This is really sweet:
As his eldest son faced the prospect of resigning as Delaware’s attorney general amid health concerns, Vice President Joe Biden received an offer that floored him: financial support from his boss, President Barack Obama.
In the never been told before story, Biden recalled how concerned Obama had been.
Describing in an interview with CNN chief political analyst Gloria Borger one of his weekly lunches with Obama, Biden said he told the President he was worried about caring for Beau’s family without his son’s salary.
“I said, ‘But I worked it out.'” Biden recalled telling Obama. “I said, ‘But — Jill and I will sell the house and be in good shape.'”
Obama, Biden remembered, pushed back vehemently on the thought of Biden and his wife selling their home in Wilmington, Delaware.
“He got up and he said, ‘Don’t sell that house. Promise me you won’t sell the house,'” Biden continued, speculating Obama would be “mad” he was retelling the story.
“He said, ‘I’ll give you the money. Whatever you need, I’ll give you the money. Don’t, Joe — promise me. Promise me.’ I said, ‘I don’t think we’re going to have to anyway.’ He said, ‘promise me,'” Biden recalled.
I’m really looking forward to the what I hope are numerous historical comparisons of President/Vice President relationships. These guys have something special.
Satby
They’re both great guys, and it’s wonderful they’ve become such good friends. This has been a very lucky nation that we got to enjoy them as our executive team.
Betty Cracker
Their friendship is real and deep. Compare that to the disastrous Shrub-Cheney collusion and breathe a deep sigh of relief.
Baud
Probably the best combo in history.
Anya
They’re like a family. You can tell the two families like love and respect each other.
Tenzil Kem
I am really going to miss having them in office. Best POTUS and VP of my lifetime.
amk
Easily the best duo.
Patricia Kayden
That’s a lovely story. Love them both. Will be saluting for President Obama tonight when he arrives to give his last SOTU speech. Hard to believe that we’ve come to the end. Way too soon.
C.V. Danes
It’s good to have good friends and family.
SFAW
@Tenzil Kem:
Me, too. I’m only starting to come to grips with the idea that we only have another year of them. Unless Hillary amps up her game, whoever wins in November will be an also-ran.
ETA: Ah, shit. Now I’m starting to get all misty. Damn you, Cole!
JPL
What is often overlooked is the bond between Michelle and Jill. They have both worked together to aid military families. The news media overlooks accomplishments, because it doesn’t fit if it bleeds, it leads narrative.
Patricia Kayden
@Betty Cracker: Cheney pretty much appointed himself to the VP position instead of conducting an objective search for someone more suitable. What a douche.
SFAW
@Patricia Kayden:
Fixed, just because
I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet
Thanks for this. It does show some of their character and how they are good people.
Of course, the underlying story that anyone – let alone the Vice President of the United States – would have to sell their home to pay medical bills, make up for lost income, etc., shows how much remains to be done to fix our medical delivery and insurance system. :-(
Cheers,
Scott.
Baud
@I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet: I was curious about that too. Not sure exactly what the money was for.
JPL
@Baud: It was for loss of income. Beau worked in public service and if he left his position, he’d not have the income to support his family. Hopefully, he had a sizable life insurance policy. Since Joe didn’t smooze, while in Congress, he was not wealthy.
BGinCHI
Most generous Muslim dictator in history.
Baud
@JPL:
Thanks. I’m a little surprised someone in his position didn’t have disability insurance.
I knew Biden was one of the less wealthy Congresscritters.
JPL
@Baud: Me, too. That’s a good point.
HRA
It’s chiefly unknown to many that public servants are not covered by disability insurance and have to buy it for themselves. Then you have to submit reams of paperwork for each payment in order to receive it.
I actually dread watching this last SOFTU tonight. Yesterday I decided I was not going to watch it. Today I know I will have to watch it. This was the only president I supported and worked for in his election. It’s not going to be easy to see the beginning of the end. .
Benw
@Baud: @amk: they’re in the top tier for sure, right there with chocolate/PB, Batman/Robin, MJ/Pippen, and Shaggy/Scooby.
WereBear
@I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet: YES. People just take it, whatever it is, because they have become so beaten down by the propaganda which says they deserve it for not being rich enough.
geg6
I love these guys. I am going to probably cry tonight over the thought that this is the last SOTU by this magnificent president. I’ve never been so proud to work and vote for anyone as I have been for him. I’m going to miss him terribly when he’s gone. I just hope he writes another great memoir.
MomSense
@geg6:
I feel the same way.
BTW whatever happened to the “Metrosexual Abe Lincoln” tag? That one always cracks me up.
WereBear
As I have been sharing in the Mayhew posts, disability insurance is deep in the scam. Blind people are told they can be telemarketers. People are wheelchairs are told businesses will hire the handicapped.
Maybe not for a prominent person like someone in the Biden family. But I’ve dealt with them. They figure if you aren’t dead, you aren’t really disabled.
bystander
Little known fact: Nancy offered Babs the castoff WH china she replaced because the dishes reminded her of Babs. American, old, cracked and chipped.
jharp
” These guys have something special”
Wholeheartedly agree. And it is very cool to watch.
Biden seems in awe of President Obama. Like a little brother.
Satby
@WereBear: I’m beginning to believe most of the disability industry is a scam. Not the disabled, the “support”.
FlyingToaster
I suspect the Obamas can get Joe and Jill on the lecture circuit. Go talk 6 times a year, get the dosh for the grandkids.
AxelFoley
@Baud:
Right up there with Jordan and Pippen.
