Biden Pulls a Biden

“And quite frankly, it might have been a better pick than me.”

And there you have the words that might well haunt Sens. Obama and Clinton until the end of the presidential campaign.

Out on the stump the other day, Joe Biden was speaking of his “close friend” and colleague, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.). At one point in his remarks, Sen. Biden (D-Del.) noted that Clinton was qualified to be president and very qualified to be vice president. And then Sen. Biden did what he is perhaps best known for: put his foot in his mouth.

How in the world could the current vice presidential pick note that Sen. Clinton would have been a better pick than himself? He could think that, believe that, but to say it in public before a microphone? Unreal.

I do agree, however, with Sen. Biden’s assessment of Sen. Clinton being a better pick for VP than him. I think if Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) goes on to win the White House, the date everyone will circle back to will be the date Barack Obama selected Biden rather than Clinton as his vice presidential running mate.

Say what you will about the Clintons, but Hillary Clinton is a very smart, thoughtful and engaging politician who found her own voice and standing on the campaign trail earlier this year. She would have been an outstanding pick for Obama and I think her inclusion on the ticket would have really made the contest a formidable uphill battle for the Republicans to keep the White House for the next four years. Obama failed his first major test — the choice of vice president, while Sen. McCain brilliantly selected Gov. Palin and subsequently stole all of the buzz and excitement away from the Democrats.

I wonder if Sen. Obama is now having buyer’s remorse, particularly in light of Biden’s comments the other day. Love to be a fly on the wall the next time Obama and Biden meet in private.