Biden Presiding?

In the waning days of the lame duck session, when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) was blocking any attempts at reaching a compromise to avoiding Fiscal Cliff, Senate Minority Leader used Vice President Biden as an instrumental go around to craft a compromise.  Biden showed potential at being respectable.  Then came the new Congress.

Aside from being the next in line for Presidential succession, the only specified role for the Vice President of the United States is as a ceremonial President of the Senate.  So as the 113th Congress was sworn in, Vice President Joe Biden was front and center at the ceremonial swearing-in photo-ops.
Witness our national treasure--





Personally, my favorite moment was when first term Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) took office and Biden quipped:  “Spread your legs, you’re gonna be frisked."




While Senator Heitkamp managed to be all smiles for the camera, this lack of decorum was, to echo Biden, "a Big F**king Deal."   

When newly appointed Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) had his photo op, at least Biden managed to muzzle himself to just joke about his pecs. This is better then when then Presidential candidate Senator Biden greeted then Senator Barack Obama's entrance to the 2008 Democratic primary race.



Next on the Senate agenda is formally announcing the Electoral College vote.  And what will Joe Biden say?

But all things considered, Joe Biden's jocular gaffes are at least more respectable than ex-VP Al Gore's Current (sic) hypocrisy.

h/t: Steve Sack
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