Obama: "Joe Sometimes Engages in Rhetorical Flourishes"

By: Maria Gavrilovic
Topics: Barack Obama

(CBS)

From CBS News' Maria Gavrilovic

(RICHMOND, VA.) - Although Barack Obama's meeting with the campaign's national security experts today came on the heels of Joe Biden's comments that Obama will "tested" in the first six months of his administration, Obama denied that there is a connection between the two.

"It was prompted by the fact that, I was focused fairly single-mindedly on the financial crisis," Obama explained, adding that the meeting was planned two to three weeks ago.

However, when pressed on his running mate's comments, Obama admitted that Biden may have misspoken.

"You know I think that Joe sometimes engages in rhetorical flourishes," Obama said. "But I think that his core point was that the next administration is going to be tested regardless of who it is."

Obama argued that the next administration with inherit a "whole host of really big problems" from the Bush Administration, which will trigger tests and challenges for the new president. He noted that Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff shared the sentiment and agreed with Biden.

"I think the point that Joe made is actually very similar to the one that Secretary Chertoff made today or yesterday which is that whoever is the next president, is gonna have to deal with a whole host of challenges internationally and that a period of transition in a new administration is always one in which we have to be vigilant."

Biden, who is campaigning in Colorado today, participated in the meeting by telephone. Among the fifteen advisers in attendance were former Sen. Sam Nunn, D-Ga., former Ambassador Richard Holbrook, and vice chairman of the 9/11 Commission Lee Hamilton. Several others, including former Secretary of State Madeline Albright, called into the meeting.

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by sdgilles October 22, 2008 9:30 PM EDT: Senator Obama had the best response to the latest McCain smeer campaign:
"We cannot afford four more years of policies that have failed to adjust to our new century. We''re not going to defeat a terrorist network that operates in eighty countries through an occupation of Iraq. We''re not going to deny the nuclear ambitions of Iran by refusing to pursue direct diplomacy alongside our allies. We''re not going to secure the American people and promote American values with empty bluster. It''s time for a fundamental change, and that''s why I''m running for President."; Reply to this comment


by jubrown3 October 22, 2008 6:45 PM EDT: Rhetorical Flourishes that is so impressive and rhetorical is something OBAMA does on a daily basis. For the common folk: dances around the question without giving an answer. That is why Joe the Plumber became such a media spectical. He was the only who actually got a real answer from BARAK. It is so unbelievable how he can turn so many things around to his advantage. As far as the 6 month crisis, he was saying it like he meant it. Biden has slipped alot of times, you know telling the truth. That is something rarely done by the OBAMA campaign, so I quess his conference call was about just that. Joe quit telling the truth. People might start believing him and questioning BARAK. God forbid if that happens. We all know he only knows how to spew out knowledgable slang. So all those big words from OBAMA are helping the subordinates to realize who the real king is. Save yourselfs and our county by looking thru the BS and see him for who he really is. A high dollar salesman paid for by the countries we will be dealing with in 6 months. Vote for the common man, THE TRUE USA and someone who can stop the crisis before 6 months is up. Vote for John McCain; Reply to this comment


by lisa459 October 22, 2008 5:11 PM EDT: McCain and the spin doctors got to work fast on Biden, forgetting he has worked with seven presidents, and was simply pointing out a well observed fact - new presidents face challenges. If McCain is trying to deny this, or claim that he will be immune to challenges, I think that''s a pretty dangerous tactic.; Reply to this comment


by armydog2 October 22, 2008 4:52 PM EDT: Whoever wins the whitehouse will be tested. Obama has the cool calm cofidence we need in a president. we do not need ptsd mccain with his hand on the red phone in a time of crisis.; Reply to this comment