TaMara (BHF)
Like the rest of us, I face the end of the Obama/Biden era with trepidation, but I’m also hopeful that unbound by the constraints of politics, they will expand their good works in ways unimagined.
dww44
@bystander: What I’m old enough to remember are the aspersions cast on the Carters by Nancy and her team. They, the Reagans, were, in effect, restoring good manners and good china to the White House. Like many non-Southerners of the era, they made the mistake of casting all of us into one class of hillbilly/redneck, little realizing that, in actuality, we could have taught them a thing or two about manners.
That treatment of the Carters turned me against Nancy from the get-go. Who was she to preach style and manners to anyone?
gbbalto
Another time when Obama was generous – I was amazed that this didn’t get more publicity in 2008
A Humble Lurker
@jharp: Which is amusing, given which one of them’s older. But yeah, I see that too.
@TaMara (BHF):
I agree with all of this, and hope for that as well.
It really is fascinating to see how the Bidens and Obamas have, at least from the vantage point afforded me, appeared to coalesce not just into staunch supporters and allies of each other but into a kind of family unit. Gives me the warm fuzzies.
Cermet
President Obama is who makes it special – he reaches out to those he realize are in need (aka Chicago people as another example) and acts. He is the human we need, not the vile self interested politician we generally get thanks to racist, gun clutching white male so-called christians (aka rethugs.)
WaterGirl
I am teary-eyed today, too, at the thought that Barack Obama will not be our president for much longer. The young democrats in Urbana are hosting a State of the Union watch party at a restaurant tonight, and I am really torn about going.
In January of 2008 I was at the victory party in Davenport, Iowa. It was so amazing, we had won and I had helped and got to watch the victory speech with all these other people who had worked their heart out for Barack. Other than that, I have watched everything else alone: results during the primary season, election night in November 2008 and 2012, all the state of the union addresses.
Right now I am leaning towards going to the watch party – maybe some other folks who were in Davenport – might be there? I cannot believe it has been 8 years.
Betty Cracker
I will watch the SOTU tonight, but I know it’s going to piss me off when the Republicans do something classless and tacky. There is ZERO chance they will have the good grace to respect the office if not the man.
SFAW
@Betty Cracker:
Why would they? They see it as The Office Held Hostage By That
Ni…DarkieColoredBlack Man, and thus the office will not deserve respect until they liberate it from the Mooslim Usurper.SiubhanDuinne
@gbbalto:
Wow! I don’t think I ever heard that story, and I was pretty obsessive about All Things Obama in 2008. Nice to know (as if we really needed confirmation) that his generosity is genuine and of long standing, and is applied equally to strangers and close friends.
I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet
@gbbalto: Thanks for sharing that. :-)
Cheers,
Scott.
J R in WV
@WereBear:
This.
I too will be sad seeing President Obama give his last SOTU speech, but at least it will be one when he can rightly say the State of our Union is Stronger than it has been for a long time. What is wrong with our union right now is in the details for the most part, like the Loons at the Bird Sanctuary.
I am not surprised that President Obama offered to help VP Biden, he seems to me to be a naturally generous person. Perhaps that is partly why he expected the Rs in congress to work with him, for the benefit of all Americans and the nation.
But the Republicans are not generous, not polite, not interested in helping the country, just their wealthy industrialists and themselves. He should have believed McConnell when turtle told the nation that the Rs were going to make the next 4 years miserable for that black guy and then defeat him after his first term. They sure gave it their best shot. I was amazed and pleased when he won a second term, and he has gotten more accomplished in the face of intransigence than I thought he could.
debbie
Sadly the RWNJs will just say this is bogus.
Arclite
@debbie:
Yup, there’s no way the Communist Muslim Kenyan usurper could do anything kind between taking bites of batter-fried baby and guzzling virgin’s blood. Just like his crocodile tears from last week, this must just be more propaganda.
*eyeroll*
delk
@WereBear: I had excellent disability insurance. After jumping through all the hoops I qualified.
Everything was good for two years and then they pulled the plug. They had paid because they believed that I was disabled and unable to do the job I was hired for, but they believed I still could do a job. As long as I could sit behind a computer for eight hours and type with two fingers I was employable.
They did not take my salary history or education into account.
It took 16 months to regain my disability benefits. 16 months of more hoops to jump and to be poked and prodded by various ‘specialists’.
Having a legitimate disability was not enough. I also needed one of the best ERISA attorneys in the city and the financial wherewithal to last 16 months without pay. Not too many people have the assets I did. The deck is definitely stacked in favor of the insurance company.
Hal
Any chance Obama will tell off Kim Davis at the SOTU since she’s invited?
boatboy_srq
@dww44:
I’d have loved to hear Jane Wyman answer that question (about The Nancy).
zoomar2
Said up-thread somewhere, ” Since Joe didn’t smooze, while in Congress, he was not wealthy. ”
Just think. Senator Biden fucked over working people, victimized by the credit card companies and other big financial institutions with legislation he fought furiously to advance. He screwed over people in soul crushing debt for the pure noble morality of it without even getting a payoff for his trouble. That he was too stupid to get a quid pro quo off of it and secure his family’s financial stability just makes him more pathetic to me. Let him go broke from medical bills and see first hand how hard it will be to declare bankruptcy now that he’s made it almost impossible for common folks in that situation to do so. Let him get one of those neutron Home Equity loans that his bank friends offer. See how the other half lives when they have to go into debt under the laws he passed for them. Maybe he should try a new line of credit from one of those friendly credit card companies in Delaware. No shit, he’ll take the money from Obama. He knows how those loan sharks operate. He put them into business by making their Vigorish legal. It would have been so sweet to see Hillary or Sanders kick his hack ass. Please don’t misunderstand, I mean this in the kindest possible way.