SIX STINKERS

Think how you feel when someone has told you an obvious lie.  You're angry, of course.  But it's also demeaning and insulting to realize someone thinks you can be fooled so easily.  #the VP debate

I guess it's a given that no one takes "Uncle Joe" very seriously.  We seem to collectively like his affability and joviality and he's been around forever.  In the past, when the gaffe-o-meter goes off, they just smile and say "oh, that's just Joe"...foul mouth and all.

But I'd love a little more substance for the office that's a heartbeat away from the presidency.

There were several things Tuesday night that didn't meet the smell test.  In fact, they were so blatantly inaccurate...it was unsettling when accompanied by a huge grin.

Here are six examples of some whoppers from the debate:

#1.  BIDEN on HHS mandate:  "No religious institution - Catholic or otherwise, including Catholic social services, Georgetown hospital, Mercy hospital, any hospital - none has to either refer contraception, none has to pay for contraception, none has to be a vehicle to get contraception in any insurance policy they provide.  That is a fact.  That is a fact."

Congressman Ryan responds "then why are they suing you?"  And the next day, the Catholic bishops say:  "that is NOT a fact".

#2.  BIDEN on his voting record:  "I was there.  I voted against the wars.  I said 'no, we can't afford that'."

In fact, the Vice President voted for the use of force in BOTH wars... in Afghanistan on September 14, 2001....and in Iraq on October 11, 2002.

#3.  BIDEN on nuclear Iran:  "No, Iran is not four years closer to a nuclear program."

Well, THAT'S scary if he really thinks that.

#4.  BIDEN on our ally, Israel:  "Oh, the president has met with Bibi (Prime Minister Netanyahu) a dozen times."

To be exact, it was less than half that number, including the times the President had the Prime Minister brought in from the back entrance, left him waiting without a meal while he ate supper, and refused to have his picture made with him.

#5.  BIDEN on security @Libyan embassy:  "Well, WE didn't know they wanted more security!"

Ouch.  The Congressional hearings painted a different picture.  State Department officials admitted they had turned down requests from the embassy begging for security personnel.  Security who had left in August made a jolting statement when they said they felt like they were dealing with the Taliban inside the State Department.  Finally, Press Secretary Jay Carney says Biden speaks for himself and the president on this issue.

So let's assume they didn't know. WHY didn't they know?  Did ANYONE know?  Was everyone on the fund-raising plane to Las Vegas the day after a terrorist attack?  Could that info have been in the Presidential Daily Briefs?  Could anyone have observed the calendar was September 11th?  Or taken note of the increasing number of violent acts against the embassy?

#6.  BIDEN on who told them the incident was video-inspired:  "Intelligence told us."

Ohhh, bet that was a pleaser over at Intelligence.  Here is what intelligence testified under oath:  "U.S. intelligence agencies had strong indications al-Qaeda affiliated operatives were behind the attack, and even had pinpointed the location of one of those attackers within 24 hours of the Benghazi attacks."

Within 24 hours?  And we were told for weeks that it was the video?  Does the Vice President think he can get away with telling tall tales?  Those are big stinkers.  The first one was domestic policy, but the other five are SERIOUS foreign policy blasts of hot air.  Wasn't that why Biden was added to the ticket in the first place...to lend gravitas to a presidential candidate who was inexperienced in foreign policy?  Our Vice President was the former chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee.  Why is he saying what he is saying?

His party wanted a strong "get 'em, Joe" performance.  They got it, if you count 83 interruptions and incalculable smirks with mocking gestures and words like "my friend" (15 times) and "it's a fact" (28 times).  The Vice President is the champion of disrespectful debate demeanor.

And sadly, truth took a back seat to Joe Biden's private reality.