Biden may need guidance from Mrs. Robinson

This is going to be interesting.

Even before Joe Biden was sworn into office, he was extracting his wife's foot from his mouth after she spilled the beans on Oprah that hubby had his pick of the vice presidency or appointment as secretary of state.

Shortly after the inauguration, Biden leveled a cheap shot at John Roberts, the chief justice of the Supreme Court, and interrupted President Barack Obama during an interview.

Poor Joe, he probably can't help himself. For decades, he's been in the most prestigious club in the world — a member of the U.S. Senate. There, members jockey for attention all the time, particularly those who have higher aspirations. Old habits die hard.

But it's one thing to try to shout down other Senate members to draw attention to legislation you are sponsoring or to objections to a bill, and a whole other thing when your job entails handling delicate international matters, such as attending a funeral of a foreign head of state. He's expected to be one of the grown-ups in the room.

Someone of Biden's years and experiences will probably rise to the occasion, but a part of me will be watching with the same sort of fascination that one would watch the bumbling relatives of some former presidents — What's that wacky Billy Carter going to do now? Are those Bush twins going out for another wild night on the town?

It's different for family, though. They're in the spotlight due to a blood or marital relationship. Biden is a heartbeat away from the presidency.

Does that mean Biden forfeits his free speech rights? No. But it does mean there are greater consequences for whatever comes out of his mouth, particularly because they will exist in perpetuity on the Internet.

Is Biden worse than any other politician? It's hard to say because the 96 other members of the Senate and 435 members of the House haven't had the same degree of scrutiny as Obama, Biden, Hillary Clinton and John McCain. In any group of 500 people, there are bound to be some wild cards.

And perhaps Biden's propensity to let it all hang out is what Obama might call "old school." After being picked as Obama's running mate, Biden was on the front lines in rallying the old guard — organized labor and blue-collar workers. To some people, his off-the-cuff style is endearing because it makes him appear approachable, more like the average American.