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Home Page > Blogs > News blogs > Periscope > VP Joe Biden suddenly looks like the smartest politician in America -- Irish American VP goes where no other politicians dare in Washington D.C.

Periscope by Niall O'Dowd

VP Joe Biden suddenly looks like the smartest politician in America -- Irish American VP goes where no other politicians dare in Washington D.C.

Posted on Friday, January 11, 2013 at 07:04 AM

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Vice President Joe Biden arrives to a House

Democratic caucus meeting at the Capitol on Jan. 1, 2013.

(Credit: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg)

Joe Biden is suddenly the most popular politician in Washington and a real contender for 2016. The latest opinion poll by Public Policy shows him running a strong second to Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Party nomination.

The Irish American Vice President, widely dismissed by the haughty press corps looking for the new and the beautiful, is at the very heart of the dramatic new initiatives by the Obama administration.

In a time of electoral gridlock, Biden appears to be the one figure who can reach out to the other side and force a civil discourse.

On the fiscal cliff he galloped to the rescue and cut the deal with Senator Mitch McConnell before riding off like the Lone Ranger. Opinion polls showed the public believed by a 57 per cent to 20 per cent margin that Biden’s deal was better for Democrats than Republicans.

Read more: The NRA will not allow Joe Biden to blame law-abiding gun owners for actions of madmen

Now on gun control he is defying the conventional wisdom again and getting real traction behind his recommendations which he will deliver to the president next week.

He has met with the NRA, Walmart, and every major gun constituency, forcing a dialogue where none existed before and making clear that action will be taken to prevent another Sandy Hook.

Don’t rule out the possibility of a deal that Biden can craft that the NRA can get along with, strange as that may seem.

Biden notes there appears to be a near universal belief that more background checks are needed for all gun sales.

He is determined that action will occur.

"There are executive orders, executive action that can be taken. We haven't decided what that is yet, but we're compiling it all with the help the attorney general and all the rest of the cabinet members, as well as legislative action, we believe, is required," he said.

Sure the NRA said it was “disappointed with how little this meeting had to do with keeping our children safe and how much it had to do with an agenda to attack the Second Amendment.’’

But everything is different after Sandy Hook and Biden knows it even if the NRA does not.

He is suddenly being noticed. “These weeks can continue to set him up as one of the few who can deliver in an era when no one thinks accomplishments can happen and everyone believes Washington is broken — an appealing position to be in as he considers his future,” a Biden loyalist told the Washington Post.

Maureen Dowd in The New York Times stated, “Mr. Biden can spread everything out on the table and negotiate his way through all of his former colleagues' shortcomings, weaknesses, fears and frailties.”
In a time when American politics is so polarized Biden has managed the extraordinary trick of being able to appear reasonable to both sides.”

Chris Cilliza, who writes the influential The Fix column for the Washington Post, wrote, “What’s apparent and indisputable over these past few weeks is that Biden has put himself at the center of the national political conversation in ways that have helped his boss but also himself.”

In this new political arena maybe a pol with old fashioned skills is what’s really needed. Joe Biden is certainly starting off 2013 on fire.

Next up, immigration reform for the miracle worker?

Read more: Gun nuts lose argument over assault weapons ban, threaten civil war - VIDEO

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31 comments

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bonjouryall | Jan 16, 2013, 08:24 PM EST

And my impression of Biden is that he won't tell you much when it suits him but if he does tell you he'll do something, I think it's very likely he'll stick to it. Like the old time politicians.

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bonjouryall | Jan 16, 2013, 08:03 PM EST

Biden is everything Obama is not. Yes, he is inarticulate and sometimes a goofball but he does have a lot of common sense. He likes politics and thus can make 'deals' with people he may disagree with.

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Portia_O'Neill | Jan 14, 2013, 02:13 PM EST

More baloney from Niall O'Dowd.

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seanomelb | Jan 12, 2013, 05:54 PM EST

Give me some proof Smynian!!

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eiriamach | Jan 12, 2013, 02:53 PM EST

Well stated, McNamara31! Thanks for interesting story about Sullivan also.

