VP Biden serves lunch to homeless in D.C.

[alsame]

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20091113/NEWS/91113030



Biden serves lunch to homeless in D.C.

WASHINGTON -- In his first solo social services event since the presidential Inaguration in January, Vice President Joe Biden helped serve lunch today to dozens of homeless men at a shelter on the outskirts of downtown Washington.

Biden's surprise visit to the Father McKenna Center of St. Aloysius Church on North Capitol and I streets NW startled some of the 80 men who stood stiffly as the vice president's entourage rushed past the dining area.

Casually dressed in a black baseball cap, black V-neck sweater, khaki trousers, rubber gloves and a worn brown apron, Biden took his place behind a folding table and a tray of fish sticks. The vice president said he served the men because "you've got to remind yourself that but for the grace of God there goes I. Sometimes you forget that this is real."

--snip--

"I do this at home," Biden said while lifting a piece of crust-covered fish with tongs and placing it on the plate of a man who shuffled by, eyes down, not recognizing his server. "I wanted to do this. I asked where I could do this without a lot of fanfare and they told me I could do it here."

[AndyA]

1. Comment from Rep. John Boehner (A-Ohio):

"This is the most disturbing thing I've seen in my 19 years in Congress. Feeding the homeless will just encourage more people to become homeless. Those people should all go out and get jobs instead of depending on someone else for a free handout."

The Republican Party - caring, compassionate, conservative. :eyes:

(:sarcasm: for the challenged)

[gateley]

5. Echoed by that woman (congresswoman - senator?) who chastised the youth

for not getting jobs at McDonalds so they could eat for free. (No sarcasm tag needed for this -- it's true!)

[PatSeg]

11. Yeah

and something about hunger being a great motivator, like she'd EVER been hungry. I really pity people with empathy deficit. What a horrible way to live.

[Egnever]

17. I heard some fundy yesterday on the radio

Saying the minimum wage raise was what destroyed all the jobs in america and that kids that work at mcdonalds werent doing it for the pay but for the experience so they didnt need a better minimum wage.

[Garam_Masala]

23. Nope..what is destroying jobs in America is lack of

any help to SMALL businesses who according to Huff Post create 91% of jobs.
Billions in TARP & Stimulus money was given to giant corporations such as
AIG (largest insurer), GM (largest car maker), Bank of America & CITI Bank (2 largest banks), Chrysler, Goldman Sachs, etc etc. I consider almost all large corporations
to be corrupt, bloated and inefficient. They have the money to buy politicians.

And what did we gain from it? 10.2% UNemployment!

If the same money was spent on giving small businesses tax credit for
accelerated depreciation, tax credit for hiring and retaining new employees,
and tax credits for providing health insurance to employees, the unemployment
rate might be closer to normal 5%.

[Cha]

16. To boehner..Keep 'em coming,

stupid.

[Arkana]

19. OK, I'm lost. Did Boehner really say that?

[Ikonoklast]

2. Got to love that guy.

Can you imagine the last holder of that office, who I will not name and desecrate this thread, doing anything remotely like this, for any reason?

Thanks, Joe.

Thanks.

[HughBeaumont]

3. Maybe if the food was laced with clostridium botulism and arsenic.

[gateley]

4. I was just going to comment on all Cheney's humanitarian acts while in office.

What a pig.

I keep saying this, but Joe really DOES care. :hi:

[Enrique]

8. take that back

Cheney had homeless people for lunch all the time.

[PatSeg]

9. That was my first thought

I actually tried to visualize it, but all I could see was his snarling face! It is like we're in a whole new world. May we never forget how bad it was for eight years.

[gateley]

6. This is so touching:

The vice president said he served the men because "you've got to remind yourself that but for the grace of God there goes I. Sometimes you forget that this is real."

Love ya, Joe!

[silverweb]

7. I love our Vice President.

:)

[Muttocracy]

20. me too. nt

[Hutzpa]

10. Touching, very touching Sir

:thumbsup:


:patriot:

[Clio the Leo]

12. Helping your fellow-man is hot. ;-) NT

[lunatica]

13. I love Joe Biden

Seriesly!?!

[jesus_of_suburbia]

14. Let me join the choir. I love Joe Biden!

[AspenRose]

15. God Love Ya, Joe

And I hate to break it to you, but ANYWHERE you go, pretty much from here on out, will have some degree of fanfare. Or at least lack of privacy. Comes with the job, sir. That's why the President and his wife have to sneak out to Five Guys.

His birthday is next Friday! :party: :bounce: Cupcakes for everyone!

[Muttocracy]

21. ooh, that's right. thanks for the reminder. nt

[Jennicut]

18. I loved him since the moment Obama picked him.

Good, down to earth guy.

[Odin2005]

22. Biden is Da Man!

:woohoo:

[RFKHumphreyObama]

24. I'm sure Vice President Cheney did this all the time

:sarcasm:

I'm proud of the Vice President. A wonderful, truly compassionate human being. You go Joe!

[Daemonaquila]

25. Makes me happy, makes me a little sad.

I'm hardly criticizing VP Joe - it's a nice thing to do, and he's a good human being for doing it for them and to remind himself of what matters. Still, it makes me a little sad because it underscores the difference between a well-meant gesture and solving a problem.

Call me a dreamer, but what would happen if VP Joe assigned one - just one - of his staff full time to dealing with hunger in D.C., and rode herd on the issue himself as time allowed? What change could be made to happen beyond doing lunch? What would happen if every D.C. heavy did that - took on just one city or town in their home turf? I think we'd have a very different America.