Biden: The Book
CONTINETTI, MATTHEW
Biden: The Book A glimpse into the future. BY MATTHEW CONTINETTI . . . and I said, “Bless your heart, Joy, your eyes look great too, I think we had the same surgeon. No, really, you look...
...It’s very refreshing...
...Whoopi: You look beautiful...
...And Barbara, thank you for not making me cry, as we discussed before the show...
...Because I’m going to let you in on a little secret: It’s written in invisible ink...
...During the campaign that summer I would sometimes ask him, “Why so serious...
...2008...
...I went to him...
...A law degree,’ is what I said...
...This is not going to be easy...
...car but . . .”Matthew Continetti is associate editor at THE WEEKLY STANDARD...
...Eisenhower was in his third term and Secretary of State Ernest Borgnine had just authorized the Bay of Pigs invasion, so it was nothing like things are today, when you can—what’s that...
...And by the way, Barry— the tan is real...
...It’s so good I really couldn’t leave it out of the book, so you can fi nd it in appendix number 10, chapter 3, section 5, lines 15 through 84...
...Unbelievable...
...Yes, I am serious, George...
...Anyway, we got to talking about constitutional law, which I teach at the University of Delaware, which is a long way from Scranton, Pennsylvania, which is where I’m from...
...And I said, ‘George, you just don’t get it...
...That was in 1977...
...This is 2008...
...The girls were adorable...
...Anyway— and you should really look up that story—those were some of my favorite campaign moments...
...The room burst into applause...
...It is there, George...
...It’s been great talking to you guys...
...Just an absolutely fantastic guy...
...Great movie—you should check it out...
...It’s a great story, though, just absolutely great...
...I am serious about that...
...You just won the elecLet me say that again: You just won...
...And I want to be the fi rst to ask you: How does it feel...
...You see folks, my girlfriend at the time, whose name I forget but I do remember she was just fantastic looking—and I’m serious about this, she was just fantastic, I’m talking great body here, sweet face, the whole enchilada, as we say in Scranton, where I’m from, Scranton— that’s in Pennsylvania—anyway, folks, she went to school out of state and I wanted to spend a lot of time visiting her...
...Just precious...
...He calmed things down...
...You know what I’m saying...
...Unbelievable...
...Well, Joe, to be honest, I’m not sure—” “Let me stop you right there, Bam Bam,” I said...
...That was Barack—always so serious...
...I am absolutely sorry to hear that...
...From what I could tell he seemed happy but also serious and refl ective...
...I am serious about that, diffi cult, and it wasn’t like I was Franklin Roosevelt when the stock market crashed and could go on television and calm things down...
...car for some orange juice...
...The show’s almost over...
...It’s been great...
...That was the name of my college ball team, the University of Delaware—that’s in Delaware, by the way, where I live—the University of Delaware Blue Hens...
...I said, “Baraka: You just won the election...
...Chapter CCLXVI: Election Night . . . but Michelle said she wanted to watch the returns on MSNBC so that’s what we did...
...No, really, you look 20, no 30, and I really mean this, 30 years younger—which reminds me, just as an aside, when I was 20 I wasn’t sure whether or not I was going to play linebacker for the Blue Hens...
...BY MATTHEW CONTINETTI . . . and I said, “Bless your heart, Joy, your eyes look great too, I think we had the same surgeon...
...Let me say that again: Orange juice...
...Just because you don’t see a right to privacy in the Constitution doesn’t mean that it isn’t there...
...It could really screw things up—but you know what I’m talking about...
...I’m serious about that...
...Which is what he did...
...You are a woman...
...What a gal— No, I am sorry . . . you are a woman...
...I’m serious about that...
...What a fantastic guy...
...Anyway, Barack was standing pensively by the window and I could tell he was caught up in the moment...
...It could really be diffi cult, and I mean that...
...You are going to be the first African-American president, who is clean, articulate...
...We were all smiles...
...Anyway, there I am on the train home, on the way to meet some credit card executives for dinner, and I was thirsty so I went to the caf...
...It really has—and I mean that...
...Might I remind you that I have a law degree...
...You won’t want to miss it...
...Barack had moved to the window and was looking out at the Chicago skyline...
...George Hamilton’s tan is real...
...Anyway, I wasn’t sure if I was going to play linebacker...
...And I mean that...
...We have absolutely got to do something about it...
...Absolutely precious...
...Trust me on that...
...I want to be the fi rst to congratulate you...
...Joe, um, that’s what I’m trying to—” “Barbarella—bless your heart, but you’re not gettin’ me, man...
...which was a line from a movie I really enjoyed that year, The Dark Knight, about Spiderman and his fi ght against Lex Luthor...
...Let me say that again: Calm...
...This is the biggest crisis since Ronald Reagan got on the Internet and told the nation that he was fi ring the cafeteria workers...
...It’s in terrible shape...
...When I was an undergrad, well, and this was a long time ago, Elisabeth, this was before your time...
...And we’ve got to do something about it, buddy...
...This is 2008...
...And that reminds me...
...And wouldn’t you know it, who’s there in the caf...
...One night I was taking the train home—I take the train home every day, you know, and I mean that, the Amtrak train, God love it—and sat next to George Hamilton...
...We didn’t have to watch too long, though, before the nets called the election...
...The election...
...I’m serious, darlin’, just beautiful...
...And this was before cell phones and during a period when communicating in a long-term relationship could really be diffi cult...
...You probably don’t even remember...
...It’s not going to be like when we went to NATO and helped drive Hezbollah out of Lebanon in 2005...
...We had to get ready for the trip to Grant Park but I wanted to share this moment with Barack...
...Well, I’m sorry to hear that...
...George Hamilton didn’t realize the Founding Fathers wrote in invisible ink...
...That is not a joke...
...You know, actually, this reminds me of the other day when I was in Home Depot, where I spend a lot of time—” Unfortunately I couldn’t finish my story because they turned the camera off and the studio audience threatened to sue if they weren’t let out...
...Fantastic...
...No, when I was an undergrad and was dating this absolute babe—can I say that on network TV...
...It’s such a good story...
...Can you believe that, Barista...
...Not at all...
...We had a big job to do together, and it was important for me to let him know that I would be with him every step of the way...
...And the country’s in bad shape...
Vol. 14 • November 2008 • No. 10
