sep 18, 2012, 12:57 PM EDT

  Misquoting Yeats is Yeats' eternal punishment for writing in English. As James Joyce once said, "Writing in English is the most ingenious torture ever devised for sins committed in previous lives. The English reading public explains the reason why.”

• Maureen15 | Sep 18, 2012, 11:56 AM EDT

  Jim, Please let me know where and when you will be walking on water. I really want to see you do this. Anyone who could spin a story out of this...must think...they are perfect. Awaiting the invite......

• charlie0491 | Sep 18, 2012, 11:41 AM EDT

  Are you kidding me. How many Americans even know of Yeats never mind quoting him. I say; good for Joe.

• charlie0491 | Sep 18, 2012, 11:41 AM EDT

  I'm no fan of Obama or Biden, but this nit picking,

• tony whelan | Sep 18, 2012, 11:24 AM EDT

  give joe a break. joe had major surguary a few years ago. he had a tumor removed from his brain. thats why he gets some slack even from the gop, so one may ask why irish news media don't do the same. you have to know this. and the gaff give me a break like some one said close enough for government work. he didn't change the meaning of the poem. your story is incredibly stupid and not worth the space on your magazine. you will have to do better there are lot's of more interesting stories out there. this one is a dud.

• jerrydonovan | Sep 18, 2012, 11:14 AM EDT

  O'shea should be able to get a highly specialized job in any up scale restaurant,picking the fly sh-t out of the pepper!

• Joannalan | Sep 18, 2012, 11:03 AM EDT

  This is an incredibly stupid story. How many people can even quote Yeats at all? And compare this to Paul Ryan's "misquote " about his marathon running time. Anyone who says he ran a marathon under three hours when actually his time was over four hours is a pathological liar. And you compare him favorably to Biden. Get real. How can you publish such rubbish?

• BarbaraB | Sep 18, 2012, 10:46 AM EDT

  Give the guy a break. At least he's familiar with Yeats and poetry. More than I would guess for the rest of those that are running for office.

• wilhoef | Sep 18, 2012, 10:22 AM EDT

  Listening to anything Biden says is kind of like listening to Howdy Doody without Bob in the background.

• phobrien31 | Sep 18, 2012, 10:16 AM EDT

  "misquoted during a phone call?"?. Who called who? Who is the "supporter"? Is O'Shea making this up? To O'Dowd: Fire this guy.

• BelfastJimmy | Sep 18, 2012, 10:11 AM EDT

  Just last week you published a story on Rosanna Davison showing the cover of the German edition of 'Playboy' with her name plastered across the front cover yet your reporter managed to misspell her name throughout the entire article! THAT in my opinion is a GAFFE!!

• Mousemess | Sep 18, 2012, 10:04 AM EDT

  James O'Shea (Seamus O' Se in Irish), No disrespect to WB Yeats intended, but citing that which is so minor is so silly and Mickey Mouse compared to the many years of Joe Biden's excellent experience as congressman. A far worse gaffe by Romney is that Obama supporters don't take responsibility for their lives and don't pay taxes. I heard him actually say that much to my outrage. I pay taxes and rely on no government assistence to pay my bills and to put food on my table and I take full responsibility for my life. And so do many other highly educated and high-achieving Obama supporters. A "safety net" needs to be there however for those who truly need it.

• donaghmckeown | Sep 18, 2012, 10:01 AM EDT

  I'm Irish and I often misquote, though I've yet to call it a "gaffe" I'm delighted to see that Yeats is still being quoted. Seems like you folks at Irish Central have lost any sense of decency. Instead of celebrating the spirit of Mr Biden's intention, you choose to question him for a mistake so minor, it doesn't bear scrutiny. Cheap shot, and an unnecessary one at that. You can quote, or misquote me on that

• oonafitz | Sep 18, 2012, 10:00 AM EDT

  With all the spelling and grammar mistakes the writers on this website make, you have some nerve calling someone on such tiny mistakes. I'm impressed that he can recall the title and lines so well in what was probably not a scripted conversation.

• Nicopernicus | Sep 18, 2012, 09:56 AM EDT

  Really? Biden is an idiot for sure to be sure but lets get a grip on what real gaffes' are and gaffes that are not. Talk about the supreme reach.

• Daytonavejim | Sep 18, 2012, 09:55 AM EDT

  In America there is a saying; "...close enough for government work." I think that applys to poor Jow.

• phobrien31 | Sep 18, 2012, 09:54 AM EDT

  What a stupid critique. You really have to stoop pretty low to find something to nit pick about. Cast a cold eye on life on death Horesman, pass by

• thomaso | Sep 18, 2012, 09:53 AM EDT

  So Biden "gaffed". At least he knows the importance of W. B. Yeats and is not trying to quote Ayn Rand of all people.

• 19bajspwn | Sep 18, 2012, 09:50 AM EDT

  You snobby little pip squeaks....Get Real....You are a gaffe. Shame on you. You must be desperate for news over there....

• DrTrelawney | Sep 18, 2012, 09:39 AM EDT

  You're kidding? This you call a gaffe? Get real.

• stanchaz | Sep 18, 2012, 09:37 AM EDT

  Joe Biden may make Gaffes but Romney/Ryan IS a Gaffe ...a gaffe that will repeat the mistakes of the Bush years if we are foolish enough to give them the chance.

• padraiginrua | Sep 18, 2012, 09:36 AM EDT

  Compared to some of the idiotic things you've printed, this is a blip, Definitely, the pot calling the kettle black

• RichardP | Sep 18, 2012, 09:35 AM EDT

  You've got to be kidding me. First of all what moron even thought that was worthy of calling the media and second of all what makes this rag think it's newsworthy. If the person who told this SHOCKING story is a 'supporter' I can see why American politics is deep in the toilet. This is surely worthy of a headline on Fox News.

• Maggie47 | Sep 18, 2012, 09:26 AM EDT

  That's a gaffe?

• rahogan | Sep 18, 2012, 08:51 AM EDT

  That's a gaffe??? Seriously? Easter Sunday 1916 rather than Easter 1916? And Terrible Beauty vs A terrible beauty? You've got to be kidding. Did he also pause when he shouldn't have or sneezed when Yeats would have coughed? As Biden so often says, "Come on man". Wait, should I have put a comma between on and man? What a gaffe.