Vice President Joe Biden is known for yielding to rhetorical over factual observations. He was in fine form this week when he told an audience at the fundraiser that the plan to kill Osama Bin Laden was the greatest and most audacious plan in 500 years. While the Bin Laden raid was incredible, there are a few raids that may have equal or greater claim to that title. To put that into perspective, the raid surpassed such minor skirmishes as the Battle of Trenton, Doolittle Raid on Tokyo, and the Raid at Cabanatuan – just to name U.S. operations. There are also a few notable foreign rivals like Operation Eiche (Oak) to rescue Mussolini, the Dambusters Raid on Ruhr, the Pegasus Bridge landing, Operation Chariot to destroy the St Nazaire dry dock, and the Entebbe raid to rescue Israeli hostages.
Biden announced to the thrilled audience that “You can go back 500 years. You cannot find a more audacious plan. Never knowing for certain. We never had more than a 48 percent probability that he was there.”
Since the speech was in New Jersey, I would have thought someone would have mentioned nearby Trenton and the crossing of the Delaware in Winter as perhaps more worthy of that distinction.
Biden’s time frame runs from 1512 to 2012. That also includes Battle of Trafalgar in 1802. Peanuts.
What is most interesting is the statement that followed the boast:
“Do any one of you have a doubt that if that raid failed that this guy would be a one-term president?” That would make it sound like the brave audacity about the raid was to give the order at the risk of your own re-election. That makes the Delaware crossing look like a mere regatta parade.
Source: Politico
MetroCowboy, True enough….. but her opposition does not even know what the minimum wage is. At least she is pro-choice.
Just, Joe being Joe…that’s why he’s VP and could not and will never be Pres…
Swathmore mom we need to see a lot more out of progressives…In my state if Im going to vote for someone who can get elected and I dont want to vote for the republican candidate, and I don’t, I am forced to vote for Senator Claire McCaskill… she is a fine lady but in my grandfathers time ( he was a party official for the Democrats) she would have been seen as a republican no way a democrat. She certainly seems to be more of the rule than the exception now a days…
thanksne of the most exaggerated claims in the last 500 years. Gee, must be an election year.
That’s probably one of the most exaggerated claims in the last 500 years. Gee, must be an election year.
WASHINGTON — In a newly redrawn congressional district covering the North Shore Chicago suburbs, progressive groups are mounting their first foray into the Democratic primaries of 2012 in an effort to elect progressive candidates across the country. With a combination of a low six-figure campaign of mailings and robocalls and strong grassroots volunteer and donor mobilization, this effort comes in contrast to the super PAC television advertising making news in both the Republican presidential primary and in other congressional races across Illinois.
The Democratic primary race in Illinois’ 10th District pits Waukegan community organizer Ilya Sheyman against businessman Brad Schneider. Progressive groups like MoveOn.org, USAction, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) and the Communications Workers of America (CWA) have all gotten involved to help Sheyman win the Democratic nod to face Rep. Bob Dold (R-Ill.). They also hope that this marks the beginning of a successful cycle for progressives running in contested primaries. Sheyman worked previously worked as the National Mobilization Director for MoveOn during the healthcare reform debate.
“The exciting thing about it is there’s a higher degree of interest in intervening in primaries than in 2010,” says USAction Program Director Alan Charney. “This time there are a bunch of races that are on everyone’s radar screen. Illinois 10 is the first one.” Huffington Post. This is one to watch tonight.
If Joe meant “By Anyone Evah”, then most observers would have to say that the 9/11 attack in NY was the most audacious – and perhaps in more than a mere 500 years.
The attack was hugely symbolic. The collateral damage to innocent civilians was relatively insignificant in comparison with the number of innocent civilians killed and maimed by the US in Irag, Afghanistan and Pakistan
SwM,
Yep, I remember. 😉
Blouise, There was a guy, Karl F, on here that said it was sinful to vote for Obama Biden, and that we should stay home and let the republicans win everything. Remember the person that said we were Ozark women……
Gene,
Rinse and spit … it’s about the only real choice we have left.
Looks like I am going to lose my bet. A year ago I bet someone that Joe would be dumped for Hillary. It doesn’t appear to be happening but he will look pretty good next fall in comparison to Marco Rubio. Not saying Rubio will be the pick but he is on the list. Maybe Romney will pick an anti-planned parenthood GOP woman like the senator from NH. She was Sarah Palin endorsed..
I’m sure he meant to say “You can go back 500 years. You cannot find a more audacious plan by the Obama administration.” He simply got too breathless to add the last few words.
Even then he’d be wrong. The plan to sign the NDAA was quite more audacious.
What Gene said.
48%…I am sure this was an exact science. EIther that or vpotus is FoS – you decide.
The Dambusters Raid was not US but RAF and was on the dams on the Ruhr river. The taking of the Pegasus Bridge was done by several british outfits including my uncle’s 6th Airborne Div.
I do however agree that the VP is prone to exaggeration now and then.
Well, can such rhetoric be all that conclusive if there is a difference between Bodacious and Audacious?
Until Snuffy Smith ruminates, do not misunderestimate Bodacious!
“That would make it sound like the brave audacity about the raid was to give the order at the risk of your own re-election.”
What do you expect from a bunch of self-serving narcissists? It’s all about them. Audacious would have been to defend the Constitution from domestic enemies by prosecution of the Bush Administration for war crimes and treason, driving to repeal the Patriot Act and invading the country that really did attack us on 9/11 – Saudi Arabia. Every time one of these self-congratulatory dingleberries from either party speak now, I taste a little bit of vomit in the back of my throat.
Audacious can mean contemptuous of law. Our arrogant government feels that we have supreme authority to enter into any country and kill anybody we want. Then I’m sure that we wouldn’t mind if other country’s came over here and killed who ever they wanted. Right?
Maybe VP Biden is keeping in mind that the citizenry has been so dumbed down that the Bill of Rights couldn’t get passed with a popular vote today and history isn’t any longer than the 15 minutes of fame for the current celebrity du jour.
I bet the battle of Ticonderoga would raise some eyebrows….some places…. Wasn’t it like a turning point of something…..
These f*#ing politicians have no shame. Sociopathic liars – almost all.