Well, Vice President Joe Biden—recently put “in charge” of Iraq policy—has just completed his first survey of his new domain. And he was warmly welcomed.

It’s almost as if those who received the Vice President were unaware of his previous stances on events in that nation.

Biden, while in the Senate, voted against the first Gulf War, back in 1991. He balanced that out by voting for the second one, in 2002. And at one point, managed to unite nearly all Iraqis—in opposing his plan to partition the nation into three states. He also publicly and vocally opposed the “surge” strategy of last year.

Perhaps Obama chose to put Biden in charge under the theory that he simply can’t be wrong any more—he’s used up all the possible errors. Or he thinks that things are going so well, even Biden can’t mess them up. Or he knows that things are about to go south, and wants someone he can shift the blame to.