Biden Crafts Key Niche as 'Adviser-in-Chief'

VP heads major assignments, 'stirs the pot'

By Matt Cantor, Newser Staff

Posted Mar 29, 2009 9:36 AM CDT

(Newser) – Blunt, verbose, and a Beltway insider, Joe Biden could not be more different than his polished, change-loving boss, but he's solidified a key role in the administration just the same, the New York Times reports. When Barack Obama asked Biden to join his ticket, he sought a “uber-adviser” who wouldn’t see his job as a stepping stone to the Oval Office, while Biden wanted more than ceremonial duties. So far, their relationship is going as planned, writes Mark Leibovich.

Obama has turned Biden loose on everything from administering the $787 billion stimulus and handling the White House “middle-class task force,” to Afghanistan and Pakistan. The veep also has access to Obama’s full schedule and can attend any meeting; when he does, Obama often solicits his opinion at the meeting’s close. He “can help stir the pot,” Obama says, voicing views that many would be shy to articulate.

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (4)]

Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a press conference in Santiago, Saturday, Mar. 28, 2009, on a one-day official visit to Chile. (AP Photo/Santiago Llanquin)

Vice President Joe Biden reacts during the first session of the Progressive Governance Leaders Summit in Vina del Mar, Chile, Saturday, March 28, 2009. (AP Photo/Roberto Candia)

President Barack Obama, left, talks to Vice President Joe Biden on stage at an event commemorating Greek Independence Day in the East Room of the White House, March 25, 2009. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

He knows a lot, and he is extremely experienced. I think sometimes he has to be a little aware he could literally educate the rest of us on an issue for a long time. - Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

When there’s group-think going on, the vice president tends to push the envelope in the other direction. - White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel

Joe is very good about articulating what’s on other people’s minds, or things that they’ve said in private that people have been less willing to say in public. Joe, in that sense, can help stir the pot. - President Obama

Like every human being, his strength is his weakness, his weakness is his strength. I think the strength outweighs the weakness to a large degree. And it’s all related to someone who speaks his mind and is forthright.” - Senior adviser David Axelrod

« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow

To report an error on this story, notify our editors.

More Newser Stories

Face It, This Is the Biden Administration

Busy veep takes lead on everything; what's Obama doing?

(NEWSER) - President Obama has tapped Joe Biden to try to sort out the budget mess on Capitol Hill, hoping he can work the same magic he worked in passing December’s tax cut deal, and the 2009 stimulus, the Washington Post reports. Which makes Andrew Malcolm of the LA Times wonder: “What isn’t Joe Biden in charge of these days?” Obama also recently had Biden head up discussions with Wisconsin’s embattled unions, handle Iraq’s political crisis, and more. More»

The Unique (and Growing) Role of Joe Biden

VP fights for White House in Congress, abroad

(NEWSER) - If it seems like Joe Biden was just waxing poetic about “the first mainstream" black guy who's "bright and clean," then you probably won't recognize the fierce veep who defended the boss last week, shouting at whining Dems, "There's no goddamned way I'm going to stand here and talk about the president like that!" The gaffe-prone half of 2008's odd couple has evolved into devoted right-hand man and trusted adviser, notes New York Times in a look at Biden's expanding role. The Senate veteran is uniquely positioned to serve as a bridge to Congress for an insider-ish White House. More»

White House Peace Reigns Despite Woes

Obama, Biden have forged smooth working relationship

(NEWSER) - The nation's fraught mood hasn't translated into friction at the White House, writes David Brooks. President Obama and Joe Biden's working relationship got off to a rocky start but it's now remarkably smooth. Biden isn't the butt of jokes in the White House like he is on late-night TV. He's been tasked with taking the lead on Iraq policy, overseeing stimulus spending, and coming up with an agenda for the middle class, Brooks notes in the New York Times. More»

Biden the Second Most Powerful Vice Prez

He's scaling back from Cheney, but a major player in his own right

(NEWSER) - Joe Biden is surely not as powerful as Dick Cheney was, writes James Traub. But because Cheney so radically expanded the office of vice president, Biden has been able to scale it back and still become arguably the second most powerful VP in history. Biden has no portfolio—he acts more like a troubleshooter, jetting here and there to solve problems for the president. At one policy meeting, Obama simply said, “Joe, you do Iraq.” More»

Biden Plans to Shrink VP Power

But he'll be 'the guy in the room'

(NEWSER) - Most vice presidents enter office wanting to grab power and make a name for themselves. Not Joe Biden. The VP-elect is determined to roll back Dick Cheney’s massive power grab, he tells the New York Times. Will that make him less effective? “The only value of power is in the effect,” he says. “The proof of the pudding is in the eating. The Bush-Cheney relationship hasn’t tasted very good.” More»

NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS

What is Newser?

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser, we choose the most thought-provoking and entertaining stories from hundreds of US and international sources and reduce them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »

Partnering with: Slate

View Newser on the mobile website

Biden Crafts Key Niche as 'Adviser-in-Chief'