Joe Biden Suddenly a Liberal Hero

Liberals are celebrating a hero in the White House, and his name is ... Joe Biden. The vice president's comments on Sunday in support of gay marriage clearly "sped up history," writes Steve Kornacki at Salon, and gave President Obama "no choice but to say what he’s been scared to say since taking the national stage." It's a role reversal of sorts for the pair.

As a result, Biden's vice presidency will go down in history for helping make history, and Biden himself will likely see "newfound respect and appreciation" from members of the young, liberal base who generally considered him to be a "comic figure" before this week. For a guy who still hopes to be president himself someday, "this is surely a welcome development." Read Kornacki's full column here. (More Joe Biden stories.)