Biden--36 Years In The Senate Can Only Do So Much (Updated)

I've made the argument before (here, here and here) that experience does not necessarily carry judgement with it. Even when talking about Biden's experience as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, there is a lot to be knowledgeable of. Still, this gaffe by Senator Joe Biden is surprising:

When we kicked -- along with France, we kicked Hezbollah out of Lebanon, I said and Barack said, "Move NATO forces in there. Fill the vacuum, because if you don't know -- if you don't, Hezbollah will control it."

Now what's happened? Hezbollah is a legitimate part of the government in the country immediately to the north of Israel. [emphasis added]

Hezbollah was kicked out of Lebanon? This will come as news to Hezbollah--and to the Lebanese who have to put up with them. It is reminiscent of Gerald Ford's famous gaffe in his debate with Carter:

During a campaign debate against former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter, Ford incorrectly stated that Poland was "independent and autonomous" from the Soviet Union, though at the time the Soviet Union dominated Poland and much of Eastern Europe. When pressed, instead of reconsidering, Ford responded more firmly that "There is no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe, and there never will be under a Ford administration".

Of course, people were then more aware of Poland than they are of Lebanon today; these are Vice Presidential debates--not Presidential debates; and the media is not going to make a big deal out of this mistake. For example, with all the detailed facts that ABC's Fact Check apparently picked up, they totally missed this one.

Michael Totten notes the irony of the situation:

Biden is supposedly Mr. Foreign Policy. He’s supposed to be the experienced elder statesman Senator Barack Obama chose to help him govern and fill in some of his knowledge and experience gaps. He’s supposed to know far more about foreign policy than she does.

You can make of this what you will. Many will put this in the same basket with all of the other gaffes made by Biden over the last several weeks--meaning they will be ignored.

Still, when something like this is put into the context of the positions Biden has held over the years, the question does arise as to the basis of those positions--positions that have demonstrated a lack of judgement, and possibly a lack of experience.

UPDATE: I missed this one too. LGF notes another Biden gaffe on the Middle East:

Here’s what the president said when we said no. He insisted on elections on the West Bank, when I said, and others said, and Barack Obama said, “Big mistake. Hamas will win. You’ll legitimize them.” What happened? Hamas won.

Biden confused Gaza with the West Bank. 

Imagine if Palin had made that kind of mistake. So why is the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee held to a lower standard? 

Crossposted on Soccer Dad

[Hat tip: Instapundit]

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