Another Biden gaffe

Joe opened his mouth yet again and let loose a truly dumb statement. This time, in his desire to praise Sonia Sotomayor, he indicated that she would have her judicial thumb on the scale in cases involving policemen.

Vice President Joe Biden offered an exuberant endorsement of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor at a White House event Tuesday – but some legal analysts believe he went too far by suggesting she would rule in favor of police if confirmed.

Flanked by a dozen District of Columbia police officers, Biden said Sotomayor, a former prosecutor, could be counted on to support law enforcement while on the high court.

“As you do your job, know that Judge Sotomayor has your back as well. And throughout this nominating process, I know you’ll have her back,” Biden said.

Just imagine if Dick Cheney had made a similar comment before the Roberts or Alito hearings. You'd hear howls from the ACLU that he was implying that criminal defendants wouldn't get a fair shake when they appear before those justices. Or turn it around and imagine a Republican vice president making such comments to a pro-life group about how a nominee would rule on abortion cases. There would be sincere questions about how impartial such a justice could be.

And what is doubly striking is that these comments came from the former head of the Senate Judiciary Committee who was supposed to be of value to the President because of his experience in such confirmation hearings. But the guy has such a tin ear and such a big mouth that he didn't even realize that he was saying something distinctly questionable when he implies that he already knows how the judge would rule in such cases on the Supreme Court.