Joe Biden’s Epic Visit With Shanksville, Pa. Firefighters

Joe Biden
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Vice President Joe Biden began his day on a very somber note: He traveled to Shanksville, Pa., to commemorate Sept. 11 at the site where Flight 93 crashed.

But things lightened up considerably when Biden made an unannounced stop at the local volunteer fire department, where a pool report (written by Peter Baker of the New York Times) captured some classic Biden moments.

Brad Shober, a deputy fire chief, told reporters there that Biden already owed him a beer from an encounter last year, which led to a White House invite Tuesday from Biden:

Shober, holding a Coke Zero, told your pool that Vpotus last year had given him one of his vice presidential challenge coins and told him, “‘Next time I see you, if you have that coin, drinks are on me. If you don’t have it, drinks are on you.’ Now knowing that he might come, I made sure that was on my pocket.” Since Vpotus didn’t have his coin to show him back, he made the spontaneous invitation to come back to DC.

Biden appeared serious about honoring his pledge:

“Win, lose or draw, I’m still going to be vice president in January.” They should come, he said. “That’s a deal.” He added: “I give you my word. I’m not just saying it.”

Here are some other highlights from the report:

  • One firefighter said, “You got my vote.” Vpotus replied, “Thank you, man. That’s not why I’m here but thank you.”
  • [Biden] actually served himself a hamburger and put a slice of American cheese on it … Asked what Dr. [Jill] Biden would think of his diet, he said, “She’s going to say, ‘Joe, what the hell are you doing?’ I just ate a peanut butter sandwich between here and there.”
  • A firefighter introduced his girlfriend. Vpotus cupped her face in his hands. “Dangerous to date a volunteer firefighter,” he playfully warned her.
  • Somehow he then got into a discussion of racing. “I’m a frustrated –” and then he stopped himself and said he shouldn’t say so in front of the pool but went ahead anyway, “dragster.” As your pool was then ushered away, Vpotus was saying something about the feel of the road.
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