WaPo TV Writer Wanted Biden to Call Hasselbeck a 'Nincompoop'

Washington Post TV critic Lisa de Moraes was taking after her colleague Tom Shales in hating Elisabeth Hasselbeck, whom she called the "token pretty blond Republican" on ABC's The View. (Shales suggested she resembled an ABC sitcom character who was blond, witchy, and threw nasty tantrums.). Ms. de Moraes wanted to shake her and mock her for asking the vice president  about whispering that health reform was a "big f---ing deal" into open microphones:

Biden did not take her by both wrists, waggle her about a bit and call her a nincompoop -- which explains why he's the vice president and we're only entrusted to run a TV column. Instead, he said, good naturedly/contritely: "I was just thankful my mother couldn't hear it. It was a little embarrassing."

Clearly, de Moraes is more the type who would buy the Democrats' "BFD" T-shirt and revel in the profanity. She called it Biden's "girlish enthusiasm over the historic nature of the moment."

She was upset that the question about Biden's BFD was the headline out of the interview, instead of weighty matters of state:

Now we're just a lowly columnist who covers television. We leave it to the political-reporting experts -- including Politico, MSNBC, Huffington Post, The Washington Post's political blog, the Los Angeles Times and Fox News Channel, among others -- to determine what was the most important bit of news to come out of a nationally televised appearance by the man who is a heartbeat away from being the leader of the free world. We'll take the lead of the professionals and give you the all the details on this most important of stories:

The issue was brought up by Elisabeth Hasselbeck, who is famously "The View's" token pretty blond Republican:

"Obama has been in the past talking about words, you know, he's told us that there are certain words that, as America, we should kind of stay away from: war on terror, radical Islam, etc. You get up there, health-care bill signed, and you throw the f-bomb!" she said.

What Hasselbeck wanted to know was why he, Biden, thought he "got the pass" from the president of the United States after perpetrating this outrage.

Biden did not take her by both wrists, waggle her about a bit and call her a nincompoop -- which explains why he's the vice president and we're only entrusted to run a TV column....

Biden said Obama was "laughing like the devil" over the gaffe in the limo after the event. Biden asked what was so funny, and Biden said the president explained "Katie, my secretary, told me when you said that to me, everybody could hear it."

That doesn't sound like collegial respect for your ticket mate. It sounds more like what-a-goofball contempt than friendly joshing.