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McNamara31 | Jan 12, 2013, 11:45 AM EST

Joe is not the first Irishmen to push for sane gun regulation back in early New York, the Irish were the first to confront the need for gun control legislation when “Big Tim” Sullivan the Tammany Kingmaker pushed for the “Sullivan Act” of 1911. Many stories have been written about “Big Tim” his great bond with the people, of New York and his sad demise in later life. Sullivan was the author of the first gun regulation of his time. Commenting in a 2010 NYT article Sullivan’s grandson wrote of the reasoning behind his grandfathers "Sullivan Act" as: Big Tim had loaned a huge sum of money to a relative to start a printing business and purchase some real estate. Big Tim was in Europe at the time and when he got stateside, he realized that his cousin had swindled him out of a huge sum of money. In a rare fit of anger, Sullivan obtained a pistol and went to all of the offender’s haunts trying to locate him. Everyone concerned wanted to protect Big Tim from committing the unspeakable and wouldn't disclose the man’s whereabouts. In the end, Tim regained his composure and cooled off on a local park bench. He then realized how easily a pistol could be obtained and how it could have easily ruined his life. When he got back to Albany, he sought to do what he could to institute gun control measures. As in 1911 the same holds true today; guns must be controlled because human behavior and emotions can not.

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darragh S | Jan 12, 2013, 05:24 AM EST

I know prompt discipline in the first instances is always productive but you have to have a long term strategy.

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darragh S | Jan 12, 2013, 05:23 AM EST

For example the Target of the following message might be a 20 year old College Graduate with straight A grades whom has pushed himself to hard and now has Psychosis. (You would be surprised how common it is). 'Are you working to hard, are you tense, have your relationships with your familly and friends and other people in the community become non existent and now you feel like going out with your gun and shooting a more sociable less book inclined person and 20 kids in the head with a autmoatic rifle' If this sounds like you perhaps we can talk, and organise some valium and maybe a weekend at Lexington Lake. Please call 1800 Valium and lets discuss this further. Sometimes there is a hidden message in my humor.

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darragh S | Jan 12, 2013, 05:17 AM EST

With 350 Million people in the US its believed that there are twice as many fire arms and half of which are legally obtained. Most of the Shootings are at close range with the odd exception such as the Serial Killer Sniper of Maryland for example. Statistics show that Young males are more likely to get shot in interpersonal violence where as older people tend to kill themselves. Only about 17% are Accidents, Most fatal and non fatal shootings are done by strangers not known to the victim. Being black is a major factor in the statistics. We already are aware of many of the causes of said behavior. Suicide, Antisocial personality Disorder, Substance abuse disorder etc. Even if you ban guns all your doing is shifting the offence catagory to a more serious because with only so many security persons issued in the US how on earth are you going to be able to police this massive problem. All you can do is stem the flow of legal fire arms sales however people will just find away around it. I think the secret is to look at the causes and results of the many incidents and draft public messages to these people about where to get help and fund the community centers to handle the calls.

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Smyrnian | Jan 12, 2013, 04:58 AM EST

Sean - How do you know?

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seanomelb | Jan 12, 2013, 01:03 AM EST

krisdaly shouting and not been heard. The creator never owned a gun in fact he does not exist.

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irishpjk | Jan 11, 2013, 06:16 PM EST

That would all depend on who is doing the looking.

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krisdaly | Jan 11, 2013, 06:08 PM EST

THE RIGHT OF ALL LAW ABIDING AMERICANS TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS, SHALL NOT, AND WILL NOT BE INFRINGED AS IT IS AN UNALIENABLE RIGHT GIVEN TO ALL AMERICAN'S BY THEIR "CREATOR"!!!

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seanomelb | Jan 11, 2013, 04:30 PM EST

The minions at Fox tried hard to demonise Joe but he came through with flying colours.He's one of the smartest politicians in the US of A.

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butlerreport | Jan 11, 2013, 02:55 PM EST

Absolute nonsense. The President is well aware that any interference with the 2nd amendment could well result in his impeachment. Biden is being used as he can't be damaged by floating trial balloons.

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