Also: Barack Obama is the most articulate U.S. president since Abraham Lincoln. And Vice President Joe Biden, Obama said last year, is "a leader who understood the rising costs confronting working people and will always put their dreams first." Finally, for God's sake, don't ever forget that Sarah Palin is a drooling idiot.

With that throat-clearing out of the way, here is what Biden said today about the economy and health care:

“Well, people when I say that look at me and say, ‘What are you talking about? You’re telling me we have to go spend money to keep from going bankrupt? The answer is yes, I’m telling you.”

First, tell that to my creditors. Or yours. Hell, tell that to the Chinese!

Second, the Democrats botched the stimulus and they're going to botch health care. Big time. That, presumably, is what Biden was actually talking about -- stimulating growth in a persistently sluggish economy, bringing heath care costs under control, not averting bankruptcy generally. Who knows? Now, that isn't to say we should throw more money down the rat hole. But it's something to ponder when you try to assess the way this administration has taken ownership of the economy.

Finally... one heartbeat away from the presidency, people! One heartbeat away!

(Update: Speaking of drooling idiots, I screwed this up when I posted it. I've added links delving into the health care angle, which was the point of Biden's remarks.)