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Political Hotsheet
Biden beer invitation: "No malarkey"
(CBS News) At an event marking the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Vice President Joe Biden on Tuesday made an impromptu stop at the volunteer fire department of Shanksville, Pa., to pay his respects - and promised the firefighters an invitation to the White House in his famously colorful fashion.
© 2012 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. Jumping out of his limousine in an unannounced stop after an official appearance at the Flight 93 memorial in Shanksville, where one of the three hijacked planes crashed on September 11, 2001, Biden told the department's Deputy Chief Brad Shober that he and the other firefighters could count on an invitation to the White House for a beer, according to the pool report.
"He's going to call you, no bull**t," he said. Upon noticing the reporters behind him, the vice president self-edited: "This is no malarkey. You come to the White House. I'll buy you a beer."
Last year, at a memorial marking the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Biden gave Shober a vice presidential challenge coin and told him that, if he still had it on him when they met again, "drinks are on me." On Tuesday, Biden pledged to make good on his promise no matter the result of the November election.
"Win, lose or draw, I'm still going to be vice president in January," he said. "I give you my word. I'm not just saying it."
In his official remarks at the memorial earlier in the day, Biden struck a decidedly more sober tone.
"It's a genuine honor to be back here today. But like all of the families, we wish we weren't here. We wish we didn't have to be here. We wish we didn't have to commemorate any of this. And it's a bittersweet moment for the entire nation, for all of the country, but particularly for those family members gathered here today," he said. "It's a bittersweet moment for the entire nation, for all of the country, but particularly for those family members gathered here today."
The famously gaffe-prone politician has come under fire in recent weeks for remarks he made at a campaign event that Mitt Romney would put Americans back "in chains," comments decried for their apparent racial subtext - particularly given that a number of the people in the audience were African-American.
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Take him up on it RIGHT AWAY Boys!!!He only got til November!
Shoulda asked him to pay a round while you had him there!You sure will have to move fast to see your beer paid for by the WH Dollar!
President Obama has crossed the line from arrogance to stupidity.
Clint Eastwood is a genius: Empty Chair How could he have predicted?
Anything in the "intel report" about a threat to the Libyan Ambassador, Mr. President?
Where are ABC, NBC, and CBS and the rest of the Liberal Media about Obama's absence from intel meetings? They should be "crucifying" Obama for this stupid conduct.
Such comments are simple religious bigotry. He practices his faith... is that so hard to comprehend? Methodists don't play cards, dance or drink..------------------------------
such comments were just stating facts....and the purported one you just threw out about the Methodists is a total load of manure. Makes me think the rest of your self righteous spouting is manure too
Darn. How about a Molson's?
Who said Life was easy or equitable? I served in the military - did you do the same? I took out loans to go to college and then paid every cent back. Did you - or did you just choose to whine and curl up beneath the ever-convenient "less-fortunate" blunkie. I've risked my life for this country under circumstances and in places you couldn't possibly comprehend. Your comments are shallow; self-serving/-excusing; and confirm that you are a whining 21st Century excuse for a male. Mince on, you wuss.