Does Vice President-elect Joe Biden have a future in tarot card reading?

FLASHBACK October 19, 2008: The loquacious then-Senator Biden told a crowd in Seattle, Washington to “gird their loins,” for the world will be watching and will test the mettle of Barack Obama:

And here’s the point I want to make. Mark my words. Mark my words. It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We’re about to elect a brilliant 47-year old senator president of the United States of America. Remember I said it standing here if you don’t remember anything else I said. Watch, we’re gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy. And he’s gonna have to make some really tough – I don’t know what the decision’s gonna be, but I promise you it will occur. As a student of history and having served with seven presidents, I guarantee you it’s gonna happen. I can give you at least four or five scenarios from where it might originate. And he’s gonna need help. And the kind of help he’s gonna need is, he’s gonna need you, not financially to help him, we’re gonna need you to use your influence, your influence within the community, to stand with him. Because it’s not gonna be apparent initially, it’s not gonna be apparent that we’re right. Because all these decisions, all these decisions, once they’re made if they work, then they weren’t viewed as a crisis. If they don’t work, it’s viewed as you didn’t make the right decision, a little bit like how we hesitated so long dealing with Bosnia and dealing with Kosovo, and consequently 200,000 people lost their lives that maybe didn’t have to lose lives. It’s how we made a mistake in Iraq. We made a mistake in Somalia. So there’s gonna be some tough decisions. They may emanate from the Middle East. They may emanate from the sub-continent. They may emanate from Russia’s newly-emboldened position because they’re floating in a sea of oil. (emphasis added)

He, presumably, meant Cuban Missile Crisis Kennedy, not Bay of Pigs Kennedy.

Not quite six months, but…

TODAY November 26, 2008: Armed Islamic militants, later identified as members of Deccan Mujahideen, went on a rampage through two Mumbai luxury hotels, reportedly seeking out guests with US and British passports:

Gunmen armed with automatic weapons and grenades hit nine sites including the hotels, a cafe, a hospital and a train station in coordinated attacks, police say.

Maharashtra state government spokesman Bhushan Gagrani said 78 people were killed and about 200 wounded, while police confirmed 26 deaths.

[…]

The attacks began about 2230 local time (1700 GMT) and more than two hours later witnesses were reporting new explosions and gunfire.

The targets include businesses frequented by international visitors in the city which is India’s financial center.

[…]

U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Wood said: “We are monitoring the situation very closely and stand ready to support the Indian authorities as they deal with this horrific series of attacks.” (emphasis added)

By way of President-elect Barack Obama’s chief national security spokeswoman, Brooke Anderson:

President-Elect Obama strongly condemns today’s terrorist attacks in Mumbai, and his thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families, and the people of India. These coordinated attacks on innocent civilians demonstrate the grave and urgent threat of terrorism. The United States must continue to strengthen our partnerships with India and nations around the world to root out and destroy terrorist networks. We stand with the people of India, whose democracy will prove far more resilient than the hateful ideology that led to these attacks.

With the demise of his former chief Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama has taken a much more conciliatory tone on attacks of this nature. In July, amid a Beltway discussion over what to do with a resurgent Al Qaeda and Taliban in northwest Pakistan, Obama delivered some tough talk after months of accusations of foreign policy naiveté.  He promised, if elected, he would consider an attack inside Pakistan – a sovereign country – with or without the approval of its leaders to capture or kill these forces.

Let’s hope President-elect uses a little more tact in this crisis’ resolution, or at least that he doesn’t broadcast our next move via text message to his throngs of supporters.