Favorite 2011 Bag: Gucci Large Leather Messenger Bag, $2,850

Shoe Porn: Mark McNairy Suede Officers Shoes

Joe Biden says:

The vice-presidency is not a job designed to enhance your standing.

When I got here in ‘73, the Democratic party was made up of a lot of old segregationists. So the idea that there was a united Democratic party, and that there was absolute civility, is a bit of a fiction. What was different then was more of a national ethic that you didn’t publicly “trash” someone else. It was just bad form. But the feelings were equally as intense.

I know it sounds corny, but my definition of power is the ability to help people.

What I haven’t seen before is the intensity of the desire on the other side to see to it that Barack Obama is not president again. There seems to be a willingness to put that ahead of what might be a short-term — or a long-term — benefit to the American people.

My dad used to say, ”Without your word, you’re not a man.”

It was 1957. I remember because I was a freshman in high school. My parents seldom went out socially, but they went to the office Christmas party. My dad was the general manager of an automobile dealership. The owner was a wealthy man, and he was there along with the mechanics, salespeople, secretaries, and spouses. They had dinner, then cleared the tables for a band and some dancing. My mom and dad had told me they’d be back around midnight, but at about nine my dad walks straight into his bedroom. “What happened?” I asked. My mother said, “You know that promotion where you buy a car and get a bucket full of silver dollars? Well, the boss threw the silver dollars out in the middle of the dance floor for people to pick up. Your father turned to him and said, ‘You can take this job. I quit.’ ” It’s not like my father had an alternative. But that was my father. And my mother was proud of him.

Nobody owes you a living. But everyone’s entitled to dignity.

Does it feel like home or a thirty-three-room mansion? It feels like home for one reason: Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday night, one of my granddaughters comes and hangs out.

When my son was a senior, I was asked to do a speech at Georgetown University. Father O’Donovan asked me to speak on how faith informs my public service. I’d never talked about my faith publicly. I mean, I acknowledge that I’m a practicing Catholic, but I don’t think it’s anybody’s business, nor do I think it should matter to anyone. That’s why I’m so angry about the way they’re treating Romney. Who I’m not crazy about, but …

Anyway, I never worked so hard on a speech my whole life. What I realized as I wrote it was the greatest sin a man or woman can commit is the abuse of power.

What I’m amazed about is the guy’s courage. The decisions the president makes day in and day out are decisions that nobody sees. Trust me, if you had to make only one of those decisions, you’d be telling your grandchildren about it.

I would argue that this president has had more land on his plate from the day he got in office than any other president — including Franklin Roosevelt.

It’s hard to find a single project that everyone can see being created, like the Hoover Dam or the interstate highway system. The real answer is we need entire new industries.

The first discussion, as we sat around this big table on the eightieth floor of some building in Chicago during the interregnum period, was with a group of about thirty economists. We weren’t talking about reorganizing banks during that meeting. We were talking about banks going out of business. We were talking about doors being shuttered. The action that the president took — and some of the antecedent actions on TARP — literally saved the economy from going off a cliff and the world going into a depression. Everyone forgets that now, especially our banker friends.

It’s not a bad thing that people forget. My deceased wife used to say, “Joe, the greatest gift God gave to mankind was the ability to forget.” To which my mother would always add, “If that weren’t the case, women would only have one child.”

After my first wife and daughter were killed, my boys were banged up badly, and I had those aneurysms that didn’t give me a big chance of living, my dad sent me a little three-paneled cartoon: Hägar the Horrible. I still have it on my desk. Hägar is in his Viking boat with his horn helmet, rowing away when a bolt of lightning comes out of the sky. Hägar gets charred. He looks up at heaven and says, “Why me, God?” And God comes back with “Why not?”

As my mom would say, ”Joey, as long as a person’s alive, they have the obligation to strive. They’re not dead until they’ve seen the face of God.” So you just have to get your ass up — no matter what.

There was an article in the newspaper. It said something like, “It’s probable no vice-president has ever assumed the office with fewer assets than Vice-President Biden.” I assume they were talking about financial assets.

My dad used to say, ”You know you’re a success when you look at your kids and realize they turned out better than you.” I am a success. But I should have had one Republican who wanted to be an investment banker and make a lot of money so that when they put me in a home, I get a window with a view.

 5 Ways to Loosen Up Black-Tie

Make It a Double

The increasingly popular double-breasted look can be great in a tuxedo jacket, so long as it fits snugly (without pulling) around your torso.

Don’t Be Afraid of Velvet
The material is especially appealing in a jacket because its weight creates structure, and the light sheen will also add a festive touch to your outfit.

Go Navy
When you want to stand out without totally sticking out, this classic hue is a smart way to bend—not break—the rules.

Strike a Contrast
Pair a tux blazer with suit pants for a fashionably offbeat look. Make sure to choose dramatically different colors.

Try a Slipper
Instead of the standard patent-leather lace-ups, opt for slippers (but not the bedroom kind). Black velvet is classic, but leather and suede can also work.