Biden's 'Un-Serious' Image Reinforced by Gaffe

Or maybe he's just an idiot.

Biden's gaffes are a long-running subplot in Washington at this point. And most of them are along the lines of his "bitch" comment or using outdated and/or offensive terminology like "shylocks" and "the Orient."

All of it, though, paints a picture of a guy who can be pretty careless with his words. Sometimes that carelessness seeps into much more serious issues. And few things are as serious as international diplomacy.

But while using offensive terms and even plagiarizing (which sank Biden's 1988 presidential campaign) are bad, alienating the countries the United States depends on for supporting its Middle East mission — something Turkey is still weighing — is quite another. And foreign policy is supposed to be Biden's strong suit.