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Open Thread: Joe Biden falls asleep during Obama’s deficit speech

Posted: April 13, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Barack Obama, just because, open thread, U.S. Economy, U.S. Politics | Tags: , , , , |24 Comments

Salon says that

Most politicos watched with rapt attention this afternoon as President Obama delivered a seminal speech on the national debt. But what of Joe Biden? The half-hour address was apparently a little too much for the vice president, who was caught on camera getting some shut-eye.

I don’t know about “rapt attention.” Timmy Geitner doesn’t look all that alert to me, and the woman sitting kitty-corner behind Biden looks sleepy too.

24 Comments on “Open Thread: Joe Biden falls asleep during Obama’s deficit speech”

  1. bostonboomer's avatar bostonboomer says:
    April 13, 2011 at 7:34 pm

    Joan Walsh loved the speech and the plan.

  2. Carissa's avatar bluelyon says:
    April 13, 2011 at 7:36 pm

    You know, some men just can’t stay awake during speeches/movies/plays. My husband is the same way. Falls asleep at the drop of a hat.

    Someone should have elbowed Joe.

  3. bostonboomer's avatar bostonboomer says:
    April 13, 2011 at 7:40 pm

    Yglesias thinks the whole premise is weird.

    At the moment the international investment class is prepared to lend money to the United States of America at low interest rates. What’s more, at the moment the United States of America has a lot of infrastructure needs. Furthermore, at the moment the United States of America has a large number of unemployed people. The logical course of action would be to accept international investors’ desire for us to increase our volume of low interest borrowing in order to put people to work on useful infrastructure projects. Near the end of his speech, Obama said that “doing nothing on the deficit is just not an option.” But it is an option! It’s not an option for Spain, which is facing sky-high borrowing costs. It’s not an option for Portugal, which just accepted a bailout from the European Union. But it is very much an option for the United States of America. It’s a good option, an appealing option, an option that will increase our wealth over the long term. It won’t be an option forever, but that’s all the more reason to exercise the option while we can.

    Good points, Matt!

  4. minkoffminx's avatar Minkoff Minx says:
    April 13, 2011 at 8:00 pm

    Hey what do you expect would happen with that head of Obama’s ticking back and forth…it is like a hypnotist watch.

  5. mjames's avatar mjames says:
    April 13, 2011 at 8:08 pm

    Joan Walsh is an idiot. She fell for that hogwash – which was designed simply to seduce the gullible lefties – once again? How many times, Joan? How easy you are to roll.

    Next thing we know, the few things that were semi-liberal will be dropped, don’t you know, because Obama couldn’t fight off those nasty Republicans. It’s not his fault. He’s FDR incarnate.

    For now, it’s election time at the WH. Time to line up the Joan Walshs of the left to promote the lightbringer. This was a seduction number pure and simple.

    Krugman is not an idiot, but he got a talking to a while back and has essentially sold out. Big time. Chris Hedges, according to his account, left Princeton when the powers there tried to censor him. Krugman wants to keep his cushy job and access. Not quite enough integrity to speak truth to power. He should be ashamed. Shame on you, Paul.

    Sorry to sound so harsh, but anyone on the left falling for this load of crap really harshs my mellow (that is, if I ever had a mellow).

  6. WomanVoter's avatar WomanVoter says:
    April 13, 2011 at 8:20 pm

    The best decision he ever made, falls fast asleep…well I guess it was a success, because he wasn’t saying ‘F*&%i@f’…expletives.

  7. minkoffminx's avatar Minkoff Minx says:
    April 13, 2011 at 8:21 pm

    Hey has anyone posted this link yet?

    Andy Ostroy: An Open Letter to Hillary Clinton

    Dear Madam Secretary:

    I’m gonna cut right to the chase. Everyone knows you’ve always wanted to be president. You campaigned ferociously in 2008, and I faithfully supported you, as did 18 million other Democrats. In fact, you garnered more popular votes (48%) than your rival Barack Obama (47%), who beat you by amassing more delegates. So now you’re faced with a huge dilemma: enter the 2012 race or wait until 2016. I think I speak for millions of Democrats in saying your time is now.

  8. fiscalliberal's avatar fiscalliberal says:
    April 13, 2011 at 8:33 pm

    Tonight on Elliot Spitzer, David Gergan was not to charitable to Obama. His main complaint was Obama deferred a lot to congress and did not provide the initiative like a real leader would.

    A lot of people in CNN are saying this is the first campaign speach. To me that says we are going back to generalities and not specifics

  9. mjames's avatar mjames says:
    April 13, 2011 at 8:43 pm

    BTW, Biden was smart to catch a few zzzzzs. There was nothing of any import whatsoever, just a TOTUS speech designed to get those rambunctious liberals back in line with a rousing (not) campaign kickoff.

    What’s to stay awake for?

    I don’t think Obama could have insulted me more if he tried (of course, he never really tries anything, so we’ll never know that particular answer). He just gave away the store in December; now he has the gall to say he won’t do it again? Didn’t he say that once before – or a gazillion times before? Are you kidding me?

    I don’t know what I detest more: Obama’s utter destruction of the party of FDR or the “liberals” flocking back to worship at the sound of a few cheap words. Disgusting. All of them.

    Education – and critical thinking – just ain’t what it used to be.

    • paper doll's avatar paper doll says:
      April 13, 2011 at 10:39 pm

      or the “liberals” flocking back to worship at the sound of a few cheap words. Disgusting

      That’s what I was thinking…how EASY can they be? They act like he does when he’s facing Repugs… belly up and begging.

      No wonder Obama holds them in such contempt and feels he can trash the Dem brand without a worry.

  10. jillforhill's avatar jillforhill says:
    April 13, 2011 at 9:09 pm

    Hillary will not run in 2012 or 2016. She is physically tired just look at the pictures of her this week. Mentally she is Hillary Clinton and knows everything she is supposed to know front and back and side to side. This SOS job is taking everything out of her. The media is so impressed because Obama gave ONE speech today,Hillary gave 3 to 4 yesterday and about two Monday ranging from woman’s rights to the middle east and everything in between. Her schedule yesterday was from 6 am to midnight. She has never whined on how tough it is,she just does her job. A couple of weeks ago there was a picture of Hillary getting off her plane with no makeup greeting people and some were saying that is wrong and she should be wearing makeup at about 4 am in the morning. Unlike Michelle,Pelosi and Palin she does not have three hours every morning to do her makeup.

    • paper doll's avatar paper doll says:
      April 13, 2011 at 10:30 pm

      The media is so impressed because Obama gave ONE speech today,Hillary gave 3 to 4 yesterday and about two Monday ranging from woman’s rights to the middle east and everything in between

      So true…when’s the last time Hillary had four hours for a golf outing ? If at all it would have been caddying for her Dad as a teenager back in the day .

      Hillary is doing the work, Obama gets the glory. She knew it going in and took the job out of her intense patriotism …bless her

    • bostonboomer's avatar bostonboomer says:
      April 13, 2011 at 10:44 pm

      I agree. She isn’t going to run again. They will have to find another sacrificial lamb if they want to get the Republican out of the WH in 2012.

  11. Allison's avatar Allison says:
    April 14, 2011 at 9:34 am

    Yesterday NPR (Iknow. I know) said BHO invited the Repubs to sit right up front and center for the speech – and they ended up leaving just livid about what they saw as his first major campaign speech. They said the Repubs were outraged and just about apoplectic. LOL. But yes just a campaign speech – and we know how truthful his are…

    I do not blame HRC for not running ever again – after they way the party treated her.

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