Joe Biden is not impressed with the Bernie Sanders Vatican stunt [View all]

[Iamaartist]

http://www.dailynewsbin.com/news/joe-biden-is-not-impressed-with-the-bernie-sanders-vatican-stunt/24493/


Vice President Joe Biden has had positive things to say about both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders at various points during the 2016 democratic primary race, while never officially endorsing either candidate. As Sanders has grown more negative in tone, Biden seemed to lean toward Clinton last week when he referred to her as “overwhelmingly qualified.” But now that Sanders has run off to the Vatican as part of a bizarre stunt today while the Pope is out of town, Biden is making clear he’s not impressed at all.

Joe Biden, a devout Catholic, responded “I doubt that very much” when a reporter asked him today if the Bernie Sanders trip to the Vatican should be interpreted as a sign that Pope Francis is embracing Bernie’s policies. He then went on to phrase it more emphatically: “No, I don’t think it could be read that way at all.”

Vice President Biden and President Obama have both been subtly leaning toward Hillary Clinton in their public remarks over the past weeks, seemingly trying to nudge Bernie Sanders toward the door before his increasingly bitter rhetoric causes any further division. He’s behind by millions of votes and hundreds of delegates (plus superdelegates), and he has almost no remaining mathematical shot at the nomination, yet he’s remained in the race anyway. Earlier this month he claimed Clinton was “not qualified” to be President, drawing rebuke from democratic leadership across the board. But the Vatican stunt appears to have caused Biden to finally run out of patience with Sanders altogether.

Sanders and his campaign have been strongly implying that he was either invited by Pope Francis or that he would be meeting with Pope Francis, both of which were shot down by the Pope’s official spokesman. In reality Sanders finagled his way into speaking at a meeting of professors for ten minutes during a coffee break time slot. The stunt is head scratching to all involved, but Catholic Joe Biden appears to have taken personal offense to it (watch Biden on CNBC).