Pool Report: Biden Fourth of July Lunch in Iraq

7-4-09
FOURTH OF JULY LUNCH

No news, lots of color: “That S.O.B. is rolling over in his grave right now.”

After the naturalization ceremony, VPOTUS went to a lunch at Camp Victory with the 261st Theater Tactical Signal Brigade from Delaware, the brigade to which his son, Beau, belongs. Beau Biden stood in the back, quietly watching as his father engaged in a sort of homecoming; he had obviously met many times with these troops before. The place was decked out in red white and blue streamers and table cloths.

“You're almost like family, we've been seeing you for so many years,'' the brigade commander told the vice president. “Better be like family, man,'' Mr. Biden replied

The vice president apologized for not having been in touch with their families to tell them he was coming to Iraq, as was his practice as a senator. He said security wouldn't allow it. The brigade is apparently cycling out soon. “But everybody home is counting the days,'' he said. “It's under 100—I'm sure not a lot of you thought about it''

He told them about the naturalization ceremony. “We did it in Saddam's Palace and I can think of nothing better than. That S.O.B. is rolling over in his grave right now.''

Then it was on to the Coalition Café, one of several dining facilities on Camp Victory for a big Fourth of July Feast. Hundreds of troops were dining on chicken, ribs, macaroni and cheese, hamburgers, salad, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, etc. Plus pies for dessert and an array of giant sheet cakes decorated in Fourth of July themes. The vice president spent 45 minutes working the room with his customary, “Hey Man, how you doing,'' before heading back for some meetings with his staff. His interview with George Stephanopolous of ABC takes place this afternoon.