Vintage Joe

Joe was talking when we got there. It was the usual pap about being green, global warming, paying your taxes and being "patriotic"! Obviously it was a carefully crafted script approved by his boss, the gifted orator! Then disaster struck.

A strong gust of Colorado wind blew the teleprompter over and broke it -- no more prepared script. Just back to off-the-cuff vintage politician Joe Biden, now Vice President of the United States of America.

Ann and I were privileged to attend the 51st graduation ceremonies at the United States Air Force Academy last week. We were guests of graduating Cadet Natasha Marakowski, an impressive young lady from Fullerton, Calif. Second Lieutenant Natasha will soon be leaving for her first assignment, finance, on the Island of Guam.

We made connections and sat in VIP seats with Freshman Cadet Lance Wach from Hayes Center. I was pleased to note that Lance now wears the star and wreath pin of the Dean and Superintendent's list testifying to excellent grades, in the top 20 percent of his class. This from a young man who just graduated last spring from a small country high school in rural Nebraska. Yes we can compete!

As per tradition the Academy graduation ceremony is held in Falcon Stadium. Our assigned seats high up and just below the press box overlooked the speaker stand on the football field and out across the "golden" but now green plains. Snow-covered Pikes Peak dominated the view to the south and unseen behind us arose majestically the whole spine of the Colorado Rockies. The day was brilliant clear with blue skies and a few puffy cumuli well to the south, perfect warm and complimented by a persistent breeze through "venturi valley."

Following the crash of the teleprompter, VP Biden made a comment along the lines of "Gosh now my boss President Obama would be in trouble if it was his teleprompter that broke!" That brought a laugh from the huge audience. Long-time politician VP Biden, by experience a pro at the art of public speaking, never missed a beat. The difference was that now he was speaking from his heart.

The VP spoke of how our Air Force, the most powerful in the world, is better than the next three Air Forces combined. He spoke that the young men and women before him were going to be pulling key leadership roles vital to the future of our country.

VP Biden had been in Afghanistan the week before and he spoke of heartfelt admiration for the terrific airman, soldiers, sailors and marines that he had seen in action over there. He marveled at the vast amounts of cargo moved daily by Air Mobility Command and how their tankers are daily fulfilling the needs of our war fighters. Then Vice President Joe Biden also stated how essential it is for this country to spend the money to support our armed forces. Yes this was Joe Biden father of a recently returned soldier speaking from his heart.

I was impressed! Gee if only his boss, President Barack Obama and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates were listening. Our president's budget had increases in funds for every department of government except for defense.

In the interest of "savings" Secretary of Defense Gates has pushed to stop the badly needed F-22 production line and will soon cause to be sidelined more than 250 frontline fighters, both F-16s and F-15s with no realistic replacement in sight. The constantly botched replacement program for the KC-135 tankers that I flew is in stalled-out mode and I am appalled to learn their plan is to buy one new one to replace four of the old ones that will in turn be sent to the boneyard.

Yes I saw the real Joe Biden speak from his heart and feel it a shame that the Vice President has so little voice in running the country.

VP Biden did another thing that gained him favor in my eyes. The usual plan of action for a distinguished speaker at the Academy's graduation is to present the diploma to the top 20 of so graduates. Then some lesser official does the honors for the rest of the class. Not VP Biden, he did the same as President George W. Bush last year, for each graduate he returned the salute, presented the diploma, shook the hand, and then stood for a personal portrait with every one of the thousand graduating seniors. An excellent performance!

So President Obama has his first chance to name a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court. And as predicted by many he ran true to form and nominated a person who demonstrably believes not in the Constitution of The United States but a new living constitution dictated by whim from the bench. No longer will lady justice be blind. No she will be influenced by empathetic clap-trap of having grown up a minority and receiving the privilege of a free and very liberal education, all at taxpayer's expense. If Sen. Ben Nelson bows to the Obama/Reid steamroller and votes to confirm Sonia Sotomayor, it will definitely be time to replace him, for he will no longer be representing the will of the independent minded Nebraskans who voted him into office.

That is the way I saw it.