New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd caused quite a stir back in August when, soon after the death of Vice President Joe Biden’s son Beau, she wrote a touching piece called “Joe Biden in 2016: What Would Beau Do?” She wrote of Beau Biden’s deathbed wish: for his father to run again for the White House:
When Beau was dying, the family got rubber bracelets in blue — his favorite color — that said “WWBD,” What Would Beau Do, honoring the fact that Beau was a stickler for doing the right thing.
Joe Biden knows what Beau wants. Now he just has to decide if it’s who he is.
We weren’t the only ones to wonder: How, exactly, would Dowd have any idea what Beau Biden’s dying wish was? We’re guessing she wasn’t in the room with a voice recorder and reporter’s notebook as he and his father spoke their final words to each other. So who gave Dowd such intimate, private information?
Politico reports today that it was Joe Biden himself who leaked the information, adding in its subheading, “The vice president is mourning. He’s also calculating.”
Exclusive: Biden himself leaked word of his son's dying wish http://t.co/Z51zb1jYNA | AP Photo pic.twitter.com/fBQUFGwO9o
— POLITICO (@politico) October 6, 2015
@politico it begins
— Marcus C Dunn (@MarcusCDunn) October 6, 2015
@politico why is anyone surprised? The convo was between the two of them. Who else would share it?
— DogLover4Dems (@Donna_West) October 6, 2015
@Donna_West @stylistkavin @politico Question is did he leak it to friend or Dowd. If friend, did he know the intention was to leak to Dowd?
— Joyce Tyler (@joyce_tyler) October 6, 2015
@politico A story about your dying son isn't a 'leak'. Incredibly gross of you to print that. This is a Hillary hit piece all the way.
— Hellsworth (@Fiddlguru) October 6, 2015
@politico @instapundit why do I think the Clinton camp had a great deal to do with this 'exclusive information'?
— Tracy Cooper (@RagamuffinCB) October 6, 2015
@politico …isn't "leaked" a CYNICAL pejorative implying that Joe Biden betrayed his son Beau's trust and revealed a confidential secret?
— Roland Kausen (@RolandKausen) October 6, 2015
It sure is cynical. Politico theorizes that “in truth, Biden had effectively placed an ad in The New York Times, asking them to call.”
Biden’s office has responded to the Politico report, calling it both false and offensive.
Biden's office says Politico story on Beau is "categorically false and the characterization is offensive"
— Josh Lederman (@JoshNBCNews) October 6, 2015
@JonahNRO Long ago roommate used to say you knew a politician was caught when they broke out "categorically".
— Rev Snow (@RevSnow67) October 6, 2015
Fight! Fight! https://t.co/qrLYGmyeev
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) October 6, 2015
@JonahNRO Agree with the offensive part
— Terry Fouchey (@roscoetdog1) October 6, 2015
https://twitter.com/EzraPCole/status/651474367583494144
@JonahNRO Clinton Tricksters starting up again, in 2008 – they created Birthers, in 2016 Beau-ers
— Glenn Amurgis (@gamurgis) October 6, 2015
Clinton desperate to keep Biden out of the race. Surprise, really nasty anonymously sourced piece about Biden appears in Politico.
— Gabriel Malor (@gabrielmalor) October 6, 2015
Is HRC trying to neutralize the "sympathy factor" for Joe Biden @politico ?
— Martha MacCallum (@marthamaccallum) October 6, 2015
@joshledermanAP This is disgusting. VP Biden and family should receive a published apology for making this up. Who would believe this crap?
— DaleWillResist? (@awelab1956) October 6, 2015
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