meself: Since Obama's technically half-Caucasian and half-African, there should have been racial balance with just him, Crowley and Gates at the table. Unfortunately (and, I think, disgracefully), our society still thinks in terms of color and labels mixed-race people "Black" so, frankly, having Biden there provided COLOR balance (two light-skinned people and two dark-skinned people).

I'm guessing that he was just there for moral/political support of younger politician Obama.

I agree, though, that Joe Biden would be a good man to have beside'dja in a brawl!