Your Mandarin was bemused by the story over the weekend of Vice President Joe Biden’s visit to Kopp’s Custard in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In what may turn into another Joe the Plumber moment in American politics, the Vice President called the manager of the establishment a “smartass.” Here is the exact transcript of the exchange courtesy of FoxNews.com:

“What do we owe you?” Biden is heard saying in footage captured by WISN-TV.

“Why don’t you say something nice instead of being a smartass all the time?” Biden said a few minutes later.

Now your Mandarin has been know to use a colorful expletive or two in his time, but I find it disheartening to see this level of disrespect from our politicians toward the populace. The manager of the store was expressing what most Americans feel is one of the major problems with the economy – over-burdensome taxes and out of control federal spending. But instead of the Vice President rolling with the punches and at least pulling off a Clinton-style “I feel your pain” moment he turned on the manager in a very unbecoming Vice Presidential manner.

What is really bizarre and indefensible is that the “smartass” remark wasn’t an off-hand remark made in the heat of the exchange. Rather, the Vice President stewed over the lower taxes remark for a few minutes and then approached the manager to chastise him for not saying something “nice.”

Well Mr. Vice President, what exactly would be the nice thing to say? Should we just fall in line with your ministry of propaganda, I mean the main-stream media, and sing the praises of the administration and how it has turned the country around? Well I’ll tell you Mr. Vice President, I agree with the main-stream media that the administration that you belong to has turned the country around. Unfortunately your administration has turned us right over the cliff toward economic ruin, a decline in world dominance, and the loss of the country’s prestige and influence throughout the world.

And after all of this, it turns out that nobody charged the Vice President for his custard. Well I guess the customer is always right, which is a lesson that the Vice President and the rest of the politicians across the country should remember.

The Mandarin

The Mandarin, whose real name is 吏恆, joined the order in 1309, and introduced the Gormogons into England during the 18th Century.

The Mandarin enjoys spending time with his pet manticore, Βάρἰκος, or Barry (who can be found in the Bestiary). When not in the Castle…well, frankly, nobody is quite sure where he goes.

The Mandarin popularized the fine art of “gut booting,” by which he delivers a powerful kick to the stomach of anyone that annoys him. Although nearly universal today, the act of gut booting or threatening someone or something with a gut boot is solely due to him.