Reports: Joe Biden Leaked Son’s Dying 2016 Wish
Political calculations?
After Beau Biden died in late May, Republicans and Democrats alike offered a sincere (although brief) reprieve from politics to the grieving Vice President and his family. Joe Biden, for his part, didn’t attempt to hide the pain he and his family shared; he talked about it. He even offered an interview to Stephen Colbert, which has since been lauded as a true glimpse into the mind and heart of one of the most powerful men on the planet.
About a month before that interview, Maureen Dowd penned an article about Beau Biden’s last days on Earth, and more importantly, his opinion on a future Biden 2016 run for the White House. It was a beautifully written thing, and gave Biden the Politician a boost even as Biden the Father was grieving:
When Beau realized he was not going to make it, he asked his father if he had a minute to sit down and talk.
“Of course, honey,” the vice president replied.
At the table, Beau told his dad he was worried about him.
My kid’s dying, an anguished Joe Biden thought to himself, and he’s making sure I’m O.K.
“Dad, I know you don’t give a damn about money,” Beau told him, dismissing the idea that his father would take some sort of cushy job after the vice presidency to cash in.
Beau was losing his nouns and the right side of his face was partially paralyzed. But he had a mission: He tried to make his father promise to run, arguing that the White House should not revert to the Clintons and that the country would be better off with Biden values.
Hunter also pushed his father, telling him, “Dad, it’s who you are.”
In the political sphere, the column served as a turning point in the conversation about Biden the Prospective Presidential Candidate. Biden’s deliberation, both with his family and with his advisors, has been reported as being a deeply personal, emotional process. But still, a political process; and new reports today show that Dowd’s article about Beau’s death and his wishes for a Biden candidacy may have come directly from the VP himself.
Politico has the exclusive:
According to multiple sources, it was Biden himself who talked to her, painting a tragic portrait of a dying son, Beau’s face partially paralyzed, sitting his father down and trying to make him promise to run for president because “the White House should not revert to the Clintons and that the country would be better off with Biden values.”
It was no coincidence that the preliminary pieces around a prospective campaign started moving right after that column. People read Dowd and started reaching out, those around the vice president would say by way of defensive explanation. He was just answering the phone and listening.
But in truth, Biden had effectively placed an ad in The New York Times, asking them to call.
Shocking? Not a bit.
Biden’s candidacy has bounced around between “no way” and “sure thing” and “just say the word.” The Draft Biden PAC is expanding, putting infrastructure into 11 key primary states even as the VP continues to tease the prospect. He’s been considering this decision for months—if not years—and the Dowd article is reflective of that political reality.
What is that reality? Biden and Obama had lunch today at the White House—maybe we’ll hear something soon.
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Comments
Huh.
Any impartial witnesses to this heart-rending conversation?
Anybody…???
Of course Joe Biden leaked it. Who else would have heard this, a nurse or orderly? It had to be Joe Biden, or Biden’s wife or Beau’s wife. This was talked about months ago, which is weird it is news again now. Which only makes me think that an announcement is immanent.
Biden is likeable, but he has been unable to inject any appreciable amount of competence in this administration. He would have to explain how his administration would be better.
No, Joe. Just go.
Considering he lied on the campaign trail in 2012 about how his first wife died…….
Perhaps his real last wish was for his Dad to stop groping strange women at every opportunity.
At least Joe has the good sense to grope young decent looking woman, not like GW when he tried to shoulder grope Germany’s Angela Merkle and she looked like she was ready to clean his clock.
http://thisistwitchy.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/biden-and-biker-chick-square-2.jpg
You don’t just lie, you also have no taste. Even for a Moby Troll.
Talk about tasteless – you don’t have any taste if you think the smiling lady on Joe’s lap isn’t happy in the moment shown, compared to this unwelcome touchiy feelie moment:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTQY1Aw9zcs
And you calling me a liar is like Dracula calling a bank loan officer a bloodsucker.
If Neil Kinnock had a son, he would have looked like Joe Biden.
Goodness. I never could have figured that out without a media investigation. And I always believe everything coming from the mouths of politicians.
more likely is his son said Don’t Run and Joe smothered him with a pillow …
Saw a rumor that pervie Joe wants Fauxahontas for V.P.
Now there’s a horrible visual: Biden groping Warren.
Never let a crisis go to waste – not even the death of your son.
My multiple unnamed sources say Politico’s unnamed sources passed along the Biden story after their own unnamed sources passed it to them over drinks at an unnamed DC tavern. On good authority, that’s how it went down.
Surly his last wish was to get the oil pipeline concession through Syria?
“Leaked”…or “fabricated”?
Did Beau tell him this as they were both dodging sniper fire while Obamas grandfather was freeing the Jews from the burning churches in Arkansas?
Why don’t people just assume that Hillary’s people put this story out..? What, it’s too morally questionable, Hillary’s backers would never contemplate such a thing?
How does it help her?