The idiocy of Joe Biden

Vice President Joe Biden is prone to gaffes--no question about it.  But his claim about the audacity of the raid that resulting in the killing of Osama bin Laden takes the cake.

The claim isn't record-setting stupid because other military operations arguably more audacious than the Bin Laden raid into Pakistan.   It's record-setting stupid because Biden's emphasis on the risk involved in the operation ("We never had more than a 48 percent probability that he was there") makes it easy to frame the raid in terms of Obama's political calculus despite Biden's attempt to apply the reverse spin:

Do any one of you have a doubt that if that raid failed that this guy would be a one-term president?

Considering the fact that Obama routinely struggled in the polling against a generic Republican opponent in early campaign polling we're entitled to wonder if a failed raid would make any difference in the final outcome of the presidential election when the decision was made.

But if the operation was a success?

Indeed, the Gallup poll data show a short-lived lead for Obama over the generic Republican for the month when bin Laden was killed.  So, if the Obama campaign can just remind people often enough about Obama's signature defense achievement then it should help the President's chances for re-election.

Biden's words practically beg us to take the cynical view of the raid, that Obama was willing to risk the lives of U.S. servicemen to improve his prospects for re-election.

Zip it, Biden.  As much as we conservatives want to see the end of Obama's term in office we'd prefer to give him the benefit of the doubt on this one.  Just zip it.